Title: The Official Downton Abbey Cocktail Book
Publication: September 17, 2019
Publisher: Weldon Owen
Genre: Cookbooks, Non-Fiction
Pages: 160
SYNOPSIS: (From Goodreads)
In official partnership with Downton Abbey and with 50 stunning photographs featuring stills from across the series and right up to the latest film release, this collection of 70 delicious cocktail recipes is a lavish toast to the glamorous world of the Crawleys.
Introduced by Julian Fellowes, the writer and creator of Downton Abbey, this curated selection of recipes spans the world of Downton, from drawing-room party drinks to downstairs hangover cures and more. In addition to classic concoctions like a Mint Julep, Prince of Wales Punch and Ginger Beer, this collection features character-specific twists such as Downton Heir, Turkish Attaché, The Valet and The Chauffeur. Photographed using the original lead crystal used on set, each cocktail is guaranteed to raise your spirits, whether by channeling the verve of Lady Mary, the wit of Violet Crawley or the plain speaking of Mrs Patmore.
With a brief history of each drink and peppered with quotes from Downton characters, the recipes are organized by the places the drinks were served:
The library (stirred drinks and after-dinner drinks)
The grounds (refreshing drinks)
The great hall (party drinks)
The drawing room (pre-dinner drinks and hangover helpers)
The village (everyday drinks)
With these cocktails, relish the rich traditions and flavours of Downton Abbey without end.
REVIEW:
I was never on the Downton Abbey train. I had come across the show on PBS one day and I couldn’t stand it. Fast forward to the pandemic and I decided to watch the show, plus it was on Amazon Prime for free so win for me. I absolutely LOVED it. I watched it so fast and can’t wait for the new movie to come out in May. So when I discovered that they also had companion cookbooks, I knew I needed to get them. I have cooked things from the 4 that I have but this is the first one that I decided to review.
With all the quarantines, I like most people, increased my alcohol intake more than I had been in the past. So I knew that I wanted to add this cookbook to my collection as well as try some of the drinks out. I was so excited to get started when it finally came in the mail. On first impression, there were a lot of daunting new recipes for me to try. However, on closer inspection, they were not really that difficult. Yes, some things needed to come from a large liquor store not actually Meijer but hey I was ok with that. Some things we already have in the house like Gin, Rum, and simple syrup. I decided on my recipes and picked up the stuff I needed from the store because my sisters were coming over and I knew that would be something fun to try out.
One of the recipes that stood out to me, the Black Velvet. It is a dark stout (I used Guinness) and sparkling wine or champagne (I used Barefoot Bubbly Pink Moscato). It is so tasty. It became one of my go-to drinks over the summer and I made them for Mother’s Day as well. There were two more as well that stand out. One was The Sidecar and The Suffragette. The Sidecar is made with Brandy, Lemon Juice, and an Orange Liqueur, I used Triple Sec because that is what I have. The other one is made with Brandy, Lemon Juice, and Creme de Cacao. Both are delicious and are something that I have made a few times since. My husband did whew whew whew the drink but I really thought they were tasty.
There was one that I tried that I couldn’t even finish, it tasted like straight-up rocket fuel, It was so gross, so gross in fact that I have blocked the name out of my mind. I am so excited to try a few more cocktails out of this book, I have a bunch marked to make!
