Friday 25/04/14
Since 1916, both Australia and New Zealand have celebrated today as ANZAC Day, a chance toremember the men (and women) who lost their lives fighting for a cause that is, even in its centennial year, fairly hard to explain.
Why? Because on 25 April, 1915, the first forces landed at Gallipoli, marking the start of the Gallipoli campaign. It was a misguided attempt by a 40-year-old Winston Churchill to conquer a strategic peninsula in Turkey using ANZAC (Australian and New Zealand Army Corps) and other forces.
A horrifically bloody campaign, Gallipoli would become part of the heritage of three nations. Mustafa Kemal, who defended the peninsula, would lead the new Turkey. And, as young men began to die, thousands of miles from home, in defence of a country most had never visited, this was one of the first times when ordinary Australians and New Zealanders began to see that they should be independent from Britain.
We're toasting both Australia and New Zealand with a shot named for their national dessert - and, no, we're not getting into the question of who created it.
Thursday 24 April 2014
Back in August 2013, Jamie Oliver and Jimmy Doherty turned up at our Beertails Cocktail Competition with a TV crew in tow. Andrea Montague won the competition...
Tuesday 22 April 2014
If you didn't know that orange was the national colour of the Netherlands, it wouldn't take you long to realise on the 26th April. On this day the whole...
Monday 14 April 2014
The cocktail shaker is a uniquely American invention says Rupert Prior...
SCOOP the seeds and flesh of passion fruit into base of shaker. Add next four ingredients (all but champagne), SHAKE with ice and fine strain into chilled...
Gently BLEND all ingredients on a slow speed then warm in a saucepan, gently stirring with a whisk (or microwave for 30 seconds and stir), then pour into...
STIR honey and whisky in base of shaker to dissolve honey. Leave honey spoon in shaker, add other ingredients and stir again. SHAKE with ice and strain...
DRY SHAKE (without ice) all ingredients to emulsify. Add ice, SHAKE again and strain into ice-filled glass...
SHAKE first three ingredients with ice and strain into glass filled with crushed ice. DRIZZLE liqueur over drink to create a 'bleeding' effect in the glass...
SHAKE all ingredients with ice and fine strain into chilled glass...
STIR honey with bourbon in base of shaker to dissolve honey. Add other ingredients, SHAKE with ice and fine strain into chilled glass...
SHAKE first four ingredients with ice and strain into ice-filled glass. Lastly FLOAT Galliano...
MUDDLE cardamom pods in base of shaker. Add other ingredients, SHAKE with ice and fine strain into chilled glass...
SHAKE all ingredients with ice and strain into glass filled with crushed ice...
