With Father’s Day approaching it seems a good time to celebrate, and I can think of no better way than with a cocktail or two. I’ve become rather fond of cognac. It’s a surprisingly versatile drop – very good with a lot of food, and also a mighty contender when it comes to mixing cocktails. And of course appropriately lavish to qualify as a proper celebration drink.
At my restaurant Pidgin we’ve dished out a few cognac-based cocktails with great success. There was the now slightly unseasonal Charlie Brown Christmas of Martell VS cognac, cinnamon rum, smoked coca cola, clove and orange, the Lucky Pierre (Martell VSOP cognac, mezcal, apple, xocolatl bitters, lime) and my favourite, whose recipe is below, – Ackroyd’s Folly. It’s fairly potent, so should be handled with caution, but is a lovely, balanced drink – toffeed and rich from the VSOP, aromatic thanks to the triple sec, a little juice from the maraschino, edge from the lemon and all rounded out by the bitters, as is their wont.
This beverage is a fine way to celebrate, and as simple a homemade cocktail as you’ll find. Happy Father’s Day.
Ackroyd’s Folly
Makes 1
- 40ml Martell VSOP Cognac
- 15ml triple sec
- 15ml maraschino cherry liqueur
- 20ml lemon juice
- Angostura bitters
- Cocktail cherry
Measure the Martell cognac, triple sec, cherry liqueur and lemon juice into the glass of a cocktail shaker (or any large glass) and add a good shovel-full of ice. Stir vigorously until the glass is almost too cold to hold. Strain over ice in a chilled tumbler. Add a dash of Angostura bitters. Garnish with a cocktail cherry.
Ackroyd’s Folly is an aperitif and best enjoyed while cooking dinner – perhaps with my roast stuffed mackerel with lentils and bacon. For more of my Martell Cognac paired recipes, visit: www.martell.com/en-uk/recipes
This is a sponsored post for which I was remunerated.