Cocktail Hour

3 favourite gin cocktails to make with Hidden Curiosities

Whilst I love a well-garnished G&T as much as the next person of taste, sometimes I crave the subtle and balanced hit of an expertly-made cocktail. The smooth taste of Hidden Curiosities works exceptionally well as the base of a classic, and the exotic botanicals within lend themselves to some delightful and unusual combinations. Below, are just some of my favourites, all of them delicious and sophisticated ways to unwind after a long day. 

In & Out Dry Martini

Daringly, almost brutally simple, this is a Martini stripped back to its essence. Crisp, clean and extremely elegant.

• 60ml Hidden Curiosities Gin

• Splash of Noilly Prat, or to mix it up a bit, Belsazar Rose or Belsazar Riesling Vermouth

Pack a Martini glass with ice. Add a splash of your vermouth and swirl it around the glass. While the glass is chilling, pour your gin into a mixing glass with some ice and stir. Throw the ice and vermouth out of the Martini glass, and then strain your gin in to replace it. Garnish with a lemon twist.

The Last Word

This tangy beauty makes the most of the unmistakable flavour of green Chartreuse. Powerful, but incredibly subtle and balanced.

• 30ml Hidden Curiosities Gin

• 20ml Green Chartreuse

• 20ml Luxardo Maraschino Liqueur 

• 20ml Fresh Lime Juice

• 15ml Chilled Water (omit if using wet ice)

• Twist of Lime and a Maraschino Cherry to garnish

Shake all your ingredients together with ice. Strain into a chilled Nick & Nora glass, run the lime peel around the edge of the glass and discard. Garnish with a maraschino cherry.

Sakura Negroni

This Hidden Curiosities Sakura Negroni was designed by myself for those of you who haven't yet acquired the very bitter taste of Campari. I decided to replace it with Asterly Brothers Dispense Amaro, as it has a softer bitter-sweet taste and full of depth from an array of herbs, citrus and spices, and less cutting than Campari. I also opted for Mancino Sakura Vermouth which is a deliciously sweet vermouth with cherry blossom and violet petals and really lifts the flavours for a wonderfully bitter-sweet and floral Negroni.  

• 30ml Hidden Curiosities Gin

• 25ml Asterly Brothers Dispense Amaro

• 20ml Mancino Sakura Vermouth

Fill an Old Fashioned glass with ice, add all the ingredients and stir for 20 seconds. Espress the oils from pink grapefruit peel into the cocktail, run it around the edge of the glass and drop in.