Summer may be over but the evenings are still warm enough to enjoy these deliciously bright cocktails. Jordan Mooney went to the experts for some gorgeous recipes that fit the bill.
Often when the weather grows cooler, people turn to heavier cocktails and warm drinks. Now, I'm not one to turn up my nose at a hot whiskey or espresso martini, but sometimes you just want to keep it light, which is exactly where these two cocktails come in. We asked the experts at Hawksmoor (due to open here next year) and Volpe Nera to share some of their favourite cocktails with us and they did not disappoint. Try them out below.
The Pink Gibson
By Liam Davy, head of bars at Hawksmoor which is due to open in Dublin in spring 2023
The Pink Gibson is the perfect Friday night treat for those who prefer their cocktails on the dry and savoury side. Make sure you stir it over nice big blocks of ice to avoid it becoming watery.
“This is a home version of one of our best-selling cocktails, and it uses an Irish vodka that we love working with.” - Liam Davy
Ingredients
60ml Boatyard Vodka
15ml dry vermouth (e.g Noilly Prat or Dolin)
7.5ml pink pickle juice
For the pink pickle juice
200ml white vinegar (wine or rice is great)
100g caster sugar
1tsp salt
1 red onion, peeled and sliced
Method
- First, make the pink pickle juice. Warm the vinegar, sugar and salt in a pan until almost boiling and pour over the onion. Leave for a couple of hours until the onion is soft and the liquid is dark pink. Use the onions in salads or sandwiches.
- To make the cocktail, stir all ingredients in a jug, thermos flask, or cocktail shaker with cubed ice
for 45 seconds. Strain into a chilled martini glass and garnish with two silverskin onions on a
cocktail stick.
Limoncello Spritz
By Sinead McCarthy and Darren D’Arcy, Volpe Nera in Blackrock
Ingredients
50ml Limoncello
15ml elderflower cordial
75ml soda water
Fresh mint
1 lemon
Method
- Fill a large wine glass with ice.
- Pour in 50ml of Limoncello, 15mls of elderflower cordial, and 75ml of soda water, then stir with a large bar spoon.
- Squeeze in one lemon wedge, and garnish with fresh mint and a slice of lemon.
