If you want a bit of an escape, then nothing helps you do that better than a touch of Tiki. And with the rain pouring down in Auckland, we made the wise choice to escape upstairs to Talulah, a Tiki cocktail bar in the Britomart, where Alex Goux for a drink that will certainly take you on a journey.
A drink that turns Tiki on its head, the Winchester is a gin-based take on the Zombie cocktail. A mixture of tart and sweet with vibrant colour, this is one of those drinks that shouldn’t work, but its insanity is all part of its brilliance.
Goux describes the drink as having an almost candy-like taste due to the Pomegranate Juice. But don’t let the perceived sweetness of this classic fool you – with three variations of gin it also has quite a kick.
“Instead of putting Zombie on our menu, we were looking for something a bit different,” said Goux. “You can find a Zombie everywhere, and we also do Zombies, but to take it up a notch, we decided to try the Winchester. Same thing, but with gin. It’s one of our best-seller here.”
Built on a trio of London dry (Tanqueray), Old Tom (Hayman’s) and navy strength (Miller’s) gins, Goux believes that if you’re not already a gin drinker, then this is the drink that will convert you.
“I used to be a rum drinker and then probably because of the Winchester, I have now turned to gin. This drink is that good. So if you are looking for something boozy to start your night off or even you want to start your day with something that’ll wake you up, grab a Winchester.
Three x Gin
Goux points put that the multiples gins give the drink a real depth of flavour. “The layers achieve an effect that you really can’t get by using just a single gin.
“The Hayman’s has a bit of a herbal, botanical taste, which helps bring out the flavour in the Tanqueray and the Martin Millers we use that, which is a bit of a robust Navy Gin at 45%, ties everything together.
Ginger Syrup
While you can easily buy a ginger Syrup, Goux recommends that it’s best if you can make the Ginger Syrup at home “Be careful about the syrup, you don’t want something too sweet.
“When you make your Ginger Syrup at home you can control how sweet the finished syrup is. And it’s not hard to make, you can find heaps of recipes on YouTube, but basically, you just cut up some ginger, add water, sugar throw them in a pot. It couldn’t be simpler.”
Garnish
As well as making the drink look amazing, Goux brings the garnish also adds that vital aromatic element.
“The fresh Grapefruit, especially when it is added to the Cinnamon and the Mint gives a clean, tempting smell that makes you want the drink, even before you’ve tasted it.
Winchester cocktail
Ingredients
30mls (1oz) Grapefruit Juice
30mls (10z) Lime Juice
15mls (0.5oz) Ginger Syrup
15mls (0.5oz) Pomegranate Juice
30mls (0.5oz) Elderflower Liqueur
30mls (1oz) Tangueray Gin
20mls (0.67oz) Adnams Old Town Gin
Martin Millers London Dry 30mls (1oz)
2 dash Grapefruit Bitters
Instructions
Add all ingredients to a shaker tin. Shake and stain into a Tiki mug with crushed ice
Add a garnish of Grapefruit slices, Cinnamon and Mint.
