On the Cocktails Trail in South East Asia

This is a sponsored post. words and opinions are my own. I thank https://uk.thebar.com/ for giving me the opportunity to work with their site and publish one of their recipes.

As I get ready to be back in London and its small villages within, after 6 weeks away, I am reflecting on the recent tribulations, reviews, recipes.

Being in South East Asia has unavoidably involved a lot of time spent trying out new flavours. Each country visited, town, village and hamlet had its particularities but all the places catering for tourist had one thing in common : cocktails

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Malaysia inventiveness when it comes to food and drinks is limitless. Brightly coloured mocktails are available, one the most popular is “Bandung” evaporated milk with rose water or essence and pink coloring for good measure.

Singapore

has its famous 1900's namesake Sling. Another pink drink, first created at the famous Raffles Long bar which was a favorite spot of Ernest Hemingway and Somerset Maugham. This now classic gin based drink was first created by bartender Ngiam Tong Boon.

As Palawan (the remotest Philippino island) is going through a craze for cocktail beach shacks where drinks are often served in Kilner jars at sundown

Each cocktail is a celebration and each celebration has its cocktail.

The quality of drinks varies, of course. during his mixology phase, a few things were learned.

Basic, good equipment is a must if you want to shake and stir.

For those who wish to splash out: cocktails sticks from the 50's to the 70's are worth tracking down for their delicate enamel work.

And when it comes to glasses, the choice is vast but keeping it simple is best, otherwise you'll end up with a cupboard full and will use only few. Martini glasses and tall glasses also known as highball glasses are a must. There is a recent trend to serve drinks in Kilner jars, effective if you go for quantity of liquid.

Don't skip on the muddler, it will make the preparation so much easier.

But the most important factor is a collection of tried and tested recipes you can trust, this is where thebar comes in. Books or web, your choice. With the website there is more background to each drinks. I also like apps for their personalized service.

the bar.com is a crisps and clear cocktail site with videos for the basic techniques and a large collection of recipes easy to search and  an helpful glossary for terms which may not be familiar.

Give it a go and let me know what you think. Easter is around the corner and for that joyous family gathering my recommendation is a classic, fresh Mojito to kick off the celebrations.

thebar.com offers six mojito recipes among which an intriguing Coconut Ginger Mojito but here I prefer the Mint Fresh and Lemon Zingy which Mojito never disappoint. It contains 5 ingredients which are easy to source.

MOJITO

Ingredients
50 ml Captain Morgan® White Rum
1 Dash Soda Water
2 tsp Caster Sugar
2 wedges Lime
1 spring Mint

Equipment
1 Tall Glass
1 Jigger
1 Muddler
1 knife
1 Bar Spoon
Crushed Ice

Method

1. Muddle sugar and lime wedges together in a glass.
2. Press down on 2 wedges of lime and 2 teaspoons of caster sugar in a tankard or jar using a large spoon or pestle to extract flavour and aroma.
3. Muddle mint.
   Pick 12 leaves from a sprig of mint and place in the glass. Press down gently on the mint, together with the sugar and lime.
4. Add ice to a glass.
   Add crushed ice so the glass is ¾ full.
5. Add Captain Morgan White Rum® and soda.
   Pour in Captain Morgan® White Rum and a dash of soda water.
6. Stir with a spoon.
   Stir the mixture thoroughly using a bar spoon until well combined.
7. Add ice and a sprig of mint.
   Top up with more crushed ice and garnish with a sprig of mint.