Cocktails Distilled

As global palettes change, Italian Amaros have come into their own. One of the best known examples is Fernet Branca. For many years, Fernet was almost like a secret handshake among bartenders, with its amazing complex flavour and almost cult like following. But how much do you really know about this bitter amaro. We talk to Edoardo Branca, the sixth generation member of the Branca family about the amaros popularity, the future of the brand and of course what cocktails it should be used in

Vodka may not be the most talked-about spirit but its definitely one that hasn’t gone away. And as any bartender will tell you Vodka pays the bills. And one of the Vodkas that is constantly in every speed rack and on every bar cart in homes is Ketel One.  Produced by the Dutch-based Notel family, Ketel One is a brand that doesn’t rest on its laurels, as evidenced from the recent release of their Botanicals range - a vodka distilled with real botanicals and infused with natural fruit essences. We speak with Bob Nolet, 11th Generation and Master Distiller for Ketel One Vodka about doing things differently, their botanical range and the cocktails you can make with them. 

The City of London Distillery open in 2012 and was the first gin distillery in the ENGLISH CAPITAL IN OVER 200 YEARs. Through their gins they have not only explored a variety of gin styles but also the history of gin-making in the city itself. Starting with a pair of 200L copper stills named Clarissa and Jennifer (after ‘The Two Fat Ladies’ of the BBC food show), the distillery has gone on to win awards and show the variety of expressions that micro-distilling can produce. We talk to Joe Brayford the brand ambassador for City of London about the logistics of running a distillery in the centre of such a busy city, we talk about range but in particular their Six Bells expression and of course what cocktails you can make with it. 

With the apéritif category undergoing a renaissance, boutique producers such as London’s Asterley Brothers are going from strength to strength. Incorporating a particularly British take on traditionally Italian Amaros and Vermouths, the company have recently undertaken crowd funding to expand not only their range but also their reach. We talk to Rob Berry from Asterley Brothers about the recent release of their Schofield’s Dry Vermouth, working with renowned bartender Joe Schofield and what English terroir can bring to drinks. 

Bitters are often underrated and undervalued, but they are very much the work horse of any cocktail bar. Often paralleled with seasonings such as salt and pepper in cooking, bitters often add that perfect accent to the drinks in which they are included.Canadian bitters company, The Bittered Sling, have recently released their bitters in a gift pack with 30-mL bottles of each of their six bitters. To discuss flavors, terroir, and all things bitters, but of course especially what cocktails they should be used in, we're here with one of The Bittered Sling’s founders and cocktailian extraordinary, Lauren Mote.

Although not as widely popular as her sister spirits, good quality rums are beginning to make an impact in the world of craft distilling. Utilising flavour and unique distilling methods, craft rum and cane spirits are re-introducing a new generation of drinkers to the spirit and encouraging them to think (and particularly drink) differentlyTo discuss craft distilling, the future of rum and the fact that you shouldn’t be afraid of their new Spiced Cane Spirit, we talk to Alexander Bell from Milton Rum Distillery. 

As the world of craft spirits continues to change and evolve, so has the world of craft mixers. The leader of the pack, Fever Tree has recently brought out three new flavours that centre on the humble Ginger Root. These new expressions, smoky ginger ale, spiced orange ginger ale and a ‘refreshingly light’ version of their premium ginger ale, open up a whole new subcategory. To discuss these developments and what they mean to your home bar, we talk with Fever-Tree USA CEO Charles Gibb. 

You might think there are enough Gins on the market but a new gin, Tod & Vixen's Dry Gin 1651, which has just been released by the Vale Fox Distillery in upstate New York, has done things a little bit differently. They have created a gin that has been specifically designed to be a good base for a cocktail. Made in consultation with three top bartenders - gaz regan, Leo Robitschek, and Jeffrey Morgenthaler - the gin is made with botanicals including juniper and angelica root without chill filtration to “retain these robust flavours”.We talk to founder Eral Gokgol-Kline about working with bartenders, the adventurers of foxes and what makes a good cocktail gin. 

While high-alcohol spirits have stolen the spotlight for the last century, Liqueurs are often  relegated to the dark corners. Yet Liqueurs are a crucial ingredient for bartenders and most well balenced cocktails. By using the produce of Australian farmers, Marionette are not only shining a light on the fine tradition of liqueurs but also the farmers that produce the fruits, nut, herbs and spices that go into them. The brand has six liqueurs, all designed with the modern bartender in mind. We speak to Nick Tesar from Marionette about their range, the farmers that grow their produce and some of the cocktails that work well with these fruity concoctions. 

If you’ve ever heard the expression 'Dutch Courage', it refers to the dutch national spirit Genever, which the English soldiers would swig just before battle when fighting alongside the Dutch in the late 1500s.Often dismissed as just an old version of Gin, Genever is actually a distilled malted spirit so is actually closer to an unaged Whiskey. Genever is one of those spirits that could easily have been lost to history if it wasn’t for brands such as Old Duff that has revived two of the original recipes.  To understand more about this spirit, we talk to the founder of Old Duff Genever, Philip Duff about the history of the spirit, what cocktails it works well in and why old Duff is worth having on your home bar.