Grey Goose: Cocktails with class
The perfect recipe to ensure planning seasonal soirees leaves you stirred but not shaken
If early whispers of the upcoming party season fill you with dread, fear not: there are plenty of ways to take the hassle out of hosting.
One is the Pop-Up Party service from Grey Goose. With just three days' notice, all your entertainment needs can be sorted. Not only are refreshments covered – it includes "delivery" of a top mixologist and all the necessary glassware, ingredients and accoutrements to shake up some seriously sophisticated cocktails – but a DJ can also be arranged to keep guests suitably entertained.
Myles Donneky, the bars manager at Aqua Restaurant Group, which includes Aqua Shard and Hutong, in London, has assembled a collection of five cocktails for the winter season based around the brand's signature spirit, which can be requested as part of the service. These include Le Fizz, which sees the addition of a refreshing combination of St-Germain elderflower liqueur and freshly squeezed lime; Truffe D'Hiver, with fino sherry, lemon juice and decadent truffle oil; Bois Vanille, an aromatic blend of Martini Rosso, creme de cassis and bitters rounded off with a touch of vanilla; and Fireside, based on the Old-Fashioned, incorporating maple syrup and pink grapefruit alongside savoury notes of rosemary and salt.
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Here, Donneky shares his take on a classic staple of any drinks repertoire: the martini.
Grey Goose martini
The classic Grey Goose martini cocktail is made using Grey Goose vodka and Noilly Prat dry vermouth in a 5:1 ratio with a dash of orange bitters. It's stirred, never shaken, for a smoother texture with optimum temperature and dilution, and served with a lemon twist.
1 3/4fl oz Grey Goose vodka, chilled
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1/3fl oz Noilly Prat original French dry vermouth, chilled
a dash of orange bitters
a lemon, for zesting
Add all the ingredients to a mixing glass and top with ice cubes. Stir, then strain into a chilled glass. Cut two long strips of lemon zest. Suspend one from the edge of the glass into the drink, then, for an added flourish and extra aroma, curl the second around the stem of the glass.
Grey Goose Le Fizz Pop-Up Party for up to 30 guests, from £2,000. For further information, call 07525893134; greygoose.com
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