Have you every wondered what exactly gin is? Or what are the must-have tools for your home bar? Or how to create the perfect ice cube? We have collected some tips to help you create your favourite cocktails. Whether it’s a Martini or a gin-based cocktail we have it all covered. Use these tips & tricks and get inspired with the recipes. With a few ingredients and the right technique you can delight your friends.
Starting from the basis, what's needed for a perfect cocktail:
Bar equipment
The magic ingredients
Extra twist
If you want to make ice cubes at home that are absolutely clear, you have to reduce the rate of freezing. To slow down the freezing process, simply place an insulated cooler in your freezer. Whatever you put inside this cooler will freeze much more slowly, which allows the air bubbles to escape so that they aren’t trapped in the ice. The water used for making ice cubes needs to be boiled twice. This removes the air bubbles, with the result that the molecules squeeze closer together during the freezing process and the ice is clear. Boil the water, let it cool and boil it again. Fill a standard ice cube tray to the top with the twice-boiled water. Put the ice cube tray inside a largish insulated container (polystyrene) and place it in the freezer. Set the freezer temperature slightly higher so that the ice freezes more slowly and comes out clear.
A martini is composed of gin, dry vermouth and, depending on the recipe, other ingredients like vodka. The art of mixing a martini is to mix all the ingredients together while chilling them thoroughly. Stir the martini in a mixing glass with ice cubes and then strain it into a chilled martini glass. If you were to shake the martini, the ice cubes would break apart and water it down and the ice chunks would give it a cloudy appearance. A classic martini is always made with clear ingredients.
So why does James Bond insist that his martini be shaken, not stirred?
Gin (from the French word genévrier: juniper berry) is generally a colourless spirit made with juniper berries (juniper spirit). Most gins are distilled from grains or potatoes, although there are also innovative gins produced from grapes and other fruits. The most important difference between gin brands is the botanicals used in distillation. Gin in which (in addition to juniper) lemon zest plays a major role has a different flavour from gin that uses coriander, cardamom, ginger or cinnamon. Gin is always composed of various botanicals that can be combined in an infinite number of ways. Many gin distillers also use unusual botanicals to achieve brand-new flavour nuances. With or without cucumber, with lemon, rosemary, or just plain on the rocks? Depending on a gin’s botanicals, it goes better with some garnishes – and with tonic – than with others.
