May 21, 2019 - 5:09 pm
With our 11th consecutive Royal Academy of Arts Summer Exhibition Preview Party coming up we wanted to share our top ten favourite drink recipes from our first decade at the RA. Since 2008 we have created – nay, curated (it is the SEPP, after all) – 70-odd unique DrinksFusion potions that over the years adds up to 16,000+ drinks.
And very special drinks they have been.
Thanks to the support from our friends at Amathus drinks we have had the privilege to work with some outstanding artisan craft products over the years, a special thanks to producers like Spirit of Hven, Van Wees Distillery, Alipus Mezcal Joseph Cartron, Marolo, and Château de Laubade
Read on and satisfy your inner drinks geek!
Linie aquavit original from Norway shaken with Lapponia Finnish seabuckthorn liqueur, a touch of Cálem white and dry port and fresh lemon, seasoned with a hint of peat and served straight up.
Served back in 2014 this refreshing tipple took its inspiration from the coastal lines of the North Sea, full of character and simple to make.
Recipe
40ml Linie aquavit original
20ml Lapponia seabuckthorn liqueur
35ml Cálem white and dry port wine
30ml freshly pressed lemon juice
10ml Talisker 10yr whisky
sprig tarragon
5ml honey
All shaken vigorously with ice and served straight up
Spirit of Hven organic gin infused with butterfly pear flower shaken with fresh lemon juice, a hint of Joseph Cartron triple sec curaçao, “Gypsy Sour Cherry” palinka from Hungary and egg-white, served straight up
A take on the classic “White Lady” this was a very colourful yet simple and elegant drink, served in 2017
Recipe
30ml Hven organic gin
10ml Joseph Cartron triple sec curaçao
20ml “Gypsy Sour Cherry” palinka
10ml egg-white
30ml freshly pressed lemon juice
10ml simple syrup to taste
All shaken vigorously with ice and served straight up
Infusion: 500ml Hven gin with 2g butterfly pea flower
Bobby’s Schiedam dry gin, Joseph Cartron ratafia de Bourgogne liqueur, pressed victorian pineapple and citrus juice. Seasoned with vanilla, lemongrass and ratafia liqueur served long over ice with a splash of mineral water. Garnished with a golden pineapple leaf, orchid and pineapple mint leaf
Created for the “Summer of Colour” theme in 2015, this is a colourful and vibrant blend with flavours from Southeast Asia
Recipe
40ml Bobby’s Schiedam dry gin
20ml Joseph Cartron ratafia de Bourgogne liqueur
50ml pressed pineapple juice
10ml kalamansi lime
15ml freshly pressed lemon juice
dash Angostura bitter
50ml sparkling water
15ml lemongrass syrup to taste
All shaken vigorously with ice and served over ice garnished with orchids and golden pineapple leaf.
Read more about the “Summer of Colour” party back in 2015
Château du Breuil calvados VSOP and Hven organic Summer Spirit shaken with fresh citrus and a hint of white peach infused Lillet rosé, sweetened with Clément sirop de canne spiced syrup, seasoned with peach and hops bitters, served straight up and scented with orange blossom
Late summer flavour of apples, peaches rhubarb and elderflower was the main characteristics of this tipple served at the 2016 party.
Recipe
30ml Château du Breuil calvados VSOP
15ml Hven Organic Summer Spirit
20ml Lillet rosé infused with white peaches
20ml mandarin and lime shrub
dash Angostura bitter
50ml sparkling water
15ml Clément sirop de canne
All shaken vigorously with ice and served over ice garnished with orchids and golden pineapple leaf.
A summer blend of Marolo grappa di moscato and Van Wees Amsterdamsche old genever, Ferdinand’s Saar Dry Slate Riesling vermouth, Moscato Di’Asti wine, a touch of Marolo chamomile liqueur and earl grey tea, sweetened with homemade wild nettle cordial and seasoned with wormwood, wine rose and lavender bitters,
served over nettle and fennel flower infused ice cubes
This take on a traditional wine punch was a real crowd pleaser, served up in the VIP bar back in 2016 over hand made botanical-infused ice
Recipe (serving of 25)
250ml Marolo grappa di moscato
250ml Van Wees Amsterdamsche old genever
250ml Dry Slate Riesling vermouth
200ml Marolo chamomile liqueur
700ml Moscato Di’Asti wine
50ml Cour de Genepie Dolin blanc
1.5-litre earl grey tea
250-300ml homemade wild nettle cordial
Dilute all in a punch bowl and serve over the botanical ice, add a drop of wine rose and lavender bitters
A Nordic summer blend of Hven organic vodka and Summer Spirit shaken with pressed lemon juice, rosé wine infused with wild strawberries, raspberries, bitter orange and rose petals
Served straight up scented with lemon balm
This drink served for the 250th anniversary of the RA back in 2018 really was summer in a glass, with “Smultron” being the Swedish word for wild strawberry.
Recipe
35ml Hven organic vodka
15ml Hven organic Summer Spirit
30ml Smultron infused pinot noir rosé wine
25ml freshly pressed lemon juice
10ml lemon balm syrup to taste
All shaken vigorously with ice and served straight up
Infusion: Leave 100g wild strawberries, 50g raspberries, 10g rose petals and 200g raw sugar in 750ml pinot noir rosé wine for 10 days.
Alipus San Baltazar Mezcal, Joseph Cartron triple sec curaçao and prickly pear, served long over ice
Charged with fresh pink grapefruit soda, sweetened with a touch of agave syrup.
Seasoned with hibiscus bitters, garnished with dragon fruit, grapefruit-mint and a fuchsia flower
Also created for the “Summer of Colour” theme in 2015, this is a colourful and powerful, yet refreshing blend of flavours from South America.
Recipe
40ml Alipus San Baltazar mezcal
20ml Joseph Cartron triple sec curaçao
40ml prickly pear
10ml freshly pressed lime juice
50ml homemade pink grapefruit soda
10ml agave syrup to taste
2 drops homemade hibiscus bitter
Served long over ice with colourful garnish.
Aromatic foam: A blend of xanthan gum and high-foaming agent
Château de Laubade AOC blanche Armagnac and Floc de Gascogne shaken with fresh citrus and a hint of flure de figue from province and merlot syrup. Served straight up and garnished with a hand-painted aromatic foam.
Created for the 250th anniversary of the RA back in 2018 we really wanted to reflect the art element in drinks creation with this tipple.
Recipe
30ml Château de Laubade AOC blanche armagnac
25ml Chataue Labaud Floc de Gascogne
15ml flure de figue
25ml freshly pressed lemon juice
10ml homemade merlot syrup
All shaken vigorously with ice and served straight up with aromatic foam with edible paint
A colourful blend of Hven organic navy strength gin and Van Wees yuzu liqueur shaken with Cap Corse grand reserve Corsican blanc aperitif, a hint of silver birch and clarified lemon and cucumber juice, served long over midsummer infused ice cubes.
This drink really is all about celebrating summer, created for the 2018’s 250th anniversary of the RA, it’s striking with its colourful ice cubes, infused with British summer botanicals and wild strawberries. All completely visible due to the clarified juices.
Recipe
30ml Hven organic navy strength gin
15ml Van Wees yuzu liqueur
30ml Cap Corse grand reserve Corsican blanc aperitif
15ml clarified fresh lemon juice
30ml cucumber juice
20ml fermented silver birch
All shaken vigorously and served long over ice
Clarification: Juices are clarified with agar-agar
A forage inspired tipple made of Hven organic gin shaken with Cálem white and dry port, Dolin Genepie liqueur pressed lemon and dandelion, sweetened with Borage honey, seasoned with tonic biters and fennel. Served straight up with a purple and gold beetroot dust.
Also created in 2018 for the RA’s 250th year we took the lost art of wild foraging as an inspiration for this flavourful drink
Recipe
35ml Hven organic gin
20ml Cálem white and dry port
15ml Coeur de genepie Dolin, gold
15ml borage honey and dandelion syrup
25ml freshly pressed lemon juice
dash tonic bitter
fresh wild fennel flower
All shaken vigorously with ice, serve straight up in a beetroot dusted glass.
Beetroot: dehydrated beetroot that is then pulverised
Syrup: mix three parts honey to one part water. Add dandelion to taste
Ten years of creating unique drinks for one of London most prestigious social events has been really inspiring, motivating and at points challenging!
It has given us a chance to progress as a business and also have a finger on the pulse of the global cocktail scene and its evolvement. Choosing the ten favourite drinks has been difficult as there has been so many, and they all have had a place to fill each year, reflecting the Royal Academy’s concept.
I also like to say thanks to the fantastic partners we have worked alongside over the years, whether it be the stunning bars designed by Fisher Productions, the amazing food stations and canapes from Rocket Food and William Norris & Co and the great DJ’s and bands from Velvet Entertainment.
And most of all a big thanks to the Royal Academy of Arts Events Team!
We’re looking forward to working with you all on future projects!
Have a great summer!
