Cocktail Tips and Custom Ingredients

From time to time it is necessary to design your own ingredients for a cocktail. Whether it is infusing alcohol, creating syrups, or developing special flavours and ingredients, taking a bit of extra time can add a very special touch to your creations. Below you will find recipes and links to various ingredients and items we use in creating designer cocktails.

As always, please enjoy these cocktails responsibly and follow local laws and regulations. Let us know your thoughts when you try them!

Alcohol Infusions

---

Butterfly Pea Flower Infused Vodka

Ingredients:

Vodka
Butterfly Pea Flower Extract (or Butterfly Pea Flower Tea)

Preparation:

1. If infusing a whole bottle, keep the vodka in original bottle.
2. If using a sperate container, be sure to wash and dry thoroughly, butterfly pea flower is sensitive to changes in ph.
3. Gently add butterfly pea flower extract to vodka in its container until you reach a deep, translucent, indigo blue colour.
4. Place cap on bottle and gently swirl to combine.
5. Store in a cool dry place. 

Simple Syrup Infusions

---

Cinnamon Spiced Simple Syrup

Ingredients:

7 Broken Cinnamon Sticks
1 Barspoon Vanilla
​1 Barspoon Cardamom
1 Cup of Water
1 Cup Brown Sugar

Preparation:

1. Add all ingredients to a pot and bring to a boil stirring frequently.
2. Turn down the heat and simmer for 5 to 10 minutes.
3. Turn off the heat and leave to rest for 4 to 6 hours.
4. Strain and pour the syrup into a resealable glass container.
5. Store in the refrigerator for 2 - 4 weeks. (Toss if becoming cloudy or if it develops floaties.)

---

Irish Breakfast Simple Syrup

Ingredients:

2 Irish Breakfast Tea Bags
1 Cup of Water
1 Cup Sugar

Preparation:

1. Boil the water and steep the two tea bags for four minutes.
2. Remove tea bags and add the cup of sugar.
3. Stir until dissolved.
4. ​Pour syrup into a resealable glass container.
5. Allow the syrup to cool and store in the refrigerator for 2 - 4 weeks. (Toss if becoming cloudy or if it develops floaties.)

---

Lemon Simple Syrup

Ingredients:

4 - 5 Large Lemons (Enough for 1 cup of lemon juice)
1 Cup Sugar

Preparation:

1. Zest one large lemon, being careful to avoid the bitter white pith.
2. Juice the lemons until you have 1 cup of lemon juice.
3. Add lemon juice, zest, and sugar to a pot and bring to a light boil over medium heat. Stirring frequently to avoid burning.
4. Reduce heat to low and simmer for 5 minutes, while stirring frequently.
5. Use a fine mesh strainer to strain syrup into a resealable glass container.
6. Allow the syrup to cool and store in the refrigerator for 2 - 4 weeks. (Toss if becoming cloudy or if it develops floaties.)

---

Honey Ginger Simple Syrup

Ingredients:

1 Cup Water
0.5 Cup Honey
40g Fresh Sliced Ginger

Preparation:

1. Bring water to boil.
2. Add ginger slices and boil for 10 - 15 minutes until fragrant and developed into a dark golden colour.
3. Strain hot ginger water into a heat-proof bowl.
4. In a heat-proof mixing bowl add 1/2 a cup of honey and 1/4 cup of hot ginger water.
5. Stir until well blended and bottle in a resealable glass container.
6. Allow the syrup to cool and store in the refrigerator.

---

Rosemary Simple Syrup

Ingredients:

0.5 cups granulated sugar
0.5 cups water
3 sprigs fresh rosemary

Preparation:

1. Add water, sugar, and rosemary to a pot and bring to a boil stirring frequently.
2. Turn down and simmer for five minutes, stirring frequently.
3. Turn off the heat and let rest for one hour to infuse.
4. Strain simple syrup into a glass jar and store in the fridge. Will keep for up to three weeks.

Specialty Items

---

Saltwater (Saline) Swirl

Ingredients:

Salt (20% of the ratio)
Water (80% of the ratio)

Preparation:

1. Add salt to the water and stir until dissolved. (Use smoked salt for a smoky flavor.)
2. Store in a dropper or atomizer.

---

Magic Colour Changing Ice

Ingredients:

2 Cups Boiling Water
3 Bags Butterfly Pea Flower Tea

Preparation:

1. Steep three butterfly pea flower tea bags in two cups of boiling water for five minutes.
2. Squeeze and remove tea bags.
3. Wash and dry thoroughly one or two ice cube trays, butterfly pea flower is sensitive to changes in ph.
4. Pour tea into ice cube trays and freeze. Be careful to not allow anything to contaminate the liquid as it may change colour.
5. Remove ice and crush it.
6. Store crushed ice in a airtight container in the freezer until needed. 

---