Showing posts with label James May. Show all posts
Showing posts with label James May. Show all posts

Tuesday, 23 September 2025

Christmas Cocktails from James Gin, a Gin by James May

JAMES GIN RHUBARB & CUSTARD 

This is James Gin's spin on the classic Snowball cocktail, this time with the tang of rhubarb

The botanicals in the gin accentuate the depth of flavour in the rhubarb, whilst the savoury notes from the parsnip gin work amazingly well with the richness of the advocaat

Rhubarb and Custard - a classic British dessert, best served after a hearty roast dinner involving parsnips. 

So really you can forget the cooking altogether as this is, in effect, the entire meal distilled into a glass.

INGREDIENTS

45 ml James Gin Asian Parsnip 

30 ml Advocaat

10 ml simple syrup (method below to make this at home, or be really lazy and get it on Amazon)

90 ml Fever-Tree  Rhubarb & Raspberry tonic

Rhubarb to garnish

METHOD

Fill a highball glass with ice.

Add James Gin,  Advocaat, and simple sugar syrup. (To make a simple sugar syrup, Dissolve 300g caster sugar in 150ml water over a low heat, leave to cool.

Slowly top with the tonic to create a layered appearance.

Garnish with a stick of rhubarb.

***

JAMES GIN SLOE DOWN

Grab those hiking boots, forage for sloes in wintery air - or just save a load of time and effort and buy some liqueur. Now you can make cocktails involving foam in the comfort of your own home (or shed if you need to get away from the in-laws), should that be something you really want to do. 

The nuttiness of the orgeat pairs well with the parsnip, with the citrus to balance out the sweetness, and the sloe gin adding a depth of complexity to the fruity and herbal notes in the Asian Parsnip.

Put more simply, a cocktail that involves adding gin to gin seems ideal.

INGREDIENTS

45 ml James Gin Asian Parsnip

15 ml Sloe Gin Liqueur (google this to buy - it's a bit unusual but worth the effort)

25 ml lemon juice

10 ml Orgeat Syrup (find this at Tesco)

Dash vanilla bitters

Foaming bitters 

METHOD

Add all ingredients to a shaker with ice.

Shake well until chilled.

Double strain into a chilled coupe glass.

Garnish with a few drops of the bitters, then swirl with a cocktail pick.

***

THE SLOW BURN

Are you one of these wonderful people that sacks off the cooking for a takeaway on Christmas Eve? Then, read on. 

This cocktail, based on a French 75 brings out the spicier notes of the gin, with ginger and chilli bringing a subtle heat,  with lemon to brighten and freshen the whole thing up.

The 'Asian' in 'Asian Parsnip' is all about the spices. Add ginger and chilli and you've basically got an Indian takeaway in cocktail form.


INGREDIENTS

2 slices ginger (muddled) or ginger syrup

30 ml James Gin  Asian Parsnip 

10 ml honey & chilli syrup (make your own by adding a glug of runny honey, chopping up a chilli and a splash of water. Boil down for 5 minutes and leave to cool)

15 ml fresh lemon juice

Your favourite Sparkling Wine

METHOD

Muddle the ginger in a shaker (skip this step if using ginger syrup).

Add the James Gin, honey & chili syrup, and lemon juice.

Shake with ice until well chilled.

Fine strain into a chilled flute glass.

Top with dry sparkling wine.

Garnish with a long, thin lemon twist and a chili.

Friday, 6 December 2024

New Christmas Cocktail Book From James May

James May - Ginpreneur, Pub Landlord and Taster of Great Cocktails - Has Launched His First Ever Cocktail Book for Xmas.

Introducing your complete guide to the best cocktails you can make with James Gin.

Created by Jamie Maudsley, highly skilled mixologist at The Royal Oak, Swallowcliffe and diligently tasted and approved by James May, ginpreneur and, occasional, pub landlord.

Says James May: “I've been absolutely inundated with emails from James Gin fans around the wortlkd asking me what the best cocktails are to make with  James Gin. 

I have absolutely no idea, but I know a man who does. Jamie Maudley, chief mixologist at The Royal Oak, Swallowcliffe, just off the A30 between Shaftesbury and Salisbury. 

"They are almost impossible to remember, so we've put them into this rather confusingly named James Gin Big Book of Cocktails. It is the ideal coffee table book, if your coffee table is really small, and you use it for gin rather than coffee.”

Enjoy delicious creations such as the very on-trend 'Yuzu Sour', 'The Gary' (named after Gary, who works in the pub), 'Funghito', (made with the new mushroom Calfornia Dreamgin'), and 'Sweet Beets are made of this.'

James Gin, gin by James May and engineered in Wiltshire, is a range of gins created by the man himself and Hugh Anderson of Downtown Distillery. It now includes Asian Parsnip, Asian Parsnip Navy Strength, London Drizzle, California Dreamgin' and a limited edition Asian Parsnip Turbo and a range of gift sets to keep everyone happy.

www.jamesgin.com

Follow https://www.youtube.com/@JamesMayDrinks for news.