- Shop brands
-
Womenswear
Selected brands
-
Menswear
Selected brands
-
Beauty
Selected brands
Features
-
Accessories
Selected brands
-
Kids
Categories
Selected brands
-
Home & Leisure
-
Food & Wine
Selected Brands
Features
-
Features & Gifts
-
Whats On
The Drinks Guide - Cocktails
Definition: an alcoholic mixed drink that contains two or more ingredients. At least one ingredient must be a spirit.
Since the earliest civilizations, alcohol has been blended with spices and sugar to make drinks more palatable.
The real dawn of the cocktail as we know it today came in the Nineteenth Century in America, when decent quality spirits began to be mass produced and ice went on sale. During this time Juleps and Slings became popular and in 1862 the first bartenders’ guide was published and the celebrity bartender was born. Bars in all the grand hotels the world over were serving cocktails, many of which we still drink today.
On 16 January 1920, a dark day for the American drinks industry, Prohibition came into force. Distilleries shut down and the drinks industry went underground to the speakeasies, where the spirits were rough and often mixed with cream and fruit juices to mask the taste. When Prohibition was repealed in 1933 cocktails flourished again and became popular on the Hollywood scene.
Today cocktails are once again having something of a revival. Bartenders are now known as mixologists. They are pushing the boundaries of the drinks world; experimenting with molecular cocktails and taking their inspiration from chefs like Heston Blumenthal and Ferran Adria. This month for one week we are celebrating this great history and the future of the cocktail in association with the legendary Simon Difford and London Cocktail Week – so come down and try your hand at mixing up some of the classics, as well as some modern favourites.
Five Classic Cocktails: one shot is 25mls
| Margarita - | The origins of this drink are not known and there are many legends about its creation. 2 shots of tequila, 1 shot of Cointreau, 1 shot of fresh lime, shaken and strained into a glass with a rim of salt. |
|---|---|
| Perfect Manhattan - | Whisky became popular in cocktails in the Nineteenth Century, when cognac could not be imported into the US. 2½ shots of bourbon, ½ a shot of dry vermouth, ½ a shot of sweet vermouth a dash of angosturas. Stir all the ingredients with ice and pour into a martini glass. |
| Gin Sour - | Sours can be a mix of any spirit with lemon juice. 2 shots of gin, 1 shot of lemon juice, ½ shot sugar syrup, ½ fresh egg white, 3 dashes of angostura. Shake and strain into an ice filled glass. |
| Daiquiri - | From the heart of Cuba, this has become one of the world’s most popular drinks. 2 shots of aged rum, ½ shot of freshly squeezed lime, ¼ of a shot of sugar syrup. |
| Cosmopolitan - | a drink from the Eighties that has become a classic. 1 shot of citroen vodka, 1 shot of cointreau, 1½ shots cranberry juice, ½ shot of lime. Shake and strain into a chilled glass. |
What's on in wine
This month we have once again teamed up with Decanter and the Wonder Bar to host the Decanter Trophy winning wines. From 13 to 21 October, come down to the Wonder Bar in London and sample a selection of the Trophy winning wines of 2010. Try from a selection including a sweet New Zealand Riesling, a Bonarda from Argentina and a classic wine from Guigal in the Rhone Valley.
Top six to try
By Dawn Davies
HANGER ONE, Buddha's Hand vodka 700ml
£49.99
"The Hanger one vodkas are very pure intense flavoured vodkas infused with real fruits not flavourings. The intensity of flavour has to be tried to be believed."
HERRADURA, Blanco 700ml
£34.99
"This smooth, clean tequila is aged for 45 days to add a hint of color and oak to its tangy citrus character, which brings more agave flavor and unparalleled pleasure to a margarita."
ELEMENTS EIGHT, Gold Rum 700ml
£38.99
"Aged for 6 years using locally sourced ingredients from the Island of St Lucia this rum embodies the spirit of the Carribean."
APPLE GIN, William Chase Distillery 700ml
£37.99
"Produced by the founder of Tyrells crisps, this fresh apple gin makes a perfect Martini."
MONKEY SHOULDER, Monkey shoulder 700ml
£27.99
"This triple blended whisky is the bartenders favourite for for making cocktails."
BEIJIS FLOR, Velha 700ml
£30.99
"Beija-Flor Velha is a boutique aged cachaça, reserved in oak barrels for 2 years developing its luscious & delicate floral characters of elderflower, honey & dried fruit. "
Email the Sommelier
If you have any queries about cocktails, or wine, contact me at dawn.davies@selfridges.co.uk.
All wines listed are 75cl and all spirits 70cl unless otherwise specified. Stocks are limited and subject to availability. The right to withdraw stock or alter prices without notice if the cost of replacement rises or falls due to fluctuation in supplier prices, exchange rates, duty or VAT. O & E excluded.
