Lemons for Cocktail Night

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Citrus lemon, an evergreen of the family Rutaceae, was first introduced to Europe in the 2nd Century AD, from its native Assam. Sadly, Europeans left is cultivation to the Arabs and Persians, only resuming its mass production in the mid fifteenth century.* From Genoa it spread to the New World colonies. Its beautiful shape and aroma have made it a staple of every kitchen ever since. Except, sadly, you can’t drink it, however much you crave its vitamin C.

Unless of course you mix it with something else. And our extensive scientific research for this blog (aka The Ultimate Cocktail Book, Hamlyn) revealed a lengthy list whose glorious and evocative names include:

Brandy Sour, Between the Sheets, White Lady, Mike Collins, Walters, Brandy Sidecar, St James, Zombie, Mississippi Punch, French 75, Brooklyn Bomber, Singapore Gin Sling, Honolulu, Alice Springs, Rum Cristophe, Tobago Fizz and many, many more.

Well, there isn’t time to review them all in one night, let alone sample them. But here for the cognoscenti are three delicious lemon-based cocktails we think you might like.

Short and tangy=the Brandy Sour

Put 4-5 ice cubes in your shaker. add three drops of angostura bitters, juice of 1 lemon, 3 measures of good French brandy and one teaspoon of sugar syrup. (without the latter, even the most sophisticated tippler will have gut rot all night long) Shake and por to a medium glass, chilled, and decorate with a slice from your lemon

Long and satisfying=the Singapore Gin Sling

Here the whole point is to partner your lemon with a number of other ingredients to produce blend of flavours. Chill a nice hurricane glass. To your shaker we add no less than eight chunky ice cubes, juice of 0.5 lemon juice of 0.5 orange, 1 measure cherry brandy, 3 measures of good white gin, 3 drops of angostura bitters. Shake good and hard. Pour, with cubes into your hurricane. (the glass, not the aeroplane). Top up with iced fizzy mineral water. Decorate with lemon, orange and a cocktail cherry. Best drunk with straws, which now we hope are recyclable!

Big Night Out=the Brooklyn Bomber

Bit of a trick one to prepare, so pay attention. Take six ice cubes. Put three in your shaker and three in your chilled long glass. The shaker should now take 0.5 measure tequila, 0.5 measure curacao,0.5 measure cherry brandy, 0.5 measure galliano, 1 measure lemon juice. Shake enough to crack the cubes a bit. Now pour over your cubes in the long glass. Slice of orange and two cocktail cherries to decorate.

Here’s wishing all members of the learned and scholastic community a happy Friday night.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lemon

#fridaynight #cocktails #lemon