Nelson's Blood

Thinking about what to drink during the Christmas holidays? Here's a suggestion for a light and enjoyable before or after dinner drink that is in keeping with the season. It's also a tribute to Vice Admiral Horatio Nelson who was mortally wounded during the Battle of Trafalger, 1805. A moment of solemnity is fitting in all seasons.

12 cl champagne brut or dry sparkling wine

3 cl portwine

Pour the champagne or sparkling wine into a flute and add the port.

Tawny port is often preferred in this drink but other styles of port also work well.

Contessa

Combine beautiful colour, lovely fragrance and a potpourri of botanicals and you have the Countess of Cocktails. English gin, French vermouth and Italian amaro guarantee that the aristocratic elegance of Contessa is the real thing. A marvellous aperitif and a brighter alternative to your standard Negroni.

3 cl gin

3 cl dry vermouth

3cl Aperol

Stir the ingredients with ice. Strain into a glass of your choice. You may add a lemon twist, if you are so inclined.

Created by John Gertsen, former bartender at Drink, Boston.

Paper Plane

A cocktail that has the potential of becoming a true classic. A happy blend of tart, sweet and bitter tones enhances the pleasingly aromatic and characteristic taste of bourbon. Herbal notes from the two Italian bitter liqueurs (in Italy called amari) tickle your taste buds and help make this an ideal before-dinner drink.

2 cl bourbon

2 cl Aperol

2 cl Amaro Averna

2 cl lemon juice

Shake the ingredients with ice. Strain into a coupe glass.

Aperol is a fixture in the various versions of the drink whereas the other amaro is a matter of choice. Some bartenders use Nonino, others Montenegro or another of the many amari which bella Italia produces. So take your pick to make your own signature version of Paper Plane.

Paper Plane was created by Sam Ross for the Violet Hour, Chicago.

Daiquiri

A most delicious cocktail and a classic sour - a simple combination of spirit, sugar and citrus juice. It is a perfect, easy to make before-dinner drink with its blend of light rum and lime. 

When he was in Havana, Hemingway frequented the renowned bar El Floridita where he relied heavily on various versions of Daiquiris to bring him in the mood. The drink itself harks back to 1896 when an American engineer working in Cuba was short of gin and instead used the local rum. To mask the low quality he added lime and sugar. Where he lived? In the village of Daiquiri.

4 cl light rum

2 cl lime juice

1.5 cl simple syrup 

Shake the ingredients with ice. Strain into a coupe glass and garnish with a lemon wheel.

If you want it tarter or sweeter, balance the lime juice and syrup accordingly. 

The original Daiquiri was closer to 4 cl light rum, 1.5 cl lime juice and 1.5 cl simple syrup.

Falling Leaves

The transition season of autumn has its own charm and mood. The rich colours of the leaves are beautiful and the onsetting dusk has its own melancholic atmosphere. Enjoy this smooth and graceful drink as a seasonal celebration and find some music to accompany it. The French song “Les feuilles mortes” (Fallen Leaves) based on a poem by Jacques Prévert and preferably sung by Yves Montand would be most appropriate.

 

6 cl dry Riesling white wine

3 cl pear brandy

1.5 cl Cointreau

1 cl honey syrup

2 dashes Peychard’s Bitters

Stir ingredients in a mixing glass with ice. Strain into a wine glass. If you must have a garnish, float a pod of star anis.

If you can’t get hold of Peychard’s Bitters, one dash of Angostura would be an okay substitute.

 

Source: Audrey Sanders, Bemelmans Bar at the Carlyle Hotel, New York City.

Bourbon Cocktail

Scotch whisky is not among the most used ingredients in cocktails, far from it. Bourbon whiskey, however, has a nice track record in this respect. Think classics like Old Fashioned, Whiskey Sour and Boulevardier. This afternoon drink, the Bourbon Cocktail, is an opulent version of a Whiskey Sour with Cointreau and especially Bénédictine adding a cornucopia of spicy, herbal notes and aromas. A truly smooth and lush cocktail.

4 cl Bourbon whiskey

2 cl lemon juice

1 cl Bénédictine

1 cl Cointreau

1 dash Angostura

Shake the ingredients with ice. Strain into a coupe glass.

The recipe for this cocktail is taken from Swiss bartender Harry Schraemli's book, Das Grosse Lehrbuch der Bar, 1931. In the 1930s Schraemli began his bar courses at the Business and Hotel Management School in Luzern, Switzerland, where he for the following 20 years taught mixology to bartenders from all over Europe.