The Bull Hotel has just launched its brand new cocktail menu which is guaranteed to blow away those winter blues and get you ready for spring. The sophisticated and elegant Lounge is a perfect place to sample each of the six scrumptious new offerings.
The true creation of a popular cocktail can be traced back to the nineteenth century. One early written reference to the term "cocktail" (as a drink based on spirits with other spirits and additives) can be found in an American magazine, published in May 1806. It stated that a "Cocktail is a stimulating liquor, composed of spirits of any kind, sugar, water, and bitters..."
The cocktails available at The Bull Hotel will appeal to all different tastes and moods. There is the fruity Sex on the Beach which will leave you reminiscing about that memorable holiday, or the gorgeous and powerful Slow Comfortable Screw – be careful with this one – Gin, Vodka and Whiskey can sometimes be a dangerous combination !!
My favourite however and one I have had quite a bit of practise in both making and drinking is the Kir Royal - a simple but excellent classic.
Kir is named after Cannon Felix Fir, a priest and hero of the French resistance during World War 2 and major of Dijon from 1945 to 1968. He was very fond of the local white wine mixed with Crème de Cassis (blackcurrant liquor). This fondness has been attributed to
His desire to promote local products
The fact that local wine was often acidic, so the sweetness of the liquor would pleasantly rectify this
Or perhaps just because he liked to drink it like myself!!
Whatever the reason, it became the official aperitif at town hall receptions and gained increasing fame. Prior to this point the drink was simply known as ‘Vin Blanc Cassis’ However during this period it became widely known as Kir, the term which is now commonly used within France and worldwide.
In time new variations were developed with the Kir Royal being one of them. Instead of white wine champagne is used – heavenly!!
The drink certainly seemed to agree with Canon Kir as he was well into his nineties when he died in 1968. You might say that the blackcurrants in his famous cocktail creation had something to do with it as they have about seven times as much Vitamin C as oranges, much of which is preserved within the Crème de Cassis.
Why not order one now from the Lounge bar – and you could prolong your life by years!
Submitted by Michelle Mayes – Reservations Manager at The Bull
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