Mix it up: Grab yourself a cornflake Daiquiri this Christmas time
IN case you hadn’t noticed, Christmas is creeping into our lives, bringing out the inner-child or Grinch depending upon whether your glass is half-full or empty. But whatever your disposition don’t despair – even Mr Scrooge can enjoy the hallowed traditions of Christmas films and gentle inebriation.
For those whose glasses are full to overflowing, Frank Capra’s It’s a Wonderful Life is a must. But it’s not for the cold-hearted, drifting from over-sentimentality into a full-force mawkish orgy of schmaltz.
A better Christmas feel-good film for the City worker is Trading Places. The comedy, set around a commodities brokerage firm, will remind you how funny Eddie Murphy was before he decided to appeal only to children and/or play every character in his films.
Next month, Notting Hill’s Electric Cinema, in partnership with Bombay Sapphire Gin, is screening Trading Places alongside cocktails and food designed to match what’s going on in the film. The idea might sound ridiculous – because it is – but it’s the kind of ridiculousness that’s also a lot a fun.
Having experienced Edible Cinema while watching American Werewolf (curated by Jonathan Ross) I can vouch for the experience.
Although most of the cocktails were a little too experimental for my taste, it was too entertaining blindly drinking from syringes and other unusual devices to care too much.
The opening cocktail you’ll be served is the Alexandra Kellogg, which takes inspiration from the opening scene where Louis Winthorpe III (Dan Aykroyd) is served breakfast in bed. It features a trend that has been big in New York’s bars since the summer: cereal-infused milk. It’s yet to take off in London in a big way but it certainly should: who doesn’t want to get drunk while tripping out on Proustian flashbacks of childhood breakfasts?
And if your glass is so empty that you dare not venture beyond your front door for fear of being infused with the Christmas spirit, you should try making it at home.
After all, breakfast is the most important meal of the day.
DAIQUIRI
Ingredients
25ml Bombay Sapphire gin
25ml Creme de Cacao
25ml Cornflakes infused whole milk
10ml Simple Syrup
Method
Infuse 12.5ml milk with cornflakes.
Leave the cornflakes and milk to infuse in the fridge for 1 hour.
Strain and press all liquid out.
In a cocktail shaker add 25ml of Bombay Sapphire, 25ml Creme de Cacao and the 25ml of cornflakes infused milk, with a little sugar if required.
Shake hard with ice and fine strain into a chilled cup or takeaway coffee cup.
Garnish with a teaspoon and sprinkle a few cornflakes on top.