Here at Craft Gin Club HQ, we love contrasting and juxtaposing flavours to create fabulous cocktail experiences. And one fantastic way to do that is by pairing cocktails with stunning snacks.
One of our absolute favourite cocktail and snack pairings has to be a Blackthorn sloe gin cocktail, with its plump fruity, berry tones and a hint of spice, with Tyrrells Lightly Sea Salted Potato Crisps, which we sent to our lucky members in their December 2020 Gin of the Month box - they have a light seasoning of salt, that is utterly delicious!
That combination of earthy, salty crisps and lighter, juicy, fruit and sweet berry notes provide a truly joyous symphony of flavours that engage lots of different taste receptors to give you a truly gin-credible experience.
“Pairing sweet and salty flavours is something that is always appreciated in both drinks and food - adding a pinch of salt to a cocktail can even improve the texture and mouthfeel of the drink. That’s part of the reason why food and cocktail pairings like this are almost always successful!”
Blackthorn English
There are two versions of the Blackthorn cocktail, a Blackthorn Irish and a Blackthorn English. The Irish version uses Irish whisky and the English, which is our favourite, uses London Dry Gin and sloe gin. Together, the two gins make an incredible pair! They are then elevated by a touch of Angostura Orange Bitters, with its gorgeous citrus and spice tones. Red vermouth then adds rich, fruit and herb notes that make this sweet, berry-licious cocktail so special!
Ingredients
50ml sloe gin
25ml gin (a classic London Dry Gin works best here)
20ml red vermouth
2 dashes of Angostura Orange Bitters
candy cane, to garnish
Method
Add the gins, bitters and vermouth to a shaker with ice and shake well. Strain into a chilled glass, garnish and enjoy!
For an extra festive treat, rim your glass with grated chocolate: Before mixing the cocktail, chill your chocolate in the fridge and then grate onto a plate. Add a teaspoon of sloe gin to another plate and dip the rim of your glass in the gin. Once fully coated in the gin, dip the rim of the glass in the grated chocolate. Leave to dry before starting the cocktail recipe.
So why Tyrrells Lightly Sea Salted?
Like the finest craft gins, Tyrrells Lightly Sea Salted are made in small batches. To start with, British potatoes are harvested from the rich, red soil of Herefordshire potato fields close to Tyrrells Court Farm. They’re then hand-cooked with their skins left on for maximum crunch and flavour. Seasoned to perfection with the finest sea salt, they’re then ready to be enjoyed by gourmets across the country.
Whether enjoyed on their own, with a G&T or our Blackthorn cocktail recipe, these crisps are seriously moreish and perfect for sharing with your favourite gin pals!
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