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| The actual contents of my fridge... |
So I have a confession. When two little bottles of Gibson's Fruit Liqueur landed on my desk, I basically had no idea what to do with them. Wine - sure, I
know about wine. Spirits - they’re fine too. Fruit liqueurs? I know pretty much
nothing.
So, I set myself a little discovery challenge: to create two different
drinks using only what I already had at home. I figure fruit liqueurs are
something most of us are given as gifts, and might not remember when we go to
the supermarket, or when planning a party, so I wanted ingredients to be simple
and non-expensive, and for the freshness and the flavour of the fruit liqueur
to truly show itself.
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| Organic Liqueurs with Friendly Bunny. |
Firstly, let’s introduce our special little ingredients. Gibson’s Liqueurs are made in Oxfordshire, by hand, and all of the fruits are grown locally on the farm (which looks stunning). They are priced at £14.99 for a larger bottle of 35cl, and available from a whole host of lovely local independents. If you’re buying online,Vintage Roots is an excellent online stockist. All of the fruit is organic, which I truly believe creates a richer, purer flavour in both food and drink- these liqueurs are no exception, retaining vivid characteristics of their ingredients.
After (hiccup!) much trial and error, these two were the
most delicious use of the most delicious Organic Fruit liqueurs! Oh. And I’m
converted- I would DEFINITELY buy them especially from now on!
Raspberry fizz
This time of year, I always have raspberries and
strawberries in the fridge which is kind of perfect as the first liqueur was a
raspberry one.
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| Sexy and seductive; a real head turner |
I tried initially making this will still wine, as a way of
disguising an acidic white wine, and although it was OK, it really improves
with the fizz. This little bottle of prosecco is available in Asda for £4, but
you could use any prosecco/fruit led fizz; the yeastiness of Champagne would
probably bring it down a little, and quite frankly would be a waste of
Champagne.
Pour one part raspberry liqueur over 4 of 5 raspberries and
leave for a minute or two so the liqueur soaks into the fresh fruit. Then, top
up with your fizz. The colour from the liqueur is fresh, bright and vivid, and
mixed with the fresh raspberries is like a big fat kiss; it looks seductive. Next time I have
a drinks reception- this one is coming out.
English Summer
Elderflower can be a bit ‘love it or hate it’; luckily, I love it. The floral, fresh deliciousness reminds that its summer time
more than anything else. Until now, I haven’t ever tasted an elderflower liqueur (or a wine
for that matter), using this lovely floral treat as a soft drink presse instead. It definitely works in its boozy form too!
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| Fresh and classic- just like elderflower should be |
For me elderflower is a classic, quality, beauty, and a
drink that contains it needs to be the same. For that reason (and because it’s
my favourite) I have added some good quality gin to this recipe- just a splash
though- and decent tonic. It’s nice to watch the richness of the liqueur mix
with the thinner gin. 2 parts liquor, 1 part gin, 2 parts tonic. Ensure you
have plenty of ice, and get the liqueur chilled, or pour in first and let it
sit in the ice for a minute or two.
Do you love fruit liqueurs? Any tips to use up the rest of my little bottles? And which of the Gibson's range do you like best?
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