Niclas Herle- The smooth talking bar steward down the virtual cocktail bar.
Winter is coming
Whichever way you look at Covid -19, regardless of the conspiracies and the hopes of its less volatile nature, 6 months on from the lockdown of this pandemic, we are facing the grim reality that we face another half year months of it. The grim realization sets in that as a country, the harsh difficulties of self-quarantining and restricted use of public spaces and services we saw last March, is upon us again. With the added frustration of an enduring winter!
Thankfully, the online smooth talking bar steward, Niclas Herle, is getting his online cocktail bar ready for the cold seasons ahead. He describes his simple solution to the solitude of another quarantine along with a preparatory recipe to follow in time for opening.
Old Fashioned
Niclas explains that the old fashioned is actually the first ever cocktail ever made. Originating from mid-western America, the ubiquitous bourbon whisky could have a harsh taste if made at home. Typical of any cherished ingredient that need as little sweetening, the bourbon after taste was made sweeter and more palatable through the additive of sugar ad a mix of bitters that were commonly used for cough medicines to disguise the chemical taste. 200 years later, very little has changed and it remains the most popular and infamous style mixed drink in all discerning bars across the globe.
The Ingredients
Gather up and prepare the following ingredients.
Prepare a simple syrups.
Making a syrup will last for weeks in your fridge and give your drink the texture of a professional cocktail. Mix sugar and water with a 1:1 ratio and allow to cool down for an hour before using.
3 dashes Angostura bitters.
Most supermarkets sell bitters, a concentrate mix of spices that add panache and depth to any drink.
A little mineral water to diffuse the flavor.
2 shots of Bourbon
Any discounted bourbon is fine. Don’t be fooled into getting high brand liquor since the genesis of such a drink was to simply use the general flavor of bourbon and not necessarily the textured pallet if refined options.
Orange peel
Not simply for garnish but for the perfumed zest.
The home-made method.
Re use an old jam jar with a lid and pile in the syrup, bitters and water with an ice cube and vigorously shake the jar till all the ingredients missed well and the ice is broken into pieces in the concentrate.
Drop the 2 shots of bourbon in and whisky with the orange peel that has just a moment ago been exposed to a naked flame. This will release the perfume scent of the orange and diffuse inside the solvent of the alcohol. Leave the peel as garnish and serve with a straw.
Covid Cocktail Club
Rather than simply drink this alone or with your household, join Niclas’ online community by registering through this portal and meeting other home bound cocktail makers in a chat room. Niclas’ approach is to make the next best thing to going to your local. By making affordable yet gourmet style drinks in the comfort of your home, yet meeting people as you would in a pub setting, the winter facing us doesn’t have to be of such discontent. Just remember you’re in charge of your own closing time. Drink responsibly.