The Easter Egg Cup (sponsored by Caorunn Gin)

Sunday past saw the inaugural Easter Egg Cup cocktail competition at The Corpse & Cocktail, featuring both a singles round and a team challenge.

In the singles, bartenders were challenged to come up with an innovative cocktail inspired by one of Caorunn's 5 Celtic botanicals (rowan berry, Coul Blush apple, bog myrtle, dandelion and heather).  From all the entrants, 4 'wildcards' were asked to join 4 'invited' bartenders.  The 8 were then asked to make a short video of themselves introducing and creating their drink, followed by a still photograph.  The photos were then uploaded to Facebook to be voted on.  Almost 600 votes later, the final proceeded to take place.

Each bartender made a superb effort with techniques and ingredients such as scented scrolls, Islay new make spirit, whey and infused teas/syrups.

For the team challenge, the 8 bartenders were split into East and West teams, based on the geography of their bars.  A speed round and bad product challenge ensued, resulting in Team West being victorious.

After the team challenge, it was time for the singles awards.  3rd place went to independent consultant Milo Smith for his drink Druids Cure featuring Caorunn, Port, white grapefruit, heather honey, whey and a dandelion/raspberry syrup.  2nd place was awarded to Bobby Patience of highly-rated bar Dusk for Symphony No. 11, his take on the classic martini featuring bog myrtle-infused Noilly Prat served with a dandelion-scented scroll and a rowan berry-sweetened tincture.

Overall winner was 99's Mike McGinty with his drink Haugh's of Cromdale, heavily influenced by the red apple in Caorunn.  The drink was created with Calvados, dessert wine, lemon juice, Pink Lady syrup, muddled red apple and of course Caorunn, all shaken together in a heather-smoked Boston shaker.

Judges were Ervin Trykowski (Caorunn Brand Ambassador), Adrian Gomes (10 Dollar Shake) and Chris Tonner (Executive Chef of La Stella / The Courtyard restaurants).

For photos of the event, please check out The Corpse & Cocktails Facebook page.

Corn and Oil

The Corn and Oil cocktail has rapidly become a favourite tipple of mine over the past few months. This simply made cocktail boasts a complex depth of flavour and when made with the right rum is an absolute delight. The drink calls for a rum with a strong molasses base and the falernum gives the extra punch. It is certainly not a beginners drink but if a Rum Old Fashion or an El Presidente are your choice of cocktails then this will definitely be a drink for you. I must admit the first time that I tried a Corn and Oil I was not that impressed, perhaps the first sip does not do it justice but as the drink goes on you will fall in love with it.

Traditionally the rum used in this cocktail is a dark rum. Havana 7 year old is acceptable but an even darker rum would be desirable. A friend of mine just sourced a rum from New Orleans called “Old New Orleans Rum.” In 1999 the first production of their white rum was released on the market. By the millennium they had added an Amber Rum (winner of 2007 American Distilling Institute Gold Medal for Aged Rum) and Cajun Spiced Rum. It was the spiced rum that my friend had sourced from New Orleans which I instantly thought would work perfectly in a Corn and Oil. Made from Black Strap Molasses its depth in character is unique as a spiced rum. On the nose it has a strong butterscotch and caramel smell. The combination of cayenne, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger and cloves creates a beautifully spiced flavour. It is certainly not over sweetened which I personally feel too many spice rums suffer from.

The choice of falernum is also vital when making a Corn and Oil. I seriously encourage you to attempt to make your own for the best results. Not only will it taste better and fresher you will have a feeling of satisfaction in your own creation. It also gives you creative freedom on how exactly you want it to taste. If however you want to use pre-bottled falernum John D. Taylor Falernum from Barbados would be ideal but this might be difficult to source in the U.K. You are looking for a well spiced version.

So this is the recipe that I would use for my Old New Orleans Cajun Spice Rum Corn and Oil. You can serve it straight up in a long steamed cocktail glass or follow the more traditional option of serving it over ice.


Corn and Oil

50ml Old New Orleans Cajun Spiced Rum
15ml Falernum
3-4 dashes of Angostura Bitters

Stirred and served over ice or straight up.

Check out http://www.neworleansrum.com/ for my information on Old New Orleans Rum