5 must try drinks in Cardiff this September
We can all get stuck in our ways with our choices of drinks, why go for something different when you know you'll enjoy a classic G&T no matter where you are. However, we have decided to mix things up a little and have devised a shortlist of 5 new drinks that we believe you should try this September, all of which are in Cardiff- right on our doorstep!
Rhubarb and Custard
Where: The Flora, Cathays
What: Absolut vodka, Adovocaat, rhubarb syrup, fresh lemon and vanilla syrup.
Why: A drink to take you back to your childhood. The combination of the adovocaat and rhurbarb syrup means The Flora has nailed the flavours of this popular sweet. Whilst this is a sweet drink, the vodka and lemon add the perfect tang so not to make it too sickly. Seriously good retro cocktail.
The Italian Dragon
Where: The Dead Carnary, Cardiff
What: Campari Cask Tales, Coconut infused Beefeater gin, Byrrh, lemon and egg white.
Why: A real cocktail to celebrate Joe Calzaghe. Combining bitters with lighter, coconutty flavours and egg white makes this cocktail deliciously unique. It is a whirlwind combination of flavours which is only fitting for The Italian Dragon.
Stay Puft
Where: Tiny Rebel, Cardiff
What: Marshmallow porter, 5.2%.
Why: The perfect sweet treat for an autumnal evening. This porter has all the roasty qualities of a classic dark ale, but the marshmallow flavours give a real sweetness. Whilst it is sweet, the malts and hops make sure to keep the earthy notes of a dark ale. This drink is out to get your tastebuds.
Stars and Stripes
Where: The Cambrian Tap, Cardiff
What: An American wheat beer, 5.0%.
Why: Refreshingly and deliciously drinkable. Having been brewed with Californian Ale yeast and wheat malt, this beer is a hazy golden colour and has a crisp bitterness. Brains Craft Brewery describes Stars and Stripes to have 'aromas of grapefruit and tropical fruit combined with citrus flavours.' Light, crisp and bitter.
Teaches of Peaches
Where: Lab 22, Cardiff
What: Portobello Road Gin, Aperol, Cocchi Americano, White Peach Blossom Cordial, Orange Bitters, Soda.
Why: Think Aperol Spritz meets Liptons Iced Tea meets Sex on the beach. Lab 22 never do disappoint with their cocktail mixology and flavours, and Teaches of Peaches is no different. The flavours of this cocktail are elegant and delicate whilst delightfully peachy.
We may have given you some great new drinks to try, but everyone has their drink of choice. Here at Pop Up Bar Hire, we can help you tailor your bar to your own personal preferences for your event, party or wedding. Contact us today to discuss details further.
Author: Georgie Dransfield
Cocktail of the Week: Espresso Martini
It’s rich, indulgent, creamy, and the shot of espresso will make sure you keep up with your work mates if you find yourself flagging at the office Christmas do. It could only be one classic, and most definitely one of our favourites; the Espresso Martini.
In 1984 a top model came into the famous late bartender Dick Bradsells bar with a rather special cocktail request. She asked for something sophisticated, edgy and strong - and so the famous Espresso Martini was born. The rest is history and today it is one of the most popular, and classy cocktails.
As a drink, it’s deliciously confusing – coffee and vodka just shouldn’t be allowed to taste this good together, but it does! The liqueur has a sweetness, the espresso gives it a rich depth, and the vodka delivers that essential kick to get your evening going. All topped off - of course - with the thick, luxurious, foam that sits at the top of the glass.
Want to know how to make your own at home? See below our simple - but delicious - recipe.
What you'll need:
A handful of ice
25ml vodka
35ml Kalhua, Tia Maria, or similar
35ml fresh espresso
Coffee beans, to garnish
How to make it:
Chill your martini glasses in the freezer for at least 20 minutes before serving. Put the ice in a cocktail shaker, followed by the vodka, liqueur and lastly the coffee. Taste and add a little more liqueur if you prefer it sweeter and then shake for 20 seconds. Lastly, strain into your chilled glasses, top with 3 coffee beans, serve immediately, and let your evening begin!
If - like us - you love a good cocktail, and are planning an event on the larger scale, email us at hello@wordpress-1172833-4103133.cloudwaysapps.com or give us a call on 02920 101 562 .
Alcohol Advent Calendars for 2018
Is it even the festive season if you're not trying to find any excuse to celebrate with a drink? With the office parties, work-do's, and catching up with all your favourite friends, being merry definitely goes hand in hand with Christmas time.
So, what better way to get into the festive spirit(s), than with a boozey advent calendar? We wouldn't recommend opening in the morning - so save until after work for the ultimate treat, because the kids shouldn't get all the fun!
Here are our favourites that'll definitely put the 'Merry' into 'Merry Christmas':
One for the gin lover is Sainsbury's first Christmas advent calendar, and it looks absolutely beautiful. Expect premium gin brands like Hendricks, Opihr and Tanqueray, as well as flavoured options such as Sipsmith in lemon drizzle flavour, (yes please!)
Sainsbury's, £60 – available in store now.
More on the pricey side - but definitely worth it - is this festive number from John Lewis. This boozey calendar contains 24 bottles of prosecco and cava to get through from a range of delicious brands. What's more – there's a 20cl Lanson Champagne to glugg on Christmas Eve, too. That's a winner in our books!
John Lewis, £125.
Christmas isn't all about mulled wine, so spare a thought for the beer lovers. For the hoppy fans, we've included this awesome beer advent calendar with a range of offerings from IPA to stout, alongside the big names in the craft beer Brewdog and Magic Rock. Cheers to that!
Laithwaite's, £49.99.
Finally, for those who really want to warm their cockles this Christmas, why not pick up the world's best-selling whisky Advent calendar? Enjoy a 30m; dram every day in the run-up with some of the world's most exciting distilleries, including Glenfarclas, Nikka, and Hudson.
Masters Of Malt, £149.94
Which one would you choose? Remember, for all your Christmas event needs, we're here to help. Contact us here for more information.
Cocktail of the week: Hot Toddy
With winter in full swing, and your fluffy pyjamas becoming more of a solid outfit choice in the evenings, there's only one hot drink that'll warm your cockles during the dark nights. Fruity, sweet, and alcoholic; it’s time to cosy up with a Hot Toddy.
Hot toddies are usually made with tea, typically a plain old black tea, but they’re also great with green tea or jasmine for those who prefer something a little more fragrant. Unlike mulled wine, or warm cider, hot toddies are light and refreshing rather than overwhelmingly sweet. The combination of whisky, honey, lemon, cinnamon and cloves really packs a punch and is perfect not only for sipping on in your PJ's, but for entertaining guests this winter.
Hot toddies were also used widely in the mid-19th century to help cure the common cold. You would fix yourself a steaming mug of hot water, add honey, herbs, spices and liqueur such as whiskey, rum, or brandy and let the healing begin. Seriously, is there anything this drink can't do?
What you'll need:
50ml whisky
3 tsp honey, or to taste
1 cinnamon stick, snapped in half
1 lemon, half juiced and half sliced
2 cloves
How to prepare:
- In a teapot or saucepan, bring the water to a simmer. Pour the hot water into a mug
- Add the whiskey, the teaspoons honey and 2 teaspoons of lemon juice. Stir until the honey has disappeared into the hot water. Taste, and add 1 teaspoon honey for more sweetness, and/or 1 teaspoon more lemon juice for more zing.
- Garnish with a lemon round (studded with cloves) and cinnamon stick
Are you feeling festive yet? We can't wait to cosy up with a Hot Toddy this winter!
For more information on the services that Pop Up Bar Offer, get in touch today.
Recipe for the best mulled wine; nailed.
With the big day literally around the corner, we’re already thinking about all the festive flavours that Christmas will be bringing us. From mince pies, to pigs in blankets, there really is something about those warming ingredients during winter time that makes us all feel a little bit fuzzy - right?
Mulled wine, or - Christmas in a glass - as we like to call it, can be a bit of a marmite situation. Some people love the winter spice overload, and others - not so keen. However, below we’ve sourced a recipe that even the biggest of scrooge's will love this winter.
Ingredients;
- 2 clementines
- 1 lemon
- 1 lime
- 200 g caster sugar
- 6 whole cloves
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 3 fresh bay leaves
- 1 whole nutmeg , for grating
- 1 vanilla pod
- 2 bottles Chianti or other Italian red wine
- 2 star anise
Method;
- Peel large sections of peel from the clementines, lemon and lime.
- Put the sugar in a large saucepan over a medium heat, add the pieces of peel and squeeze in the clementine juice.
- Add the cloves, cinnamon stick, bay leaves and about 10 to 12 gratings of nutmeg. Halve the vanilla pod lengthways and add to the pan, then stir in just enough red wine to cover the sugar.
- Let this simmer until the sugar has completely dissolved into the red wine, then bring to the boil. Keep on a rolling boil for about 4 to 5 minutes, or until you’ve got a beautiful thick syrup. The reason I’m doing this first is to create a wonderful flavour base by really getting the sugar and spices to infuse and blend well with the wine. It’s important to make a syrup base first because it needs to be quite hot, and if you do this with both bottles of wine in there you’ll burn off the alcohol.
- When your syrup is ready, turn the heat down to low and add your star anise and the rest of the wine. Gently heat the wine and after around 5 minutes, when it’s warm and delicious, ladle it into heatproof glasses and serve.
So there we have it; Christmas in a glass, and one of the ultimate ways to stay cosy this winter - enjoy!
Note; if you’re planning on hiring a pop up bar in the new year, why not let us bring the party to you? At Pop-Up Bar Hire, we can help stock, organize, and run your bar so that you can sit back and enjoy the party. Contact us here for more information.
Vegan Wines & Where To Find Them
In the spirit of Veganuary, we're on the hunt for vegan wines... Now, you may be surprised. Wine comes from grapes, how can it not be vegan? We had exactly the same thought here at Pop Up Bar Hire, but after some extensive research we were surprised to see that wine contains numerous animal derived products, albeit we were pleasantly surprised to see that vegan wines are on the rise! Keep reading to discover how to find the latest vegan wines & the best dishes to pair them with.
The essential guide to throwing the ultimate cocktail party
Cocktails! We all love at LEAST one of them, they are the perfect drinks to have at any party for this reason alone. But how does one throw the ultimate cocktail party and what do they need? Fear not, read on and find out how you can throw the cocktail party event of the year.
The liquor
Undeniably the most important member of the cocktail party, the liquor is the bread and butter. It should be spread out evenly across the bar so each member of staff can reach it. For a party of 40, you will need white rum, tequila, gin, bourbon, and around three bottles of vodka- unless you know for sure your guests can drink the standard party guests under the bar, then maybe you should get some more. If you want to try some even more flamboyant cocktails, get different flavoured vodkas!
The bar
Whats a cocktail party without a bar? Well, it’s like a mojito with no rum, pointless. You’ll need a good, secure setup that isn’t going to wobble or fall down. Somewhere that’s high enough so people can’t reach over and grab the bottles (Pop Up Bar Hire can provide a bar exactly like this!).
The mixers
Stock up with three to four bottles of juices (we recommend orange, cranberry, pineapple and tomato) and sodas (cola, lemonade, tonic water, ginger beer and soda water). If you’ve got these, you’ll be set for the day.
The tools
To put it bluntly, without tools, you won’t be able to make a cocktail. You will need a cocktail shaker (that’s a given), cocktail spoon, a jigger (that one is for measuring) and a muddler (the one for crushing bits and bobs).
The people
Staff who stand behind the bar can make all the difference. Depending on the vibe you wish to go with, staff can be full of serenity and poise for a wedding or cheeky and fun at a work event, whichever you choose, Pop Up Bar Hire always ensure they can make each cocktail to a high standard.
The garnishes
When it comes to cocktails, you really need everything to make it, especially the garnishes. You will need the family of three citrus fruits- lemons, limes and oranges, mint, bitter, sugar, and salt and pepper. They’re what makes the cocktails look fancy and give them that party-feel.
At Pop Up Bar Hire, we can provide ALL of these essentials, yes, from the bar to the box of mint. Even though we are based in Cardiff, we can get our mobile bar to any event, anywhere, anytime. Give us a bell here.
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