Earlier this summer we were invited by Scottish distillery Glen Moray to take part in their latest campaign by devising some suitably summery cocktails based on their Elgin Classic whisky. For whisky fans like us, this was an honour, not least because Glen Moray was one of the first tastes of single malt whisky each of us enjoyed over 30 years ago (Rich thinks it was the first single malt he tried, Nick reckons about the third).
In some ways, this isn’t all that surprising – Glen Moray has a proud history and would’ve been an easy to find brand all those years ago, and the easy going charms of its classic Speyside expression makes it an ideal entry level whisky. It’s also the same light-drinking but flavoursome quality that is ideal for summer cocktail sipping, so we each spent some time with a bottle and came up with a pair of recipes using home grown ingredients that are abundant during the summer months.
You can find out more about our recipes, and those from other chefs and drinks makers, on the website https://www.glenmoraysummer.co.uk/. They even sent a professional film-maker round to Nick’s garden to produce videos of us making the cocktails. You can view them on our Youtube channel HERE but if you would rather not witness that spectacle then we’ve reproduced the recipes below.
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Glen Moray Summer cocktail recipes
Rhubarb Whisky Sour
Raid the garden to make this fresh, flavourful rhubarb syrup, then shake with Glen Moray for a summery take on a classic whisky cocktail.
First, make some rhubarb syrup…
Rhubarb Syrup ingredients
500g rhubarb stalks, cut into chunks
A thumb-sized piece of fresh ginger, grated
400g caster sugar
Juice of 1 lemon
600ml water
Method
Put all ingredients into a large pan. Bring to the boil, then simmer for 30 minutes until the rhubarb is soft. Remove from heat and strain with a sieve into another pan. Cool and pour into sterilised bottles or jars. Makes 800ml and keeps in fridge for up to one month.
And the ingredients to make one Glen Moray Rhubarb Whisky Sour…
50ml Glen Moray Elgin Classic
25ml lemon juice
25ml rhubarb syrup
1/2 white from a fresh egg
Method
Shake all ingredients vigorously in a cocktail shaker with a good scoop of ice. Strain into a chilled glass and enjoy.
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Rosemary Old Fashioned
Perfect for summer drinking, these easy to make rosemary bitters are swirled with Glen Moray for a sweet, summery, scented cocktail.
First make yourself some rosemary bitters…
Rosemary Bitters ingredients
200ml Glen Moray Elgin Classic
A small handful of rosemary
5 juniper berries
3 allspice berries
1 tsp coriander seeds
Method
Place all the ingredients in a clean, sterilised glass jar with a tight fitting lid. Fix the lid and give the jar a good shake. Set aside for one to two weeks, shaking daily, until you’re happy with the concentration of flavours. When ready, strain through a muslin cloth into a clean jar or bottle, squeezing out every last drop of flavour.
And the ingredients to make the Glen Moray Rosemary Old Fashioned
50ml Glen Moray Elgin Classic
1 teaspoon simple sugar syrup
1 teaspoon rosemary bitters
Ice
Sprig of rosemary to garnish
Method
Mix the syrup and bitters together in an Old Fashioned glass then fill with ice and give the glass a swirl. Pour over the whisky and add a few rosemary tips as a garnish. You can adjust the taste with more or less spruce bitters according to your preference.
