Author Colleen Mullaney has put together a fabulous cocktail recipe book: “Gin Austen – 50 Cocktails to Celebrate the Novels of Jane Austen.” As a cocktail connoisseur and Jane Austen lover myself, I was thrilled when a friend got me this book.
Mullaney begins her recipe book by introducing you to various Georgian drinks, barware and glassware breakdowns, universal cocktail ingredients, and recipes for various homemade syrups and methods!
She then splits the book into four sections:
- SENSE AND SENSIBILITY
- PRIDE AND PREJUDICE
- MANSFIELD PARK
- EMMA
- NORTHANGER ABBEY
- PERSUASION
In each section, the reader is greeted with various quotes from each specific Austen novel as well as cheeky illustrations. On the recipe pages, Mullaney shares a piece of Austen’s writing which coincides with the recipe of choice. It’s utterly delightful!
I followed this recipe step-by-step with only a couple of minor adjustments (love the idea of edible flowers but where’s a girl to find that during a worldwide pandemic??) The layout of this book is so easy to read and the cheekiness of Mullaney’s Austen quotes and illustrations are sheer perfection!
Gather ingredients 
Mix it up 
Pour & serve
“If I were as rich as Mr. Darcy,” cried a young Lucas, “I should not care how proud I was. I would keep a pack of foxholes, and drink a bottle of wine a day.”
“Then you would drink a great deal more than you ought,” said Mrs. Bennet, “and if I were to see you at it, I should take away your bottle directly.”
Jane Austen, Pride and Prejudice
Gin & Bennet
Ingredients
- 1.5 oz gin
- 1/2 oz créme de violette
- 1/2 oz lemon juice
- ice
- sparkling wine
- edible blossoms [for garnish]
TOOLS
- shaker
- coupe glass
Instructions
- In a shaker filled with ice, combine the gin, créme de violette, and lemon juice.
- Shake well.
- Strain into a couple, and top with sparkling wine.
- Garnish with edible blossoms, and for heaven's sake, take the carriage.
