Cocktails in a box by Belroy's

 

During this lockdown lots of webshop-projects are really thriving. We can now order gourmet meals from Michelin Star restaurants ‘in a box’, delivered to our doorstep. So why not order high quality, handcrafted cocktails the same way? I’m not talking about bottled cocktails that you can also buy in the supermarket or liqueur store. No, I’m talking about the real deal, hand crafted cocktails prepared by a bartender in your favourite cocktailbar, sealed in a plastic bag and sent directly to your home ‘in a box’, together with the garnish and instructions on how to serve the drink.

Cocktails in a box are not exactly new, but they became ‘the new normal’ for cocktail enthusiasts since the start of the coronacrisis. A few years ago I already wrote about the SIPSNSODA cocktailboxes, which were probably among the very first in Europe. Today lots of cocktailbars all around the country are selling their weekly offer through a webshop.
I even spotted some local restaurants in my neighbourhood (e.g. Barnaba), offering complete take-away or home delivered meals, including good quality cocktails for a great start. Fight the crisis by enjoying your perfect aperitif-moment at home.

Probably the first premium cocktailbar who jumpstarted this new trend in Belgium was Belroy’s, the well-known Antwerp based company of Ben Belmans and Dieter Van Roy. Next to their cocktail catering activities they have two popular cocktailbars: Belroy’s Bijou (Graaf Van Egmontstraat 20) and Belroy’s MAS (Godefriduskaai 14). They already sold their own range of bottled spirits and cocktails (available at the better liqueur shops), but recently they also started a new webshop with a weekly range of crafted cocktails. Let’s try this. Is this really the same cocktail-experience you get in their bar?

You will miss the cosy atmosphere of the bar and the jokes made by Dieter while preparing your drink, but the drinks are definitely the real deal. Easy to serve and packed with of flavour. Dieter sent us a box with 4 drinks, which we could sample:

 

• El Presidente : A rum-based cocktail with Belroy’s Rum, vermouth, dry Curacao and pomegranate. This cocktail is also available in their bottled range. 
• Boulevardier : This Negroni variation is a very tasty mix of Michter’s whiskey, Italian vermouth and bitter. 
• Ipanema Swizzle : A very fruity cocktail with Belroy’s Rum, passionfruit, white vermouth, pomegranate, ginger and lemon. 
• Virgin Mojito : Some days are better without alcohol, this mocktail is a sweet lime mix with mint, served in a mix with Perrier.

We decided to use these drinks for a high quality aperitif moment, so we also made sure to get some matching snacks for each drink. We really enjoyed our aperotime. The drinks were extremely close to what we would get in the bar, so maximum points for quality.

Let’s hope most bars will keep this service also after the coronacrisis, it can come in handy when you’re entertaining friends at home and don’t want to spend too much time preparing drinks. Not everyone has the same bartending skills as Tom Cruise 😉

Personally, I think it’s a great service which will work perfectly for a lot of people, but I’d still enjoy the drinks a little bit more sitting at the bar in Antwerp, chatting with Ben or Dieter.

Disclaimer : All pictures and texts are copyrighted by Geert Conard and Esito Management & Communications unless stated otherwise in the article. While some items might have been gifted by the producer or distributor, these are in no way paid promotions or recommendations.

Blue Monday 2020

 

Today is not only my wife’s birthday, it’s also ‘Blue Monday’, the most depressing day of the year. Just to be clear, both occasions are not linked 😉

If you need a boost later today, you might try this slightly updated version of the Blue Monday cocktail.

Blue Monday

Ingredients
4,5 cl Belroy’s Vodka
1,5 cl Dry Curaçao
1 barspoon Blue Curaçao

Method
Stir together in a large glass with lots of ice. This is a pretty strong cocktail, so it won’t hurt to get a bit of dilution. Strain in a Martini glass and add a twist of orange.

Disclaimer : All pictures and texts are copyrighted by Geert Conard and Esito Management & Communications unless stated otherwise in the article. While some items might have been gifted by the producer or distributor, these are in no way paid promotions or recommendations.

Negroniweek 2018 : White Negroni

Tijdens de Negroniweek zit mijn tijdslijn vol met foto’s van felrode drankjes, maar ook daarvan kan je wel eens afwijken. Morgen gaan we opnieuw voor rood, maar vandaag deel ik een recept voor de White Negroni.

Het verhaal van de originele Negroni is welbekend : De Italiaanse Graaf Camillo Negroni dronk steevast Americano’s, maar ergens in 1919 vroeg hij in Caffe Casoni aan zijn vaste bartender Fosco Scarselli om zijn Americano toch eens wat sterker te maken. De bartender wisselde het spuitwater voor Gin en koos een sinaasappelzeste i.p.v. citroen om duidelijk te maken dat dit een ander drankje was. De Negroni was geboren.

99 jaar later zijn er al heel wat variaties gemaakt op deze klassieker, maar eentje daarvan is zo afwijkend, maar ook zodanig lekker dat hij zelf een klassieker aan het worden is, de White Negroni op basis van Suze. Deze cocktail werd voor het eerst gemaakt door bartender Wayne Collins tijdens VinExpo 2001 in Bordeaux. Hij maakte een cocktail met even delen Plymouth Gin, Lilet Blanc en Suze. Suze vervangt in deze cocktail de Campari en is een Franse likeur op basis van gentiaan. Wij maken uiteraard weer onze eigen versie van deze lekkere bitterzoete cocktail.

White Negroni

Ingrediënten
30 ml Belroy’s Gin
30 ml Suze likeur
30 ml Forest Vermouth White

Bereiding
Voeg alle ingrediënten samen in een mengbeker met veel ijs. Roeren tot de cocktail ijskoud is. Strainen in een tumblerglas met een grote ijsbal. Versieren met een zeste van pompelmoes en/of een eetbaar bloemetje.