Kokova Magazine

Move over mulled wine, it's all about warming beer cocktails as the winter nights draw in.

Braconnier and Sloe Poach are two winter cocktails created by mixology legend Nick Strangeway for Badger ales. Although historically inspired, both cocktails have been given a modern twist through the use of beer mixed with contemporary spirits and flavourings.

The cocktails have been created to appeal to current beer drinkers and to open up the world of beer to people who have yet to discover it.

Braconnier

Braconnier is reminiscent of old ale flips, which traditionally combined spiced Cognac with sugar and ale warmed with a hot poker from a fireplace.

We're not suggesting using a poker to warm your beer, but the flavours found in Badger's Poacher’s Choice of liquorice and damson, when added to Cognac and mulled wine spices, create a contemporary twist on an old favourite.

Ingredients

• 25ml Cognac
• 2 heaped tsp brown sugar
• 1 tsp ground mulled wine spices
• ½ bottle of Badger’s Poacher’s Choice

Procedure

1. Gently warm on a stove and strain into pre-warmed half-pint glasses.
2. Garnish with a clove-studded orange wedge.

Sloe Poach

Sloe poach uses sloe gin, which has been made in Britain for many hundreds of years and which instantly evokes a feeling of the outdoors and is balanced with the slight tartness of pink grapefruit to balance the liquorice and damson of Badger's Poacher’s Choice. This is a long refreshing cocktail with a warming glow.

Ingredients

• 25ml sloe gin
• 50ml pink grapefruit

Procedure

1. Add all the ingredients to a pint glass.
2. Fill with ice and top with Badger's Poacher's Choice
3. Garnish with a lemon wedge.

www.badgerales.com