Cocktails & Recipies

Orchard Quencher

By Martin Wood at Seven Dining in Christchurch

This is a great long drink where the hero really is the vermouth.

Ingredients
  • 45ml 144 Islands Dry Vermouth #1
  • 20ml Fresh Apple Cordial (Recipe Below)
  • 15ml Gin
  • 10ml Fino Sherry
  • 4 mint leaves
Steps
  1. Build ingredients in a tall, chilled highball glass
  2. Add ice and top with soda
  3. Churn briefly and garnish with a mint sprig.
Apple Cordial 
  1. Juice fresh green apples and weigh the resulting liquid after passing through a fine sieve or strainer.
  2. Add 35% white sugar (by weight) and 2% citric acid.

This cordial will keep for about a week if stored in an airtight vessel in a fridge.

“For me, the botanical notes in this gin play really well with crisp green apple flavours. This is a great long drink where the hero really is the vermouth; crisp with body added with the clean and concise palate of the gin, with salinity and minerality from the fino sherry. Again, a celebration of grapes (and apple) in a glass. Cool and refreshing.”
144 Islands Vermouth No.1

Vermouth #1 by 144 Islands is a white base wine of Sauvignon Blanc, Sauvignon Gris, and Chardonnay. Fortified to 22% abv with grain-based spirit, approx. 15-18 g/L residual sugar. Kerikeri Lemon, Kumarahou, Kawakawa, Tarata, Pink Peppercorn, Manuka and Kanuka Flowers foraged by hand by owner, Jake and his son Remy. Botanicals macerated in alcohol, then distilled through rotary evaporation and added back to base wine at fortification.

Fernando de Castilla Dry Fino Classic

One of the most exceptional of the small, independent sherry houses, Fernando de Castilla was revitalised in 1999 and established as a master of the production and aging of fine, unblended, untreated Sherries.

Pale in colour with just a hint of straw yellow at the rim. Powerful and acute on the nose, yet aromatic, intriguing and inviting. Sensuously textured rather than brittle, absolutely bone dry, aristocratic and very poised. Its profile is perfectly seamless right until the finish where fascinating savoury, nutty, ripples conjure some charming, subtle and elusive final flavours.

144 Islands Cocktail Recipes Cocktails Gin Stranger and Sons Vermouth