Page 30 - Gin Journal - The Hobart Edition

Armed with your latest Gin Society selection, you only need a few extra ingredients to shake up (or stir) something special. For starters, adding just a few extra bottles to your home bar will see you through many a classic cocktail recipe. Italian aperitifs like dry and sweet vermouth 1 , Aperol 2 and Campari 3 are always a good call, as well as flavoured liqueurs like Chambord 4 (raspberry), Cointreau 5 (orange), Luxardo 6 (cherry) and St Germain 7 (elderflower). And if you want to keep things super simple, aromatic bitters 8 are an easy and cost-effective way to brighten up your concoction – one bottle can last for years.
Then there’s sugar syrup – also referred to as simple syrup. It’s one of the easiest ways to sweeten and flavour a cocktail, and can be made in your own kitchen. Combine two parts sugar to one part water in a small saucepan and bring to the boil while
stirring until all the sugar has dissolved. Once cooled, it can be stored in a bottle in the fridge for up to a month. If you don’t have any prepared in advance, fear not. It’s also possible to substitute honey or agave nectar – even marmalade or jam for extra flavour. You could also infuse your sugar syrup with herbs like basil, mint and rosemary. And, if you have a few pots growing around the house, you’ll never be short of an aromatic garnish. As for mixers, always keep a bottle of tonic or soda water in the fridge.
Top tip: Don’t leave that orange lingering in the bottom of the fruit bowl to go mouldy. Cut up unwanted fruit – lime, lemon, grapefruit, pineapple and more – into wedges and pop the segments into a plastic bag to freeze. That way you’ll need way less ice and always be able to enjoy a burst of citrus throughout the winter months.
GRAB A FEW ESSENTIAL INGREDIENTS
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