The Corkless Mind

Tag: Cocktails

  • Watermelon, Rose Water and Gin Slushy

    Watermelon, Rose Water and Gin Slushy

    Summer has reached its peak in Cape Town and with the consequences of one of the worst droughts we’ve seen in decades means there aren’t many ways available to cool down in this exhausting heat. Cue the watermelon! One of a few things I do love about summer, is the bounty of delicious tropical fruit available for sweet pickings.

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    Watermelon, Rose water and Gin Slushie 129This recipe is inspired by one I spotted in the latest Summer issue of Donna Hay’s Magazine. Instead of the doing the Frosé version, I am not much of Rosé drinker, but instead added some of Malfy’s delicious Gin. Malfy Gin, of Italian origin off the Malfy coast to be exact, has refreshing zesty citrus notes with hints of juniper. I chose this particular gin, to see how the lemony notes in the gin would pair with the watermelon and rose-water. To describe the finished product, I’d like to think of it as an alcoholic watermelon, rose-water flavoured frozen lemonade. I know, a mouthful in description, but it’s damn delicious and best of all so easy to make at home! I omitted sugar too, because the watermelon adds the much needed sweetness that this slush requires to be, well a slushy. Watermelon, Rose water and Gin Slushie 004

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    Watermelon, Rose water and Gin Slushy

     

    Ingredients: 

    • 1/2 small-sized Watermelon
    • A few drops of Rose water (tread lightly, this stuff is potent)
    • 4 – 6 tall tot glasses of Malfy Gin, depending preference.
    • 500 ml of watermelon tonic or any tonic water will do.

     

    Method: 

    Chop up the watermelon, ensuring all of the seeds are taken out. You may spot a few pieces of black seeds in my photos (oops). So expect to find a few in your slushy mix here and there, if you miss a few seeds, that’s perfectly okay. Place the chopped watermelon, rose-water, gin and tonic into a blender, and blitz until smooth. Pour the slushy mix into a loaf pan or tray that can easily fit into your freezer. Freeze for 6 hours. Enjoy chilled!

     

    **Disclaimer: This is not a sponsored post. All ingredients were purchased and supplied by myself. All views in this post are as a reflection of my honest opinion.

     

    Happy weekend! x

  • Gin & Tonic – three ways 

    Gin & Tonic – three ways 

    For some time Gin and Tonic has long been known as something of an ‘oldtimers drink’, this of course all changed when local distilleries started making artisanal gin, and of course all things artisanal are supposedly ‘cool’ however, this is one the time, I have to agree on this matter purely because I love supporting local. South Africa has such an amazing array of locally crafted gin, using nothing but what is available seasonally is the key to a great botanical gin. The gin I used in this post is one of my favourites, Wilderer Fynbos Gin, and as you can see from the photo above, they are an award winning distillery. 

    I made three different Gin and Tonic recipes, with three different syrups. The first is a rosebud and cardamom gin and tonic, a litchi and thyme, and the last one is a strawberry and basil G&T. The syrups are all super easy to make and can be made ahead of time before your New Year’s Eve bash! To make a syrup, just add two to four tablespoons of castor sugar(depending on how much you intend to make) with equal amounts of water and your fruit,spice or herb of choice and simmer until the sugar is dissolved and infused with the flavour of your choice of spice/fruit. Leave to cool before adding to a carafe with your favourite gin and try using a quality Tonic, this is said to truly complement the delicate flavours of the gin. 

    This recipe can of course be used to spruce up a mocktail too. If you’re thinking of enjoying this G&T recipe for New Year’s Eve, please do so responsibly and take an Uber if you need to get anywhere. 
    Wishing you all an amazing new year! 

    Dominique x

    ** This post was not sponsored**  

  • Slushy Piña Colada Cocktail

    Slushy Piña Colada Cocktail


    Piña colada, the scent of sunscreen, and sticky ice cream hands are just a few of the things that make us all think of summer and all the perks it brings along with it. I do love craft beer and wine as my go to choice of tipples, but the occasional refreshing cocktail is good for the soul and in the spirit of welcoming long hot summer days and nights. 
    My ice cream machine has been sitting in my freezer waiting for the opportunity to make something spur of the moment, hence I will have it ready when I do decide to make a batch of ice cream or sorbet. Never did I think I could make anything else with it, let alone a cocktail mix. So with much zeal to attempt this recipe I found on my second home Food52, I cracked open a bottle of rum and excitedly got out the ice cream machine. 
    The recipe is pretty simple, although patience(something that does not come naturally to me) is needed when churning the mixture. Garnish with mint and a pineapple ring on top of the glass. You can of course omit the rum and enjoy as a non-alcoholic drink. 
    The photos were taken in quite a hurry due to some pressing deadlines. Below is a clue as to the deadline, I can’t wait to share the finer details soon! 🙂 
    Here’s to many more moments we could lift a glass in a celebration! x