Three bouji cocktails to try before a night out

Specialists in molecular mixology, The Alchemist pros have revealed their secrets in a new book. Sam Wylie-Harris dons her goggles for a quick peek

Life’s a beach: for those times when you’re dreaming of a warm sunset and the soothing sounds of waves lapping on the shore (Haarala Hamilton/PA)

Aspire to making memorable drinks at home, using extraordinary techniques? The Alchemist Cocktail Book: Master The Dark Arts Of Mixology is all about creating magic in a glass.

“I heard a definition of an alchemist the other day, someone who changes things for the better,” says Holly Tudor, co-author and cocktail development specialist for The Alchemist. “I suppose it’s turning things into gold, but for us it’s more about the theatre. We see ourselves as more than just bartenders, it’s like dinner with a show. We’re trying to create an experience rather than just a cocktail.”

It’s 11 years since The Alchemist’s first bar opened in Manchester and “theatre served” was coined. Today, they have 19 venues nationwide, including Birmingham, London and Newcastle – and 2020 was meant to be their big 10-year anniversary.

“We were going to do a big menu change, launch the book and make a big song and dance about The Alchemist, but then the pandemic hit,” notes Tudor. “So it’s given us a bit more time to make sure the book’s perfect before releasing it.”

With 100 “spell-binding” recipes, Tudor says there’s a bit of everything – some more complicated than others, “which are obviously the molecular gastronomy type cocktails, along with simple classics, so hopefully everyone will find a good amount of drinks they can make, no matter the skill level.”

Fancy implements and smoking guns aside, tech tips include how to make theatrical toppings, such as their lavender foam, with a hand-blender. “We’re basically trying to show people the molecular side isn’t as scary as it seems,” Tudor says. “The theme running through our book is theatre, not taking things too seriously, and why making cocktails at home is fun and about having a great time.”

Ready to up your drinking rituals? Here’s how to bring The Alchemist home.

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1. Garden martini – gin, rose, happiness

This spring cocktail blooms with elderflower and lavender (Haarala Hamilton/PA)

Come, walk with us into our spring garden and relax into this special cocktail, blooming with elderflower and lavender. We find that floral Hendrick’s gin provides the best base over which to layer elderflower and rose liqueurs, followed by a splash of apple juice, and finished with lavender foam and a cucumber slice.

Ingredients

30ml gin

1½ tsp elderflower liqueur

1½ tsp rose liqueur

15ml (1 tbsp) L&G (see below)

25ml apple juice

100ml lavender foam (see below)

Cucumber slice, to garnish

Method

Half fill a Boston shaker with ice. Add the gin, elderflower liqueur, rose liqueur, L&G and apple juice. Shake well. Strain through a fine strainer into a coupe. Finish with the lavender foam and slice of cucumber.

L&G recipe

Makes: 750ml

Ingredients

20g finely grated lemon zest or peel

500ml freshly squeezed lemon juice (around 15 large lemons)

200g caster sugar

5ml (1 teaspoon) lemon bitters

Method

Place the lemon zest or peel in a large jug. Pour the lemon juice over the zest and leave to infuse for at least 30 minutes. After infusing, add the caster sugar and lemon bitters and stir to dissolve. Once all of the sugar has dissolved, strain through a fine strainer to remove the zest, and pour the liquid into a sterilised bottle. It will keep for four days in the fridge.

Lavender foam

Makes: 400ml

Ingredients

125 lavender syrup

125ml filtered water

25ml lemon juice

125 pasteurised egg whites

5ml (1 tsp) soy lecithin

Method

With a 500ml foamer: Place all ingredients in a large jug and stir well to combine, making sure there are no lumps. Pour into the foamer, secure the lid tightly and charge with a N2O charge. Shake well before using.

Without a foamer: Place all ingredients in a mixing bowl and stir well to combine, making sure there are no lumps. Use an electric whisk to whip the mixture until it forms stiff peaks. Carefully transfer this mixture into a piping bag with a nozzle and refrigerate until ready to use.

2. Paradise Lost – taste of paradise

A clean-tasting, coconut-spiked cooler (Haarala Hamilton/PA)

A clean-tasting, coconut-spiked cooler. Our version of the classic chocolate bar, the Bounty, the drink calls on a gorgeous coconut rum and chocolate liqueur as the base, then weaves them into the simple flavours of coconut water, sugar syrup and lime. Top with a splash of soda water to finish.

Ingredients

1 lime wedge

2 tsp desiccated coconut

85ml coconut water

30ml coconut rum

25ml crème de cacao blanc (white chocolate) liqueur

15ml (1 tbsp) sugar syrup

10ml (2 tsp) fresh lime juice

25ml soda water

Method

Glide the lime wedge around the rim of a collins glass. Spread out the desiccated coconut on a saucer and dip the edge of the glass into the coconut to coat the rim. Half fill a Boston shaker with ice. Add the coconut water, coconut rum, crème de cacao blanc, sugar syrup, lime juice and shake. Place some ice cubes in the prepared collins glass and strain the mix over the ice. Top with soda water and serve.

3. Life’s a beach – whisky, blood, sand

Summertime living at its best (Haarala Hamilton/PA)

For those times when you’re dreaming of a warm sunset and the soothing sounds of waves lapping on the shore… whisky, vermouth and cherry liqueur star, while biscuit crumbs feature on the rim to evoke a sandy beach. Summertime living at its best.

Ingredients

1 oaty biscuit crushed

Lime wedge

30ml whisky

5ml (1 tsp) maraschino cherry liqueur

15ml (1 tbsp) Martini Ambrato vermouth or other white vermouth

15ml (1 tbsp) L&G (see previous recipe)

10ml (2 tsp) sugar syrup

40ml fresh orange juice

5 drops Red Mix (see below)

Method

Place the crushed biscuit crumbs on a saucer. Glide a freshly cut lime wedge over the rim of a coupe and dip it in the biscuit crumbs so they stick to the rim. Set aside. Half-fill a Boston shaker with ice. Add the whisky, maraschino cherry liqueur, vermouth, L&G, sugar syrup, orange juice and shake. Strain through a fine strainer into the biscuit-rimmed coupe. Drop five drops of Red Mix over the surface of the drink and serve.

(Ebury Press/PA) (Ebury Press)

Red Mix

Makes: 700ml

Ingredients

1 tsp red colouring powder

700ml filtered water

¼ tsp xanthan gum

Method

Place all ingredients in a blender and blend to combine until smooth with no lumps. Transfer to a clean bottle and refrigerate until ready to serve. This will keep for at least a month.

Extracted from ‘The Alchemist Cocktail Book’ (Ebury Press, £16.99; photography by Haarala Hamilton).