Mint Juleps

Tonight I watched a few Juleps being made and I thought to myself. Wow what a fantastic drink. Soft and sweet, there is something so alluring about a mint julep. Maybe it is the green mint that draws in the eye. Or the shiny julep cup, I know one thing for certain more people should be drinking well made Mint Juleps!


Shiny, silver cup
I'm drawn to your glow

He works it deep, pressing and shaping
Never tearing or discarding
The evergreen mint

Bourbon flows ,Golden and honeyed
And sweet on the nose
Hints of vanilla, charred oak too

Shiny, silver cup
I'm drawn to your glow

The ice melts in protest, trickling and cold
Working its magic, frosting as it goes
Helping to provoke a taste that is pure

Shiny, silver cup
I'm drawn to your glow

A bouquet of mint sprigs
Tender and young, leave a pleasing aroma
On the nose, enhancing the taste
On the tongue

It's not the derby, it's just and ordinary night
But it is a humbling sight, to watch a ritual
Tried and true, to pass it from me too you

Shiny, silver cup
I'm drawn to your glow


"This is a Hayden Lambert original poem and cannot be reproduced without his permission"


Cheers laco for the photo, check out the link below making a mint julep! Yip me making a julep. The camera work is poor due to my stupidty and people claim that I have far too much mint in it! You decide enjoy.
Me making a julep

Erins Delight

One of the first cocktail comps I entered, was Martin Millers gin comp. I was shaking and I was so nervous that I completely screwed the whole thing up! My cocktail was named "Erin's Delight" a combination of gin and creme De cacao. It was based loosely on the "Pegu Club"cocktail. I named it after my lovely wife who loves gin but I know she love's me more!


Erin, Erin you burn so bright, you light my way
Day and night, I bask in your warmth and your
flowing dark hair.

Knowing the feeling you will always be there
To share in my good, my bad, my happy and sad
To lift my spirits when I'm down trodden and blue
I could love no one else but you

Erin, Erin you burn so bright,you are my one
And only constant delight


To recreate “Erin's Delight” take one hot and fiery Northern Irish lass
marry her in a blasé of fire and brimstone add a little chocolate and a dash of lime.

“Not all wild things need to be tamed”

Erins Delight#1
Into a boston add:
40mls Martin Millers Westbourne Strenght
10mls Creme de cacao white
25mls fresh lime juice
15mls Homemade corriander syrup
1-dash peychaud bitters
Shake over ice and strain into a 5oz classic cocktail glass, garnish with a lime wedge

Since creating Erins Delight I have tweaked it a fraction

Erins Delight#2(Served at Bon Lion)
Into a boston add:
40mls Martin Millers Westbourne Strenght
10mls Creme de cacao white
30mls Fresh lime juice
5mls sugar syrup
1 dash of recreated Bokers bitters http://www.evo-lution.org/
1 pinch of fresh corriander
Shake over ice and strain into a 5oz classic cocktail glass, garnish with a lime wedge

The Unadulterated Daquirí

Guys as most of you know I have created a group on facebook called "The poetry of bartending", to coincide with my blog. I received a msg from Heather about a poem she wrote about a Daiquiri and not a "Bar school" Daiquiri, nope no boogers here! I thought I would share the poem and if any of you would like to see your poems up here just let me know.
PS Thanks for all your support
Hayds

The Unadulterated Daquirí

Cold, clean and pure
Provocatively demure
Tall, tan and shameless
Yet not nearly so famous

Sweet, strong and true
Evocative cane-sugar voodoo
Soured, citrused and shaken,
Yet delicately undertaken

The elixir of life, A drink to good health
Staving off scurvy, for endurance and strength
The choice of presidents, pirates and poets
Why anyone adds strawberries
I'll never know it.

Well I published this post and I thought I might as well add my two cents


I squeeze the lime until the last drop is spent
The acid that burns my tender fingers
Serves as friendly reminder

My eyes transfixed on the bottle
White rum, Bacardi will have to do
A long pour, as I set the liquid free

A heaped teaspoon of superfine sugar
Keep the sourness at bay, chunks of ice
One, two, three

Hands cupped around the shaker
Firm and steady, the coldness bites
Nipping my skin, sticking, ice cold

I tremble in anticipation and excitement
The drink that flows forth, opaque
Cold ice white

The crystals that float gently on the surface
Their voyage almost complete, the unexpected
Crunch, the Antarctic bitterness, cooling and refreshing

The sting gives way to a pleasing warmth
A glow, the feeling flows from my head
To my toes, it shows on my face
Pleased

"This is a Hayden Lambert original poem and cannot be reproduced without his permission"

The Maidens Prayer

There is not much I can say about this drink or the poem. It is an interesting drink that please's so many people. I make my Maidens with equal parts Gin, Cointreau, lemon juice,orange juice, a hint of sugar and egg-white. The egg-white is optional but adds that extra depth and texture.

Just a quick thanks to Laco for the pic, cheers mate!


She is soft and subtle
Quiet and reserved
Gentle

Her name is
Uttered in reverence
Whispered, held in awe

Delicate and slightly pale
Golden and angelic
Fully formed a maiden true

Forgotten in a dark times
Of crude names
And rudimentary understanding

She sits longing for that
Touch, soft lips
That cold embrace

She dances across
The tongues of many
Joyful, demure

Playful, a combination
Of innocence
Longing, trapped in a lingering dance

Hopeful knowing
That her prayers
Will be answered by me

Night after night
I set her playful
Nature free


Maidens Prayer
Into a boston add:
25mls Gin (Beefeater)
25mls Cointreau
25mls Fresh lemon juice
25mls Orange juice
5mls Sugar syrup
1 egg white
Shake with force and determination, strain into a 7oz cocktail glass and garnish with a small lemon twist. Serve to a maiden

"This is a Hayden Lambert original poem and cannot be reproduced without his permission"

Clover leaf

This little poem is about one of my most favourite drinks the Clover Leaf. It is an amazing combination of raspberries and gin. It is some what controversial! Some recipes call for grenadine and the addition of vermouth. My take is Gin,lemon juice, raspberry cordial and egg white, with the addition of a little extra sugar.

It is my belief

That the Clover leaf is a gentle
And sound creature

It's ever changing
From bar to bar, book to book
It's a can of worms, questioned at every turn
The more you read the more you learn

I understand this delicate
And complex creature
With it's pink and white grace
Mint leaf in place

I mix it with gin, old or new

Give me juniper,
Millers, Beefeater, Tanqueray
All of them will do

A lemon firmly squeezed and spent
Raspberries, into a cordial they go
Sugar for my sweet and an egg white
To tightly bind this beautiful brew

I shake it hard, with force
My face, grimaced and tight
I pour it, and gently it flows

With it's frothy nature
It slips like silk from my hand
Into the waiting breast shaped glass
It settles, gently forming

I smack a tiny green leaf

In a tender and playful manner

The aroma released is sweet

I place it with great care

Dead centre and neat

I present to you my Clover Leaf!

Clover Leaf #1

Into a boston add:

50mls Gin (Beefeater)

25mls fresh lemon juice

20mls homemade raspberry cordial

10mls sugar syrup

1 egg white

shake over ice with force and determination

strain into a 7oz cocktail glass and garnish with a small and very green mint leaf.

Clover club is served without the mint leaf.

Clover leaf#2

Into a boston add:

30mls Gin (beefeater)

30mls Nolly Pratt rouge

20mls Fresh lemon juice

15mls Homemade raspberry cordial

2 fresh raspberries

1 egg white

shake over ice with force and determination

strain into a 7oz cocktail glass and garnish with a small and very green mint leaf.

"This is a Hayden Lambert original poem and cannot be reproduced without his permission"

Books

I know we all love to collect books. I have mine hidden away! I take them out just to enjoy the recipes. So here is a small poem about my books.

The rustle of pages worn, torn and bruised

Forgotten in time, read and discarded
Yellowed, frayed and ripped

Its crooked spine bent yet not broken
Pages freed and returned to their rightful place

Coffee stained and thread bare

Unlikely authors and scribes Thomas, Johnson and Craddock
Recipes,methods, tweaked and twisted

re-packaged as their own

They are a testament to our heritage
The recipes they hide within
Some great, some good, some bad

and some plain wrong!

The words contained within a journey

A sacred adventure into mixology

They read like ancient texts, words written in code

Muddle,shake or stir,strain and garnish
Known to many, understood by few

I hold them dear as they are packed tightly
Confined to the smallest space
They wait in anticipation

For my gentle caress,
The tickling and folding of their pages
Love,attention and inspiration

"It is not Twain, Elliot or Shakespeare

But I'm sure they would have enjoyed

A bittered sling or two."

http://www.cocktailkingdom.com/

Old Fashioned

Hi everyone, another post wow. I don't have to many! Ok so Im somtimes an Old Fashioned guy, in an extremely modern world. I just love old fashioneds so here is just a few short lines. I hope you enjoy!!!

You can sip it nice and slow
Take your time, make it's acquaintance
“Good things come to those who wait”

It's like all good things, it mellows
With age, its tired name called
Far to often in days gone by.

Its a restless spirit, passed down
Through ages, handed from men to men
A right of passage for some
For others just a recipe

Timeless, appealing...shy
Seasoned and matured

By many names it has been called
By friends and foes
The survivor of a bygone era
Of candles and horse drawn wagons
Gentlemen and Ladies, Tom and Jerrie's

Constant,hardened well versed
Solid and strong
Antiquated

And yet I here its name often called
By them. The faithful,
Its cantankerous keepers, often by themselves
but never alone

Clink, clink of the ice
As they finish the last drop.
Pushing the cherry to the side
The lingering memories of the
Old and the fashioned...

“This is an original poem by Hayden Lambert andcannot be reprinted without his permission.”