4 Easy Recipes To Celebrate World Cocktail Day - Cheers!
It's been a long WFH day. Hell, it's been a long WFH month! Kee chiu if you, too, can't tell what day it is. Or if you're on leave. Or if it's a public holiday.
But there's cause for celebration: You're safe!
And there's no better day than today to drink to the fact that you've stuck to - and survived - the "circuit breaker" since it came into effect in Singapore on 7 Apr 2020. Why? Because it's World Cocktail Day!
On this day, 214 years ago, the word "cocktail" appeared in print in the US publication "The Balance and Columbian Repository" and was defined jokingly as such:
"Cock tail, then in a stimulating liquor, composed of spirits of any kind, sugar, water and bitters it is vulgarly called a bittered sling, and is supposed to be an excellent electioneering potion inasmuch as it renders the heart stout and bold, at the same time that it fuddles the head. It is said also, to be of great use to a democratic candidate: because, a person having swallowed a glass of it, is ready to swallow any thing else."
Furthermore, according to the Oxford English Dictionary, the word "cocktail" was used in horse-racing to refer to "a racehorse which is not a thoroughbred; a horse of mixed or inferior breed".
So, to celebrate over two centuries of using "inferior bitters" to make us, well, less bitter, we ask Peter Chua - the head bartender at Junior The Pocket Bar and Asia Brand Ambassador of Venezuelan rum brand Diplomático - to show us 4 easy and delicious cocktail recipes to get us through any tough WFH day.
Happy World Cocktail Day! Cheers!
1. Daiquiri
Peter says:
"A delicious marriage of rum, lime and sugar, the Daiquiri is the easiest and tastiest cocktail to make at home. Sometimes during a busy shift, I will make half-sized Daiquiris and drink them as shots with the team to boost flustered spirits. We call these shots 'Snack-quiris'."
Ingredients:
- 50ml Diplomático Planas
- 25ml Fresh lime juice
- 20ml Sugar syrup (equal parts white castor sugar and water. Stir sugar and water over heat till sugar is completely dissolved)
- Small pinch of table salt
Method:
Shake and strain into a cocktail glass.
Garnish:
None.
2. Dark & Stormy
Peter says:
"When layered properly, the Dark & Stormy lives up to its namesake. When I first started bartending and learned how to make the cocktail, I was proud of how well I could layer the ingredients. To be honest, that's purely for aesthetics and the drink tastes best when all the ingredients are incorporated. Hence, mixing them up is necessary. Be prepared to see your hard work go down the drain."
Ingredients:
- 50ml Diplomático Mantuano
- 15ml Fresh lime juice
- 150ml Ginger beer
Method:
Build everything over ice into a highball/collins glass. For aesthetic purposes, first pour in the ginger beer, then carefully pour in the lime juice so it floats above the ginger beer. Finally, carefully pour the rum on the top to create a pousse-café effect (a drink of liqueurs of different colours in unmixed layers).
Garnish:
Lime wedge and sprig of rosemary/mint.
3. Diplomático Old Fashioned
Peter says:
"The Old Fashioned is a simple formula of sugar, bitters, water and spirit of any kind. It is also a drink that can easily be messed up if not executed properly. I used to enjoy making Old Fashioned's when I was starting out as it allowed me to show off my ice-cutting skills. Then I got lazy and also, we can now pay ice companies to cut the ice into the exact size we want. God bless technology!"
Ingredients:
- 50ml Diplomático Reserva Exclusiva
- 5ml Sugar Syrup
- 2 dashes of Chocolate bitters
- 1 dash of Angostura Bitters
Method:
Stir over ice and strain over a fresh fancy big chunk of ice. If not, stirring all the ingredients in a rocks glass over ice is suffice.
Garnish:
Orange peel.
4. Diplo & Co
Peter says:
"This drink was inspired by my love of Daiquiris and Piña Coladas. I was on a rum cocktail binge one day and decided that I wanted to have both of those cocktails in one glass, and that was how this drink was made. Best drunk listening to Rupert Holmes' "Escape": If you like Piña Coladas... "
Ingredients:
- 50ml of Diplomático Planas
- 20ml of Fresh pineapple juice
- 15ml of Fresh lime juice
- 15ml of Sugar Syrup
- 5ml of Coconut Liqueur (Something like Malibu or Koko Kanu works)
- Small pinch of salt
Method:
Shake and strain into a cocktail glass.
Garnish:
Something pretty. I like using pineapples or edible flowers.
The bloke behind the bar
In 2014, Peter Chua, who is 32 this year, put Singapore on the world map when he poured and mixed his way to the global finals of the Diageo Reserve World Class cocktail competition, which is considered one of the most prestigious international bartending competitions held in Edinburgh and London. Until then, no Singaporean had achieved that result. The following year and in 2017, he did the same in the Bacardi Legacy and Diplomático World Tournament, respectively.
Bartending aside, Peter is also a musician. His dad - whom he was named after (yes, they have the same name!) - was a professional musician and a one-time Talentime winner. Watch them do awesome Everly Brothers covers here.
Get cocktails and grub from Junior The Pocket Bar delivered to your doorstep during the CB
Celebrating a special occasion or just simply wanna celebrate making it through another harrowing WFH week? Check out "Junior At Home", launched by Junior The Pocket Bar on 9 Apr 2020 in reaction to the Circuit Breaker, so that we can enjoy Junior's bottled cocktails and DIY food kits in the comfort - and, more importanly, safety of our own homes.
To roder, simply drop the team a message via Instagram, or SMS, WhatsApp or call them at +65 8121 1462. All orders made before 6pm will see same-day delivery. After that, Grab couriers or self-collection can be arranged until 10pm. Free delivery is available for orders that are $130 and above.
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