Anyone for a Gin and Tonic ‘Tea’ ? Or maybe a Honeycomb Margarita?

MONIN’s free expert led Facebook Masterclasses are mixing up lockdown home entertainment

Plus the top six hacks for clever cocktail craft

Whether you already have a well-stocked drinks and mixer cabinet, are new to the mixology game, or are just trying to keep your social zoom calls fresh and colourful, cocktails are riding high on the list of positive distractions. Premium drinks expert MONIN is helping the public get bold and experimental by working together with their Beverage Innovation Managers and two renowned industry leaders to inspire and invigorate with a series of free Facebook Live masterclasses.

Kenji Jesse, luxury alcohol consultant to some of the world's best bar brands, and Dan Fellows, Double World Coffee in Good Spirits Champion, have been teamed up by MONIN to run weekly, accessible and fun how to classes to boost home techniques, champion new flavours and share the love of great cocktails and coffee.

Which means if you fancy a Green Tea flavoured G&T served in a teapot, a non-alcoholic Popcorn Affogato coffee, or a Chocolate Old Fashioned (brilliant for a lockdown birthday), this is where you should be looking.

Lee Hyde, Beverage Innovation Manager at MONIN explains, “The positive that people are trying to take out of lockdown is to try and learn new things and apply some new skills to the everyday, and creativity in cocktails - which bars are traditionally brilliant at - is a great option to play around with at home too. A few core spirits, your favoured coffee pods or beans, a cocktail kit (for which we have some great hacks if you don’t have one), and a line-up of flavoured syrups that can bring new dimensions to any drink and that can be delivered direct to your door, make for a regular distraction from the everyday.”

Kenji Jesse adds “It’s great to be able to work with MONIN to share what I love doing, playing round in my kitchen with different flavours, textures and combinations to hopefully inspire others to have a go and have fun. I hope to surprise people with some of the options, but mainly to keep them mixing and trying something fresh or something with a totally new twist for them”

Dan Fellows says “My part of the story is to showcase coffee drinks for all times of the day, from flavoured iced coffees, to refreshing coffee highballs, or an Espresso Martini-inspired cocktail to round off the day. Hot, cold, long or short, there really is a coffee drink for everyone and all times of the day. Hot, cold, long or short, the space in which to get creative here has bags of scope”.

The masterclasses are held live on https://www.facebook.com/CreatewithMONINUK/ , and will run at least until the end of June, with the live dates currently set for 4th (5pm); 11th (10am), 18th (5pm) and 25th (10am), although the content can be viewed at any time and recipes are clearly showcased alongside each video.

Syrups can be ordered on Monin.com/uk for direct home delivery

MONIN’S TOP COCKTAIL MAKING HACKS

No shaker? No problem! Find alternatives to cocktail equipment in your cupboards with our Isolation Hacks and general tips

#1: If you don’t have a bar spoon to mix and stir, try using a chopstick

#2: Use an egg cup to measure your ingredients instead of a ‘jigger’ (it’s around 50ml)

#3: To replace a cocktail shaker, a tightly sealed jar or water bottle is a great alternative.

#4: Strain in a cafetière or a tea strainer when you poor if you don’t have a cocktail version.

#5: if you don’t have a muddler to crush herbs or fresh fruit, use the end of a wooden spoon

#6: Always chill your glass with ice before you pour…

MONIN COCKTAIL AND COFFEE RECIPES

CREATED BY KENJI AND DAN

Recipe for Floral Cold Brew Highball (DAN):

- 50ml Cold Brew Coffee

- 30ml Glenfiddich IPA whisky

- 5ml MONIN Elderflower syrup

- 5ml MONIN Jasmine syrup

- 100ml ‘Sonic’ (equal parts soda and tonic)

Garnish: Grapefruit

Method: Combine over ice, stir and serve.

Recipe for Honeycomb Margarita (KENJI):

- 2 parts tequila

- 1 part MONIN Honeycomb syrup

- 1 part fresh lime juice

Shaken with ice and served straight up with a lime wedge garnish

Chocolate Old Fashioned (KENJI):

2 parts dark spirit of choice (e.g. Zacapa)

1 part MONIN White Chocolate syrup

3 dashes Orange bitters

Stirred over an ice block and garnished with an orange zest

Recipe for any good Flavoured Iced Latte (DAN):

Double espresso

15ml MONIN syrup (e.g. Macadamia, Salted Caramel, Vanilla)

150ml Milk or alternative milk

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