Latest news with #Abigail's Party
The Guardian
4 days ago
- General
- The Guardian
Fruit purees to add class to homemade summer cocktails
There are many reasons I've never had a bar cart. For one thing, there's something sublimely Abigail's Party about having an area solely dedicated to drinking. Plus a bar cart says: 'I have my life together! Friends regularly visit my house and enjoy doing so!' (Both things I'm unable to verify.) The Guardian's journalism is independent. We will earn a commission if you buy something through an affiliate link. Learn more. My new home, however, comes complete with a drinks trolley, yet I'm scared to touch it. Why? Mainly because I just don't think I'm capable of producing something I'll actually like. Besides chucking some cold gin in a coupe and dropping in a poorly cut toenail of lemon, my mixologist skills begin and end at lumping a few liquids in a jug and calling it a 'lazy girl cocktail' – although 'cocktail' feels a rather grandiose term for creating what is, essentially, a domestic version of a Wetherspoon's pitcher. The drinks I want to make – a clover club, a porn star martini, a bellini, say – are out of my reach because I'm incapable of making a convincing fruit puree. I lose most of it to the walls of the blender, knacker my wrist grinding it with a pestle, add too much sugar or bankrupt myself by overbuying expensive fruit. So I asked Mez Austin, bar manager at Morchella in central London, for advice on how to make a foolproof puree from summer fruits. From just a single 150g punnet of berries, Mez says you can make enough for a small summer party of eight to 10 people. Simply introduce your chosen fruit and sugar to heat. How much sugar? Ah, that depends. 'That will be determined by the fruit involved,' Mez says. 'Pear puree, for example, will require a fair bit more sugar than strawberry or raspberry puree. It also depends on how ripe the fruit is – if you've bought it from a supermarket, I'd say maybe two tablespoons. Sugar also prolongs the preservation time of a puree.' Leave the fruit and sugar on a low temperature, with a lid on, for five minutes, take off the heat, then blend once it's cooled a little. 'Blending is the tricky part,' Mez explains ('No kidding!' I think). 'Over-blending can kill the effervescence of a puree, so blend just until smooth, then stop immediately.' And there you have it: your very own DIY puree. You can now shake/mix/pipette it into myriad cocktails, but the easiest way to drink it is in a bellini. Mez has his own summer rendition, using pét-nat instead of prosecco for a chic twist. 'Pét-nats often offer a broader range of flavour: a really dry, sharp one works brilliantly with a summer fruit puree such as redcurrant or raspberry, while a slightly funky and sour pét-nat works well with pear puree in an autumn bellini.' Now there's something to look forward to. Boiron Raspberry Fruit Puree £10.52 (1 litre) Henley Bridge, 0%. Mez's preferred shop-bought puree. Keeps for eight days after opening. Bristol Syrup Co Strawberry Puree £7.39 (600ml) Nisbets, 0%. Tart, sweet strawberry puree. Try it in a Tom Collins or French 75. Roc Ambulle Pét-Nat £16.90 Les Caves de Pyrene, 9.5%. Bold and deeply coloured, with ripe cherry and raspberry notes. Lost in a Field Frolic Pét-Nat 2023 £29.99 Grape Britannia, 9.5%. A sharp, aromatic blend of six heritage grape varieties from a project that seeks to protect them.
Times
31-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Times
To bring or not to bring wine: that is the question
For most guests, it is polite and right to pick up a decent bottle on the way to dinner GETTY IMAGES In Abigail's Party, Mike Leigh's achingly class-conscious satire of suburban life, Sue arrives at dinner with a bottle of wine in hand. Coming from the old bourgeoisie, she expects supper and duly brings a suitable accompaniment. Unfortunately, the other guests in this leafy fictional corner of London have eaten their 'tea' before arriving and poor Sue is left to starve quietly throughout the rest of the evening. To bring or not to bring: that is the question. It has been a matter of some debate in recent days, as this newspaper's writers spar over the matter of taking a bottle of wine when invited to supper. For most guests, it is polite and right to pick up a decent bottle on the way to dinner, not only as a thank you but as a way of helping to ensure a suitably lubricated and lively evening. But for others, especially those of an aristocratic persuasion, it is unthinkable to go equipped. Bringing a bottle would reveal a fear that the host will not crack open their cellars and share their rare vintages with anyone but themselves. For the truly posh, arriving empty-handed is a vote of confidence in the hosts. It presumes they have paired their food with suitable wines and the delicate balance struck should not be interfered with. • Rosé has peaked, say French wine makers as focus shifts to white This summer's wine hit provides an easy solution to this social dilemma. Frequent visitors to their local supermarket's wine section will recognise the distinctive label of La Vieille Ferme, the affordable drop from the southern Rhône valley. Referred to by cost-conscious Gen Zers as 'chicken wine', thanks to the farmyard poule adorning its label, the brand has gone viral in recent weeks, its rosé regarded as the perfect summer quaff. Any host will appreciate a bottle or two of old cluck — not, of course, for dining but as a simple, unpretentious offering that can be stashed in the fridge for deployment on a lazy afternoon. Problem solved.
