Ardbeg Halloween Cocktail Recipes

Every now and then we get a chance to review something other than horror movies, which is a nice change, particularly when we have been watching record amounts of horror!

This time round, the nice people at Ardbeg sent us a gift box to try out, along with some interesting cocktail recipes to experiment with. After a successful shopping trip buying the ingredients, we got to work trying to find our inner Brian Flanagan.

Ardbeg Monsters of Smoke

The Ardbeg Monsters of Smoke set (available to buy via Ardbeg.com from 30^th October) features three of Ardbeg’s most iconic smokey, single-malt whiskies.

Anyone that knows whisky will already have heard of Ardbeg, with the distillery having a long history (going back to 1798) and a very distinctive flavour, due to it being heavily peated Islay whisky.
Anyone that doesn’t know Ardbeg are guaranteed a unique experience when they first try it. The best description we found that summed it up nicely was ‘long and glorious; sea salted caramel and beach bonfire smoke’.

The best thing about the set is that it comes with three different whiskies: The Wee Beastie, which is a five-year single malt; An Oa, which is finished in three different types of cask; and last but not least, the Ten Years Old, which is, well 10 years old, and a very refined tipple.

Cocktails

With everything set, we took a moment to admire the amazing retro pulp-horror artwork on the packaging of this set. The marketing has been done really well for this, and particularly for a release at this, most creepy time of year! Better still, you can peel-off the rather normal looking bottle labels to reveal yet more retro-horror art. It’s not scary enough to put you off drinking them. It’s definitely cool enough to want to keep as a collectible after the last drops have departed.

Recipe #1: The “Begroni”

An Ardbeg twist on a classic Negroni, this herbaceous, dark chocolate-flavoured cocktail nods at the heritage of the original serve, when Count Negroni requested a punchier version of his favourite Americano. A perfect serve for pre-batching and freezing, it offers smoked herbs, Turkish coffee, aniseed and creosote notes.

Ingredients

• 30ml Ardbeg Wee Beastie
• 25ml Bitter Aperitif
• 25ml Sweet Vermouth

Instructions

Stir all ingredients over cubed ice in a mixing glass.
Pour over cubed ice into a glass, and garnish with a twist of lemon peel.

Verdict

This is a monster of a cocktail. Three pretty distinctive flavours in one drink, battling it out, with one clear victor the Ardbeg.
This is a whisky lover’s cocktail.
If you ever worry about having to sacrifice premium whisky for a cocktail, this is one recipe where you get the best of both worlds – a mix AND that distinctive flavour.

If it were a horror character it would be:
The Werewolf – once unleashed, there’s no taming this beast.

Recipe #2: Smoky Spritz

A sweetly spiced spritz with a distant, smoky savouriness, brought to life in a sizzling heatwave. Burnt rosemary and an orange wheel add complexity to the fizz and hint of grilled artichokes.

Ingredients

• 50ml Ardbeg An Oa
• 100ml Blood Orange Soda

Instructions

Pour ingredients over cubed ice.
Garnish with orange wheel and a burnt sprig of rosemary.

Verdict

Refreshing and fruity, this smoky spritz is devilishly drinkable.
The flavour and smell of the orange (and to lesser extent rosemary) are still there, but there’s still a good deal of smokey, peat flavour which makes it unmistakeable.
This is definitely a lighter recipe, making it ideal early in the evening drinking. And better still, on a warm summer’s evening.

If it were a horror character it would be:
The Mummy – unassuming at first, it keeps its true potential under wraps.

Recipe #3: Big beast sour

Inspired by a New York Sour, this fruity serve evokes oversized beasts frightening urban residents. The sour is balanced with blackcurrant and hedgerow flavours and a low-effort red wine drizzle pays off handsomely with a beautiful visual lift. This lifts a classic sour into a NYC version with hints of leather, aniseed, smoked bacon, cocoa and salt.

Ingredients

• 50ml Ardbeg Wee Beastie
• 25ml Fresh Lemon Juice
• 15ml Sugar Syrup
• ½ Egg White
• 15ml Red Wine

Instructions

Shake all ingredients except the red wine over cubed ice.
Double strain into a glass and drizzle the red wine on top.

Verdict

This one is different. The lemon is a real game changer. It’s sweet, sour, and still smokey.
Probably unlike anything I have tasted.
It’s dangerously moreish.
It’s one of those drinks that you could be fooled into partaking in repeatedly before realising just how tipsy it has made you.

If it was a horror character it would be:
Dr Jekyl and Mr Hyde – a multi-faceted drink with a wicked side.

Recipe #4: Mint monster

Drawn from hulking green B-movie monsters, this cocktail is a lively green machine in the same family as a Southside or Mojito. Briny notes of fennel, pine resin and orange are offset against sweet spices.

Ingredients

• 50ml Ardbeg An Oa
• 25ml Fresh Lime Juice
• 15ml Sugar Syrup
• 8 Fresh Mint Leaves

Instructions

Shake all ingredients over cubed ice.
Strain into a glass and garnish with mint leaves.

Verdict

In some ways, this has the lest complex taste, though it’s not the simplest  of the recipes to put together.
The taste is two things. Whisky and citrus.
Because of the strong flavours, it’s easy enough to take this one slow.
We are big fans of Mojitos anyway, so a dark, autumn twist on this traditionally summer recipe was very welcome.

If it was a horror character it would be:
The creature from the Black Lagoon (or should that be green lagoon?). Lurking beneath that sweet, lime surface is something dark and mysterious.

Recipe #5: Ardgbeg Ten Year Old

Okay, so this isn’t a recipe as such. We felt that Ardbeg Ten Year Old had been neglected, but also that it was just too good to really mix with other things. Therefore, we decided to have it straight up.

The best thing about this tipple is that it’s complex but smooth. There are a few good single malts on the market that vary in flavour slightly, but few of them are as distinctive as Ardbeg, thanks to that peaty, smokey, peppery flavour. It means that it’s unique and unmistakable, but also that it’s still palatable, even though a ‘smokey’ description might be misconstrued as meaning dry or harsh.

It really isn’t a drink to be rushed. And you can tell that with the long process of distillation, not rushing is what makes this whisky stand out.

You can buy the Ardbeg Monster of Smoke trio pack on Ardbeg.com from 30^th October.

More haunting Halloween fun with Ardbeg

This Halloween you can pair these Ardbeg cocktails with limited edition Ice Scream Serves – you can get your hands on these when Ardbeg’s Monster Ice Scream truck rolls into town.

Taking place in London, Glasgow, and Edinburgh between 26th and 31st October, Ardbeg’s Monster Ice Scream truck will serve up devilish ‘Ice Screams’, including:

• Cookies & Scream featuring Ardbeg Wee Beastie ice cream sandwiched between charcoal cookies, coated in crunchy mealworms
• Ahhh, No! Bar of Lapsang Souchong ice cream with an Ardbeg An Oa caramel centre coated in white chocolate
• Ice Cream Groan of charcoal, filled with Ardbeg Ten smoky blackcurrant ice cream, topped with sour cherries and a brittle insect-flecked shard

Tickets are available to purchase in advance via Ardbeg.com. Members of the Ardbeg Committee will receive a voucher to redeem a complimentary serve of their choice. It’s free to join at Ardbeg.com, and anyone who signs up before 21st October will be eligible.

Tickets are available to purchase at £10 for the following dates:

• Tuesday 26th and Wednesday 27th October – Covent Garden Piazza, London – https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/189827949507
• Friday 29th October – Drygate Brewery, Glasgow – https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/190410241157
• Saturday 30th October at – St James Quarter, Edinburgh https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/189694931647
• Sunday 31st October – Castle Street, Edinburgh – https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/189699354877