A Smooth Daiquiri

45mls bacardi White rum
30mls fresh lime juice
15mls simple syrup
a teaspoon of egg white

Shake all ingredients vigorously over ice and strain into a cocktail glass.

A Daiquiri, but with egg-white in it. I guess you could call it a rum sour.

This version is deliciously smooth, without adding in some other fruit that takes the rum/lime original flavour away from the drink.

I have made many a flavoured daiquiri, but never had too much time for the original. Although I am a big Hemingway fan, and that makes me want to like the original, just-as-Hemingway-would-have-it version, it is just a bit too strong than my appetite for white rum allows.

I am terrifically lazy, so instead of fresh lime juice, I am using lime juice ice that I squeezed fresh and froze into approx 30mls cubes. This means that there is no lime peel oil which probably takes a little zest away from the drink, but the convenience might be worth it, especially if you want lime juice in the months when limes are freakishly expensive.

Classic Manhattan

glass: martini
garnish: a cherry. I use glace cherries on toothpicks that I buy from coles supermarket. They are dark, almost brownish in colour and very 'natural' tasting. The garnish is surprisingly important in this drink.

60mls Bourbon or Rye
30mls Red Vermouth
A dash of orange bitters

Stir over ice for 30 seconds and strain into the glass.

My Grandma's Sidecar

glass: old fashioned
garnish: garnish? Does grandma look soft to you?


60ml Brandy
30ml Cointreau
30ml lime juice

Shake over ice and strain into a glass.

Istanbul Iced Tea

Glass: Collins

Garnish: 2 lemon wedges

45ml Citrus vodka
45ml Scotch
60ml Lipton Lemon Iced Tea
60 ml Karişik Nektar
a splash of Coca Cola

Shake all ingredients except the coca-cola over ice and pour into a cold glass. Add the Coca-Cola and garnish with the lemon wedge.

In Istanbul in summer it is hot and sticky and busy. So is this drink. 'Karisik' is Turkish for mixed, I don't know if you can get this kind of juice anywhere else in the world, but substitute apricot nectar (or failing that, brekky juice) and you are getting the idea.I