The Aperitif Guy

This week has seen St David's Day, a day of celebration in Wales and its diaspora. I created a couple of cocktails you might like, and the recipes can be found here: http://blog.theaperitifguy.co.uk/2019/03/two-new-cocktails-for-st-davids-day.html Ever since I was a child, I have been drawn to Wales. Not just to the land that lies a little way south-west of my native town, but to the very idea of Wales, of a country so different from my own that it is simultaneously both foreign and home. With this in mind, I organised a dinner last summer to celebrate the great food and drink produced there. The Beloved and I decided to take a roadtrip around the coast: part research and part holiday. Leigh with a selection of his produce Day 1 – wine and a beautiful dinner We had driven down to Chepstow to begin and stayed with an old university friend and her husband. Leigh was kind enough to take us out to see his property the following morning. He was very proud to poi...

While my mind has been on all things Welsh, I created two new cocktails this week, featuring Penderyn Welsh whisky. The first is an aperitif cocktail that reflects the red dragon on the Welsh flag. It is slightly bitter and is finished, if you can do it, with a little woodsmoke, so the dragon can be seen breathing. Y Ddraig Goch  20ml Penderyn whisky 10ml Wiltshire Liqueur Co Blood Orange liqueur 5ml Aperol 5ml Campari Stir with ice in a mixing glass. Strain into an Old Fashioned glass. Immediately before serving, place a coaster over the glass and fill the glass with smoke from a cook’s smoking gun. Lift the coaster as you serve. Y Ddraig Aur The gold dragon appeared on Owain Glyndwr's battle standard. This cocktail is a stronger, sweeter one, suitable for story-telling around the fire after a hearty dinner. Its flavours include herbs and warming ginger. Start by preparing the glass: chill a brandy balloon in the freezer for a ...