Smirnoff – Yours For The Making
So Marvin Humes has teamed up with Smirnoff to turn his hand from mixing records to mixing drinks!
Fair play Marvin! You’ve got it all going on what with being an actor, a DJ, a radio and TV presenter, a member of JLS, hubby to Rochelle Humes from The Saturdays and a Dad … I really don’t know where you found the time to create a selection of bespoke Smirnoff cocktails … but you did!
Marvin was all behind encouraging the Northern Irish public to create inventive drinks and was heard saying that
I’ve enjoyed many visits to Northern Ireland and had a cosmopolitan or two in Café Vaudeville, Belfast – the Northern Irish love their cocktails’.
… and I have to agree that they do having spent four years at college there, but that was many moons ago and Café Vaudeville wasn’t around … all the more of an excuse to revisit soon!
The whole idea behind the ‘Smirnoff Yours For The Making’ Campaign is to ‘think outside the glass’ when creating drinks and I have to admit that although I am impressed with Marvin’s new endeavour for the campaign … I was more interested in the Cocktail Recipes thought up by his talented self – with a little help from the Smirnoff Mixologist and I instantly thought ‘BLOG’ and ‘Caring is Sharing’ … so I had to share them with you …
… But first here are Marvin’s Top Tips for successful cocktail making:
- Be more experimental – never would I have thought to put jam in a cocktail before yet it tastes so good!
- Think outside the glass – cocktails don’t have to be served out of traditional glasses. When you’re finished with your jam jars, keep them for parties! Not only are they perfect for shaking cocktails in, but they add a twist to the ordinary.
- Get inventive with ice – jazz up your cocktail with shaped ice cubes, crushed ice and even molded ice that can be used to decorate your drink. Check out my Inventive Smirnoff cocktails including my ‘Rochelle Sundae’ at uk.thebar.com/OutsideTheGlass for some inspiration….
Rochelle’s Sundae
Ingredients:
Smirnoff No21 – 35ml
Cherry juice – 100ml (can get this in any large supermarket)
Elderflower cordial – 10ml
Fresh strawberries – x 2 – 3 Fresh Strawbs (or a squeeze of Strawberry Puree instead)
Lime
Pour the Smirnoff, Cherry Juice, Elderflower cordial and the fresh strawberries into a cocktail shaker (or Jam Jar if you don’t have a shaker) and lightly shake up and pour over cubed ice into a tall sundae glass. Finish by squeezing a splash of fresh lime on top and a slice of strawberry for garnish.
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Lychee Lovin’
Ingredients:
Smirnoff No21 – 35ml
Lychee Juice – 50ml
Elderflower Cordial – 10ml
Ginger Ale – splash of
Slice of orange – for garnish
Add the Smirnoff, Lychee juice and Elderflower Cordial to a shaker (or Jam Jar if you don’t have a shaker) and shake up with some ice, then strain the liquid through a sieve into a Martini Glass and top with a splash of Ginger Ale.
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Wi Jammin’
Ingredients:
Smirnoff No21 – 35ml
Blackberry Jam – Tea-Spoonful
Pineapple juice – 100ml
Bitter Lemon – topped with
Pineapple slice – to garnish
Add the Smirnoff, Blackberry Jam, Pineapple juice into a Jam Jar, stick the lid on and shake with some ice inside. Remove the lid (watch the pineapple juice doesn’t explode out) top up with some extra cubed ice and top to the top with bitter lemon. Garnish with a pineapple slice, sit back and enjoy.
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Pop Choc
Ingredients:
Smirnoff No21 – 35ml
Chocolate milk – 100ml
Chocolate popping candy – Teaspoonful
Build this cocktail over cubed ice in a good coffee mug pouring the Smirnoff in and mixing with the chocolate milk. Top off with some chocolate popping candy (which you can pick up in most large supermarkets).
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Old Fashioned Christmas
Ingredients:
Smirnoff No21 – 35ml
Apple juice -15ml
Cranberry Sauce – Teaspoonful
Cinnamon powder – Pinch
Orange zest or peel – to garnish
Star Anais – x1 to garnish
Stir the Smirnoff, Apple juice and spoonful of cranberry sauce along with some orange zest or peel, with some ice in a small rock/whisky glass. Add a pinch of cinnamon and a star Anais on top for that added spice.
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His and Her Cocktails Palm Bay
Ingredients:
Smirnoff Gold – 35ml
Palm Sugar x2 teaspoons
Lime Wedges – x4 Limes (muddled)
Garnish with crushed ice and edible gold flakes
Muddle 3-4 fresh limes into the bottom of a rock glass along with some Palm Sugar (you can pick this up from any large supermarket). Add some crushed ice (you can crush your own ice using a rolling pin to smash cubed ice inside a tea towel if you don’t have an ice crusher) then pour over the ice your Smirnoff Gold, stir lightly then garnish with some edible Gold Leaf for some added ‘bling’.
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Palm Beach
Ingredients:
Smirnoff Green Apple – 35ml
Palm Sugar – x2 teaspoons
Lime wedges – x4 limes (Muddled)
Apple Wedge/Slice – to garnish
Muddle 3-4 fresh limes into the bottom of a rock glass along with some Palm Sugar (you can pick this up from any large supermarket). Add some crushed ice (you can crush your own ice using a rolling pin to smash cubed ice inside a tea towel if you don’t have an ice crusher) then pour over the ice your Smirnoff Green Apple, stir lightly then garnish with a slice or wedge of apple.
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As you can see I’ve only got one photo of one cocktail to display … I’ll have to get working on that! If you try out any of the recipes mentioned, I’d love you to post a photo in the comment box below … Happy Cocktails!!!