Five new British-inspired cocktail recipes launched by top mixologists

Collection includes “Brummie Sweet Spice” and “Edinburgh Irn Punch”, featuring unusual ingredients ranging from tea to Bovril

Top mixologists eschew traditional recipes like the classic Pimm’s cocktail to develop new concoctions featuring Bovril and tea (Shutterstock/ERainbow)

A new range of British cocktail recipes featuring tea, curry and Bovril has been developed by expert mixologists to reflect the tastes of different regions.

A poll of 2,000 British people found the nation’s favourite flavours in each region, with the results used to develop unusual new cocktails.

Almost three in 10 people from Birmingham believe the flavour of a Balti best represents their area, leading to the "Brummie Sweet Spice" cocktail being born. The drink also contains dark chocolate, bitters and Crème de Pêches liqueur.

For Manchester, mixologists created the "Rock My Manchester Gravy Boat", a beer-based cocktail topped off with Bovril and raspberry liqueur.

Louise Lynch, Product Developer for Beers, Wines and Spirits at Sainsbury’s, said: “Having worked in the drinks industry for many years, I’m surprised that we’ve never seen a British cocktail earn its place amongst the classics.

“It seemed like an obvious solution for us to use our new range of cocktail ingredients to create a bespoke collection of cocktails the nation can be proud of.

“Our cities are famous for their identity and we’re confident that these creations represent the charm and character of our home-grown regions.”

The Edinburgh Irn Punch takes inspiration from the iconic Old Fashioned, and mixes whisky with Scotland’s other famous export Irn Bru, served with a side of shortbread.

Sainsbury's worked with the London Cocktail Club to invent the bold new flavours, culminating in "The Great British G&Tea".

Combining two British favourites, the drink mixes tea with London Dry Gin, a dash of cassis liqueur and a spoonful of blackberry jam – and is served with a custard cream.

JJ Goodman, the founder of London Cocktail Club, said: “We had a lot of fun creating cocktails which represent these great cities.

“The key for me was to keep the drinks simple, but also creatively interesting so they can not only be re-created at home but also feel like a taste of home.

“Sainsbury’s has done a great job with their new range of cocktail ingredients, which help to keep the cost down when experimenting in mixology, and I hope this encourages more people to get inventive with their creations.”

The full recipes are:

The Great British G & Tea

50ml Sainsbury’s Taste the Difference Blackfriars 10 London dry gin

25ml Sainsburys crème de cassis liqueur

25ml English breakfast tea

20ml lemon

3 teaspoons of blackcurrant jam

8 mint leaves

Glass: Clear jam jar (label off)

Ice: Crushed

Method: Add all ingredients, fill 2/3 with crushed ice, churn with a latte spoon or similar

Cap (top off) with crushed ice

Garnish: Mint sprig and a Sainsbury’s custard cream

The Edinburgh Irn Punch

50ml Sainsbury’s blended scotch whisky

10ml Irn Bru syrup (reduce one can of Irn Bru on the stove until it becomes half the amount, add 100g of caster sugar, stir until dissolved, bottle and refrigerate)

12 drops Sainsbury’s bitters

Ice: Cubed

Method: Stir and strain over cubed ice

Garnish: Long orange zest peeled in a spiral to be placed on the rim of the glass and shortbread biscuit on the side

A Bristolian Perfect Pair

40ml Sainsburys 3yr old brandy

20ml Sainsburys triple sec

20ml fresh lemon juice

50ml Sainsburys vintage cider

1 teaspoon of bramley apple sauce

Ice: Cubed

Method: Shake and strain all ingredients (except cider) over cubed ice in highball

Garnish: Fresh apple and chunk of Cheddar on stick

Brummie Sweet Spice

50ml Sainsbury’s white rum

15ml Sainsbury’s crème de pêches liqueur

35ml spiced mango puree (Sainsbury's mango slices blended with teaspoon of ground cumin and half a medium red chili)

25ml lime juice

1 teaspoon of runny honey

6 drops Sainsbury’s bitters

Method: Shake and fine strain into a Martini glass

Garnish: Mini Sainsbury’s own-brand Jaffa Cake, Cadbury’s chocolate spread on half the rim, top with half of red chili

Rock My Manchester Gravy Boat

50ml Distil No 9 Ukrainian Vodka

15ml Sainsbury’s raspberry liqueur

20ml Hyde and Wild stout

75ml fresh tomato juice

15ml Bovril (2 teaspoons of Bovril, mixed with 200ml hot water)

6 dashes Tabasco

5 dashes Worcester sauce

10ml lemon

1 whole sprig of rosemary

Pinch of pepper

Pinch of salt

Ice: Cubed

Method: Shake all ingredients and strain over cubed ice into a Latte glass

Garnish: Rosemary sprig and a chip, with cracked pepper sprinkled on top

SWNS