Foraged Cocktails

Crafting Community-Inspired Cocktails: A Taste of Local Flavours

At Company Drinks, we’re passionate about bringing the essence of our community to every glass. Our latest event showcased a range of cocktails celebrating local ingredients and traditional techniques. Let’s dive into some of our favourite recipes and the stories behind them.

Elderflower Mojito: A Floral Twist on a Classic

This refreshing cocktail combines the delicate sweetness of our foraged elderflower cordial with the traditional mojito elements. Our elderflowers are hand-picked during community foraging sessions in local green spaces, bringing a truly local flavour to this drink.

Ingredients:

• 30ml Foraged Elderflower cordial
• 25ml Gold Rum
• Fresh Mint
• Fresh Lime
• 15ml Hand-made Mint syrup
• Soda Water

Technique:

Muddle fresh mint and lime in a glass. Add elderflower cordial, rum, and mint syrup. Fill with ice and top with soda water. Garnish with a sprig of mint and a lime wheel.

Our hand-made mint syrup adds another layer of community connection. We use mint grown in our very own community garden in Barking Park. To create this syrup, we steep fresh mint leaves in water heated to 70 degrees Celsius, allowing the mint flavour to infuse fully. Once cooled, we mix this mint-infused water with an equal part of sugar, resulting in a delicious syrup that’s perfect for cocktails or even as a dessert topping.

Dandelion Root Espresso Martini: A Wild-Foraged Kick

Our unique take on the espresso martini features hand-made dandelion root liqueur, showcasing our commitment to using foraged ingredients.

Ingredients:

• 30ml Dandelion Root Espresso
• 15ml Hand-Made Dandelion Root Liqueur
• 50ml Gin

Method:

1. Shake all ingredients vigorously with ice.
2. Double strain into a chilled martini glass.
3. Garnish with three pieces of dandelion root

Making Dandelion Root Coffee

You can easily create your own dandelion root coffee using foraged ingredients from your garden:

1. Dig up dandelion roots from your garden, ensuring they’re from an area free of pesticides.
2. Wash the roots thoroughly and scrub off any dirt.
3. Chop the roots into small, evenly sized pieces.
4. Spread the chopped roots on a baking sheet.
5. Roast in the oven at 175°C for about 30-40 minutes, or until dark brown and fragrant
6. Once cooled, grind the roasted roots in a coffee grinder.
7. To brew, use 1-2 tablespoons of ground dandelion root per cup of hot water. Steep for 5-10 minutes, then strain

Dandelion Root Liqueur Recipe

To make the dandelion root liqueur for the martini:

Ingredients:

• 200ml strong dandelion root coffee
• 200g sugar
• 200ml dark rum
• 1/2 vanilla pod, split lengthwise (optional)

Instructions:

1. Prepare the dandelion root coffee by steeping 2 tablespoons of roasted, ground dandelion root and the vanilla beans in 200ml of boiling water for 10 minutes. Strain and allow to cool completely.
2. In a saucepan, combine the cooled dandelion root coffee and sugar. Heat gently, stirring until the sugar completely dissolves. Remove from heat and let cool.
3. Once cooled, pour the dandelion root syrup into a clean 600ml bottle or jar.
4. Add the dark rum to the bottle.
5. Seal the container tightly and shake well to combine all ingredients.
6. Store the bottle in a cool, dark place for 1-2 weeks, shaking it every couple of days to ensure the flavours meld properly.
7. Your dandelion root Kahlua-style liqueur is now ready to enjoy in your Dandelion Root Espresso Martini or over ice.

This 1:1:1 ratio creates a well-balanced liqueur with a strong dandelion root coffee flavour, sweetness from the sugar, and a rich depth from the dark rum. The result is a unique, foraged twist on traditional coffee liqueur that showcases the earthy notes of dandelion root without the caffeine.

Gin and Green Hop Tonic: A Seasonal Spritz

This cocktail highlights our foraged green hop cordial, offering a unique twist on the classic G&T.

Ingredients:

• 50ml Foraged Green Hop cordial
• 25ml Gin
• Fresh Lemon
• Soda Water

Technique:

Muddle a quarter slice of lemon then Build the cocktail in a highball glass over ice. Stir gently and garnish with a lemon twist.

BAD Cuba Libre (Rum and Cola)

• 25 ml gold rum
• Hand-made craft BAD cola
• Fresh lime
• 3 dashes of foraged bitters
• Ice

Instructions: Fill a glass with ice. Pour in the gold rum, add a squeeze of fresh lime, and 3 dashes of foraged bitters. Top with the hand-made craft cola and stir gently.

Our take on the Cuba Libre showcases our commitment to community-crafted beverages. We use our hand-made craft cola, which is blended by local residents in our community workshops. This artisanal cola brings complex flavours that pair well with gold rum

• 25 ml gin
• 20 ml Fresh Lemon Juice (Hand-made craft lemonade if you have some)
• 20 ml Sugar syrup (if you don’t have lemonade)
• Sparkling water
• Fresh lemon
• Ice

Instructions: In a shaker, combine gin, fresh lemon juice, and sugar syrup. Shake well. Strain into a glass filled with ice and top with sparkling water.

Our Gin Fizz showcases another community favourite – our hand-blended lemon-lime soda. Crafted by local residents in our workshops, this zesty soda brings a bright, crisp element to the classic Gin Fizz. The botanical notes of gin are perfectly complemented by the fresh, homemade quality of our lemon-lime soda, creating a drink that’s both familiar and uniquely local

Wine Spritzers

Red Wine Spritzer

• 125 ml red wine
• 30 ml hop cordial
• Soda water to top
• Ice

Instructions: Fill a glass with ice. Pour in the red wine and hop cordial. Top with soda water and stir gently, garnish with a slice of lemon.

This unique cordial adds a subtle bitterness and herbal complexity to our Red Wine Spritzer, perfectly complementing the rich flavours of the red wine. The hop cordial brings a touch of local terroir to this classic drink, creating a refreshing and sophisticated beverage that celebrates nature’s bounty

White Wine Spritzer

• 125 ml white wine
• 30 ml elderflower cordial
• Soda water to top
• Ice

Instructions: Fill a glass with ice. Add white wine and elderflower cordial. Top with soda water and stir lightly, garnish with a slice of lemon

Our White Wine Spritzer features our signature elderflower cordial, crafted from elderflowers foraged by our community members. This delicate, floral cordial imparts a sweet, fragrant note to the crisp white wine, resulting in a light and refreshing spritzer. The elderflower’s subtle sweetness balances beautifully with the wine’s acidity, creating a harmonious blend that captures the essence of summer

Alcohol-free syrup substitutes

At Company Drinks, we believe everyone should be able to enjoy our delicious cocktails, regardless of whether they’re drinking alcohol or not. Here are some homemade syrup recipes that can be used to create non-alcoholic versions of our popular drinks, perfect for those participating in Dry January or who prefer not to consume alcohol.

Gin-Inspired Syrup

This complex syrup mimics the botanical flavours of gin, allowing you to create alcohol-free versions of our gin-based cocktails.

Ingredients:

• 1 liter water
• 1 tbsp mace
• 1 tbsp pink peppercorns
• 1 tbsp coriander seeds
• 1 tbsp juniper berries
• 2 tbsp dried hibiscus flowers
• 2 stalks lemongrass, bruised
• 2 tbsp dried rosehips
• Zest of 1 grapefruit
• 2 green tea bags
• 500g sugar

Instructions:

1. Combine all ingredients except green tea and sugar in a pan.
2. Bring to a boil, then simmer for 20-30 minutes.
3. Strain the liquid and discard the solids.
4. While still hot, steep the green tea bags in the liquid for 5 minutes.
5. Remove tea bags and stir in sugar until dissolved.
6. Let cool and store in a clean bottle in the refrigerator.

Spiced “Rum” Syrup

This syrup captures the warm, spiced flavours of rum without the alcohol.

Ingredients:

• 1 liter water
• 1 banana peel
• 500g dark brown sugar
• 2 cinnamon sticks
• 1 tsp whole cloves
• 1 tsp allspice berries
• 1 vanilla bean, split
• 2 star anise
• 1/4 cup molasses
• 2 black tea bags

Instructions:

1. Combine all ingredients except tea bags and sugar in a pan.
2. Bring to a boil, then simmer for 20-30 minutes.
3. Strain the liquid and discard the solids.
4. While still hot, steep the black tea bags in the liquid for 5 minutes.
5. Remove tea bags and stir in dark brown sugar until dissolved.
6. Let cool and store in a clean bottle in the refrigerator.

To use these syrups in our cocktails, simply replace the alcohol with an equal amount of the corresponding syrup. Adjust other ingredients to taste, and enjoy our community-crafted flavours in a non-alcoholic form. These homemade syrups allow everyone to participate in the Company Drinks experience, celebrating our local ingredients and community spirit without alcohol.

Each of these cocktails not only tantalizes the taste buds but also tells a story of our local landscape and community efforts. Remember, the flavours in our cocktails change with the seasons, reflecting the ever-changing bounty of our local environment. We invite you to join us in celebrating the art of community-driven mixology!