3 Incredible Spring Cocktails for 2018

Written by: Callum Lynch, Head Cocktail Trainer at Snowdonia Distillery Cocktail Academy

Well Spring is finally here in the foothills of North Wales, and it has to be said that its been one of the longest winters we can remember.

But with the sping sun now out, we found a new lease of inspiration to put together a few of our favourite springtime cocktails that we think suit a whole range of garden gatherings.

These drinks taste awesome, are simple to make, and you don’t have to have a ton of crazy ingredients in your cupboard. As always, we encourage doing some experimenting of your own, don’t be afraid to add your own twists.

 

The Bramble

Created by Dick Bradsell at Fred's Club in Soho, and named after a Blackberry bush, this is possibly the ultimate British spring cocktail. If you don’t want to buy crushed ice, fill 2 sandwich bags with cubed ice, and bash it a few times with whatever blunt instrument you have at hand...

4cl Foragers Yellow Label

2cl Creme de Mure or Cassis

Juice of ½ lemon

2cl gomme

3 blackberries

In a rocks glass, add the gin, lemon juice, gomme and blackberries and muddle, breaking up the blackberries. Fill glass with crushed ice, the pour the liqueur over, rotating the bottle to create a swirling pattern. If using a pour spout, cover the hole at the bottom, closest to the bottle top to slow the flow rate down.

Garnish with a couple of blackberries.

 

Gin-gin Mule

 

Coming from a family of Cocktails traditionally known as a buck, this Audrey Sauners creation lies somewhere between a Moscow Mule and a mojito. The mint makes this extremely refreshing, and using these two gins give it a great balance of punchy juniper and delicate floral notes. The Moscow Mule has been served in copper mugs since it’s creation in 1940s, a tradition that is still just as eye catching to this day. Copper mugs can be purchased online and don’t cost the earth if you look around, they are also very handy for house parties and barbecues, or anytime your guests may be a little bit less careful than normal.

3cl Foragers Yellow Label

3cl Foragers Black Label

Juice of half a lime, Mexican elbowed

2cl gomme

6/8 mint leaves

Ginger beer

Add the gin, lime juice, mint leaves and gomme to a copper mug, muddle to bruise the mint leaves, fill the mug with cubed ice and top with ginger beer and stir to mix it in, garnish with a lime wheel and mint sprig.

 

White Lady

 

This drink has gone through several names through the years, including the Delilah and Chelsea Side-Car. As with most cocktails, there are conflicting stories about who invented this drink. Harry MacElhone supposedly first created it at the Ciro Club, London in 1919, originally using creme de menthe instead of gin. His story claims he changed the creme de menthe to gin whilst working in Harrys Bar, New York in 1929. Because of this, I believe the true original creator was Harry Cradock of the Savoy, as the recipe as we know it today pops up in the 1930 addition of the Savoy Cocktail Book. According to the bartenders who wrote the book, this was Laurel and Hardys favourite drink.

We recommend using a floral and delicate gin, if this recipe is too harsh, try using 3cl of lemon juice and 2cl of gomme. An egg white can be added for consistency.

4cl Foragers Yellow Label Gin

2cl Triple Sec

2cl Lemon juice

1 egg white (optional)

Add all the ingredients into a shaking tin, shake hard and double strain into a coupe glass. Garnish with a lemon twist.