How To: Cocktail Lime (or Lemon) Wedges & Slices

Nothing sets off an ice cold, summer cocktail better than a Lemon or Lime wedge or slice. Quick and very easy to dmake, the only specialised piece of equipment you need is a Canelle Knife (Check out the Gustav Emil Ern, Tools, Canelle Knife, Right Handed)


Lime Wedges

Start at the top in the middle (near the stalk bit) and cut away a strip of the lime zest around the lime in a circular motion until you get to the bottom. It doesn't matter if the zest breaks part way through the cut but with a little practice you'll be able to peel a full zest strip in one go. You should end up with something like the photo below.

With a sharp knife cut the lime in half, cutting across the exposed white part of the lime as shown below.

Depending on the size of the wedges you want cut each half into two or three small wedges like so:

Easy... :O)

Lime Slices

This time start at the top of the lime with the canelle knife and cut vertically down to the bottom of the lime to remove a short strip of zest (by the way, keep the removed zest strips from wedges and slices, they are packed with flavourful oils and can also be used to add to cocktails or to wipe around the rim of your cocktail glasses).

Turn the lime around 180 degrees and make another vertical cut - opposite to the first cut. Then turn the lime 90 degrees and cut two more vertical strips between the first two cuts. Cut again between each of the first four cuts giving a total of eight vertical cuts. Your Lemon or Lime should look something like this...

Turn the lime on it's side and cut the end off, the end can be used turned inside out and filled with a liqueur to be floated on the top of some cocktails.

Slice the lime as shown below,

and you end up with a few of these.

If you want to sit the slice onto the edge of a cocktail glass, make a single cut from the edge to the centre like so...

The lime slice can then be easily and securely placed onto the rim of your glass.

Cheers!

The Perfect Gin & Tonic

As the dark, cold days of winter once again pass into the warmth of a new spring and summer it's time to get into the swing of things with some nice cocktails. My favourite cocktail has to be the cool and classic Gin & Tonic, but it has to be made just right - believe me it does make a difference!

Ingredients (makes 2 large G&Ts):

• 100ml (4 x 25ml shots) Gordon's Dry London Gin
• Schweppes Indian Tonic
• Ice (lots)
• Fresh lime - cut into four wedges

Method:

1. Fill 2 tall, straight glasses (Slim Jim/Highball 10oz or 12oz) with ice
2. Squeeze one lime wedge into each glass and sit the other lime wedge on the ice.
3. Pour 50ml Gordon's Gin over the ice
4. Top up with the Indian tonic
5. Enjoy :O)

One of my pet hates, when seeing drinks mixed, is to watch the ice being added at the end. To many people it may seem that it doesn't matter. It does! In this case, pouring the gin over the ice releases a lot more of the subtle flavours than simply adding a couple of ice cubes at the end.

I just looked at my watch and it's a little early but in an hour or so I shall be happily fixing myself a G&T - if you read this in time why not join me :O)

Cheers!

Cocktails - Mai Tai

The Mai Tai is a well-known alcoholic cocktail purportedly invented at the Trader Vic's "Polynesian-style" restaurant in Oakland, California in 1944. Trader Vic's amicable rival, Don the Beachcomber, claimed to have created it first in 1933 at his own newly opened little bar (later a famous restaurant) in Hollywood. The Beachcomber's recipe is far more complicated than that of the Trader's and tastes quite different.
The Trader Vic story of its invention is that the Trader (Victor J. Bergeron) created it one afternoon for some friends who were visiting from Tahiti. One of them tasted it and cried out: "Maita'i roa!" (Literally "good very!", figuratively "Out of this world!") — hence the name.
Extract taken from Wikipedia.

Serves: 1 (a big one)
Ingredients:

• 2 shots dark rum
• 2 shots white rum
• 1 shot cointreau (triple sec or curacao)
• 1/2 shot amaretto - feel free to add a little more
• 1 shot lime juice
• 1 shot grenadine
• 5 shots pineapple juice

1. Place all the ingredients in your shaker apart from the grenadine along with 10-12 ice cubes and shake it for 20 seconds or so until the outside of the shaker is frosted.

2. Pour into a long glass and sink the grenadine to the bottom to give a red graded effect up the drink.

3. Garnish with lemon and lime pieces and add a couple of black straws.

4. The Mai Tai can be made as a 'build' drink in the glass itself over ice but I prefer to mix the flavours with a shaker.

Enjoy...