It isn’t a fully indulgent January until the double cream gets involved…
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Last week, we introduced the concept of “indulgent January” to our fellow sippers. This year, instead of compounding the bleakness of the month with a ban on cocktails, we’re doing the reverse: celebrating all that’s richly indulgent.
And when it comes to richly indulgent, you can’t do much better than cream based cocktails. Below, we’ve handpicked a number of recipes both classic (there’s nothing like a Ramos Gin Fizz, provided you’ve got the arm strength) and modern (a warming cup of chai tastes even more delicious with a cheeky addition of gin). The ultimate in cosy comfort, these velvety drinks can be sipped for dessert…or, really, any time you like. That, dear sippers, is the beauty of indulgent January.
Ramos Gin Fizz
When it comes to classic cream based cocktails, you simply can’t overlook the Ramos Gin Fizz. Invented in the 1880s in New Orleans, it’s creamy, citrusy, and floral (courtesy of the orange flower water) all at once.
1 tbs simple syrup (1:1)
15ml fresh lemon juice
15ml fresh lime juice
1 fresh egg white
30ml double cream
3 drops orange flower water
30ml soda, chilled
First, the dry shake: combine all ingredients except the soda, and shake without ice to help emulsify the cream and the egg. Add ice to the shaker and shake again for a few minutes more (until your strength runs out). Strain into a glass, top with soda and stir very briefly to combine.
Café de Paris Cocktail
A wee drop of anisette lends this lightly creamy drink a deliciously French inspiration.
45ml Sipsmith London Dry Gin
1 tsp anisette
1/2 egg white
1 tsp double cream
Dry shake ingredients to emulsify egg white. Add ice and shake again. Strain into a chilled cocktail glass.
Gin Chai Latte
A chai latte is lovely any time of year, but it’s especially welcome in January, when its warmth and bold spice together take their pickaxes to the winter chill. Only the addition of gin is capable of improving this tipple.
75ml milk
25ml double cream
A teaspoon each of ground ginger, cardamom, cinnamon, fennel, black pepper, and nutmeg
5 star anises
3 cloves
50ml Sipsmith London Dry Gin
Mix the milk and cream and gently heat in a pan with the spices. Strain, and pour over ice. Add gin, and garnish with a mint leaf.
White Russian
It may live in kitsch infamy, but the White Russian is one of the most classic cream based cocktails out there – and one of the most delicious, too. Sipsmith Sipping Vodka serves as a beautiful backbone for this utterly indulgent serve.
22ml Kahlúa
22ml double cream
Shake all three ingredients well with cracked ice, then strain into a chilled Old-Fashioned glass.
Cream Gin Fizz
Like the Ramos Gin Fizz, just not quite as hard on the arms. The Cream Gin Fizz is a perfect go-to for those after a creamy gin drink – and, given that milk is used in place of actual cream, it’s a bit lighter, too.
45ml Sipsmith London Dry Gin
45ml milk
60ml freshly squeezed lime juice
3 tsp sugar
30ml soda
Dissolve sugar in lime juice, then place in a cocktail shaker along with gin, milk and plenty of ice. Shake well. Pour into a tall glass, leaving a little room on top. Add soda water. Stir quickly to make it foam, then serve immediately.
Feature image © Ekaterina Molchanova/iStock
