Feel like you are missing out because your senses of smell or taste are not what they were? I can welcome you back to the cocktail party!

Recently, a friend asked if I could recommend a cocktail for the Facebook group she belongs to. Lyn is a member of the ‘COVID 19 loss of smell and taste group’ which, as its name suggests brings together people who have lost their sense of smell or taste while recovering from COVID, but as in Lyn’s case, could be for other reasons too.

Lyn explained that extremes of sour and sweet work, which gave me a great idea of where to start, but SO many potentials sprung to mind, I decided to present Lyn with what I hoped might be a few different options for her, and for her group. And I set about testing/tasting these with a whole new mindset. I hope these help you too…

I’m going to start by considering some of the generic things we will want to take into account.

Lemons & limes

Let us start with the lemons and limes and shop for them carefully. Feel them, and give them a good squeeze. If they feel soft, slightly squashy and full of juice, you’re on a winner. Sometimes you’ll find expensive, wax free organic lemons look gorgeous, but they’ve a rind so thick, you’re not going to yield much juice, and actually, what you do yield, might not have a massive amount of flavour to it. Right now, when we’re encouraged not to touch anything we’re not going to buy, this might be difficult, but remember that hardly anybody will be thinking of eating the rind, so for the sake of flavour, give them a squeeze before you buy.

But let us think about lemons and limes in the context of this group, and actually, a good old bottle of Jif might actually provide the sharper hit that you need. I’d give them both a try and see which works for you…

Champagne

And now the champagne. Or more precisely, *not* the champagne. I might actually be inclined not to choose champagne at all for either of these cocktails, but a lovely expensive cava. Cava generally has a sharper bubble, and so will give you a much sharper mouth feel.

Vodka

Next, we need to think about vodka, and for your purposes, any old Smirnoff just won’t do. You want a proper, almost syrupy vodka to help deliver the kick and the lovely mouth feel that these cocktails need. I might suggest a Bison Grass as your starter level here: a vodka you can easily keep in the freezer that still gives you a pouring consistency.

You can switch it up for added flavour, and actually a Chase Orange Marmalade Vodka works really well on both the Lemon Drop Martini and the Killing Monica, but it is worth trying without the additional flavour for the first time.

Orange liqueur

Often when I’m teaching, I suggest that triple sec, curacao, Cointreau or a Grand Marnier are interchangeable. There are obviously differences which is why they exist, with the differences being small differences in flavour and bigger differences in cost. Triple sec or curacao are based on sugar cane alcohol: my preference here would be de Kuyper Triple Sec but use whatever you have to hand or can buy right now. Cointreau is actually an orange liqueur, a curacao liqueur and a triple sec, but obviously branded, and because of this is more expensive. Grand Marnier is also an orange-based liqueur but made with brandy, so is more expensive again. It gives a deeper, warmer, more syrupy feel that often overtakes the other flavours in the glass, so unless you have a choice, or it is specified, you should leave it aside.

Glassware

Choosing the right glass will make a difference. A flute will channel any smell,

hopefully amplifying it as you lift it to your mouth. But a flute with a concave, curving inward top is more designed to keep the bubbles and the aroma in. A flute with a convex curve at the top will funnel the flavour upwards, but then let it spill out to (hopefully and in a lovely way) hit you right in the nose as you lift it to your mouth.

A martini glass or a champagne saucer are more about style, but you could experiment with the same drink in different glasses to see if it makes a difference to you.

What I think might make a difference to all of your cocktails is if your glass is properly chilled to start with. You’ll have seen the bartend fill your glass with ice while she prepares your cocktail in a bar, and you could do this too. Much more effective though is to quickly rinse your glass under the tap and pop it in the freezer while you make your cocktail. It will emerge with a lovely chill that is much more effective than a couple of ice cubes. Take care not to leave them there too long though, delicate glasses may shatter or are in danger of being knocked over. The chilled glass should allow the aroma and the mouth feel to be more pronounced, although this may also depend on you and how things are. Worth giving it a go though.

So, without further ado, let’s make a cocktail!

The very first cocktail that came to mind when Lyn asked me to help was a Penicillin Royale.

(All quantities quoted are for one cocktail, so you’ll want to multiply up before you start measuring)

Penicillin Royale

The Penicillin Royale (also known as a Fleming Fizz, but that just feels horribly unappetising…) is based on a classic Penicillin, and of course the ‘Royale’ part refers to the inclusion of champagne. But we need to start at the very beginning, and make ourselves some ginger/honey syrup.

Ginger/honey syrup

Blend 2oz fresh grated ginger with half a cup of water. Strain it through a muslin (a clean J cloth would do) and stir in half a cup of honey. Shake it all together in a large jam jar until the honey is fully dissolved. (Note that this makes WAY more than you need and will keep for quite a while in the fridge if you can make it last that long)

Penicillin

1.5oz blended scotch

0.75oz lemon juice

0.75oz ginger/honey syrup

2oz champagne

1tsp Laphroaig

Now let us just think again about the ‘loss of smell and taste group’. I hope that the real kick of the ginger in the syrup will provide a great base for this, but of course, you may wish to include more ginger and less honey. You may also want to increase the quantity of syrup used in the cocktail. You will know what works for you, but I’m sure the experimentation will be fun!

You might also have a clue of a scotch that works for you. For this example, I used Haig Club, which is a single grain matured in bourbon casks and not at all a blended scotch because I thought it might add to the overall taste. I’m not a whisky drinker though, so if you are, or were, then go with what you used to think was really strong, perhaps overpowering, but importantly for this stage, not peaty.

But before we start to build your cocktail, let’s talk about the Laphroaig. As I say, I’m not a whisky drinker, at all, but I can smell a Laphroaig a mile off. For this purpose, I would absolutely recommend a Laphroaig, but, if you have something that has a similar smoky, overly peaty aroma, then you’re good to go, but our Smokehead only delivered the briefest of hints. What you want here is for the aroma to be kicking off your sense of taste before it actually gets to your mouth.

Building your cocktail

Choose a champagne flute that opens out at the top, rather than one that closes in. You *want* that first lift of the glass to your mouth to be a massive hit of that smoky peatiness.

In a smallish cocktail shaker, add a handful of ice and then the blended scotch, lemon juice and honey syrup. Shake it really hard to get the maximum mixing of flavours and chill to your mixture before dividing between your champagne flutes.

Next, almost fill your flutes with cava, and then at the last minute, pour a teaspoon of the Laphroaig over the top: hold the rim of the teaspoon to the side of the glass and pour slowly so that it floats on the top. You’re not likely to see it, but you should benefit from the aroma more so than if your pour it straight in or stir it.

Try to make sure this last step is immediately before serving to maximise the aroma. Hopefully, you will get a hit of it as you lift the glass to your mouth, and then as you taste, you will get the hit of the sharp bubbles, the heat of the ginger and the smoothness of the honey and lemon.

I’m keeping my fingers crossed that at least one of your senses are activated here, even if you decide you don’t actually like it after all! Surely, that must be progress?

Lemon Drop Martini

Lyn tells me that extremes of sweet and sour work, and the classic that is a Lemon Drop Martini is sweet and sour all in one glass so let us give this some thought.

Lemon, sugar and alcohol. What could be wrong with that? Not a lot actually, which is why this is absolutely one of my all-time favourites and one that I might think might work for you.

As with the Penicillin Royale, we need to think about the ingredients to help make this work, selecting the right lemons for you as we have discussed above.

Next, the vodka, and a Bison Grass is perfect here, but switching it up for a Chase Orange Marmalade Vodka would be a good second experiment. It is just naturally syrupy and actually heaven in a glass. Think carefully though: you won’t want a piney vodka from the Eastern Block for example.

As we have already discussed, you can use triple sec, curacao or Cointreau here, but my preference would be a de Kuyper triple sec.

And then finally, the easiest, the simple syrup. You can make your own, melting equal quantities of sugar with water until all of the sugar has dissolved. Or you can just buy yourself a bottle of Monin (or similar) from your favourite online retailer.

Ok, so we’re ready to get stuck in. Rinse your glasses in cold water and pop them in the freezer while you prepare your cocktail.

Add a handful of ice to your cocktail shaker and then add:

1.5oz vodka

0.5oz triple sec

0.75oz lemon juice

1oz simple syrup

Really, really shake it all as hard as you possibly can. This *will* make a difference. Then strain it into your chilled glass. Hopefully you’ll find the syrupy texture a lovely mouthfeel, and the zing of the lemons should fill your mouth, almost making it water with anticipation of more!

Killing Monica

So now I’m hoping that I can introduce you to my darling friend Monica. She is fruity, and full of fizz and really does bring a whole new level to your party/kitchen.

Once again, we’re starting with vodka, and again I would suggest you choose the Bison Grass you already have in your freezer, which by now might be running low.

Traditionally, a Killing Monica is made with Rose Mumm champagne, but I’ve tried it, and the difference it makes is just not worth the money, and would definitely not satisfy your needs. To do that (I hope) you’ll want a bottle of cava in the fridge, using the same criteria as for your Penicillin Royale, and a couple of champagne saucers in the freezer.

This time we’re using limes but the same rules would apply as to our lemons. You want them plump and as fresh as possible.

But here is the crux of the Killing Monica: you’ll want rhubarb puree. I’m a big exponent of switching things out to suit what you have, and often suggest people can substitute syrup for puree but on this occasion that’s a BIG no no. Don’t be tempted to substitute rhubarb syrup, which might be easier to get hold of, but trust me here, it is definitely worth the extra effort. You can of course make your own, sieving it carefully before use to make sure it is lovely and smooth. I prefer a Monin rhubarb puree from Amazon, but there are other types available.

And then finally, to add an extra level of depth that should bring out the fruitiness, you’ll want some rhubarb bitters, and if you haven’t already made friends with my favourite online retailer, this is your cue. They really do make a difference.

So let us invite Killing Monica in. To a smallish cocktail shaker add:

1.5oz vodka

1oz lime juice

1oz rhubarb puree

2 dashes of rhubarb bitters

Cava to top

And as you’d expect, shake her like her life depends on it before straining into your chilled champagne saucers. Pour your cava into the middle of the glass to help it all mix in. This is my very favourite ‘something to celebrate’ cocktail, or actually my favourite ‘I need cheering up’ cocktail too. I hope darling Monica becomes a friend of yours too.

Delilah+1

I thought it would be remiss of me not to include a gin based cocktail for you, and there are so many to choose from. But looking at my favourites, they are generally softer, less sharp tasting than those I’ve already included, with two notable exceptions.

Gimlet

The first is so simple it barely needs a paragraph of its own, except there is some disagreement as to how you make it. So I’m considering the Gimlet as Delilah’s +1 as if Delilah were invited to your party and brought a friend.

Basically, a Gimlet is gin and lime, and you might already have an idea whether that might float your boat. Some use lime juice, others lime cordial. That is much sharper and might work for you. Some add simple syrup, and I’m not sure that would make an impact for your benefit. Because I’m never straightforward (I was going to say normal but I guess you might know that…), I like a bit of everything. My gimlet would be:

2oz gin (and here you can go for a real dry old English gin, or a Cadenheads Old Raj)

0.75oz fresh lime juice

0.75oz simple syrup

1tsp Rose’s lime cordial

And as you’d expect, shake it all over ice and strain. For the small number of ingredients, it is worth experimenting to find one that works for you.

Back to Delilah

So Delilah is a choosy girl, and is one who specifies Hendricks gin, but I’m not sure how Hendricks would work for you. Again, an Old Raj might provide a bigger kick. She also specifies Cointreau rather than triple sec and it does make a difference. Here I feel Grand Marnier would detract rather than add so save your pennies and stay away.

The key ingredient for Delilah though, is not alcohol at all, but a cherry. A Luxardo cocktail cherry. For those of you not in the know, a Luxardo cherry is dark, syrupy, sumptuous and tastes almost like the Cherry Pie I imagine Agent Cooper enjoying. It is nothing like the sticky almost confectionary taste of the Opie glace cherry or whichever one you probably have at the back of the cupboard. They are an investment, but worth every penny. Add them to your shopping list today and whatever you do, don’t be tempted to invite Delilah in, at least for the first time, until you have them.

So in a smallish cocktail shaker add a handful of ice and add:

2oz Hendricks gin

1oz Cointreau

1oz fresh lemon juice

And then shake like mad before straining into your beautiful chilled martini glass (which is also something she insists upon). Then, with a teaspoon, carefully drop one Luxardo cherry into the bottom of your glass, allowing it to settle in the middle, then add a teaspoon of the syrup from the jar, drizzled down on top of it.

Now you can revel in the beauty that she is, feel incredibly clever that you made *that* and then hopefully, enjoy the cocktail too! The cocktail should be tart, strong in flavour, and should have none of the cherry flavour seeping in, which you save until the very end and enjoy the cherry, the juice and the last drop of your cocktail all in one mouthful. I’m hoping that this works for you, but if not, at the very least your drinking partner should be impressed with your cocktail making skills!

Summary

As I close, I want to know how you got on. Did *any* of these provide you with a taste or a smell of something lovely? If they did, please let me know. I would love to be able to edit or expand on these, sharing different cocktails between us, and hopefully building up a repertoire, no matter how small for others in similar positions to enjoy.

Happy cocktailing!