While it may look like all Society drams are enjoyed from a stemmed Society glass, it’s not always the case. Here Inoka Ho from Cocktail Co explores unique flavours that make up the sum of the parts in a great cocktail. Read on:
My gateway towards spirits (and whisky) appreciation was actually through cocktails, because how could you put together a balanced drink if you don’t understand or appreciate its individual components? These days, while I regularly drink spirits neat, I still enjoy taking them in a cocktail; the challenge for me is to find something to mix with it that would bring out a different side of the spirit or showcase a different way of enjoying it. Given I’m mixing at home, I tend to stick with simple twists on the classics, but that doesn’t mean they’re any less flavourful. When coming up with a recipe, I also take my inspiration from food and how the drink may pair with what we eat because in reality, most of us drinking at home tend to do so in a social occasion. And most social occasions involve food of some kind, whether it be snacks, chocolate or a full meal.
The two recipes featured in the photos are ones I came up with for a society event earlier in the year and are very simple twists on the classic Old Fashioned cocktail. One utilises a splash of pineapple rum that goes spectacularly well with the smoky notes of the society Bowmore (ever had grilled pineapple?) whilst the other uses a fig syrup in lieu of sugar syrup to create a combination suitable to be taken with cheese.
You can find the recipes for these unique cocktails here and here, but lots more over at www.cocktail.com.au
– Inoka Ho, Cocktail Co
