Mermaid Cocktails

The ultimate in "Drinking Like A Mermaid" is sipping a delicious, finely crafted cocktail. The drinks listed below are my favourites linked to amazing bars, venues, brands, happenings & events around Auckland & NZ, each with their own recipe slightly adapted to make it easier for you to recreate your own delights at home.

For the full exotically infused experience I recommend you give each of these great venues a visit.

Rugby World Cup Inspired Cocktails

Yes you read that right, the team at Roku, a delish craft Japanese gin have teamed up with a number of Auckland bars to serve both bespoke cocktails and also signature serves for those of us who just don’t fancy a beer while still wanting to get into the spirit (geddit?!) of the Rugby World Cup.

There’s just no question that gin is having an incredible moment in the sun & we are seeing more and more amazing gins coming onto the scene from all around the world.

The Japanese certainly have a reputation for quality in all that they do (including rugby, as it turns out) and Roku is a true reflection on that commitment to greatness. Roku means six and this gin has a combination of six special Japanese botanicals. Sakura leaf, Sakura flower, Sencha tea, Gyokuro tea, Sansho pepper and Yuzu peel. Including the Sakura flower is no mean feat as it can only to be harvested during one week of the year!

I popped into Seven to enjoy the view and a Nishiki Smash, but you can try the following drinks at any of the below Auckland city centre locations.

Kanpai!

Azabu

• Kuro Tonic (Roku Japanese Gin & Black Tonic)

• Kuro Café (Roku Japanese Gin, Hazel & Coffee Liqueur, Vanilla Sesame Foam)

• Kuro Sour (Roku Japanese Gin, Charcaol Vanilla Syrup, Yuzu Juice & Egg White)

Seven at Seafarers

• Roku & Tonic (Roku Japanese Gin, East Imperial Burma Tonic, Ginger)

• Nishiki Smash (Roku Japanese Gin, Sake, Melon, Sencha, Lemon, Sansho pepper)

Ebisu

• Roku Bombe (Roku Japanese Gin, Coconut shochu, coconut cream, Yuzu juice, Eggwhite, Activated charcoal)

• Roku Umeboshi & Tyme Martini (Roku Japanese Gin infused with umeboshi plums, Thyme, Dry vermouth)

• Yuhi Negroni (Roku Japanese Gin, Campari, Junmai Sake)

The Tipperary Cocktail from Jameson

Jameson is ubiquitous in Ireland. It's the whiskey that people don't ask for by name because it's implied when they say they want a "wee one" or a "short" to go with their pint. If you walk into a pub, anywhere in Ireland, on any given day & see a few oul lads sitting at the bar with a pint of Guinness & a short (Irish for a shot which you sip alongside your pint). I would confidently guess that whiskey, it Jameson.

So who else to feature on St Paddy's Day? As it so happens Jameson  has released a limited edition bottle this week for St. Patricks Day - this isn't something that Jemmie (affectionate term for Jameson as heard in Ireland) normally do so I was keen to see what it was all about.

Inspired by the Fianna, Irish mythical warriors who were guided by their mottos of brotherhood and bravery, the label depicts a soaring eagle representing the unity of three friends on a night out against a backdrop of Dublin’s famous Ha’Penny bridge. It's actually pretty cool as the Ha'Penny bridge is about as iconic a symbol of Dublin as you can get.

The recommended pour for St Patricks Day 2018 is Jameson, Dry & Lime, nut I told the team they had to try harder than that for a Mermaid Cocktail so they have provided me with the recipe for "The Tipperary"

The song says that it's a long way to Tipperary, but that's not the case for Jameson as it is from Middlton, Cork and Tipperary is the county just to the North.

THE Tipperary Cocktail

50 ml Jameson Black Barrel
20 ml Sweet Vermouth
7.5 ml Green Chartruese
Add ingredients together and stir with ice to chill

Serve up garnished with a lemon peel or a sprig of thyme

So simple, I love it.

Beannachtai La Fheile Padraig agus Slainte!

Click the link below to hear my chat with Wendyl on the RadioLIVE Long Lunch to hear more about St. Patrick's Day & hear the recipe for this cocktail

The Glass Goose - The Beekeepers Blossom

Being a complete cloud gazer I love any where you can have a drink and see the sky, hence why I'm such a fan of garden bars & eating al fresco, even better if the bar in question lets you gaze upon one of my favourite landmarks - the Skytower? Why the Skytower you ask, simply put because I love Auckland and feel so thankful that I get to live here & there is no better icon of this city than our beloved Skytower.

Forgive me for digressing into sentiment, but it is relevant to the subject at hand - cocktails, as this week's cocktail is from the Glass Goose, which sits at the base of the Skytower on Federal Street and is styled like an urban glasshouse. It's the ultimate spot for day to evening drinks & nibbles while I haven't tried them yet I have heard that the Duck Fat potatoes are heavenly carby goodness.

The team at the Glass Goose made me their signature cocktail, the Beekeepers Blossom:

Beekeepers Blossom

30ml Aperol

30ml egg white

30ml lemon juice

22ml gin (yea I know, who measures 22mls?, 20ml is totally fine)

22ml honey and clove syrup (This is exactly what it sounds like, a simple sugar syrup infused with cloves and honey)

Put all ingredients into a shaker and dry shake

Then shake with ice

Double strain into a chilled Martini Glass  and watch that gorgeous frothy top form - yuuum

The bartender garnished with bitters & rosemary.

This cocktail is so delicious & moreish & that's saying something from someone who doesn't like the taste of honey.

Pop in to the Glass Goose and treat yourself to a Beekeepers Blossom & a dreamy view of the Skytower. I'll happily come back just to try those duck fat potatoes, coz as we all know, carbs are life.

Click the link below to hear my chat with Wendyl & to hear the recipe for The Beekeepers Blossom

The Whiskey - The Sloe Gin Fizz

In short, The Whiskey (or Whiskey, if you prefer) on Ponsonby Road is my kinda bar. It's well established, (since 2001) it has a great bartender (Blair) with great chat and an amazing attitude, not to mention his drinks are delicious. I'm sold.

Though called The Whiskey, Blair's attitude is that their speciality is whatever the customer wants (see why I love this place). Sure they do whiskey tastings & whiskey appreciation nights, but The Whiskey's reason for being is to give people great service, great drinks, great entertainment and an all round amazing experience all the while actively discourage "shot mentality". Seems like a simple concept but in my experience these are the basics you have to get right & everything else is an added bonus & a lot of bars fail to deliver.

After a chat with Blair it became apparent to him that gin was my spirit spirit (see what I did there), and he proceeded to make the the best gin fizz I've had in quite a while.

Sloe Gin Fizz

45mls Sloe Gin

5-10mls egg white (about one egg white)

30 mls lemon juice

Dash of sugar syrup

Dry shake the sugar & egg white to activate the foam!

Add ice

Add sloe Gin

Shake & dump into a short glass

Garnish with whatever you want but Blair but a cherry on top.

Bitter yet creamy, boozy but balanced, I'll be back. The Whiskey do live music weekends Wednesday, Thursday, Saturday & Sunday, a combo of classics and golden oldies (AKA crowd pleasers) awaits you if you do head on by (and I think you should)

Click the link below to hear my chat with Wendyl on the Long Lunch about The Whiskey & to hear the recipe for The Sloe Gin Fizz.

The Bobby Burns from Chivas Regal

Chivas Regal Whiskey has been around since 1801 and is made Scotland's oldest distillery (1786) and I had the good fortune to meet with David Wallace (a bloody good Scottish name) who is the NZ Ambassador for Chivas Regal, this cocktail is a tribute to the famous Scottish romantic poet Robert (Bobby) Burns. Robert Burns day was last week on 25th of January

The Bobby Burns

45 ml Chivas 12

20 ml Sweet Vermouth

7.5ml Grand Marnier

Dash of Angostura Bitters

Build all of these items in a mixing glass & still with ice to set the temperature and the dilution.

Then strain into either an Old Fashioned glass with ice or into a Martini glass depending on how you like to drink your Bobby Burns

Top your cocktail with some orange oil (and for an extra special touch squeeze a piece of oange peel to release aromatic oils and rub around the rim of the glass)

It can be served either in an Old Fashioned glass with ice or in a Martini style glass.

Garnish with an orange twist!

Click the link below to hear the RadioLIVE chat about this great cocktail

Parasol & Swing Viaduct - The Musket Trader

In the 18th Century bartenders who traveled the world discovering new flavours and experiences spent their free time socialising (as we all do) they regularly found themselves in the presence of  wealthy personalities or even royalty & their cover story was to say that they were a “Senior Executive of the Parasol & Swing Company”. For those in the know, knew & for those who didn’t was enough information for them not to ask any more tricky questions.

This is the inspiration behind Auckland's newest rooftop bar in the Viaduct, brainchild of the man with the Midas touch when it comes to hospitality - Jason Rosen. This bar has everything I have come to expect from a bar run by Rosen, remarkably tasty drinks, a safe, clean environment with knowledgeable staff providing great service. Combine that with this view and honestly where else would you rather be this gorgeous summer! 

This week's cocktail is made from Rye Whiskey, for those who don't know what that is, it's similar to Bourbon but because of it's higher percentage of rye as opposed to corn it is a little less sweet with more tropical, spicier flavours. Easy to find brands are Jim Beam Rye or Wild Turkey Rye. 

Musket Trader

In a Collins (a tall glass) over ice add:

30 or 60mls of Rye Whiskey depending on how strong you enjoy your cocktails.

10ml yellow chartreuse (or a liqueur like schnapps, herbal liqueur or Galliano Vanilla)

A couple of dashes of absinthe (Pernod or a dash of bitters will do)

Juice of one granny smith apple.

Garnish the drink with fresh sage and dehydrated apple chips. (apple slices if you don’t have dehydrated apple)

Delish, if that sounds a tad like too much work on a hot summers day then head on over to Parasol & Swing, if you're heading there on Sundays you can enjoy their chilled Sunday Sessions called "Back to Ours" (inspired by the "Back To Mine" albums). DJs, drinks, amazing service and oh that view! 

Click the link below to hear my chat on RadioLIVE about Parasol & Swing

The Pioneer - A Bacardi Legacy Cocktail

Bartenders put a lot of love and passion and hard work into becoming great, a huge part of that is cocktail competitions. The amazing bartender Jeremy Nirven (who was NZ bartender of the year 2016) is the manager at Mea Culpa, Ponsonby Road and I'm featuring his entry into international cocktail competition Bacardi Legacy.

Legacy is a massive cocktail comp which has been around internationally since 2006 & in NZ since 2014. Wining is no small feat and if you win New Zealand you go to the finals, which this year are in Mexico, to compete against the best bartenders in the world. If you win the final your job for the next year is basically to travel around the world making cocktails. Not too shabby.

Jeremy's entry is inspired by Amerigos Amigo, the first European navigator to travel to Brazil and the West Indies (despite the fact that he was actually looking for East Asia) and the flavours synonymous with the countries he traveled to are represented in this awesome cocktail.

The Pioneer - A Bacardi Legacy Cocktail

Fill a rocks glass with cubed ice  

Add 40mls Bacardi Ocho  (Bacardi 8 an 8 Year old Dark Rum)

15mls Sweet Vermouth  

10mls Averna (Can substitute with Aperol)

5mls Falurnum  (Sugar Syrup & clove)

1x Dash Orange Bitters

Stir slowly to let the flavours combine and then garnish with an orange twist.

To know more about The Pioneer and it's journey through Bacardi Legacy then follow the facebook page here.

Listen to my chat with Wendyl on RadioLIVE about this great cocktail and I hope that you give making it a go...or even better head into Mea Culpa on Ponsonby Road and ask Jeremy to make it for you. Trust me, nothing tastes better than a cocktail made by a master!

The Piquante Jorge - Soul Bar, Auckland Viaduct

This isn't the first time that Soul Bar has featured on here and you can be sure it won't be the last. For quality of food and drinks, service and location all in one, you can most definitely rely on Soul Bar & Bistro. 

This time Scott the bartender made me the Piquante Jorge, a cocktail inspired by his love for putting Tabasco sauce on cucumber slices so he decided to make a drink that tasted the same. I'm not usually one for spicy drinks but this one works as the cucumber makes it cooling.  

Also I feel Tequila gets a bad wrap, it's a phenomenal spirit which people don't like because they've had too much of the terrible stuff and usually then they've already had way too much to drink already, so let's give (good) tequila some love shall we? 

This recipe uses a combo of Mezcal & Tequila but if you don't have Mezcal you can use 60mls of Tequila. I do recommend having Mezcal in your cocktail cabinet though, it's got a very distinctively smoky taste that quite distinguishes it from Tequila.  Punch – coming back in Feb. Putting the party into Sunday Lunch

Piquante Jorge

30ml Chilli infused Tequila

30ml Mezcal

30ml Cucumber Juice

20ml Lime

20ml Agave Syrup

Shake, double strain over ice – garnish with lime

Soul Punch is back on February 25th - it's the ultimate Sunday party and these events always sell out so don't hesitate to book. 

Click the link below to hear my chat on the Long Lunch about the Piquante Jorge

The Mirage Cocktail - Win Win Bar, 212 Ponsonby Road

This cocktail is light and refreshing and teaming with lemony deliciousness, if you don't feel like making it yourself then I definitely recommend heading into see the team at Win Win, it's newly refurbished with a distinct vegas feel. Cool photos on the walls and awesome red booths which adds a touch of luxury.

As for the service, well you know that is as important to me as the quality of the drinks - it's awesome and bartender Benz is as friendly & welcoming as his cocktails are delicious. That and they have a popcorn machine behind the bar - I KNOW! Why aren't you there already. Two thumbs up Win Win. 

30ml Ketel One Vodka

30mL Lemoncello

20mL Lemon juice

15mL Ginger Syrup 

15ml Egg white

5 drops bitters

Method:

Put all the ingredients in a shaker with ice & shake vigorously! 

Strain into a tall glass over ice and top with Rose Lemonade.

Garnish with Lemon peel, mint sprig and icing sugar.

To listen to my chat with Wendyl Nissan about Win Win Bar & how to make the Mirage click the link below

The Cocktail Collective - A cocktail party in a box

Remember the last time you had a cocktail party and it cost you approximately 300 dollars just for the alcohol because you needed 10mls of something in each drink but it came in a litre bottle and two years later you still have half of it left in the cupboard because you have absolutely no idea what else to use it in? Yeah, me too...

Well the team at The Cocktail Collective have the answer to all of your cocktail party problems! They provide everything you need to throw an epic cocktail party with specially made cocktail boxes. Each box contains exactly the right amount of ingredients for you to make either 10 or 15 (depending on which box you choose) cocktails. This is honestly genius & I have no idea why this hasn't happened sooner. 

There are 8 different boxes so truly one for everyone's taste, with a price range between $95 & $125 dollars depending on how many serves are included. I chose the Espresso Martini box as this is the cocktail I find hardest to get right at home as I believe you need to have good quality coffee and I am (and sometimes I think the only person in the world who doesn't) not the proud owner of a Nespresso machine. TCC have nailed this cocktail box by collaborating with coffee gurus Altezano Brothers Roastery who have made the cold brew coffee for the box plus it has espresso liqueur & vanilla liqueur to give the cocktail depth of flavour & complexity.

They have made this SO easy and their recipe for the perfect espresso martini is as follows:

Put the following ingredients into your cocktail shaker (shaker not included but you can pick them up pretty cheaply these days)

            - 6 parts Vodka (90mls)

            - 6 parts Cold Brew Coffee (90mls)

           - 2 parts Espresso Liqueur (30mls)

            - 2 parts Vanilla Liqueur (30mls)

Add only 4 cubes of ice shake firmly till the ice dissolves and can no longer be heard

Strain into two chlled glasses (this reciepe makes two)

Wait for the foam top to emerge, then pop 3 coffee beans on each cocktail (which are provided) and serve with a dish of chocolate coated coffee beans on the side (which are also provided) 

I'm super in love with The Cocktail Collective, its a super compact box, super easy instructions to follow and most importantly SUPER delicious cocktails to enjoy.

Orders for Christmas close on the 15th of December & I have a feeling they are going to sell out of some of these boxes so order now!

Grey Goose Pop Up and Le Fizz

Grey Goose (the luxury French vodka) is having an very cool Pop Up at Custom Lane – Grand Mercure – Customs Street East every night from 3pm for two weeks only - which means you only have one more week to get there as it closes on December 9th. 

They have delicious Grey Goose cocktails with the perfect food pairings, there is a crepe cart where you can treat yourself to a nutella crepe (and you should) it has a beautiful Grey Goose swing which you can sit on while sipping on your cocktail and enjoying the fabulousness of the whole situation. DJ Karn Hall will be kicking out the jams from 5pm on Thursday and Friday - what are you waiting for? Get there! 

This weeks cocktail is from the cool kids at Grey Goose & it's their iconic Le Fizz which you can make at home with Grey Goose or for the full effect (with cute, but potentially dangerous silver flying goose swizzle stick) go to Custom Lane before next Friday. 

Grey Goose Le Fizz

45mls Grey Goose vodka
30mls St. Germain elderflower liqueur
20 mls fresh lime juice
60 mls chilled soda water

Add Grey Goose vodka, St. Germain and lime juice into a cocktail shaker filled with ice.

Shake

Strain into a chilled flute and top up with soda water.

Enjoy! 

The Puna Cooler from Mea Culpa, 175 Ponsonby Road, Auckland

Mea Culpa on Ponsonby Road is by far my my favourite cocktail bar in Auckland, it is small but amazing and for those of you who are interested in such things they have an incredible back bar.

Mea's focus is on amazing drinks provide with great service & boy do they nail it every time. I'm really happy to say I don't think I have ever had a negative experience here. Mea change up the cocktails menu every week to keep it fresh but also to focus on seasonal produce and local ingredients, these guys have even been known to forage for the delights hidden around the city (like the Rosemary in this cocktail) 

Quality is a key word at Mea Culpa & the bartenders focus on doing the classic cocktails right, but there's no pretension here, they really will make you whatever you want. The staff all regularly enter cocktail comeptions to keep their skills sharp & manger Jeremy was last year's Auckland Bartender of the Year. (Not to shabby at all!)

I had a quick chat with Jeremy & he whipped up this delicious, refreshing spring inspired cocktail in the blink of an eye. It's called the Puna Cooler as Puna means "Spring" in Maori

The Mea Culpa "Puna Cooler"

30mls Beefeater 24 Gin

30mls Sauvignon

30mls Grapefruit Juice

10mls Sugar syrup

Shake & strain into a tall glass full of ice

Top with Rose Lemonade (ideally Fentimens - slightly sparking lemonade with rose oil) and use a rosemary & some lemon peel to garnish

Sit back, put your feet up and enjoy!

If you don't feel like making this for yourself then head into Mea Culpa and ask Jeremy or one of his amazing bar team to make it for you or one of their many other amazing cocktail creations!

Bombay Sapphire Botanical Bazaar – The Arancia Spritz

This cocktail is inspired by the The Bombay Sapphire Botanical Bazaar which is happening in Auckland from the November 1st - November 5th at the Fresh Factory. The venue will be turned into an exotic bazaar & five Bombay Sapphire cocktails matched with five internationally inspired dishes.

This food and beverage extravaganza is the brainchild of Bombay Sapphire spirits ambassador, Chase Bickerton, and Jamie Johnston, the man behind pop-up sensation, Judge Bao. Their mission? To Show gin as the versatile and wonderful spirit that it is.

Arancia Spritz (matched with Italian Arancini Balls)

20ml Bombay Sapphire

10ml Aperol

60ml Pinot Noir Rose

40ml Soda Water

Rosemary Sprig

Build in a wine glass with ice garnish with a sprig of rosemary

Delish!

Tickets for the Bombay Sapphire Botanical Bazaar cost $45 plus booking fee from iTicket, this entry gives you two food tokens plus two drink tokens, but more can be purchased for $14 each either at iTicket, or at the venue. This event is a sell out every year and not one that you want to miss!

Soul Bar - the royal garden

Cocktail of the week  - The Royal Garden at Soul Bar, Auckland Viaduct

Traditionally I haven’t been the greatest fan of the viaduct, actually let me rephrase, I haven’t been the greatest fan of the viaduct after dark – during the day nothing can rival the view! I have noticed of late, however, the viaduct has seriously upped its game with the addition of some great new venues such as The Lula Inn, Giraffe & Oyster & Chop. All of which have drawn me back into the azure glow of this central city social hub. The one venue I think, however, that is consistently giving great quality, selection & service in the Viaduct is Soul Bar.

Soul have just launched their new cocktail menu & this week’s cocktail recipe is fresh from the pages of their list (but tweaked just a bit to make it more at-home-mixologist friendly).  

Thanks to Scott and the bar team at Soul for showing us to make this super fruity & delicious cocktail at home, but for the full experience (and THAT view) head into Soul to enjoy one of these made by the experts. 

Royal Garden

30mls Rosemary Infused vodka

30mls Strawberry Puree

20mls Lemon

15mls Vanilla Sugar Syrup

Top up with Sparkling Wine

Serve in a chilled champagne coup & garnish with a strawberry

Make sure to check out Soul’s Sunday “Punch” – bringing Sunday lunch the party together!

I was lucky enough to be invited to the last Soul Punch in September which with amazing food, Mumm Champagne in abundance, entertainers & an epic DJ is definitely putting the Sinday back in Sunday.  Soul Punch is in effect the last Sunday of every month.

www.soulbar.co.nz/