adrian lord

Christmas Eve afternoon sipping one. A much better, more elegant and sophisticated , less sweet alternative to the ubiquitous Baileys.

I’ve just made a variant using blue Curaçao instead of grenadine, and Dolin blanc vermouth. It’s lovely and clean and elegant.

I’ve just made the variance using blue Curaçao instead of grenadine. I used the Monin blanc vermouth. It’s very clean and very nice indeed.

This is marvellous as an aperitif and I am surprised that it’s not been commented on yet.

Wonderful drink. Even better than it’s cousin, Amber Room.

Didn’t like it. Doesn’t summate to a pleasing overall flavour and the individual flavours of vodka, creme de cacao, and Barolo are all altered for the distinctly worse.

Just knocked up one of these and it is first class. I’m not usually a fan of orange flavours, but here the balance is exquisite.

Complex, challenging and gorgeous. A heavyweight and dare I say it, a man’s cocktail!

Too minty and sweet at these equal ratios for my tastes. I might dial back the crème de menthe to 20mls next time.

By error, I did 45 mils of gin and 30 of blue Curaçao. Still very enjoyable, and one’s eyes enjoy drinking in the electric blue colour as much as the throat, the liquid, even on the palette it is perhaps lacking in complexity.

Due to a lack of rum choice in the house, I was forced to make this with just Bacardi. Still good!

I just made the Savoy version from the book are use the Bohemian La fee. The result was thin.

I’ve just made a version with lemon zest, rather than lemon juice, and it’s rather nice. I was following the Savoy cocktail book which suggested a garnish of lemon zest, not mentioning juice. Having tried the Dubonnet 2-to-1 gin ratio, supposedly preferred by our late Queen Elizabeth, I think the one-to-one ratio is preferable as a more masculine, muscular drink.

I made this for the first time this evening, with slight trepidation, thinking I probably wouldn’t like it. I needn’t have worried. It’s extraordinary how the ingredients combine to create a drink which is more than the sum of its parts and far more agreeable than you would ever think it could be. Initially I felt that I could not discern the individual ingredients, but with further sipping and savouring one can differentiate them. Sweet, yet, acid in equal measure, it’s quite exquisite.

Just made my first attempt at this. Only had double cream not single. No matter. Silky smooth and very strong. This will absolutely wow guests after dinner.

I like to throw in the orange slice rather than as a dry garnish - it really sets off the flavours.

This is supremely refreshing, matches a Gin and Tonic in those stakes. I love bitter, and have been a Campari and soda drinker for 30 years.

Just sipping my first Piccadilly - I used Bols grenadine syrup, perhaps slightly too much. Personally I like to get the Absinthe coming through with definition, so wouldn’t dial that back too much. It’s a gorgeous drink whatever the variance, I am sure.