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The Cocktail Ponders of Miss Bella Rouge

Part 4

Sometimes i like nice drinks like Affligem

And sometimes i like Smirnoff Ice.....

 Dont Judge me!

I find the best time to sit and write my blog is whilst listening to Zero 7 or some old school Incubus, sipping on a Guinness or two….naturally you can imagine what I am doing now. Cosying up in a massive armchair at Circo pondering the time past since I last wrote. I find it a great time to reflect and regroup my thoughts, a good time to quietly observe the busying staff whilst also being around to generally take late phone calls and answer questions.

The Christmas season is upon us (YAY!) I am afraid to say I am one of those people who thoroughly enjoys the festive season, today I had my first mulled wine and mince pie…its November 6^th and the over-indulgence has begun!(it did snow in Bath this week give me a break!) I’ve always thought that the reason behind why I love Christmas time was down to family, but in the past few years its become prevelant that as well as great family time, drinking and cocktail merriment are a very important part of the festive period for me (and the family!) Whether it be in the choosing of the brandy that goes over the Christmas Pudding, or what tipples you can sneak into midnight mass on a cold Christmas eve in Salcombe (My home town)

So this year I am attempting to get everyone I know just as excited about Christmas as I am….i am bored of listening to the Scrooge’s around me….time to get festive boys and girls!  This year we will be showing on repeat ‘A Muppets Christmas Carol’  and ‘Jack Frost’ On the projectors at the bar, we will be serving Mulled Wine and Local Orchard Pig Mulled Cider. The more Mulled the better! Needless to say the staff at Circo aren’t given the choice, they will be sporting some very funky Christmas hats or maybe even some ties if I can find them. Cocktail wise we have decided upon 3 main  tipples that we think taste awesome.

They are:

Royal Punch:

Kamm & Sons, Crème d’ Cassis, Cranberry Juice and Lemon Juice ( Amazing Hot or Cold)

Many thanks to Alex Kammerling for supplying us with a bottle to have a play with, there are so many great Kamm cocktails that we are defiantly going to be making at the bar J Follow them on twitter, search for Kamm and Sons. It’s a very unusual spirit that apart from the massive list they gave us, we have found very hard to make work well. However its great on its own, or in this Royal Punch. Great for the festive season hot or cold in big bowls with ladles for parties J

Hot Apple Punch:

Fireball, Courvosier V.S.O.P, Apple Juice and Lemon Juice.(Hot)

With this years punches we wanted to keep it simple, fresh and exciting. The fireball in this baby packs a Cinnamon festive punch with sweet notes of apple and brandy that almost effervesce in the steam that you smell before you even taste it. To die for! Have to attribute these two to their creator Katarina Boirova who works with us at Circo.

Bell’s Fiss:

Crème d’apricot, Champagne, Grapefruit Juice, Bitter Truth Grapefruit Bitters, served with an orange wedge and popping candy.

According to The Times the other day ‘Sensory’ Cocktails are in, I read all about an amazing cocktail at The Savoy that purposefully on the side of the glass was an imprint of Lipstick and the lipstick tasted of raspberry and cherry blossom or something along those lines…It got me thinking about different things to do for Christmas and I came up with the Bells Fiss…named Fiss not Fizz as there are too many Fizzes in the world and sometimes I think people name cocktails in bull shit lazy ways, and sometimes the popping candy makes a weird ‘fissssss’ noise. So the Bells Fiss is a Brut Champagne take on my Libratum that combined Martini Bianco, Crème d’Apricot and fresh Grapefruit with bitters, but the Fiss has a popping candy and orange garnish that is there to be licked and sucked to compliment the bubbly, citrus nature of the liquid. An Aural and taste sensation :D

Bath Christmas Market last Saturday...Worse than Oxford St!

Mulled Wine

The Soup kettles are out and its time for that classic winter warmer. This years recepie includes cloves, honey, cinnamon, orange, sugar, Bulleit Bourbon and a hearty 2009 Californian Cabernet Sauvignon. Its got great dryness that gives the classic mulled texture when drinking. The Whiskey is just for a nice kick!

......Some time passed

…..ok…So its been just under a month since I began writing this section and I have had no time to update it…….believe it or not its been hectic! The season descended upon the bar like a fly to sh*t and we’re already knackered  Nevertheless we are storming through with an abundance of fancy canapés and drinky treats for everyone. 

Here is our ‘12 Circo Days of Christmas Cocktails’  all these drinks have been created by the guys at the bar for the festive season and are available now…yum! (some of them are listed above too!) 

The staff brief was as follows ‘create a drink that reminds you of Christmas and partially relates to the song ‘The Twelve Days Of Christmas’’. Simples!

The Twelve Circo Days of Christmas

Martini in a Pear Tree

37.5ml Drambuie, 25ml Disaronno, 15ml Noisette Syrup, 25ml Cranberry

Served in a Martini Glass- Smooth and Nutty

Ten Nyakunu

Turtle Doves

25ml Crème d’Apricot, 25ml JD Honey, 25ml Cherry Marnier, Cherry Juice. Garnish with a cherry

Andy Stinchcombe

The Fratten

50ml Rumbullion, 12.5ml Antica Formula, 15ml Choya Sake, 2 drops Rhubarb Bitters.

Served in a Martini Glass. Smooth and light.

Jonny Collier

Royal Punch

25ml Kamm & Sons, 25ml Crème d’Cassis 60ml Cranberry, 15ml Lemon Juice

A real winter warmer- Served in a tall heat proof glass with an orange garnish.

Kataria Boriova

Geese a’ Layin

50ml Krupnick, 50ml Milk and Cream, 15ml Noisette Syrup, 15ml Stolichnaya Vanil, 15ml Vanilla Sugar, 1 Whole Egg.

A honey vodka flip! Served in a Coupette with a nutmeg garnish.

Isabella Newman

Swans Swimming

25ml Baileys, 15ml Illyquore, 25ml Cointreau, 25ml Vanilla Sugar,

Served in a Sugar rimmed glass with 3 coffee beans

Sarah Holdsworth

The Italian Dancing Lady

15ml Black Sambuca, 15ml Velvet Falernum, topped with Prosecco

Served in a Champagne Flute with a mint leaf garnish.

Jessica Walker

Leaping Williams

37.5ml Midori, 25ml Cacao Blanc, 25ml Apple Juice, Grenadine

Served in a Martini Glass with a sprinkle of cinnamon.

Milky Maids

25ml Baileys, 25ml Crème d’Cacao 25ml Peppermint Vert topped with Milk and Cream.

Served in a Coupette.

Sarah Holdsworth

Rum Drummer

25ml Pussers Rum, 25ml Mount Gay, 25ml Crème d’ Apricot, 15ml Lime Juice

Stirred with Sugar and Bitters

Served in a Tumbler on the rocks with an orange garnish

Isabella Newman

Hot Apple Punch

25ml Fireball, 15ml Courvosier V.S.O.P, 50ml Apple Juice, 15ml Lemon Juice

Served warm in a Heatproof Glass garnished with Apple slices.

Katarina Boriova

Bells Fiss

25ml Crème d’Apricot, 15ml Grapefruit Juice, Grapefruit Bitters and Champagne.

Served in a Flute with an Orange Wedge covered in Popping Candy

Isabella Newman

needless to say im pretty sure there is something there for everyone this season...and im so impressed at the enthusiasm of everyone at the bar. They love nothing better than being allowed to spend an quiet evening experimenting and testing out new ideas...

Looking to the New Year has already begun (believe it or not!) and I’ve decided that January and February are going to be focused on Cocktail and Food pairing with our chef Hannah Cowling.  Its time Bath saw somewhere that properly experiments with food and drink together so watch this space on future events and post festive delights. I might even slip in some molecular elements too.

However before all of this we have New Years Eve to think about! Circo is hosting the ‘Circo Cool Brittania Party’ Think Red carpet, Bearskins, Classic 30's Cocktails, prohibition style...

A very British drinks reception with Winter Pimms & Tanqueray and Tonic…even a Brass Band playing British Pop classics! It is going to be a night to remember. I will also be busting out the  ‘Aged-Viation’..the name for the Aged Cocktail that is still maturing away at the bar. Various quality control taste tests have ensured me that this bad boy is going to be a corker! The potency and sharpness of the Alcohol has dissipated to a smooth and dreamy concoction that’s going to be amazing on its own, let alone shaken into an Aviation.  The Marashino has really taken over the dominant flavour of the mixture and im excited to try the final product on NYE. (Might have to save some for the food pairing in Jan….would go nicely with some Kirsch Cherries!) 

All in all its pretty much go go go! See you in the New Year.

Fig and Absinth....YUM

Till next time.... Toodles

X BR