David Smith from DarkBear Bar in Bridport puts some new Dorset spirits in his cocktail shaker.
Black Cow Christmas Spirit is the latest addition to the award-winning herd of Black Cow Vodkas which are made from the milk of their grass-fed cows in West Dorset. All the ingredients of Christmas pudding - brown sugar, currants, figs, raisins, orange and lemon zest, cinnamon and vanilla - are macerated in their velvety smooth Black Cow vodka to create this Christmas Spirit version. Ask Santa to put this Dorset tipple under the tree!
Black Cow Christmas Spirit £25 for 50cl
Let’s make it... Cow Flippin'
Shake 50ml Black Cow Christmas Spirit, 60 ml double cream and one egg yolk with ice. Serve with a grating of fresh nutmeg and garnish with a freeze dried locally grown snapdragon flower from Portland based Polly's Petals.
Viper Mulled Gin is made by Viper Gin at their distillery is in Cerne Abbas, they also run the Viper Bar (and shop) in Poole. Their name is inspired by the viper they found in the long grass when clearing a plot to grow botanicals for their new gin brand. Their Mulled Gin is made from classic London dry gin, distilled in Dorset, infused with fruits and seasonal spices that evoke a festive vibe and makes a cracking Christmas cocktail.
Viper Mulled Gin £34 for 50cl
Let’s make it... Snake in the Grass
Mix 50ml Viper Mulled Gin with 10ml rosemary syrup* and 150ml warm apple juice. Pour into a heat proof glass and garnish with an apple fan and a sprig of rosemary.
*For the rosemary syrup: In saucepan combine 200g sugar, 100ml water and 2 rosemary sprigs. Simmer then sieve and bottle. Keep in the fridge.
Conker Port Barrel is the latest creation from the gin makers behind the Great Taste Award 3-star Conker Cold Brew Coffee Liqueur. Conker Port Barrel takes their signature Dorset Dry Gin, made at Conker HQ in Southbourne, they then rest it in used Port barrels from Portugal, drawing out the five-year-old Ruby Port from the oak staves, infusing its aged flavour and turning the Dorset gin a stunning ruby-pink. The herbaceous fresh brightness of the Dorset Dry is balanced with a woody spice and a bourbon-like vanilla sweetness, with the Port adding notes of forest fruits and jammy red grape. Another tipple to pop under the tree!
Conker Port Barrel £25 for 35cl
Let’s make it... Last Port of Call
Shake 50ml Conker Port Barrel, 15ml apricot syrup*, 15ml lemon juice and 50ml clementine juice with ice. Sieve into a glass and garnish with clementine twist.
*To make the apricot syrup: poach some apricots and strain off the juice.
With thanks to mixologist: Dave Smith of DarkBear Bar Bridport
More into cider than cocktails? Click here for our round up of Dorset ciders for Christmas
A bit about the shepherds hut: The shepherds hut featured in this shoot was part of a lockdown project which started with Dorset-based photographer and designer Richard Budd sketching out the seed of an idea on a new type of electronic sketchpad – a reMarkable 2 tablet. Richard wanted to create a shepherds hut using the skills of local people and sourcing the elements for it from local suppliers. He enlisted local craftsman Lee Petherick to help bring this idea to fruition, and together they set about building the hut which is of rustic design but with a modern twist. Created and crafted in Dorset using local materials it’s now for sale. A very special Christmas gift!
More details at abitofspace.co.uk
