As always we’re now going to take a closer look at what China has added to Bombay Sapphire – Liquorice.
Liquorice roots add depth to the lighter flavours of the other botanicals. Only the finest root is ground into a fine powder and used in the distillation process, accentuating this cool and highly distinctive aspect. It releases an aroma reminiscent of anise and fennel but is considered stronger. Liquorice helps to bind together the other botanical flavours.
The Greek word for Liquorice is “sweet root”. It was founded in the tomb of Tutankhamun. It is considered by experts in their field to be neither sweet, sour, salty or bitter and has a slightly different effect for all who taste it.
Before you know it we are in China for a visit to our penultimate region and botanical – China and Liquorice.
China has one of the world’s oldest civilizations.. It has archaeological evidence dating back over 5,000 years. It also has one of the world’s oldest written language systems, and is viewed as the source of many major inventions. Historically, China’s cultural sphere has extended across East Asia as a whole, with Chinese religion, customs, and writing systems being adopted to varying degrees by neighbours such as Japan, Korea and Vietnam.
China is one of the most culturally diverse places on the planet, steeped in religion and history, so let us know about your own experiences of China as the Bombay Sapphire Dusk Bar digs deep into the interesting cultural life side of China.
We will be staying in China for a couple of weeks, so make sure you stop by again soon!
“One must still have chaos in oneself to be able to give birth to a dancing star.” – Nietzche – Thus Spoke Zarathustra
If Java were a country it would be the second most densely populated country in the world after Bangladesh. It is the most populous island in the World and houses almost two-thirds of the Indonesia’s population. The product of geological chaos; Java is formed from a series of volcanoes. Historically, Java has been imbued by a melting pot of influences, once the centre of powerful Hindu kingdoms, Islamic sultanates, and the core of the colonial Dutch East Indies, it now plays a crucial economic and political role as Indonesia’s capital.
I was fascinated when I came across this beautiful historic clip of Betawia, depicting the Dutch colonial capital from 1910, complete with horse drawn carriages and steam trains.
As the saying goes, “that was then and this is now”. Watching the beautiful flux and chaos captured in this clip: “Jakarta in 12 hours” makes for quite a contrast. This traveller’s clip takes in Batawia, various markets and the last commercial cargo sailing port of Sunda Kelapa. I must say I’m most impressed by their Carpe Diem attitude!
As promised the newest addition to the Dusk Bar is here – The Bombay Sapphire Berry Spice.
Taking Bombay Sapphire, lemon juice, sugar and rose syrups, this cocktail is spiced up by shaking it with pepper corns which relay the origin of the drink. Once shaken being left with a light foam on top helps to bring all the flavours together as one.
To make your own Bombay Sapphire add 50ml Bombay Sapphire, 25ml fresh lemon juice, 10ml chilled sugar syrup* 10ml rose water and 4 grinds of black pepper into a shaker. Add ice, shake & strain into a chilled martini glass. Garnish with a grind of black pepper.
(*2 parts caster sugar to 1 part hot water)
A botanical fresh from our latest stop Java, the climbing cubeb plant bears strong smelling berries which, when crushed and infused in Bombay Sapphire, add a distinctive peppery aroma. These work well in combination with both the Angelica and Orris root botanicals while contributing primarily to the wonderful spicy finish of Bombay Sapphire. Cubeb Berries are actually grown extensively in coffee plantations, well shaded and supported by the coffee trees. They are related to black pepper and also known as “Java Pepper”.
As always when we travel to a new region we bring you a beautifully crafted cocktail and this week is no different. The Bombay Berry Spice has landed in the Bombay Sapphire Dusk Bar.
Java is Indonesia’s fifth-largest island and our next stop on our botanical travels. Its 120 million people make up 65% of Indonesia’s entire population, and makes Java the most populated island in the world.
Java offers everything a somewhat adventurous traveller is looking for; volcanoes, rainforests, tea and rice plantations, large cities, big waves and even a savannah. The scenery in Java is spectacular and, while the island is overpopulated, there are still plenty of little spots that remain unspoilt. Even though the beaches are not very appealing in Java and tides can be fatal, in nearby archipelagos like Pulau Seribu or Karimunjawa the traveller can find white sand beaches and corals islands.
This is definitely an area that delivers an eclectic mix of scenery, culture and conditions, which should mean a lot to discover over the next week.
Captivated by the beauty of the image in our last post, I decided Vietnam warranted a little further investigation! Searching around Halong Bay (a Vietnamese UNESCO World Heritage site) on Flickr rewarded me with this fantastic shot.
Browsing further I came across this amazing shot of fishermen at work. The colours are simply enchanting!
Kudos to the photographer ‘Sido’. She’s got a plethora of great images from her travels on her photo set which can be browsed through here.
Incorporating Bombay Sapphire Gin, grapefruit & lemon juices, Maraschino Liqueur and sugar syrup, the Bombay Sapphire Cinnamon Swirl takes its link to the Cassia Bark botanical through the addition of cinnamon syrup which comes through beautifully at the end of each sip. A mellow, well balanced cocktail perfectly suited to Bombay Sapphire.
To create your own Bombay Sapphire Cinnamon Swirl you will need the following ingredients; 50ml Bombay Sapphire Gin, White Grapefruit Juice, 15ml Lemon Juice, 10ml Maraschino Liqueur, 5ml Sugar Syrup and 5ml Monin Cinnamon Syrup.
Muddle 4 fresh de-stoned cherries in a shaker (a great alternative to maraschino liqueur). Add 50ml Bombay Sapphire, 20ml white grapefruit juice, 15ml fresh lemon juice & 10ml chilled cinnamon syrup. Add ice, shake & strain into chilled martini glass. Garnish with a cinnamon stick broken in half lengthways. It’s as easy as that!
The tropics of Indo-China are the source of the delicately flavoured bark of the cassia tree. Its light cinnamon flavour adds a warm hint of spice and a touch of sweetness to the botanical mix. It is reminiscent of cinnamon (to which it is related) but its overall effect is much mellower.
Cassia Bark is also used to flavour many types of food including an authentic Biryani in India. It is also known as Chinese cinnamon and is one of the oldest of all spices in the world. It was first recorded in China in 2500BC.
To bring this botanical to life Oskar Kinberg (Head Bartender) from London’s Cuckoo Club has created the Bombay Sapphire Cinnamon Swirl.
Indo-China is not a place in the world that will be familiar to many people, but one that manages to fuse together two very distinct cultures. Indo-China lies roughly east of India and south of China. The word has French origins, Indochine, and was adopted when French colonizers in Vietnam began expanding their territory to bordering countries.
The Bombay Sapphire Dusk Bar will look to feed your knowledge of this eclectic and intriguing area through the introduction of our next botanical Cassia Bark. Let us know you’re experiences of Indo-China by joining us on Twitter and Facebook, or even uploaded some images to our Flickr albums.
