belleau breeze – cocktails with Martell

… i’m currently working with the marvellous people at Martell to develop some recipes as part of their Martell Very Special Nights campaign.  I’ve had a rather wonderful time planning a gorgeous 3 course meal for a special night, the recipes for which I will share with you later in the summer and i’ve also been sharing my top 5 tips for hosting a stress-free special night at home. 

… but of course the summer is here and as far as i’m concerned that means late evenings in the garden with friends creating those Very Special Nights with delicious food and of course some gorgeous cocktails… cocktails have become such a huge trend in recent years and they’re no longer the simple ‘gin and tonic’ affair they used to be.  Now, if we’re throwing a party of our own we’re expected to understand the subtle blend of mixers, the addition of exotic ingredients and are then expected to make them look stylish too.  Plus, as anyone  who’s attempted to make cocktails knows, they can take an age to make so that by the time your guests get their drinks they’re often wishing they’d just gone for that shandy in the first place… to resolve this I would start by asking one of your guests to be cocktail maker for the evening… you supply the ingredients and the list of refined drinks and they do the mixing… if you don’t think any of your friends are up for it hopefully these suggestions make for a quick cocktail or can be jugged in advance and taste just as good…

Martell Cooler
A refreshing blast of ginger makes this a really cool cocktail for a balmy summer evening