Step Aside Whisky, This Burns Night We’re Making Gin Cocktails, And Here Are The Recipes We’re Going With
Burns Night (January 25th) commemorates the life of the bard Robert Burns who was born on this date in 1759. It also celebrates Burns’ contribution to Scottish culture with food, drink, and verse. A traditional Burns Supper starts with soup, often a Scotch broth. The haggis is then served with neeps and tatties, typically carried on a silver salver, and piped in by the diners with a standing slow clap. But while all this palaver is going on, why not crack open the gin and make yourself a cocktail or two? We’ve created a cocktail guide straight from the Misty Isle to tide you over while the haggis is a-comin’.
A MAN’S A MOJITO FOR A’ THAT’
Ingredients
• 100ml Misty Isle Cill Targhlain Gin
• 10 mint leaves
• 4 wedges of pink grapefruit
• 50mls sugar syrup
• 100mls apple juice
Method:
Place the mint in a mortar and pestle and gently press until you can smell the mint fragrance being released from the leaves.
Add two pieces of the grapefruit and gently squish until the juices begin to flow.
Transfer to your glass and then add the sugar syrup to the concoction and stir.
Fill your glass until it is half full of crushed ice and swirl the ice and mixture together, then add your Misty Isle Cill Targhlain Gin and apple juice.
With a long swizzle stick, give the glass another good stir and garnish with the sprig of mint and the grapefruit (give this a small squeeze before placing it into the glass).
TO SEE OURSELS AS ITHERS CITRUS
Ingredients:
• 35ml Misty Isle Pink Gin
• 25ml Campari
• 25ml Lillet Blanc aperitif
• 15ml fresh Lemon juice
• 15ml sugar syrup
• 1 whole egg white
Method:
Place egg white and lemon juice inside a cocktail shaker and shake well without ice.
Once frothy, place the rest of the ingredients inside your shaker and top with ice, and shake well.
Finally, double strain into a chilled glass and garnish with a slice of dehydrated blood orange.
TIM’ROUS BEASTIE WITH BLAEBERRIES
Ingredients:
• 50ml Misty Isle Cill Targhlain Gin
• 15ml lemon juice
• 15ml sugar syrup
• Champagne, dry prosecco or sparkling wine to top up with
• Garnish: lemon twist, fresh basil leaf, a few blaeberries (or blueberries)
Method:
Place the gin, lemon juice, and sugar syrup into a cocktail shaker filled with ice and shake well.
Strain into a champagne flute and top with chilled Champagne, prosecco, or sparkling wine.
Stir gently and add the liquid garnish.
Garnish the glass with a twist of lemon, a fresh basil leaf, and a couple of slightly squashed blaeberries.
TAM O’ SHANTER TWIST ‘O LEMON
Ingredients:
• 60ml Misty Isle Gin
• 25ml honey
• 15ml sugar syrup
• 25ml lemon juice
• Garnish: lemon twist for garnish
Method:
Fill a cocktail shaker halfway with ice, pour all ingredients in order. Shake hard for 15 seconds.
Double strain into a coupe glass and garnish with a lemon twist.
A RED, RED ROSE & RASPBERRIES ON ICE
Ingredients:
• 50ml Misty Isle Pink Gin
• 8-10 basil leaves
• 4-5 raspberries
• 15ml sugar syrup
• 22.5ml lemon juice
Method:
Tear the basil leaves in two and place them into a shaker and muddle.
Add the sugar syrup, then the raspberries, and muddle before adding the lemon juice and gin.
Add ice and shake.
Fill a glass with ice and double strain and garnish with basil leaves – enjoy!
