Reader's Challenge: Sangreal Cocktail

THE SANGREAL COCKTAIL

A wannabe Sangria drink!

Let's keep up posting like there's no tomorrow! I recently received a Reader's Challenge (!!!) I was asked to make a Sangreal Cocktail and quote:

Have you ever tried the Sangreal cocktail? I first tested it at a cocktail bar three years ago and attempted it on my own. Here's how I did it: "Pour 4 cl Licor 43 in a highball glass, add two chunks of grapefruit and two chunks of lemon. Muddle most juice from out the chunks. Add two-three ice cubes and the red grenadine. Pour roughly half of the Ginger Ale and stir from the bottom so that the chunks won't stick there. Add still one or two ice cubes and fill up with Ginger Ale." This drink is a long one, somewhat mild, nicely reddish and exceptionally refreshing on hot summer evenings. Sang Real, or sangreal, comes from both French and Spanish and means the words Holy and Grail or Holy Royal. Thus, the name relates to something very old. Additionally the name relates to its colour, which should be close to what is known as "veriappelsiinivehnäolut" in Finnish. And as I first got the hint for this cocktail fr om a Swedish person, this challenge includes four nationalities :-)

I had no Licor 43 at home so I bought a sample bottle of it, also got pretty much everything else from the store except for the grenadine, which I already had.

I read the challenge a few times to get the jist. I realized I would need a large enough glass to make it and as I soon found out how large the grapefruit chunks were, I'm glad I picked up the bigger highball glass in the first place:

• 4 cl Licor 43
• two chunks grapefruit
• two chunks lemon
• 2 bs grenadine (I figured 2 bs would suffice)
• ginger ale, to top

Everything worked out fine until I added the grenadine. A few times now I've witnessed bad quality syrups and as you can see from the picture, the grenadine didn't give as much deep color as I was hoping for. Also, the camera didn't really give justice to the drink; with added orange slices (for the heck of it) it was a nice looking drink overall; its taste was just too sweet for me. I blame the grenadine; one didn't give enough color and two went overboard especially since Licor 43 itself is a sweet liqueur as well!

Let's be honest here (as if I weren't normally :D). This cocktail wasn't a top-tier one. But what really warmed my heart was indeed how I got to make this cocktail, by a random dude's challenge on my blog! Cheers to that!

Islay Sour

ISLAY SOUR

What would Ron Swanson do?

Heya guys! It's been a long time since my last update! So why not continue by making an interesting cocktail that uses one ingredient that most people would find horrifying if used in a mixed drink! I present you the Islay Sour!

The story so far; I found out about this in a portfolio made by Diageo. In its "perfect serve" there was this peculiar one there. A typical sour, yes, but with Laga-fucking-vulin 16yo? It had to be done...so I made it by using their recipe and here's how YOU can do it at home:

• 4 cl Lagavulin 16yo
• 3 cl lemon juice
• 2 cl simple syrup (1:1)
• 2 dashes angostura bitters
• 1 egg white (fresh!)

Although the recipe calls for ice shaking all right away, I would still dry-shake first, then add ice and finally shake again. Double straining as usual.

The looks is great, a beautiful peachy color and velvety texture. Taste-wise, the citrus dominated a bit and I was hoping for more "oompf" from the whisky, the Lagavulin did give a nice kick in the end though with its sweet peatiness. What I would nonetheless do, is alter the recipe just a tad should I ever do it again:

• 5 cl Lagavulin 16yo
• 2 cl lemon
• 2 cl syrup
• 2 dashed bitters
• 1 egg white

In its essence, give the drink more its need power and lessen the citrus-y notes.

The cocktail itself was quite the experiment and in my opinion, one of those drinks you can really try if feeling courageous :) 

Here's the same drink made on video (in Finnish!)