Winter Warmers at Reds: Recipe for an Après Indulgence

Brrr. When the frost sets in and that crisp mountain air blows, what better place to hunker down for après than in Reds? And with a brand new menu of winter warmers, it would be rude not to.  

We chat to Reds’ Bar Manager, Marine Blanchard, about her favourite cockle-warming concoctions, and she shares the recipe for a rosemary-smoked tipple. 

Bonjour, Marine! Tell us about the theme or idea behind your winter menu at Reds – what inspired you? 

The new winter menu brings together comfort and the indulgent flavours you crave in frosty Queenstown winter. We’ve created a little something for everyone’s tastebuds, whether you like it sweet, herbal, bitter or strong. 

Which has been the most popular drink so far?  

You’re a Hot Pumpkin – a buttery pumpkin and rum infusion – and the Bonfire Charmer – a take on an Old Fashioned that comes with freshly torched s’more have been popular contenders. My favourite is the Pistachio Fresca, which is a Margarita with a wintery twist. I’ve added homemade pistachio orgeat syrup. 

Tell us about the s’mores-inspired Bonfire Charmer. 

The Bonfire Charmer is an invitation to sit back, relax and enjoy the view while sipping on a nutty, boozy cocktail with a sweet bonfire snack. Where I’m from, chestnut is a popular winter treat – in Paris for example, we buy roasted chestnuts from street vendors to enjoy while exploring the city, so I was inspired by these memories and flavours.  

You Pinky Promised a delicious recipe to make at home, care to share?  

Flavours of rosemary and Amaro, a bitter and herbaceous liqueur, meld with winter root vegetables, beetroot and ginger, for a gin-based cocktail with savoury and earthy notes. Served with a white froth and smoked rosemary garnish, Pinky Promise is reminiscent of the snowy Remarkables visible from ours. For an extra hit of ginger, add 5ml of Domaine de Canton ginger liqueur to your shaker in step two. 

Recipe: Pinky Promise 

30ml Four Pillars Bloody Shiraz gin 

15ml Four Pillars Rare Dry gin 

15ml Amaro Montenegro 

30ml Lemon juice 

Egg white 

20ml Beetroot and rosemary syrup* 

5ml Domaine de Canton (optional) 

Small thumb of fresh ginger 

Method 

1. Make the syrup by combining sliced raw beetroot, fresh sprigs of rosemary, equal parts sugar and water into a pot. Boil until sugar is dissolved. Allow to cool. 
2. Muddle fresh ginger into a cocktail shaker. 
3. To the shaker, add first six ingredients plus Domaine de Canton, if using. Shake dry to froth. 
4. Add ice to the shaker and shake wet to chill.  
5. Strain into a coupe and serve straight up. To garnish, light a sprig of rosemary and hover, allowing the smoke to linger over the coupe just before enjoying.  

Better yet, visit us at Reds and Marine will expertly whip you up a little something-something. Discover the Reds Winter Cocktail Menu.