The resurgence of the cocktail hour; Harborne local shows revellers how it's done

From record sales of herbs to a market gone crazy for DIY kits - 2016 is seeing a surge in the cocktail making trend. The King's Head, a popular bar and bistro based in Harborne, have offered up their secret recipe for the perfect summer time White Russian... with a twist.

According to the Fresh Produce Journal, Vitacress, the UK's leading producer of fresh herbs, have reported record sales of fresh mint for the first five months of 2016. The Head of Marketing at the firm credits its bumper sales to the new-found popularity of summer cocktails made with Pimm's. Also, spirits retailer Dan Murphy's confirms that their customers are continuously trying new cocktails and aperitifs in their local bars and then visiting their stores to make the cocktails at home.

Jo Scone, Manager at The King's Head said "We have seen a huge increase in customers asking for the cocktail menu in our popular venue. We have a great team of bartenders who are all skilled at creating new and exciting variations on classic cocktails. We've just launched our summer cocktail menu, featuring drinks such as Summer Fruit Bellini and Strawberry and Basil Margarita and our regulars are going crazy for them, especially since we've recently revamped our terrace, so it makes an ideal place to relax with cocktail in hand . One of our most popular cocktails at the moment is our ‘secret recipe White Russian'. Traditional White Russians do not contain milk or ice cream, however, we've got a bit of a sweet tooth here at The King's Head, and did a little experimenting with milkshakes to come up with our ice-cold White Russian, made with a naughty dollop of ice cream".
 
 

Here's The King's Head's once secret recipe for the perfect summertime White Russian:

Ingredients:

25ml of Vodka

50ml of Kaluha Coffee Liqueur

25ml of Milk

25ml of Cream

Vanilla Ice Cream

Coco Powder

Coffee Beans

Method:

1. Pour the Vodka, Kahlua, Milk and Cream into a Boston glass, cover with ice and vigorously shake.

2. Add a scoop of Vanilla Ice Cream into your glass

3. Use a hawthorn strainer to pour the mixture over the top of the ice cream

4. Top with coffee beans and coco powder

5. Sit back, relax and enjoy!

The King's Head, a long standing establishment on the outskirts of Harborne, has been a social hub in the local area for over 100 years. With the Great British Summer already here, the recipe from The King's Head is a great way to impress dinner party guests - but if DIY'ing it isn't your thing, The King's Head have a huge variety of cocktails on their menu. The established eatery also has just completed a facelift on their sizeable suntrap terrace, complete with patio heaters and umbrellas - this is England, after all.

To find out more about The King's Head, visit www.thekingsheadbirmingham.com