On tonight's programme Oisin Davis, of Great Irish Beverages, makes a Turkish and Irish Punch.
Oisin says, 'I just got back from a trip to Istanbul where I was showing bartenders how to mix cocktails with Irish whiskey and Turklish ingredients. It was a marvellous exchange of our national spirit with their wonderful produce! Items that went into our drinks included exotic teas, dried fruits and beautiful spices. But what was a real revelation for me was all the super, fresh pomegranate, which was everywhere. And it was even more pleasing to see how well it mixed with my beloved Jameson.
Here's a wee version of what we put together one day.
INGREDIENTS: Turkish & Irish Punch
1 bottle of Jameson
100 ml of sweet Italian vermouth
1 tablespoon of Turkish black tea
2.5 litres of pomegranate juice
50 g of freshly grated ginger
100 ml pomegranate molasses
The zest and juice of 6 limes
METHOD:
Pour the pomegranate juice into a pot. Wash the ginger and grate it over a pot. Zest the limes into the pot. Bring the pot up to the boil whilst continually stirring. Take the heat down and put the lid on it. Leave it for 30 minutes. Remove the lid and let it cool off.
Strain out the solids with a baking sieve and pour into a large bowl. Mix with the Jameson, vermouth and lime juice. Pour into an iced jug as you need it. Garnish with sticks of ginger, some fresh pomegranate if you have it and lime slices.
