It’s February, We know! we can’t quite believe we are still in lockdown either, and we find ourselves yet again celebrating another national holiday from the comforts of our own homes. If you’ve somehow managed to get to this stage and still adore your significant other (we know it’s tough when they’ve left their dirty plate on the worktop just above the dishwasher for the 1000th time but you’ve got this) then you are probably going to want to celebrate valentines day one way or another.
So we thought why not use it as another excuse to bring out your inner mixologist again and this time we’ve chosen our pinkest, most valentinesy (That’s definitely a word) cocktails we could find to signify all things love and romance.
The Clover Club
It’s fun fact time, The Clover Club was the preferred drink of pre-prohibition gentlemen between 1880 – 1920. It made its debut after becoming popular in a Philadelphia men’s club called…You guessed it, The Clover Club.
This cocktail is simultaneously sweet and tart with its undertones of raspberry and citrus mixed with dry vermouth giving it a deliciously distinct flavour and colour.
What You’ll Need
- 35ml Tanqueray Gin
- 12.5ml Dry Vermouth
- 1 lemon wedge
- 25ml Egg White
- 35ml Homemade raspberry syrup (Do not fear, we are going to show you how to make this)
- 1 Punnet of raspberries
- 75g Sugar
- Ice
- A cocktail shaker
How to Make the Raspberry Syrup
Making syrup for homemade cocktails is super easy, Prepare to have your minds blown!
- First of all measure out 100g of Raspberries
- Next measure 75g of Sugar
- Add both of these to a pan (no heat yet)
- You need to roughly muddle both ingredients together.
(in the industry, they use a piece of equipment called a muddler, we are 100% confident a potato masher will have the same desired effect, be careful not to smush the seeds, this will make it extremely bitter)
- Leave the mashed raspberries and sugar to settle for approx 20mins
- Put the pan on medium heat and add 75ml Water to the Raspberries
- Slowly stir for 5/8 minutes until contents thicken, Make sure the pan never boils, a simmer is perfect!
- Strain the contents into a jug and leave to cool in the fridge and BOOM, you have got yourself one homemade raspberry syrup.
Put the Cocktail Together
Okay, you’ve now got your delicious homemade syrup ready and waiting along with the rest of your ingredients, the next step is to separate 2 eggs so that you are left with just the whites. once you have done this, we are ready to crack on!…….. Pun most definitely intended.
- Grab your cocktail shaker and add the following contents
- 35ml Tanqueray Gin
- 12.5ml Dry Vermouth
- 12.5ml Egg whites
- 35ml Raspberry syrup
- Squeeze of lemon
- Do not add the ice yet, we are going to whack the lid onto our cocktail shakers and shake until we can’t shake anymore.
- Once you’ve lost all feeling in both arms you’re going to remove the lid, add the ice, pop the lid back on and get shaking again, can you feel the burn in those muscles yet? we can!
- we are now ready to strain into our glass, Now we understand that most people don’t have all the fancy bar equipment just hanging around their house so if you don’t have a fully equipped bar in your kitchen draw then grab any fine mesh strainer and pour your drink through this into your drink.
- Finish off with a few raspberries as a garnish and you’re ready to drink!
Berry Spritz
The word ‘Spritz’ was introduced in the 1800s in northern Italy, back when it was still controlled by the Austro-Hungarian empire, visitors to this region found Italian wines too strong and so would lighten them with a splash (Spritz, in German) of water, so there you have it, Who knew making cocktails could be so educational.
This cocktail is a great option for those who are not drinking alcohol at the moment, it is just as delicious as a mocktail and we love a beverage that offers no sort of hangover the next day (or the next 3 days if you’ve ever had the pleasure of being over 30 with a hangover! we certainly have!)
What You’ll Need
- Cranberry and Raspberry Juice (we use ocean spray’s mixed carton)
- 7up
- 50ml Raspberry Vodka
- Fresh lemon
- Raspberries
Put the Cocktail Together
- Grab the fanciest glass you have, because its lockdown and you don’t need an excuse to get the nice glassware out
- Fill this fancy glass with Ice
- Pour the Cranberry/Raspberry Juice 1/3 of the way if you are adding the alcohol.
- Pour the Cranberry/Raspberry Juice 1/2 of the way if you are having the mocktail version.
- At this stage add the 50ml Raspberry Vodka
- Add 5 Raspberries
- Top up the rest of the glass with the 7up
- Lightly stir all ingredients being careful not to activate the fizz too much.
- Squeeze a wedge of fresh lemon, drop the wedge into the glass.
- Kick back and relax. Cheers!
Whatever you are doing this Valentine’s day we hope you enjoy yourself, it’s definitely a different way of celebrating this year and we are so happy to be able to share it with you even in this small way for now. If you do make either of these cocktails or ones from our earlier article we would LOVE to see the pictures, feel free to tag us on Instagram or Facebook with your finished drinks, and in the meantime, from all of us at H&H Bars stay safe, be happy and have a great Valentines with your loved one.
This blog post is courtesy of H&H Bars who provide a fully stocked bar for your big day along with a cocktail package of your choice, from the ageless classics to rum-based punches, vodka laced mules, and whiskey Manhattan’s. Their bars ensure absolutely everyone’s tastes are catered for with personally selected bottled beer, wines, bubbles plenty, and of course soft drinks for the designated drivers.
Follow H&H Bars on their Instagram page for more inspiration, visit their website or contact them via email to book for your wedding