Award Winning Cocktails, Beertails and Jim & Tonics at The Bottle Shop

This was going to be no ordinary Tuesday evening...

...not with The Bottle Shop's new signature cocktails. So hold on and enjoy the ride...

Jim Araneta's The Bottle Shop and Global Beer Exchange stocks over fifteen premium and imported craft beers from the US, Australia, Belgium, Italy, Denmark, and Japan. One look at the shelves should give you an idea of The Bottle Shop's impressive artisan beer inventory. And check out the cool beer bottle chandelier...

And the list is impressive. Rogue Ales from Oregon, Hitachino Nest from Japan, Holgate from Australia, Kasteel from Belgiium, including our very own local Katipunan brews. But there's more. The Bottle Shop's resident and award-winning master mixologist, Larry Guevarra, has an equally impressve list of signature cocktails too...

And just like Global Beer Exchange's exclusive inventory of artisan craft beers, only the best and finest small batch alcohol are used in all of The Bottle Shop's signature cocktails. The Transatlantic (P 350), a cool beertail combining bourbon and a premium wheat ale, syrup, fresh ginger and nutmeg. And with 60mL of premium bourbon, the Transatlantic packs a serious, yet  refreshing and welcome kick to jumpstart my Tuesday evening at The Bottle Shop.

The  blend of wheat ale and bourbon along with the spices makes this a deceptively smooth and easy drink. Topped with nutmeg and a fresh mint leaf, the Transatlantic has this festive holiday feel, just the right drink to get you in the mood as you try the rest of The Bottle Shop's signature cocktails. Rough passage on the Atlantic? Not with the Transatlantic.

The Royale Mojave (P 350, Left), Larry Guevarra's award-winning cocktail with vodka, Monin rose syrup, grapefruit juice, fresh lemon juice, rosemary leaves and sparkling wine, an elegant twist on the mojito.  This is the cocktail that earned Larry Guevarra the top award at the World Food Expo 2013's Monin Mixology Bartending Series, and it tastes like a real winner. Fruity, a subtle sweetness with the bold flavors, and punch of vodka. The Sneaky Pauly (P 250, Right), with gin, olives and fresh lemon juice, a playful and inventive take on the martini. Inspired by a challenge posed by one of The Bottle Shop's regular customers for a refreshing, yet "dirty" concoction, Larry Guevarra comes up with this sneaky blend with the distinct dry feel of the martini with a layer of tangy citrus flavors. Very sneaky, and very good. Another round? Absolutely.

And Larry Guevarra isn't done just yet. Not by a long shot. Armed with a blowtorch, Larry prepares the nest round of winners...

Jim Araneta's line of Jim & Tonics (cool word play, by the way) follows the same philosophy of The Bottle Shop's premium craft beers and small batch alcohol, using Ballast Point small batch gin and Fever-Tree tonic water for The Bottle Shop's cool J&T's. The Bottle Shop's extensive lin of Jim & Tonics (P 425) are available in Basil, Coriander, Cucumber, Lemon, Mint, Rose, Rosemary, and the fiery Sili variant.

The Julinger (P 250), a bourbon-based cocktail with homemade ginger-infused syrup and garnished with fresh mint leaves. Inspired by the classic Mint Julep. I've always favored bourbon, and this cocktail is just right up there. the ginger-infused syrup adds that unique twist in flavor, comfortingly familiar yet new and different. Another winner from The Bottle Shop.

Fierce Pinay (P 300), a refreshing blend of vodka, triple sec, caramelized ampalaya and fresh calamansi juice for that sweet and sour kick. I never thought I'd enjoy bitter melon, but it just works extremely well with the vodka and calamansi with its distinct flavor. Having your vegetables and a cocktail, not bad. Not bad at all.  

The Elderflower Blush (P 300), a sweet blend with gin, triple sec, elderflower syrup (a quick check on Google identifies the elderflower, also known as Sambucus Nigra, as a medicinal plant perfect for colds and coughs, how cool is that?), fresh lemon juice and grapefruit juice. But don't let the seemingly demure name fool you, the Eldelflower Blush will definitely give you a serious blush. Just think of it as preventive medication for coughs and colds.

Next up, more of The Bottle Shop's Jim & Tonics. I go for the Lemon J&T, with its crisp, clean flavors, and just the right blend for my second wind...

...and yet another J&T with calamansi and sili for a citrusy finish with a spicy punch. Each J&T contains two shots of Ballast Point small batch gin, making each glass more potent than you think. Just can't get any better than that.

Inventive, creative, and playful twists using the finest alcohol and ingredients. The new signature cocktails are yet another reason to visit The Bottle Shop. Even on a Tuesday night. Special thanks to Jim Araneta (Right) and Larry Guevarra (Center) for an awesome evening. And to Sanjeeb Gopaldas (Left) for spinning some cool tunes...

The Bottle Shop and Global Beer Exchange is located at Tritan Ventures Building, Paseo de Magallanes Center, Brgy. Magallanes, Makati City or call 895-6175 and 0917-894-5076 for inquiries. You can also check out their cool Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/GlobalBeerExchange for more information.

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