Our Cocktails
All of our Rustic Reserve Cocktails – as indeed most cocktails worldwide - have their origins in the Savoy Cocktail Book – the bible of the 1930s high society in the UK, specifically London.
The Savoy Cocktail Book
First published by Constable & Co, London 1930, latest edition 2014 by Constable & Co. – available at good bookstores and Amazon.co.uk
Gin cocktails conjure up Martinis, Gimlets, Negronis, Gin Fizz, Slings, Rickeys, and also James Bond, Ernest Hemingway, F. Scott Fitzgerald and The Great Gatsby. And now we have sloe and cornel gin cocktails, based on the originals but with added fruity freshness for summer drinking.
We present our favourite cocktails here – and invite all bartenders to join our Cocktail Competition by creating their own flagship variants.
Our top 5 Sloe Gin Cocktails
Sloe Royale
The sweet, tart sloe taste coming through the sparkling wine.
30 ml sloe gin
150 ml quality dry sparkling wine like Magura or Prosecco
Dash of Angostura bitters
Put the sloe gin into a champagne flute, add a dash of Angostura bitters and top up with 150 ml of sparkling wine.
Sloe Gin Cocktail
Rich and strong, with sloe peeking through juniper and lemon.
50 ml sloe gin
25 ml lemon juice
25 ml gin
Crushed and cubed ice
Juniper syrup
Juniper syrup: made by heating 100 g white sugar with 100 ml water in a saucepan, to which add 1 large tablespoon of juniper berries. Bring to the boil, take off the heat and squash the juniper berries with a masher. Leave until completely cold, then strain and keep in refrigerator for up to two weeks.
Put the sloe gin, lemon juice, gin and 2 teaspoons of juniper syrup into a cocktail shaker with some ice cubes. Shake well and strain into a tumbler filled with crushed ice. Serve immediately.
Blackthorn Beauty Highball
Dry and long, with a hint of autumn.
50 ml sloe gin
25 ml dry vermouth
Angostura bitters
Soda water (cold)
Crushed ice
Put the sloe gin, vermouth and a dash of Angostura bitters into a tall glass, half filled with crushed ice. Stir until very cold and fill with soda water.
Rosemary Royale
Another royale with added botanicals giving nuanced flavour.
Crushed ice
50 ml prosecco
1 rosemary sprig
25 ml sloe gin
25 ml gin
Fill a coupe glass with crushed ice and pour over the prosecco. Hold the rosemary in the palm of the hand, and clap the other hand on it to slightly bruise the leaves, and then drop into the glass. Slowly pour the sloe gin and gin into the glass so they sink to the bottom. Serve immediately.
Sloe gin fizz
Sharp and fresh, and low calorie as well.
50 ml sloe gin
30 ml freshly squeezed lemon juice
2 teaspoons juniper syrup (see Sloe Gin Cocktail for recipe)
Soda water (cold)
Crushed ice
Lemon slice
Mix the sloe gin, lemon juice and juniper syrup in a tumbler half filled with crushed ice. Add soda water to fill and serve with a lemon slice.
Our top 5 Cornel (Drenki) Cocktails
Drenki Royale
Similar to its sister, Sloe Royale, a fresh crisp taste and very moreish
30 ml cornel gin
150 ml quality dry sparkling wine like Magura or prosecco
Put the cornel gin into a champagne flute and top up with 150 ml of sparkling wine.
Drenki Fizz
A fresh, crisp and fruity long summer drink.
25 ml fresh lemon juice (half a lemon approx.)
2 teaspoons white sugar
50 ml cornel gin
Soda water
Mint
Ice cubes
Shake the lemon juice, cornel gin and sugar well together, pour into a medium tumbler over a couple of ice cubes, top up with soda and decorate with mint leaves.
Drenki Mule
A refreshing combination of herbaceous mint, tart lime, hot spicy ginger and crisp bright gin.
30 ml cornel gin
30 ml gin
15 ml lime juice, freshly squeezed
150 ml ginger beer
Mint
Ice cubes
Put lime juice, cornel gin, and gin into a copper mug containing a few ice cubes. Top up with about 150 ml ginger beer and garnish with mint leaves.
Drenki Rickey
Another fresh, light, low calorie long drink for the summer.
25 ml lemon juice
50 ml cornel gin
Soda water (cold)
A few ice cubes
Lemon zest
Rub lemon zest along mouth of medium tumbler, add a few ice cubes, the lemon juice and the cornel gin. Top up with soda water and finish with a couple of lemon zest pieces.
Drenki Martini
Fruity, sweet and sour.
30 ml cornel gin
20 ml gin
25 ml dry vermouth
Squeeze of lemon juice
Lemon slice
Ice cubes
Shake all ingredients together until very cold and strain into a cocktail glass. Serve with a lemon slice.
