Carnival of Taste with 144 Islands

Join our own Stephanie alongside Jake from 144 Islands this November at Tauranga's Carnival of Taste, an evening of tantalizing tastings, live music, and cocktail classes. A trade show like no other! Indulge in fine wines, handcrafted cocktails, and craft beers.

The fantastic Jake Dromgool from Northland's 144 Islands will be teaming up with our Central North Island rep and all-round legend, Stephanie to serve up some goodies and soak up that Tauranga golden hour with you all. Don't miss it!

 

Book Today

 

Date: Saturday, 9th November 2024
Time: 6:00pm - 10:00pm
Location: The Cargo Shed, Tauranga
Cost: $75 per person

by Aimee Hopwood

Tangelo Sour

Cocktails & Recipies

Tangelo Sour

By Ash Bartlett from Tobi in Ponsonby, Auckland

This punchy delight has citrussy tang married beautifully with tasteful bitterness and a softly herbaceous lift from the addition of tarragon.

Ingredients

  • 45ml Tangelo & Tarragon Sherbet (Recipe below)
  • 20ml 144 Islands No.1 Vermouth
  • 20ml Blanco Tequila,
  • 10ml Lime

Steps

  1. Shake and serve in a Martini glass
  2. Garnish with an orange coin

Tangelo & Tarragon Sherbet

  1. Combine the peels of 8 Tangelo with 100g sugar, and rest overnight.
  2. Next day, add 275ml fresh Tangelo juice, 2g citric acid & 1g malic acid, alongside 20g of chopped Tarragon.
  3. This is rested again overnight, then strained.

For those out there that love to pucker a little! This punchy delight has citrussy tang married beautifully with tasteful bitterness and a softly herbaceous lift from the addition of tarragon – a match made in heaven with 144 Islands Vermouth No.1, full of Kerikeri lemons and native botanicals. Absolutely gorgeous, layered flavours that work harmoniously on the palate. It’s sweet, it’s bitter, it’s sour, it’s dry, it’s herbaceous, it’s soft, it’s bright and most of all, it’s delicious.

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.

by Aimee Hopwood

Nectarine Highball

Cocktails & Recipies

Nectarine Highball

By Ash Bartlett from Tobi in Ponsonby, Auckland

You’ll be transported straight to a summer meadow sipping this fresh and fruity tall cocktail.

Ingredients

  • 50ml Fresh Nectarine Juice
  • 30ml 144 Islands No.1 Vermouth
  • 10ml Italian Blanc Aperitif
  • 5ml Creme de Peche
  • 10ml Sugar Syrup

Steps

  1. Shake and served tall
  2. Garnish with a lemon coin

You’ll be transported straight to a summer meadow sipping this fresh and fruity tall cocktail. Stone fruits like nectarine and peach are the juiciest, most quintessentially ‘summer’ fruit, and their warm gold hues are an ode to the sunshine itself. In this drop by Ash at Tobi, it sings alongside 144 Islands No.1. Vermouth with it’s dry, aromatic floral notes and Kerikeri lemon notes. Enjoy by the pool, with a meal, a cheeky brunch or really at any time you want some liquid Northland sunshine in your life.

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.

by Aimee Hopwood

Strawberry Negroni

Cocktails & Recipies

Strawberry Negroni

By Ash Bartlett from Tobi in Ponsonby, Auckland

Taking a time-tested fave and adding an in-season summery spin.

Ingredients

  • 20ml 144 Islands No.2 Vermouth
  • 20ml Strawberry & Vanilla Syrup (Recipe below)
  • 15ml Amaro
  • 25ml Gin

Steps

  1. Stir down, serve short over ice
  2. Garnish with half a fresh strawberry

Strawberry & Vanilla Syrup

  1. 250g Fresh Strawberry combined with 70g sugar, 70g water & 4g vanilla paste
  2. Sous-vide at 50C for one hour
  3. Rest & strain

Taking a time-tested fave and adding an in-season summery spin is the Strawberry Negroni. All the classy, bold sophistication you could ever want with a fresh, flirty fruit twist.

144 Islands Vermouth No.2

Vermouth No 2. by 144 Islands is a red base wine of Syrah. Fortified to 22% abv with grain-based spirit, approx. 190 g/L residual sugar. Kerikeri Navel Oranges, Totara Bark, Pohutukawa, Kauri, Northern Rata, Kahikatea and Matai locally sourced or 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.

Stranger & Sons x Four Pillars Trading Tides Coastal Gin

A limited edition gin like no other! Introducing Trading Tides Coastal Gin, a dry gin distilled in India with Australian botanicals leading the charge.

A unique botanical blend inspired by the Indian ocean separating India & Australia – Juniper, White Pepper, Anise Myrtle, Lemon Myrtle, Rivermint, Angelica, Liquorice, Indian Coriander, Grapefruit Peels, Dried Mangosteen, Kokum and Tamarind.

A bright and crisp coastal gin that marries with the strawberry notes perfectly.

by Aimee Hopwood

The Rhubarb Shakerato

Cocktails & Recipies

The Rhubarb Shakerato

By Ash Bartlett from Tobi in Ponsonby, Auckland

With two equal-part ingredients both singing of kiwi smells and flavours, it’s both refreshing and vibrant. 

Ingredients

Equal Parts:

  • 144 Islands No.2 Vermouth
  • Rhubarb Cordial (Recipe below)

Steps

  1. Shake and serve short
  2. Garnish with lemon wedge

Rhubarb Cordial

For every 100ml of fresh rhubarb juice, add 30g of sugar & 1g of Citric Acid – this allows you to add acidity without additional dilution.

The Rhubarb Shakerato is kiwi at its core! With two equal-part ingredients both singing of kiwi smells and flavours, it’s both refreshing and vibrant. Turning a kiwi-garden favourite into a cordial/syrup takes the typical rhubarb tang and softens it just a bit to bring out its fruity flavours, which marry beautifully with the aromatic Kerikeri Orange, Totara, Kahikatea, Matai, Kauri, Northern Rata and Kanuka Flowers that come from this Northland Vermouth.

144 Islands Vermouth No.2

Vermouth No 2. by 144 Islands is a red base wine of Syrah. Fortified to 22% abv with grain-based spirit, approx. 190 g/L residual sugar. Kerikeri Navel Oranges, Totara Bark, Pohutukawa, Kauri, Northern Rata, Kahikatea and Matai locally sourced or 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.

by Aimee Hopwood

The Debutante

Cocktails & Recipies

The Debutante

By Martin Wood at Seven Dining in Christchurch

Smokey, spicy, dark chocolate-dipped cherries in a glass.

Ingredients

  • 45ml 144 Islands Sweet Vermouth #2
  • 30ml Wild Turkey Rye Whisky
  • 10ml Campari
  • 5ml Aged Single Malt Whisky (Ardbeg 10YO)

Steps

  1. Stir the first three ingredients with ice and strain
  2. Float the single malt with a barspoon
  3. Serve in a chilled coup with a maraschino cherry or wedge of orange.

“Smokey, spicy, dark chocolate-dipped cherries in a glass. This is the drink closest to my heart and the one I’d likely order multitudes of. Everything in the glass is there to support the flavours present in the vermouth. The Scotch can be omitted and it still tastes good but the Ardbeg really ties it together. Rich and complex.”

144 Islands Vermouth No.2

Vermouth No 2. by 144 Islands is a red base wine of Syrah. Fortified to 22% abv with grain-based spirit, approx. 190 g/L residual sugar. Kerikeri Navel Oranges, Totara Bark, Pohutukawa, Kauri, Northern Rata, Kahikatea and Matai locally sourced or 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.

by Aimee Hopwood

Orchard Quencher

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.

by Aimee Hopwood

The Harvard

Cocktails & Recipies

The Harvard

By Martin Wood at Seven Dining in Christchurch

The ‘Harvard’ is a child cocktail of the Manhattan, and works wonderfully to showcase the rich flavours of this vermouth.

Ingredients

  • 20ml 144 Islands Sweet Vermouth #2
  • 60ml V.S.O.P Cognac
  • 5ml 1:1 Brown Sugar Syrup
  • 1 Dash Angostura Bitters
  • 1 Dash Raegan’s Orange Bitters
  • Pinch of salt

Steps

  1. Stir with ice and strain
  2. Serve in a chilled coup with a maraschino cherry or thin orange twist.

The ‘Harvard’ is a child cocktail of the Manhattan, and works wonderfully to showcase the rich flavours of this vermouth. The Cognac bolsters the spice and cherry of the vermouth while the vermouth really brings out the rich apple flavours and barrel aging of the brandy. extremely quaffable and it’s basically all grapes. Harmonious and decadent.

144 Islands Vermouth No.2

Vermouth No 2. by 144 Islands is a red base wine of Syrah. Fortified to 22% abv with grain-based spirit, approx. 190 g/L residual sugar. Kerikeri Navel Oranges, Totara Bark, Pohutukawa, Kauri, Northern Rata, Kahikatea and Matai locally sourced or 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.

H by Hine VSOP Cognac

Six generations of the Hine family have succeeded one another at the head of Thomas Hine & Co. The tasting rooms at 16 Quai de l’Orangerie have seen it all, from the Great French Wine Blight to local conflicts, world wars, first bottlings, international incidents, economic booms and slumps, legendary river floods, connoisseur parties and exalted blends.

H by Hine is whimsical. If it were a young man, it would have the keen eye of Dick Diver in Fitzgerald’s Tender is the Night. A honeyed golden amber. Markedly floral, with a touch of vanilla and apple blossom. Adventurous, lively and elegant. Expressive yet discreet, its notes of iris, fresh apricot, acacia and white pepper chime with its sprightly and joyful demeanour.

It feels like Coachella in a bottle.

by Aimee Hopwood

Corpse Reviver #144

Cocktails & Recipies

Corpse Reviver #144

By Martin Wood at Seven Dining in Christchurch

A riff on the ‘#2’, this drink really showcases the herbaceous qualities of this vermouth.

Ingredients

  • 30ml 144 Islands Dry Vermouth #1
  • 30ml Gin
  • 20ml Pierre Ferran Dry Curacao
  • 20ml Freshly Squeezed Lemon Juice
  • Pinch of salt

Steps

  1. Shake with ice and fine strain
  2. Serve in a chilled coup with a thin orange twist

A riff on the ‘#2’, this drink really showcases the herbaceous qualities of this vermouth. It replaces lillet blanc as the wine element and allows for the omission of absinthe, which not everyone is willing to stock at home. The result is super balanced and refreshing, bursting with citrus and vegetal notes. Historic and zesty.

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.

Stranger & Sons Gin

Stranger & Sons is an ode to contemporary India and its cultural diversity – the colours, the customs, the chaos, and the peaceful co-existence of it all.

They chose inherently Indian botanicals that they believe represent their country’s diversity, to create a spirit that celebrates India’s agricultural history in a way no other spirit can. Juniper, coriander seeds, liquorice, nutmeg, mace, black pepper, angelica root, cassia bark and a citrus peel mix (Nagpur Oranges, known to be one of the best mandarin varieties in the world. Gondhoraj Lemon, also known as ‘King of fragrance’. Mosambi, also known as Indian bergamot or sweet lime, and finally, Nimbu, sourced locally from the garden behind the distillery.)

You can look at the above botanical list and see some repeated in many other gins the world over, but the beauty of the Stranger & Sons’ botanicals is that the spices are all sourced locally and haven’t travelled for thousands of miles to get to the still. The clarity and freshness shines through in this delectable spirit.

by Aimee Hopwood

144 Negroni

Cocktails & Recipies

144 Negroni

This citrus-noted classic is bitter, herbal, rich, and most of all – supremely sophisticated.

Ingredients

  • 25ml Stranger & Sons Gin
  • 25ml Campari
  • 25ml 144 Islands Vermouth No.2
  • Orange twist, to garnish

Steps

  1. Add the gin, vermouth & Campari to a mixer with ice
  2. Strain into a rocks glass over ice and garnish with an orange twist.

144 Islands Vermouth No.2

Vermouth No 2. by 144 Islands is a red base wine of Syrah. Fortified to 22% abv with grain-based spirit, approx. 190 g/L residual sugar. Kerikeri Navel Oranges, Totara Bark, Pohutukawa, Kauri, Northern Rata, Kahikatea and Matai locally sourced or 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.

Stranger & Sons Gin

Stranger & Sons is an ode to contemporary India and its cultural diversity – the colours, the customs, the chaos, and the peaceful co-existence of it all.

They chose inherently Indian botanicals that they believe represent their country’s diversity, to create a spirit that celebrates India’s agricultural history in a way no other spirit can. Juniper, coriander seeds, liquorice, nutmeg, mace, black pepper, angelica root, cassia bark and a citrus peel mix (Nagpur Oranges, known to be one of the best mandarin varieties in the world. Gondhoraj Lemon, also known as ‘King of fragrance’. Mosambi, also known as Indian bergamot or sweet lime, and finally, Nimbu, sourced locally from the garden behind the distillery.)

You can look at the above botanical list and see some repeated in many other gins the world over, but the beauty of the Stranger & Sons’ botanicals is that the spices are all sourced locally and haven’t travelled for thousands of miles to get to the still. The clarity and freshness shines through in this delectable spirit.

by Aimee Hopwood