With restaurants and bars shut across the world it time to make the most of your home bar. The Whisky Exchange is on hand to help out, with ‘Bring the Bar Home’ cocktail kits, featuring everything you need to create some delicious drinks designed by some of London’s top bartenders. For each box sold a portion of the proceeds will go directly to the bar, helping them through this difficult time while they remain closed.
There are a few options to choose from, some of my favourites include a Banana Rum Old Fashioned, created by Sly Augustin from Trailer Happiness (this bundle includes a bottle of Appleton Estate Reserve Blend rum, Giffard Crème Banane, Monin Gomme syrup and Bob’s Chocolate Bitters), and the Norman Conquest cocktail, created by Kwant’s Erik Lorincz (which includes a bottle of Avallen Calvados, Cocchi Vermouth di Torino, Angostura bitters and Woodford Reserve bourbon).
Last weekend I tried out the American Apples kit from renowned bar, Artesian in London’s Langham Hotel. The American Apples cocktail, created by Artesian’s Anna Sebastian includes a bottle of Michter’s Small Batch bourbon, Monin Pomme Verte, Mancino Vermouth and Gamillard Les Riceys Champagne. Everything you need to create this delicious refreshing cocktail, just make sure you have ice and lemon at home. The sweet apple syrup combined with the rich bourbon and dry vermouth created a perfectly balanced cocktail, topped with some decadent champagne bubbles.
The best thing of all about these ready-made bar kits – once you have you’re your special cocktails you then have the remainder of the bottles to use to create and experiment with other recipes. After making a couple of American Apple cocktails this weekend I used the rest of the champagne to make Bellinis with excess fruit we had in the fridge, and the bourbon has been perfect for an evening old-fashioned. Choose and buy your ‘Bring the Bar Home’ cocktail kit here.
With more and more of us getting creative with our home tipples I caught up with the Whisky Exchange’s Head Buyer, Dawn Davies to ask her about her top tips for isolation drinks at home.
What drinks have been most popular from the Whisky Exchange website during this lock down period?
Wine has been flying off the shelves, but as the isolation period goes on people are investing in spirits to create their own mini bars at home. Red vermouth and Campari have been incredibly popular recently which suggests people are mixing up their own negronis at home. A cocktail that was once reserved for a night out is now being recreated at home to create the feeling of a special treat.
Tell me a bit more about the ‘Bring the Bar Home’ cocktail kits?
These unique collections are an easy way for people to try something different at home. All the ingredients you need are included and hopefully it will inspire people to try something a bit different. It has also been a great way for us to support some of our favourite London bars who are really suffering during this period.
What drinks trends are you seeing emerging from this unusual time?
People are getting more adventurous and buying more unique and interesting bottles to create their own drinks with. The Whisky Exchange has a range of cocktail tutorial videos online which are encouraging and helping people to make and mix their own creative cocktails at home. As the lock down goes on longer our customers seem to be investing in better bottles to keep on their bar and use for different drinks.
What have you got coming up in the next few weeks?
As the Cognac Show this weekend had to be cancelled we are taking the tastings online. I’ll be hosting a few Cognac Show virtual tastings on our Facebook page, an introduction to this historic French spirit. I am also currently planning some Perfect Measure kits which will be available on the Whisky Exchange website soon. These kits will offer a selection of 6 carefully chosen whisky / gin varieties which you can taste neat or use for cocktail making at home. It’s a great way for fans to enjoy, educate and experiment with their favourite spirit.
If someone was keen to start an ‘essentials’ home bar what would you recommend they buy?
– Gin
– Vodka
– Rum
– Whisky
– Red Vermouth
– Bitters (choose your favourite, but angostura are probably the most versatile)
What drink have you been enjoying at home during the lockdown?
I missed having daiquiris out at my favourite bars, so have had to start making them at home!
How do you make your Daiquiris?
I use two different rums in mine for depth of flavour – this is my recipe:
45ml Black Tot Finest Caribbean Rum
15ml Clairin Sajous
20ml fresh squeezed lime juice
10ml simple sugar syrup
Shake, strain into a frozen glass and garnish with a lime
For more information head to The Whisky Exchange website here. And to take part in this weekend’s virtual Cognac tastings, sign up here.
This is a sponsored post in collaboration with The Whisky Exchange.