We’ve been involved in a top secret project and are delighted to be able to talk about it at last. Drinkology.com is a new website designed to make it easy for bartenders all over the world to source knowledge and network with their peers as well as join in debates on all things drink-related. Drinkology is the brainchild of Illy Jaffar, Pernod Ricard UK’s Head of Brand Advocacy and has been created by Pernod Ricard UK in collaboration with Henry Besant of the Worldwide Cocktail Club.

A unique feature of  the immensely stylish new website is the bevy of on site ‘gurus’ who will contribute specialist knowledge of their areas of expertise in the form of discussion forums and editorial focusing on the history and production of spirits, category styles and other relevant category issues. Gurus include Ian Wisniewski (vodka and malt whisky), Geraldine Coates (gin), Dave Broom (rum and blended whiskies) Gary Regan (legendary bars and barmen) Nicholas Faith (Cognac and brandy), Mark Ridgewell (bourbon/American Whiskey), Thomas Estes (agave spirits) and Ago Perrone (vermouth and bitters). They will be contributing regular features and answering questions. The Library section, curated by cocktail historians Jared Brown and Anistatia Miller, contains an constantly updated store of historical information, downloadable (and searchable) vintage cocktail books and recipes.

It’s fab so check it out here – http://www.drinkology.com/

Caorunn, Scotland’s handcrafted small batch gin, is taking UK gin lovers on a sensory adventure with a series of cutting edge cocktail master classes. Created using an authentic fusion of five Celtic botanicals, Caorunn’s crisp dry aromatic taste is currently going down a storm.  The new Masterclass series kicked off in March in Edinburgh, where guests were taken on a unique tasting tour showcasing the gin’s new range of Spring cocktails. Hosted in Harvey Nichol’s atmospheric top floor bar, Caorunn’s brand ambassador and gin connoisseur Ervin Trykowski stirred up the crowd with contemporary twists on cocktail classics and an internationally inspired three-way almond gin fizz. Enjoy a taste of the Scottish Highlands and sample one of Ervin’s delicious Caorunn Spring Cocktails for yourself with the recipes below.

Ervin got to the final of Drinks International Cocktail Challenge with the Good for the Gander Cocktail designed to showcase Caorunn’s clean floral notes.  Adding the same amount of Lillet gives the cocktail a slight dryness. Goose Island IPA from Chicago is a very subtle style of IPA, which adds a really nice malt flavour to the drink as well as a bitter aftertaste. Then the drink is finished off by adding a small amount of St Germain (elderflower liqueur) to lift all the other flavours giving the drink a fresh, clean light taste.

Good for the Gander

• 25ml Caorunn Gin
• 25ml Dry Vermouth or Lillet
• 25ml Goose Island India Pale Ale
• 12.5ml St-Germain Elderflower Liqueur

Combine all the ingredients in a mixing glass and stir with ice. Serve in a chilled Martini glass with a grapefruit twist.

Poppy Blush

• 37.5ml Caorunn
• 12.5ml Poppy liqueur
• 12.5ml Dubonnet
• 25ml lemon juice
• 25ml apple juice
• 25ml rhubarb syrup
• Egg white

Place all ingredients in a Boston shaker, shake without ice and then with ice (this helps get a froth from the egg white).  Double strain into a martini glass and garnish with a basil leaf.

Some of the world’s top bartenders have created totally unique recipes for Beefeater 24 – here are four delicious ones with more to come…..

STRAWBERRY MALARKY
by Anistatia Miller and Jared Brown
A beautiful classic with strawberry and champagne.

Ingredients
40ml Beefeater 24
25ml Triple sec
2 Strawberries
Champagne

Method
Muddle strawberries, shake with Beefeater 24 and triple sec.
Top up with champagne.

SHIFTING SANDS
by Sasha Petraske
A long complex, refreshing drink inspired by the Milk and Honey ‘Sands’ cocktail.

Ingredients
40ml Beefeater 24
15ml Maraschino Liquer
25ml Grapefruit juice
15ml Fresh squeezed lemon juice
5ml Sugar syrup
Soda

Method
Shake first five ingredients, strain into ice-filled glass. Top up with soda.

LAMBETH LEMONADE
by Nick Strangeway
Beefeater 24 combines with the fruit character of Lillet sweetened with raspberry syrup and livened by the tang of bitter lemon. Named after the London borough in which the Beefeater distillery resides.

Ingredients
50ml Beefeater 24
25ml Lillet
10ml Home-made raspberry syrup (or Crème de Framboise)

Method
Build, stir and top with bitter lemon.

EVEREST
By Gary Regan
Exotic flavours to the fore in this drink named after the Indian restaurant in Gary’s home town.

Ingredients
75ml Beefeater 24
25 ml coconut/curry paste
15 ml freshly squeezed lemon juice

Method
Mix 1 teaspoon curry powder with 50 ml Coco Lopez to make a paste. Shake all ingredients with ice and strain into martini glass.

Here’s a great way to start the New Year. While celebrity chefs have been propelled to prominence in the last few years as Brits re-discover a love of cooking and fine dining, drinking in Britain has undergone a much similar, although not quite so publicised, re-invention. The days of foreigners scoffing at our love of a warm beer are long gone and Britain is now arguably widely regarded as the world’s leading cocktail destination. So it’s only fitting that Britain’s finest bartenders receive the recognition they deserve.

Diageo Reserve (including brands such as Tanqueray® No. Ten™, Johnnie Walker® Blue Label® blended Scotch whisky, Ketel One ® and Cîroc® vodka) has launched its ‘World Class’ bartender programme in a bid to do just that. In a nationwide search to find Britain’s finest bartender, the competition will pit the best against the best, culminating in a highly competitive Great Britain final and ultimately, for the GB winner, a global final which will see them competing against the finest bartenders from around the world including Australia, China, Singapore, Brazil and Greece.

The GB final will be judged by some of the country’s most esteemed experts in taste, style and bartending, namely Marco Pierre White, Michelin-starred chef; Andy Pearson, TV Mixologist; Bill Prince, Deputy Editor of GQ; Tom Innes, Editor of Theme (one of the bar industry’s leading publications) and Barrie Wilson, Diageo Reserve Brands Ambassador. Also, from 1st August, anyone with a Bluetooth facility on their mobile phone will receive a text message when they walk into any bar taking part in the World Class competition. The message will recommend a World Class cocktail for you to try, as well as providing you with the recipe so that you can try making it at home.

The winner of the GB final will win a place in the prestigious global final, to be judged by a star-studded panel. The global winner will go on to have their definitive book of cocktails published courtesy of Diageo and be the face of a global campaign to raise the profile of the industry, themselves and their bar – a once in a lifetime opportunity.

So, if you think you have what it takes to take on the best in the world, simply log on to www.weareworldclass.com to enter the competition

Legends of the cocktail industry gathered in New York for the first ever Martin Miller’s Gin Masters Competition on Sunday 9 November. Death & Co, the coolest bar in the US, was the arena for teams of Master Mixologists and Barmen from the UK and the US, competing against each other in this famous Speakeasy setting. Their goal – to win the inaugural Martin Miller’s Gin Masters title and the Trophy – a beautiful 1930’s silver cocktail shaker, used during Prohibition.

There were two rounds – the Original Cocktail and the Classic Cocktail -  mixed in front of a panel of illustrious judges, never before gathered under the same roof. It included internationally renowned cocktail expert Sasha Petraske, Ann Rogers, founder of the New Orleans’ annual ‘Tales of The Cocktail’, Tom Sandham, Editor of the UK’s ‘Class’ Magazine and Dave Wondrich, one of the world’s foremost authorities on cocktails and their history. Despite the ‘Special Relationship’ between the UK and the US, there was a palpable air of tension in the run-up to the competition and the prospect of performing in the company of their peers before world-famous judges, resulted in a few unsteady hands!

But these boys came up with some truly inventive creations. The winner with the Best Original Cocktail was Sam Ross, from New York’s famous Milk and Honey Bar with his attention-grabbing ‘Palin’s Christmas Punch’. The Second Prize for his original cocktail creation went to US Team Member, Thad Vogler for his great-tasting ‘Mosel Cocktail’. The third prize was awarded to Giles Looker, Team UK for his Boat Race cocktail, ‘The London Cup’. The winner of Best Team overall was Team US, made up of Sam Ross, Daniel Shoemaker, Vincenzo Marianella, Giuseppe Gonzalez, Jamie Boudreau, Thad Vogler and Erik Adkins. Perhaps the most coveted prize of all – the Best Bar Banter award – went to Team UK, for Ben Reed, Giles Looker, Jason Scott and Sean Muldoon’s chat behind the bar, keeping the judges and audience informed and amused, whilst mixing a colourful selection of patriotic cocktails.

Winning Cocktail Recipe
Created by Mixologist, Sam Ross, Team US (Milk & Honey, NY)

Palin’s Christmas Punch

• 12oz/360ml Martin Miller’s Gin Westbourne Strength
• 12oz/360ml Fresh lemon juice
• 10oz/300ml Demerara date syrup*
• 14oz/420ml Zirbenz Stone Pine Liqueur
• 1 1/2 oz/45ml Absinthe
• 1/2 oz/15ml Regan’s Orange Bitters #6
• One bottle of dry Champagne

In a large pitcher, muddle the peel of two lemons with a little sugar to extract the oils, pour all ingredients (except Champagne) into pitcher and stir briefly with ice, strain into punch bowl, top with champagne, float lemon ice and stir and serve in punch cups. Garnish with Absinthe dates.

Demerara date syrup: Stir 2 parts demerara sugar into 1 part water. Drop a bag of crushed dates in and leave for three days. Strain through coffee filter to eliminate sediment.

Lemon ice: Drop lemon wheels into a small plastic container filled with water and place in freezer -voilà!

Absinthe date: With an eye dropper, drop 3-4 drops of absinthe into the top of a date.

Second Place Cocktail Recipe
Created by Mixologist Thad Vogler, Team US

Mosel Cocktail

• 1 1/2 oz/45ml Martin Miller’s Gin Westbourne Strength
• 1 1/2 oz/45ml Mosel Spatlese Riesling
• 2 dashes homemade biodynamic Cherry Bitters
• 2 dashes homemade biodynamic Peach Bitters

Stir over chunk ice, strain into a chilled coupe.

Third Place Cocktail Recipe
Created by Mixologist Giles Looker, Team UK.

The London Cup

• 50ml/2oz Martin Miller’s Gin Westbourne Strength
• 50ml/2 oz Martini Rosso
• 30ml/1 oz Campari
• 30ml/1oz Cointreau
• 50m/2ozl fresh pink grapefruit juice

Mix all ingredients. Top with Fever Tree lemonade and garnish with slices of cucumber, lemon, strawberry, pink grapefruit, blackberry. Add a sprig of mint and serve in a jug with two rocks glasses.

Those clever people at Hendrick’s Gin have scoured nineteenth century recipe books and come up with a brace of warming winter drinks inspired by Charles Dickens and the godfather of cocktails, Jerry Thomas. Time to get Granny’s best china out of the cupboard.

HENDRICK’S HOT GIN PUNCH
Inspired by Dickens’ very own gin punch recipe (For 6 people)

• Three full teacups of Hendrick’s Gin
• Another three of Madeira wine
• Three cloves
• Pinch grated nutmeg
• Large teaspoon of cinnamon powder
• Two teaspoons brown sugar
• Six large lemon and orange twists
• Small slice orange
• One fresh pineapple
• Four large spoons honey
• Juice of two lemons

Mix all ingredients in a saucepan and place on the heat. Let the concoction simmer for 20 to 30 minutes. Taste, adding lemon or honey depending on whether you like sweet or sour. When it’s ready, pour into a teapot and serve in teacups. Alternatively serve in a traditional punch bow. Can be reheated so you can make ahead.

HENDRICK’S BLAZER
Inspired by Jerry Thomas’s Blue Blazer Cocktail

• 2/3 Hendricks Gin
• 1/3 Green Chartreuse
• One piece of fresh rosemary
• Cucumber to garnish

Place a cognac glass on top of a tumbler filled with hot water. Add the mix to the glass and flame. Pour mix into a fresh glass and garnish with cucumber and rosemary.

We all know that he likes them shaken not stirred but then James Bond’s one serious lapse of taste is that he usually drinks vodka.  However 007 does like his gin too and the Martin Miller’s Gin Bond Cocktail event last week celebrated Bond’s very own gin martini, the Vesper, named after the great love of his life.  Liam Davy, Martin Miller’s Master Mixologist, gave guests the lowdown on the history of the Martini through the ages complete with recipes.

Martinez – the original martini, from the town of Martinez, California

• 50ml Martin Miller’s Gin
• 20ml Red vermouth
• dash angostura bitters
• 5ml Maraschino
• Garnish with a strip of lemon peel

Delmonico – prevailing style of martini in the 1920′s

• 50ml Martin Miller’s Gin
• 25ml Dry vermouth
• dash orange bitters

Vesper Martini – The original James Bond martini, as ordered in Casino Royale (1953)

• 60ml Martin Miller’s Gin
• 20ml Vodka
• 10ml Kina Lillet
• Garnish with a twist of lemon

Montgomery – the martini for contemporary tastes

• 75ml Martin Miller’s Gin
• 5ml Dry Vermouth
• Garnished with 1 0r 3 olives

Moselle Martini – A modern twist on the classic drink

• 50ml Martin Miller’s Gin
• 30ml Reisling Auslese
• Garnish with two white grapes

The first proper cocktail, the G&T, was first served in London in 1858. So it’s been decided that today is the iconic drink’s official birthday. Cheers everyone!!!

Broome & Delancey in Clapham, The Larder in Farringdon and Buddha Bar in Central London now serve The London Gin in loads of great drinks. And you’ll find London Gin in all branches of Selfridges now including the one in Trafford Square Manchester.

After  six rounds in six cities, 1253 Gin and Tonic’s, 83 competitors from 62 bars  the Miller’s oadshow finally rolled back into London in September for the Grand Final of the 2008 Gin Cocktail Competition at the opulent Miller’s Academy in Notting Hill. There the transatlantic judging panel  declared Rebecca Almqvist of Lonsdale in  London, the Martin Miller’s Gin Mixologist of 2008 for her fabulous Pink Gin Buck and the feat of mixing 17 G and Ts in one minute in the Speed Round. Congratulations to Rebecca for beating some of the best in the biz such as:

• Ben Carlotto (Voodoo Rooms, Edinburgh)
• Muno (Green and Red, London)
• Shervene (Voodoo Rooms, Edinburgh)
• Nick Ord (Smokestack, Leeds)
• Fraser Crichton (Drakes Hotel, Brighton
• Simon “Ginge” Warneford (MyHotel, Brighton)
• Paul Mant (Quo Vadis, London)
• Rob Savory (Raoul’s, Oxford)
• Cat (Raoul’s, Oxford)
• Meimi Sanchez (Bramble, Edinburgh)
• Lino (Hoxton Pony, London)

The judges were an  equally cosmopolitan group consisting of Dan Dunn – American drinks writer supreme and friend of Martin  Miller’s Gin. Jon Santer – Martin Miller’s San Francisco  brand specialist and head of the US bartenders guild San Francisco. Martin Miller – the man himself, Jeffrey Morgenthaler – renowned  drinks blogger and bartender from Oregon. Btw check out his account of his road trip with Martin Millers Gin at www.jeffreymorgenthaler.com

The winning recipe…

Pink G Buck #7

• 50 ml Martin Millers Gin
• 35 ml Chamberyzette
• 15 ml Bercherovka
• Half a Lemon
• Top up with Ginger Ale

Put 3 ice Cubes in the bottom of a Catalina glass, squeeze in the half lemon into the glass (might want to cut it up first), add more ice and the rest of the ingredients. Cap shake (Take a smallish tin, put it on top and shake quite gently), top up with Ginger Beer and garnish with a few Mint sprigs.