The Food Diaries

The Beach House punch

Bring 750ml water to a boil. Steep with bourbon vanilla red tea (or use a combo of rooibos and vanilla-scented tea). Add 125ml freshly squeezed lemon juice, 250ml freshly squeezed orange juice, 125ml passion fruit jam*, and 250ml Maker’s Mark bourbon. Sweeten to taste with agave nectar. Chill and then serve in tumblers filled with ice. Top with soda to taste.

Serves 10.

* Scoop out the pulp of around 10 passion fruits into a small saucepan. Add 150g sugar and simmer for about 5 minutes or until the consistency thickens (think honey).

Mila’s apricot jam cocktail

This is my new favourite cocktail using a fab apricot liqueur from Salzburg, Austria called Nannerl. It is a sweet/sour combo balancing the sweetness of the Bourbon and apricot with the sourness of the lemon juice. A good summer option.

In a cocktail shaker 1/3 filled with ice add 40ml Bourbon (Maker’s Mark), 20ml apricot liqueur (Nannerl), 25ml lemon juice, 25ml passion fruit juice (or orange juice), 1 tbs apricot jam and a dash of orange bitters. Shake well, till the shaker becomes quite cold and strain into a chilled cocktail glass.

Serves 1. 

Black Forest Gateau Cocktail

No doubt about it, this is dessert in a glass.

In a cocktail shaker half-filled with ice pour in 30ml Maker’s Mark Bourbon, 20ml Walnut liqueur, a dash of Monin Chocolate syrup, a dash of grated cinnamon, and a dash of Luxardo/maraschino cherry syrup. Shake thoroughly, and taste for sweetness and balance of flavour. Adjust as needed and strain into a digestif glass and garnish with a maraschino cherry, or two (Luxardo does a lovely version which isn’t lurid red).