Pick of the recipes

RUSSIAN ROULETTE: Jane Murray, a director of insight2market, a sensory and consumer science consultancy, recommends soaking three or four dried sweet-sour plums (which can be found in delicatessens or Asian supermarkets) in 40 millilitres of boiling water with two tablespoons of honey. Stir and leave for 5-10 minutes. Then put 60 millilitres of unsweetened mango puree in a shaker and add 60 millilitres of vodka, 90 millilitres of ginger beer and the plum honey water. Top up with ice, shake hard and serve in a glass with three black olives on a skewer. The cocktail should be served very cold, she says.

SANGRIA: For red wine, Tom Gibson, founder of events management agency Sydney Bartenders, recommends going large on citrus – lemons, limes – and adding some apple. With a rose wine, it’s better to bring out the berry flavours. “I put in some strawberries, even mint, and lemon.” And with a white wine, it’s good to go with a herbaceous, crisp flavour. Gibson recommends a good sauvignon blanc, with slices of cucumber, some mint, lemonade and dry vermouth.

WIMBLEDON MARTINI: Mixologist at the Hilton Sydney’s Zeta Bar, Grant Collins, recommends taking 50 millilitres of vodka, 20 millilitres of strawberry liqueur, 30 millilitres of strawberry puree and a dash of sugar syrup. “Muddle/shake/strain into a martini glass, garnish with a champagne emulsion and candied strawberry,” he says. The champagne emulsion can be made with a mix of 70 per cent sparkling wine, 30 per cent sweetening agent, such as lemonade, mixed with 30 millilitres of egg white. “Give it a really good whisk . . . scoop the bubbles off the top,” Collins says.

“The champagne and strawberries combination . . . it is an all-time classic!”

BLUEBERRY BELLINIS: Gibson makes these for the family on Christmas morning. Blend frozen blueberries with sugar and lemon juice, making a puree that goes in the bottom of a champagne glass. Top up with sparkling wine.

BRW

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