The challenge for World Class Burst 2 in Switzerland was a peculiar one: pick any piece of literature and a bartending book, and create a drink that resonates with both books. Plus, the drink should be perfect for a summer day, casual and preferably be fit to be served outside. I guess the days of “create a yummy drink with our product”-competitions are finally over.
Not wanting to go for the obvious candidates (Fitzgerald, Hemingway or Fleming), I opted for Milne’s Winnie-the-Pooh and Stolte’s Home Bar Basics. Both books I recommend thoroughly, even though the latter one is probably more relevant to the esteemed reader. It is a beautifully straight-to-the-point introduction to cocktails, omitting a lot of the unnecessary convolutions that cocktail writers tend to indulge in. Instead, every recipe is augmented with a heart-warmingly cute illustration of the cocktail.
In a way, it is quite similar to Winnie-the-Pooh: Winnie’s charm is primarily due to his simple-mindedness, his love for honey and the straight-forwardness of his ideas. (Also, both books have cute illustrations.) Especially for World Class, where people tend to come up with very complicated recipes, I wanted to use this opportunity and stay true to this spirit of simplicity that I find in both books.
The Smackerel of Hunny is a take on the Sgroppino, a classic Venetian recipe that combines lemon sorbet, vodka and prosecco. However, I also wanted to add a honey flavour for obvious reasons, but found that adding honey would sweeten the drink too much. In order to get the honey flavour without the sweetness, I bee’s wax-fat washed the spirit; Tanqueray Ten in this case because of it’s citrus-forward aroma. The result is absolutely amazing, with the wax aromas tying in beautifully with the botanicals of the Tanqueray Ten.
- 100 gr Tanqueray Ten
- 2 gr food-grade bee's wax
- Add ingredients in a pot, cover and turn on the heat. Remove from heat once wax has completely melted, and let cool until wax has solidified again. Strain and bottle.
To tie the drink in stronger still with the Winnie-the-Pooh theme, I replaced the prosecco with an English sparkling wine from Sussex (Bloomsbury Sparkling Wine from the Ridgeview Estate). Sussex, you see, is where A. A. Milne wrote his books about Winnie-the-Pooh.
- 30 ml waxed Tanqueray Ten
- 50 ml sparkling wine
- 20 ml soda water
- 1 big scoop lemon sorbet
- 1 dash lavender bitters
- Either whisk until smooth or blend briefly, then pour on ice into a chilled jar. Add straws, garnish with lavender and serve with a few haycorns.
While it is not necessary to make your own sorbet, it is extremely easy. I added a bit of lime zest to my recipe to support the Tanqueray Ten better. See here how to make your own sorbet!
- 1 Hershey Kiss
- 1 Reese's Peanut Butter Chip
- Marzipan
- Make a marzipan ball about of about 8 mm diameter, then press the Hershey Kiss onto it, and add the Butter Chip to the other side.
