Usually referred to as the “Swinging
Sixties” – this is a decade of
impressive memories. Youth culture had fashion
leaders to follow – whether it was Twiggy
with her incredible false eyelashes or modelling
the famous mini skirts from British designer
Mary Quant or the Beatles for their scandalous
mop top hair cuts and their fabulous collection
of music which is still enjoyed all over the
world today. Epic films seemed to be in vogue:
Ben Hur won 11 Oscars in 1960 and other films
of the decade included classics such as Spartacus
and Cleopatra. Cleopatra starred Elizabeth
Taylor and Richard Burton which was at the
time the most expensive film ever made at a
cost of $40 million ($250 million in today’s
money!).
In the UK, the cobbles of Coronation Street
first appeared on our TV screens in 1961 as
did Doctor
Who in 1963. Cliff Richard was popular with
his music and in films such as the Young Ones
and
Summer Holiday. The most memorable event in
the UK just had to be England hosting and then
going
on to win the World Cup in 1966 on 30th July
at Wembley Stadium.
With such a remarkable decade to look back
on, here are a few cocktail ideas inspired
by some
of the most memorable characters and events
during this amazing time. We hope you enjoy
trying them
out!
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 One of the style icons of the 1960s was undoubtedly Jacqueline Kennedy. Married
to President John F Kennedy, 1960 was the year the glamorous young couple arrived
at the White House. Considered to be the epitome of elegance, style and great
taste in everything she did, Jackie Kennedy’s influence continued throughout
the 1960s. Her carefully groomed yet stylish clothes generated huge interest
and were copied all over the world – notably the pill box hat.
The Jackie K cocktail is a simple yet stylish recipe to make up. All the ingredients
bar one are blended together and poured into a wine glass: De
Kuyper Apricot
Brandy, De Kuyper Triple Sec, Angostura
Bitters and single cream. To finish off,
add a generous dash of De Kuyper Grenadine to the top of the cocktail. Because
of the thickness of the Grenadine liquid it will sink to the bottom of the glass.
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 In 1962 a British legend appeared on the silver screen for the first time. The
first James Bond film Dr No opened with then relatively unknown Sean Connery
in the role of the spy with style. His cocktail of choice has always been the
Vodka
Martini “shaken not stirred”. Our recommended recipe uses vodka and Noilly Prat Dry vermouth – although at in-the-spirit we prefer
to stir our Martini to achieve an almost clear liquid drink and strong flavour
rather than the slight cloudiness that can occur when the ingredients are shaken
with ice. Try it out for yourself and see which way you prefer. The right way
is the one you find you like – whatever anyone else thinks! The best recipe
for a Martini cocktail will always be a hot topic of debate with any mixologist
or cocktail connoisseur!
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 Between
1965 and 1967 our own British style icon emerged
in the form of Emma
Peel (played by Diana Rigg) - new sidekick to John Steed in the cult TV series
The Avengers. Her portrayal of the sophisticated Mrs Peel ensured the series
was broadcast in over 120 countries and is still shown all over the world today.
As our tribute to such a sophisticated and cool character, we have a sophisticated
cocktail! The Emma Peel cocktail is a stunningly easy combination of De
Kuyper
Cherry Brandy, pineapple juice topped with champagne. Perfect!
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 If
you were around to watch it, to see a man on
the moon for the first time must have been
an incredible experience. Neil Armstrong landed
in Apollo 11 in 1969
with the immortal words “one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind”.
Star Trek also made its TV debut in 1969 – promising to “boldly go
where no man had gone before … “ Well we haven’t come up with
a cocktail about a rocket or a starship (!) but we thought a Chocolate
Full Moon
cocktail would fit the bill. Made with tequila, De Kuyper Crème de Cacao
and fresh cream, this recipe is a rich and chocolatey treat.
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 Throughout the 1960s the Russians seemed to affect events all over the world – quite
literally! Whether it be for Yuri Gagarin being the first man to orbit the earth,
Kruschev’s negotiations with JFK over the dismantling of nuclear weapons
or for the epic film production of Doctor Zhivago set during the Russian Revolution
based on Boris Pasternak’s novel. Here we have our own Russian cocktail
called Red Army based on that most Russian of drinks – vodka. Made with
vodka, De
Kuyper Triple Sec and Crème de Framboise (raspberry
flavoured liqueur) this is as red as it gets!
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As always, in-the-spirit
recommends drinking all cocktail recipes on
the site in moderation.
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