Claret snapping

It’s hard being me. I went on yet another shopping trip yesterday to restock the pantry to feed my voracious teenagers. When I got home, I checked my emails and found a message reminding me that I had a virtual cocktail making class at 6pm.

I’d totally forgotten, despite there being an actual paper diary sitting beside my computer, purchased to avoid such situations.

The cocktail making class required a shopping list of ingredients, including lemons, raspberries and passionfruit gelato.

Fark! Passionfruit gelato isn’t a stable in our house, so I had to mask up and dash to my local IGA, which didn’t have any, only mango. I shrugged my shoulders and got that. I figured they were both tropical.

The event was to promote making cocktails with wine. It was organised by Taylor Made Wines, part of South Australia’s Taylors Wines group.

The hosts were Will Oxenham from one of Sydney’s hottest bars, Maybe Sammy, and the lovely Will Stewart, who I met a few months ago when Sydneysiders were allowed out, at the launch of Taylors Masterstroke Collection.

Will made a comment about being 57 … and I replied that he didn’t look a day over 47. He gasped and said he was 45 and had been joking. And I blushed with absolute horror at my faux pas.

Anyways, last night’s cocktails were soooooo good. I thought the one with sorbet was my favourite, until I tried the Claret Snap. The Claret Snap was a revelation, even better than Tommy’s Margaritas, which were my previous new favourite drink. You’ll find the recipes below.

I was a little sozzled after making and drinking two cocktails, but there were two voracious teenagers to be fed, so I grilled lamb koftas and served them with pitas, eggplant hummus and tabouli.

Dinner was a bit of a blur and got even more confusing when the children started speaking in Swedish to each other.

It turns out the eldest is doing minimal HSC study, but maximum learning of Swedish in bed during lockdown. I have no idea why.

As for the youngest, she was previously learning Swedish because she wanted to be a Swedish exchange student. But COVID-19 has put the kibosh on that. The youngest has become completely disinterested in doing any more high school than is absolutely necessary. I’m so glad my ex was the one handling all those now-completely-pointless conversations with exchange student programs.

So they were Børk, Børk, Børking away to each other while I felt like I was in an episode of The Twilight Zone. Surreal.

Anyways, here are the cocktails I made …

Passionfruit Sgroppino

1 scoop/40g passionfruit sorbet
20ml gin
15ml Aperol
10ml cacao syrup
Pinch sea salt
90ml Taylor Made Prosecco

METHOD: Take a nice scoop of sorbet, and put it in a bowl – best to use a metal mixing bowl. Add the Aperol,
salt, sugar, and gin. Use a whisk to break up the sorbet for a few seconds, and combine the liquids.
Once it has broken down a little, add half the prosecco, and whisk a to combine – it should be getting
frothy, and be harmonious by now. Add the last of the prosecco, and whisk gently for two seconds to
combine. Pour gently into a chilled wine glass and try not to drink it all in one big gulp!

Claret Snap

Ice
30ml gin
30ml Taylor Made Malbec
20ml lemon juice
20ml cacao syrup
3 fresh raspberries

METHOD: Simply build all ingredients in the shaker and shake HARD to break up those raspberries. Strain through
the shaker strainer and the supplied tea strainer to remove any raspberry bits as you pour the drink into
the chilled glass of your choice. Looks delicious with a skewered raspberry on top for garnish.

This is what the Claret Snap looks like when it’s made by an expert: