This time of year, taking a stroll, whether it’s to find the perfect tree or to spy mighty eagles, is a great way to spend a Saturday.
Make sure to don mittens, a scarf and a large coat. You know it’s going to be cold.
That’s why it’s always made better with a warm beverage in hand. Especially if that beverage has a little kick.
Internationally acclaimed mixologist Ryan Chetiyawardana (also known as Mr. Lyan) recently wrote “Good Things To Drink with Mr. Lyan and Friends.” The book has 60 innovative takes on classic cocktails, and is segregated into different seasons like sunny day drinks and winter warmers.
The latter is where my eye went first. Populated with drinks like the Het Pint, a hot beer and egg cocktail, or Apple Three Ways, a hot punch of apple cider and gin, the section has a number of drinks that look perfect for a wintery walk.
Chetiyawardana’s mixologist resume is unmatched. He is the mastermind behind two London cocktail lounges, White Lyan and Dandelyan, which were named Best New International Cocktail Bar in 2014 and 2015, respectively, and he also opened Henry’s in New York.
There is plenty of imagination behind the drinks in Chetiyawardana’s book, especially the Nuked Negroni, which is made with rosemary and blackberries. Below is three recipes for cocktails in the book. Cheers! (and stay warm out there):
Het Pint
- 2 organic eggs
- Pinch vanilla salt
- 12 ounces golden ale
- 4 shots (4 ounces) scotch
- 3 tablespoons demerara sugar
- Pre-warmed mugs
- Nutmeg, to finish
Hot beer and eggs is definitely not your everyday sort of cocktail partnership, but bear with me here. This old recipe was introduced to me by my dear friend, esteemed mentor and partner in whisky-based crimes Dave Broom — and I always turn to it for a luxurious and reassuring treat.
Use the best eggs you can and it won’t taste at all eggy – it will simply have a luscious texture and weight. This recipe makes a decent-sized batch, and even a little bit is greatly soothing, so it should serve a few people.
Crack your eggs into a pan and whisk with the salt. Add the ale, whisky and sugar to another pot and heat until steaming (don’t boil). Whisk to dissolve the sugar and remove from the heat. Pour into the egg mix while whisking constantly. Pour into the mugs and finish with some freshly grated nutmeg.
Another favourite version of mine is to use stout and a few raspberries thrown into the mix.
Apple Three Ways
- 1 cardamom pod
- 12 ounces cider brandy (Somerset cider brandy, bonded applejack or calvados)
- 4 shots (4 ounces) gin
- 2 sliced apples
- 40 ounces cloudy apple juice
- 8 shots (8 ounces) unfiltered cider vinegar
- 8 shots (8 ounces) honey
- Pinch of salt and pepper
- Pre-warmed insulated flask
A hot punch is easy to carry around in a flask and this recipe is splendid for when you need something to keep you toasty. It can be kept warm at home to welcome people returning out of the cold, but what you really want is a good occasion to be outdoors to enjoy it in its ideal setting.
Gently squeeze the cardamom pod and drop into a pot. Add the other ingredients and warm over a gentle heat until it begins to steam. Stir to dissolve the honey, then fish out the cardamom. Pour into the flask.
Baking the apples beforehand with a little unrefined sugar creates an amazing depth in this drink. Simply scoop out most of the core with a melon-baller, fill with sugar and pop in the oven until soft. A traditional hot punch known as “Wassail” often also contained eggs, although it doesn’t travel well (eggs and flasks aren’t buddies). But if you want to try the richer version, whisk two eggs, and slowly fold them through the heated punch mix.
Nuked Negroni
- 1 grapefruit
- 12 ounces gin
- 12 ounces sweet vermouth
- 12 ounces Campari
- 6 blackberries
- 1 sprig rosemary
- Bottle
- Rocks glass
- Big ice cubes
This is a simple and quick infusion I like to do. It pulls together some incredible bittersweet flavours which really complement the much-loved classic Negroni. It’s an amazing cocktail to have to hand: simply grab from the fridge, pour over ice and garnish. The blackberry coaxes some of the fruit out of the Campari and vermouth, while the rosemary delivers a welcome herbal dryness. Microwaves can be terrible for food, but really useful for drinks!
Take a strip of zest from the grapefruit using a peeler and add to a microwave-safe bowl with the other ingredients.
Cover, then blast in a microwave for 3 minutes on full power. Allow to cool, then strain and bottle.
To serve, fill a rocks glass with ice, pour a healthy measure and garnish with a slice of grapefruit.
Making a Negroni like this is a pretty bulletproof method, but to mix things up you could vary the proportions of spirits. You could also try replacing some or all of the elements (for example, take out half the Campari and sub in Aperol or another bitters), and have fun changing the fruits and herbs. Overdilution will kill the drink though, so try and keep the mix cold by using big bits of ice and a chilled glass.
— Recipes from “Good Things To Drink with Mr. Lyan &Friends”
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