MattOmnibar

Just opened a bottle from my purchase from Winedrops

As a frequent searcher of great quality wine and drinks the level of customer service and speed of deliver alongside their amazing promise to cut costs of great wines is fantastic. I recommend anyone to try.. join them for the equivalent of £4.05 a day and get access to the great team that Winedrops Have.

This Cabernet Rose from the “pirate of cocoa hill” I bought out of complete curiosity as I’m not Cabernets biggest fan however this wine is delightful at both fridge and room temperature.. if you get the chance it’s a must try.

Ahhh… no Christmas is complete without the mulled wine..

Here my own recipe inspired from an old work colleague who added sherry to his batch.

I’m using reserve port, napoleon brandy and a light red (here a montepulciano, but a merlot, Pinot noir or primitivo would do just as well) with a selection of spices and home made ginger syrup.

Happy Christmas Everyone 🎄🎄🍷🍷🎅🎅

(Please drink responsibly)

And for the evening, a drink I’ve been working on for a while. A nod to the Scottish Highlands, I bring you “A Walk Among The Highlands” made with Jonnie Walker 15 Green Label I gentle shook it over ice until cold with homemade cranberry syrup and a dash of orange bitters. Poured over ice and highland berries and topped with Pine needle and bark tea. Garnished with scorched pine needles and bark.

Very Fruit forward with the rich vanilla, malty and dried fruit notes from the whisky with a lovely finish of smoked wood.

Steak time…. However let’s spice it up a bit.

Found some nice cuts of venison at my local market….. so had to do something.

Cooked rare (as personal preference) I rubbed the steaks with Redwine Vinegar, salt and pepper to season. Seared and turned for 8 minutes in the pan.

To complement I made a spiced cranberry salsa with raw red onion, fresh wild highland garlic, rosemary, S+P and a little sugar.

Served alongside Baby Rosemary potatoes on a caramelised onion and cabbage salad flavoured with venison and scotch glaze.

The meal was a flavour bomb sweet and savoury flavours all cut into the gamey taste of the steaks.

Time for a good winter warmer 🎄🎄

A hot take on my Terrytini…. A lusciously tempting and Very intoxicating drink now in my repertoire…

A mix of Hot Chocolate and Grand Marnier (can substitute with a 50/50 mix of Brandy and Curaçao/triple sec) topped with whipped cream, crushed digestives and 70% dark chocolate, marshmallows and a hint of orange zest.

A warming drink perfect for the cold winter nights, on the sofa with Christmas lights…

Hope you’re enjoying the festive season so far….,

Ok ppl so the beginning of a nice array of festive fun..

Starting non-alcoholic with Glitter Berry Spice. A combination of J2O red Glitter berry frozen into a flute glass, topped with Nozecco roses lime cordial and a winter spice mix.

A very nice winter welcomer for those hosting family and makes an equally nice punch bowl.. to be naughty mix some berry gin (Bosford Rose, would be my pick) to liven it up.

Here’s to a very merry Christmas period…
🎄🎄🎄🎅🎅

Using the last of my pork belly stakes… and pears…

Today I present Pork Belly Steaks, pan seared and hot kale salad stuffed pepper.

I cooked off the steak using Extra Virgin Olive oil, rosemary, bay leaf and red wine vinegar while roasting the pepper in the off cook left over, and pan fried the kale down with red onion, garlic and Mushrooms.
Served with a pear and mustard salsa.

Well with my still awaiting ingredients for cocktails how about a dish instead.

Plucking whatever ingredients I first laid my eyes on in the supermarket (including my favourite, Pork Belly Steaks), I went on a spur of the moment idea.

Here I present Pan Fried Pork Belly Steaks with Poached Pear and Pear Reduction and a Vegetable Medley.
The Pork was seasoned with Salt and pepper in extra virgin oil and slowly pan fried and then deglazed with white wine.

I paired this with a beautiful Portuguese White Wine, from the Douro Valley. Very light with a raiseny sweetness you get from White Port enhanced by the dryness of the style.

Been a few days of experimenting with molecular techniques…. Making foams and edible pearls.

Here is a nice little take on the Bee’s Knees cocktail… so I used a base recipe of Gin, lemon juice and honey syrup and served with a lemon twist and Ginger Wine soy lecithin Foam.

Well I had the Champagne open so a little classic for the evening.

A Mimosa, usually a mix of 2:1 of orange juice and champagne… with a little boost of orange goodness with the use of Grand Marnier.
Originally referred to as a Champagne and Orange this drinks Origin is unclear it was known in the 1930s and first recorded in Frank Miere, of the Paris Ritz in 1934, Weather he was the inventor however remains a mystery.

But this is a beautiful little drink and perfect as a opening drink for a party or a evening mix to lounge and relax with.

Ok my remake on my Margarita Royale…

A blend of Tequila Blanco, Mezcal, Grand Marnier citrus and Champagne. Decorated with edible flowers.
Quite Boozy, with a mellow tequila palate a buttery, Smokey finish. Definitely worth the revisit to revise my original recipe.

When experimenting flops….. just make an old fashioned and call it a day 😂

Made from the syrupy leftovers of my attempt to make a ginger wine sorbet….. looks like I need to hit the drawing board again

Heeeey all, now you should all know I love a good Margarita… and I have been working on some flavoured ones for a while now. But today I think I’ve made an absolute beauty..
Gaze at my finally perfected Lavander Margarita.
Using Kah Tequila blanco (https://kahtequila.com do check these guys out they have fabulous products) freshly ground salt and lavender for the rim and shaken with freshly picked stalks and leaves this amazing floral take on one of the most popular classics has beautiful delicate aroma and colour.

I am also working on reinventing my Margarita Royale so keep your eyes peeled.

Well Peeps it’s been a while but finally I’m able to get some ways to bring some content to you….
I thought I’d start small so I redesigned my Irish Coffee….
Still going in with Jameson Whiskey I shook up a light Chantilly cream and garnished with a Sweet and Salted Spice dusting and a burnt orange slice.

The garnish really elevated the Whisky notes and the soft citrus aroma is very moreish.

Hi all my Instagram page has been hacked… please do not respond to any messages sent to you.

Seedlip Spice Sour, Classicly made with lemon, sugar and aquafaber.
Awesome classic taste super foamy with a moreish texture.

A new non-alcoholic take on my terry-tini.
A beautiful blend of chocolate and orange. I used Nutella spread, fresh orange juice and fullfat milk (use oat milk if needed) and topped of with whipped cream and chocolate shavings.

For tonight an Apple and Elderflower spritz.
Seedlip Grove, apple juice, elderflower cordial and lemon juice and garnished with a apple fan. Light and Refreshing definite try.

Today Salmon Farce with Butternut squash purée and Stir Fried Veg.
I Oven cooked the Salmon, seasoned with chipotle flakes, fennel seeds and celery salt, until flake, mixed it down with Greek yogurt and filled a beef tomato.
Stir fried the veg and fresh olives in chilli oil and salt and pepper.
Blanched down the butternut squash and blitzed with seasoning and milk.
Served alone side a 30/70 ratio of Seedlip grove and martini florale to have something soft to compliment the light dish.

🎼if you like pina colada… and don’t want to drink🎼 try this 60/40 shake up of coconut milk and pineapple juice. Need to cater for the flatmate…
2.5 weeks left to go and that will be a month of fresh mocktail ideas…

Finally my Seedlip Garden arrived… now my last experience with it hasn’t been great but it’s grown on me in recent years.
I combined it with elderflower cordial and shook over ice and topped with Ginger ale. I’m living the herbal notes with the soft touch of spice and floral notes from the cordial and ale. I will be bring more…

A nice easy build in the glass after a busy shift… I call it the “wind down”.
It’s fresh and vibrant in flavour. 50ml martini florale, 15ml rose’s lime cordial and topped with soda water. Probably one for the summer, but definitely another nice drink.

To kick things off a non-alc riff on the Breakfast Martini featuring Seedlip Spice and Martini’s Floreale Aperitivo.. bothe have enhanced the flavour and aromatics of the orange and lemon flavours and have created an amazingly refreshing sipper.
And Passion Star Martini using Seedlip Grove and Martini’s Vibrante, the tartness of the Passion fruit still very much alive with the soft edges of Lime, Vanilla and the Cotrus and Bergamot flavours of the Spirits, garnished with a passion fruit shell filled with Ginger ale.

We’re in October… time to go sober….(weird thing for a drinks enthusiast to say)… over the course of this month I will be bringing you all non-alcoholic recipes.

Here was a spur of the moment but let’s go with a classic that involves both Vodka and Gin. So the James Bond, Casino Royale’s number 1.. the Vesper Martini. As a big James Bond fan how can I exclude it. It’s beautifully balanced with the vodka and the citrus gin flavours.

The Belle Collins, a riff on the classic Gin Collins, introducing mint and a slither of extra Gin.
A favourite of the lucky people that did the tasting for me over the past few days.