Edinburgh, festival city. Lovely to have all these things- the book festival is going to have me braving the outside world more often, for sure- but the sheer volume of people and the unaccustomed sunshine can be a bit much for a girl who's used to north Edinburgh. So when I am forced to go into town, and when it has been a long bad day, I seem to have slipped into the habit of a cocktail somewhere cool before going home.
I'm still very fond of Harvey Nichols, but their cocktail menu is limited- also, they're not so convenient for a bus to my door. Rick's have stolen my heart and my custom with their extensive drinks menu, generous portions of fries, and the fact that the last few times I've been there, there's been space to sit and spread out. With the Spiegelterrace on George Street, I wouldn't have expected that at all, especially seeing how many people were sitting outside- they must be lucky enough that a shade and possibly sunscreen is enough to stop them frizzling :P
Highlights of the menu, as far as I'm concerned:
- Cosmo Daisy- Tanqueray gin, Cointreau, lemon juice, homemade raspberry syrup.
- Blackberry Fizz- Finlandia vodka, Chambord black raspberry liqueur, lemon juice, simple syrup,
blackberries and ginger beer.
- Rick's Blue Lagoon- Stolichnaya, Blue Curaçao, lemon juice, simple syrup, egg white,
vanilla ice cream and Möet & Chandon Champagne.
- and my favourite so far, the Breakfast Martini- Russian Standard Vodka, Cointreau, lemon juice and orange marmalade. But there's still quite a lot of menu for me to work through...
Rick's, 55a Frederick Street, Edinburgh. Convenient for most central things, and definitely the book festival :)
The thing about cocktails is that they must taste innocent, be totally moreish and, consequently, get people to lose their inhibitions! I do like creamy ones: I started with Brandy Alexanders, though brandy tends to be a little rough to taste, and now it's routine to end the day with an alcoholic milkshake, kahlua and milk, icy cold, with a sprinkling of grated chocolate.
ReplyDeleteBut I had a lovely one recently - blackberry gin with ginger ale: a combination I'd normally avoid, but it left me wanting more. So I had another one ...