When you think of Andy Warhol, what cocktail comes to mind? Maybe a Cosmopolitan. What about Salvador Dali? I’d be thinking maybe an absinthe based melting concoction. Well you can now find out in Jennifer Crolls new cocktail book Art Boozel. This hilariously creative new book is a load of fun showcasing many ingredients as unique as the artists they’re inspired by.
The Pablo Picasso Cocktail
Is an eye popping fruity cocktail that is inspired by his famous work Les Demoiselles and nods to Cubism with its angular melon garnish. Served in a coupe glass, this light rum, lime and cantaloupe juice cocktail is as abstract as the artist himself and tastes like a tropical summer holiday in a glass.
What you need
60 ml Light rum (I used Bacardi)
30ml Cantaloupe Juice
22.5ml Fresh lime juice
7.5ml Agave syrup
Melon Cube to garnish
How to make it
To make the Cantaloupe juice, chop cantaloupe into chunks and blend until smooth. Strain through a fine strainer. Then combine your rum, lime juice, and agave Syrup plus 30ml of Cantaloupe Juice in a shaker over ice. Shake and strain into your coupe glass. Garnish with your cubist cut chunks of melon and spear on a cocktail pick.
The Jean-Michel Basquiat Cocktail
When I came across Art Boozel the first artist I thought of was Jean-Michel Basquiat so I was excited to see what the mixologist had in store for him. The Jean-Michel Basquiat Cocktail in appearance references the crown ever present in a lot of his work. Served in a martini glass, Basquiat's cocktail, like his taste, takes what is expensive and subverts it. With the mix of champagne, vodka and fruity sorbet, it’s pricey, but it doesn't matter.
What you need
5 tbsp Mango-pineapple sorbet
30ml vodka
90ml champagne
3 pineapple leaves for garnish
How to make it
The Jean-Michel Basquiat is quite easy simply whisk together sorbet (I cheated and just used a mango sorbet) and vodka until smooth. Slowly pour in champagne and whisk until mixed. Pour into cocktail glass and garnish with pineapple leaves.
The Frida Kahlo
Frida Kahlo used her joys and sorrows to create one of art history's most brilliant and imaginative bodies of work. Her last painting depicted watermelons and her cocktail pairs them with tequila for a drink as fearless and beautiful as its namesake.
What you need
Watermelon Ice Cubes (frozen watermelon juice)
60ml tequila blanco
30ml Simple Syrup
30 ml fresh lime juice
1 bar spoon maraschino liqueur
1 orchid, for garnish
How to make it
To make the Watermelon Ice Cubs freeze watermelon juice the night before in a standard size ice cube tray (each cube should be roughly 30ml).
To assemble the Cocktail; combine the tequila, simple syrup, lime juice, maraschino liqueur, and 3 Watermelon Ice Cubes in a shaker and shake until the cubes have dissolved. Strain into a large rocks glass over an ice globe made of water and garnish with a lime wheel and an orchid.
With over 50 different cocktails each paired with a different artist there's plenty to keep you entertained for months on end. Impressing friends has never been easier and the amazing illustrations throughout the book are as impressive as some of the aforementioned artists themselves.
Grab a copy of Art Boozel here whilst stocks last.
