The Modern Cocktail Guide, brought to you by cook and food writer Anna Jones in partnership with Tanqueray, Gordon’s and Baileys, is available to download now. The Guide focuses on cocktail trends and how best to pair them with food, and here’s one of our favourites.
Mexican feasts don’t have to be washed down with a Margarita – why not mix things up with a gin based cocktail instead? Introducing the Mexican Collins – the zingy lime and bold chilli kick pairs brilliantly with the riot of upbeat flavours you get with Mexican food so serve up these alongside a feast of tacos, homemade tortillas and salsa.
- 50ml Tanqueray London Dry Gin (2 units)
- 50ml ginger & lime syrup
- Infused with chilli
- 125ml soda water
- 1 stalk basil garnish
- Ice
To make the syrup:
- 2 cups sugar
- 1 cup water
- 1 inch of fresh ginger
- 2 cups fresh lime juice
- 1/2 red chilli, sliced lengthways, seeds removed
Make a 2:1 simple syrup by combining two parts sugar to one part water in a pan.Roughly cube one inch of ginger, add to the pan, and simmer gently for 5 minutes, taking care not to boil.. Remove from the heat, strain or spoon out the ginger, and allow to cool before adding fresh lime juice. Bottle with fresh chili and leave to infuse for a couple of hours until you can taste the chilli kick.