As part of our cocktail campaign we caught up with Pippa Guy, drinks ambassador for Tanqueray on her top tips for creating extraordinary cocktails and what it’s like working in the drinks world.
Here’s Pippa’s top tip for creating a salt rim:
- WIPE THE INSIDE OF THE RIM. This is the biggest fail I often see, when there’s salt on the inside of your glass it goes into the drink, disrupting the balance of the beautiful cocktail you have just carefully made. Put a napkin over your finger and remove it!
- Unless otherwise stated, only rim half the glass. This gives your guest freedom to choose which part they would like to sip from.
- Don’t use table salt. The smaller the crystals the more powerful the flavour and table salt is so overpowering. Maldon has lovely chunky crystals that can then be crushed down to fit onto he glass, with a slight minerality. (The smoked salt on a Marg is divine!)
Pippa’s favourite cocktail using Maldon, the “Salty Dog”
The Salty Dog was likely created in the 1950s, a cousin to The Greyhound that appeared around 1930’s (Thanks Harry Craddock!), as a way to dial down the grapefruit’s tart and bitter notes. Salt isn’t only for seasoning food! When used either as saline solution or applied to rims of drinks such as the Salty Dog, Paloma and Margarita it has a way of pulling all the ingredients together and boosting the flavour profile of the overall drink.
You’ll need:
50ml Tanqueray No Ten
100ml Pink grapefruit Juice
Maldon Salt rim
Personally I actually like to add these two as well:
10ml Lemon juice
Dash of Soda
Q&A
What’s your favourite thing about working in the drinks industry? The people – I was listening to a podcast the other day about the loneliness pandemic off of the back of the Covid-19 pandemic. Working in hospitality is super social and on the whole, incredibly friendly and supportive.
If you could be sipping on a cocktail anywhere in the world, where would it be? Hmm. I’m craving some beach time so a Tommy’s Margarita on any beach in Mexico with an XL Maldon smoked salt rim!
Your favourite bar you’ve ever visited? Attaboy in NYC and Satan’s Whisker’s in London. Both with much in common but they just fundamentally understand drinks the a whole other level.
1 Cocktail for the rest of your life, what is it? I don’t want to be lame but I love a Gin and Tonic and can fit it into any circumstance so if I had to ONLY have ONE for the rest of my life?! Gin and Tonic please.
