Recipes

With December having arrived, the time has come to get into the Christmas spirit. This week’s cocktail recipe is a Christmas-themed drink from Ray’s Bar in Dalston. Opened by the team behind Dalston Superstore and Voodoo Ray’s, the bar’s drinks menu is designed by drinks consultant Shiv Lal, along with General Manager Waseem Akbar and Head Bartender Dave Miller. The ‘Spice World’, for instance, is a simple combination of on-trend rye whiskey, chai syrup, antica formula and a cream float...

Just in time for Christmas, truffle brand Monty Bojangles (named after the founder’s pet cat) have teamed up with Michelin starred Chef Mark Sargeant to create a range of chocolate-focused desserts and snacks. This week’s recipe, ‘Cookie Moon Cheesecake’, uses Monty Bojangles’ Cookie Moon truffles, made with buttery cookie chunks and a dusting of bitter-sweet cocoa powder to create a delicious cheesecake with a granola base. Mark’s Top Tip: “Adding layers of cling film to the spring form tin when...

Accessed through a secret door at the back of Milroys of Soho – London’s oldest whisky specialist, having been operating since 1946 – The Vault has re-launched with a new Bar Manager. Having worked as part of the opening team at Satan’s Whiskers in Bethnal Green and as Head Bartender at Milk & Honey, Chris Tanner has brought a brand new cocktail menu to Milroys’ basement bar. All priced at £9.50, the new drinks list includes a number of original...

Celebrating their 150th anniversary this year, Jack Daniel’s have introduced a brand new whiskey – Single Barrel Rye – to their Single Barrel collection. With rye whiskey currently enjoying a new golden age in the UK, the new expression follows limited release batches of Rested Rye in 2014 and Un-aged Rye in 2012, and has a bold and complex flavour profile with notes of dried fruit, toasted oak, caramel, vanilla and (of course) rye. What’s more, to celebrate the launch...

The full English is a mainstay of British breakfast tables, but what is the recipe for the perfect plateful? According to new research, the ultimate fry-up contains two sausages, two rashers of bacon, fried eggs, mushrooms, toast, beans and fried tomatoes and red sauce, with fried bread and black pudding also considered essentials. But settling the age-old sauce argument, ketchup was the most popular condiment, with 42 per cent saying this is a key ingredient in a cooked breakfast, compared to just...

Smoked cocktails have become increasingly popular over the past year, and with Bonfire Night just around the corner – there’s no excuse to avoid getting involved with the trend at home. This twist on the classic Manhattan, from Dalston's Behind This Wall, combines rye whisky, sweet vermouth, pisco and herbal liqueur with cold apple cedar smoke. It’s by no means the simplest drink to recreate at home, though the extra effort is guaranteed to impress guests this weekend. Alternatively, the...

With plenty of Halloween celebrations taking place across the weekend, this week’s themed cocktail recipe is from Harry’s Bar in Edinburgh. Having teamed up with R&B Distillers, the bar has crafted a cocktail inspired by the colony of rare Brown Long Eared Bats living on the Isle of Raasay, the site of R&B's first distillery. A rich blend of crème de cacao brun, Chambord, plum bitters and R&B Distillers’ single malt ‘While We Wait’, the cocktail is garnished with a bat...

A healthy take on classic, thick pancakes – these hotcakes are made with buckwheat flour and feta cheese, topped with crispy bacon. What’s more, they’re simple to make and relatively healthy, with an additional drizzle of Manuka Honey bringing some natural sweetness to the dish. ‘Everyone loves pancakes, but they can be overloaded with carbs and sugar sometimes, and aren’t actually that good for you. This is a healthy alternative that still tastes delicious and is great for people who...

Created in collaboration between The Botanist (the first and only Islay Dry Gin) and Blixen bar in Spitalfields, 'The Vermillion Botanist' is this week’s cocktail recipe. Following an immersive foraging expedition with an expert forager and The Botanist’s Brand Ambassador – Abigail Clephane, Blixen’s bartenders were challenged to produce an innovative cocktail that would ‘reflect their wild side’, as well as challenging other bartenders from across the country to create their own foraged cocktails. Each participating bartender foraged their own...