Mixologist Dominic Jones of Aquarius Bar at Kitlake Farm near Crediton has revealed six new cocktails created especially for Christmas. Dominic, who originally trained as a barista and cocktail waiter at Jamie’s, designed the festive drinks around the theme of nostalgia.
“This seems to me to be a year that we all need to remember good feelings, so I really wanted these cocktails to evoke thoughts of Christmas through the years. To me, they each represent memories and impressions of the season.”
‘Fireplace’ for example is a warming drink with spiced rum and brandy that glows bright red and gold bringing to mind cosy fires and stockings hanging ready for Santa whilst ‘Jack Frost’ is a mischievous bright blue cocktail topped with a scoop of vanilla ice cream over a combination of coconut rum and coconut tequila, triple sec and fresh lime.
“It was fun to sit and think about all the different colours and flavours that I associate with Christmas. There are so many and I hope I’ve created choices for everyone who loves this time of year.”
Dominic says that the reds and greens of holly inspired ‘Deck the Halls’ which includes port and cranberry juice, vibrant melon liqueur and locally sourced lemon & lime gin from Torquay, whilst memories of the classic Christmas sweet are evident in ‘The Not Quite Chocolate Orange’, a martini-inspired mix of small batch mandarin and jasmine gin with French triple sec and Otter Vale spiced rum marmalade. Another chocolate-inspired drink ‘Before 9’ offers a decadent twist on the classic after dinner mint, whilst ‘Christmas Nights’ features an Owens Gara Blend espresso with Baileys and Disaronno Cream.
Mindful of drivers and non-drinkers, Dominic has also created a festive mocktail, which he’s called ‘Sugar, Spice and All Things Nice’. A winning combination of cherry syrup, orange juice and cinnamon sugar, this refreshing drink with its warm glow really brings the seasonal spices of Christmas to the fore.
As well as serving these festive cocktails to customers, Dominic is happy to share his expertise through cocktail making classes and live sessions on the Aquarius social media sites Facebook and Instagram.
(Image credit: Matt Round.)
