MAKE COCKTAILS TRY LOCAL TIPPLES. The food and drink magazine for Devon. Hello Caviar! The UK's first farm opens in North Molton

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1 NOVEMBER / DECEMBER 2013 VOLUME 9 ISSUE 6 FREE The food and drink magazine for Devon tastebudsmagazine.co.uk MAKE COCKTAILS TRY LOCAL TIPPLES Hello Caviar! The UK's first farm opens in North Molton WIN: A cook book, a Christmas hamper and a curry cookery course Tried & Tasted: The Owl and the Pussycat, Teignmouth; Berry Head Hotel, Brixham novdec cover.indd 1 21/10/ :37

2 Celebrate the party season with friends and family by treating them to a special Christmas tipple. Whether you re after a boozy kick, a sedate mocktail or fun winterwarmers for children, there are plenty of delicious Devonproduced drinks to impress your guests. To start Christmas with brunch after a frosty walk or even a dip in the sea, why not try a Sharpham Blanc or Pebblebed Sparkling Rosé with Mike s Smokehouse smoked salmon on blini or pumpernickel? If it s cold outside, warm up with a favourite seasonal drink mulled cider. There are plenty of locally produced ones Raise a Glass Anna Turns enjoys some local festive tipples. Recipes are courtesy of Christos Kyriakidis, Bar Manager at The Refectory Bar in Plymouth See more in our App edition Download the App edition for 10 places in Devon to try a top tipple to try, such as Ashridge Cider from Staverton or Hancocks Devon Cider from South Molton. RealDrink Ltd s Rebecca Jack makes Yarde mulled cider. Cider brandy does make a rather special addition to the seasonal mulled brew, Rebecca says. At home, I am pretty slapdash with measurements, tasting and adding until it s ready to go, and adding a lot of ginger! Lyme Bay Winery s Christmas Mead is best enjoyed in front of a roaring fire. With the sweet taste of honey blended with Christmas spices, it is a tasty accompaniment to yet another mince pie. The chilled quince wine is a more delicate medium-dry drink that is a perfect match with a cheese board, whereas its sloe gin or elderberry and port liqueur are both fairly rich, robust afterdinner alternatives. Either red or white wine can be mulled: add orange juice to a red wine to give it some sweetness, and add apple juice to white wine, plus sugar and spices such as cinnamon, nutmeg and cloves for a warming treat. Pint-sized options include a great choice of Christmas ales from Devon s craft breweries. Paignton s Bays Brewery produces the amber-coloured Jingle Ale bitter, and Dasher s Dinkle is a strong festive ale from Hunters Brewery. Quercus Devon Ales produces Reindeer Fuel, a rich mahogany ale which is full-bodied and hoppy, with a sweet malty and chocolate aroma. 16 drinks.indd 16 19/10/ :27

3 SANTA's SLING The Sling is a basic form of mixed drink; it was documented in American literature around The name comes from the old German verb schlingen, which means to swallow quickly. 25ml Plymouth Gin 50ml Devon cider 20ml freshly squeezed lemon juice 10ml Christmas syrup Apple slices A grating or two of nutmeg For the Christmas syrup: 1 large glass of white wine 3 pink peppercorns 1 cardamom pod 1 peel each of clementine and orange 2 cloves To make the Christmas syrup: 1 Put the wine in a pan and cook to evaporate the alcohol, then add the spices and simmer for 15 minutes on low heat. leave to cool, then bottle. The colour should be golden. 1 Stir the gin, cider, lemon juice and Christmas syrup into a mixing glass, slowly so you don t kill the fizz of the cider. 2 Strain the liquid through a cheesecloth into a cocktail glass, garnish with a fan of apple slices and grated nutmeg. Enjoy a tipple without the tipsiness with Luscombe Drinks apple and pear juice for a richness that complements the taste of traditional roast birds or meat, and liven up the Boxing Day turkey sandwich with Luscombe s hot ginger beer. Try Mull d Berry by the Bloomberry Juice Company in Clyst Hydon, a mix of five fruit juices mulled with spices, honey and orange zest, perfect for heating up on the stove. Peter Webb from Teign Valley s Milltop Orchard says: Children tend to go for naturally sweeter juices such as our apple and cinnamon juice. Our special festive spicy apple juice is also excellent mulled. Another option for the youngsters is Woodbury Saltertonbased Rocks Organic s spiced fruit punch cordial. > 17 drinks.indd 17 19/10/ :27

4 Bells & Drums 25ml freshly squeezed clementine juice 15ml pink grapefruit juice 15ml freshly squeezed lemon juice 15ml cinnamon syrup A cinnamon stick An orange twist Ice cubes This zingy mocktail is full of festive cheer. For the cinnamon syrup: 2 cups caster sugar 1 cup water To make the cinnamon syrup: 1 Put the sugar and water in a pan and simmer while stirring. 2 Break one cinnamon stick into the pan and stir. Bring to the boil, then remove from the heat. 3 Cover the pan and leave the liquid to infuse for 30 minutes. 4 Filter through a cheesecloth and bo le. 1 Pour the clementine juice, pink grapefruit juice, lemon juice and cinnamon syrup into a shaker, add ice and shake. 2 Strain through a cheesecloth and pour over ice in a glass. Add more crushed ice and garnish with a cinnamon stick and an orange twist. For a winter s night, sip a mug of chilli drinking chocolate from South Devon Chilli Farm near Kingsbridge. Teasme from Woodbury Salterton has a warming tea called Frostea, containing all the traditional Christmas spices (as well as some lesser-known ones). Enjoy as a cuppa with hot water, or add warm apple juice or red wine for a mulled version. Founder of Teasme, Helen Lynch, says: To enjoy the party without having to keep heating the drinks up, serve your drinks from chrome flasks. > 19 drinks.indd 19 19/10/ :28

5 Recipe photography: David Griffen. davidgriffen.co.uk The Cobbler was one of the most popular drinks during the 1800s. It is based on a spirit of any kind, wine, liqueur and fruit. The name possibly comes from the word cobbles, the small ice cubes over which the drink is poured. Christmas Cobbler 25ml Plymouth Sloe Gin 12.5ml Cointreau 15ml freshly squeezed lemon juice 10ml mulled wine reduction 25ml spiced cranberry juice A few pomegranate seeds Sprig of mint Dusting of icing sugar Ice cubes For the mulled wine: I large glass of red wine 1 peel each of clementine, orange and lemon Honey or sugar to taste For the spiced cranberry juice: 1 litre cranberry juice A few black peppercorns To make the mulled wine: 1 Use any red table wine; cooking it with spices improves the taste. Pour the wine into a pan, add the peels and spices and simmer for 15 minutes, then sweeten with honey or sugar. leave to cool. When cold remove spices, bo le and store in the fridge. To make the spiced cranberry juice: 1 Put the cranberry juice in a pan and simmer with the spices for 15 minutes. leave to cool. Strain through a cheesecloth and bo le. 1 Put the gin, Cointreau, lemon juice, mulled wine and cranberry juice into a shaker, fill with ice and shake for 10 seconds. 2 Strain over ice. Top with crushed ice, pomegranate seeds, mint and dust with icing sugar. Try some Refectory Bar cocktails for yourself. For reservations call , therefectorybar.co.uk 20 drinks.indd 20 19/10/ :28