I have to admit I like a nice cocktail, though over the years my tastes have changed. When I was young a Pinacolada was my go-to cocktail, all sweet and coconutty and made with rum . Now I'm older I am more of a whiskey or tequila based cocktail girl. A Margarita is one of my favourites, made with tequila, the sharpness of the lime and the crusty glass rim dipped in salt makes it a satisfying drink, especially when that strong tequila base hits the spot.
I'm also a fan of bourbon and specifically Jack Daniel's whiskey. Last March on a tour of the American 'Deep South' we ventured to the Jack Daniel's distillery in Lynchburg, Tennesse. It was interesting to learn the history of the drink and to see how the whiskey was made. The Jack Daniel's distillery has made a range of whiskey from Tennessee spring water for the last 150 years. The classic Jack Daniel's No 7 has an earthy wood flavour, purified by going through a charcoal distillation process and has an edgy warmth as it goes down. It's a great base for whiskey cocktails or is delicious on it's on in a chilled glass with ice.
The Party Starter set £55 from 31 Dover
So when I was thinking of what spirits to buy for Christmas my thought went immediately to whiskey, tequila, and a spirit like a vodka that will take on the flavour of most mixers. A 'Party Starter' pack from 31Dover.com has exactly that in the package and is great for recreating delicious cocktails.
31Dover.com is an award-winning online drinks merchant selling a wide range of alcohol including champagne, wine, spirits, craft beers, cider, and liqueurs. Based at 31 Dover Street in London in 2015 it was named the Best Online Drinks Retailer by the industry's Drinks Business Awards.
The Party Starter pack features Russian standard vodka, Jose Cuervo tequila and Jack Daniel’s whiskey to kick start your house party celebrations. All you need is some orange juice, cola, any other mixers you may like and lashings of ice, and of course, you can always drink neat!
Now a drink I tried recently is a bourbon based cocktail called an Old Fashioned. The name was first coined at the Pendennis Club, a gentlemen's club founded in 1881 in Louisville, Kentucky. It's a simple straight forward cocktail, made with bourbon, sugar, bitters, lots of ice and a twist of orange rind. In my recipe below I am adding a little variation to this with Angostura orange bitters, not normal bitters. These orange bitters available from 31Dover.com adds a lovely flavour to the cocktail.
An Old Fashioned with a Twist
Ingredients
1 sugar cube or 1/2 teaspoon of sugar
2-3 dashes of Angostura orange bitters
2 measures of whiskey or bourbon
plenty of ice
1 orange
cocktail cherry (optional)
Method
1. Put the sugar in a tumbler with a teaspoon of hot water.
2. Stir until the sugar dissolves, then add the bitters.
3. Add the whiskey.
4. Stir well.
5. Add ice, and give it another stir
6. Get an orange and take a strip of orange peel off carefully with a sharp knife
7. It's important not to have any of the white pith on the orange as this can be bitter.
8. Rub the edge of the glass with the peel then twist the peel and pop it into the glass.
9. Add a cocktail cherry on a stick if you have one.
10. Sit back and enjoy like Jon Hamm in Mad Men.
31 Dover is brilliant for getting hard to find items like Angostura orange bitters
I live in a small seaside town and I can't get many of the most unusual items to make cocktails, such as Angostura orange bitters, so a site like 31Dover.com is really useful to me. I couldn't find this anywhere so I actually bought them from 31Dover.com, yes bloggers do buy things too! Flavoured from the fresh, sun-ripened peels of Trinidad's oranges, these orange bitters really add an orange zesty taste to any drink.
A site like 31Dover.com has great availability and can save you having to carry the heavy spirits or wine bottles home from a supermarket as well. It's a competitively priced site and perfect for all your alcoholic beverage needs.
With next day delivery as standard and a one-hour delivery option if you live in London, you can get the party started sooner than you think with 31 Dover.
What's your go-to cocktail? Would you use an online site to buy spirits, wine, beer and lager?
* PR sample
These look really great! You can't beat a tasty cocktail at a party.
ReplyDeleteThat's the truth!
DeleteI love cocktails! My drinking/eating tastes have definitely matured too. Having said that I still hate beer, lager or anything like that.
ReplyDeleteI'm not a beer or lager girl either, but strangely I do enjoy a lager shandy...
DeleteI am more of a Fruity cocktail type person but cocktails in general is a great way of getting the party started!
ReplyDeleteIndeed!
DeleteI love more fruity cocktails but these do sound good.
ReplyDeleteThis old fashioned tastes of orange so although it's not a long drink it is very fruity :)
DeleteI don't drink much these days but I've always had a major soft spot for Blue Lagoon. It's so sweet and summery, like eating ice cream! :)
ReplyDeleteWow, now that's a blast from the past, I used to drink these years ago.
DeleteI love cocktails, especially around Christmas when I keep more spirits in the house. These are my favourite drinks too :)
ReplyDeleteYes Christmas is the perfect time to have the bottles of spirits in the house.
DeleteI dont drink at all! But love the idea of cocktails as the starter of the party!
ReplyDeleteYou can also buy mixers from 31 Dover and make non alcoholic cocktails if you fancy that.
DeleteI am always up for a cocktail or five and the more adventurous the better x
ReplyDeleteLove your thinking!
DeleteYou can't beat a good cocktail! My husband loves JD, we always stock up with it over Christmas! x
ReplyDeleteIt was really interesting visiting the Jack Daniel's distillery in Lynchburg. I never knew they distilled JD through a charcoal filtration process.
DeleteI love cocktails and my other half and I make our own at home. This site sounds good.
ReplyDeletethese cocktails look really nice, I also love the Jack Daniels x
ReplyDeleteIt's the best bourbon :) They do make a number of different types too. No 7 is the one we all know in the UK.
DeleteThat looks like a delicious cocktail - big fans of 31dover here
ReplyDeleteCool, another fan!
DeleteI'm a fruity cocktail person but it's a nice recipe for those who enjoy a bit more... taste. :)
ReplyDeleteWe had cocktails at my hen party. I've never tried one with orange before.
ReplyDeleteNever head of this site. I would defo use an online site to buy alcohol. I always like a mojito x
ReplyDelete