Mixology - with Denis Gor

Today we’re introducing Denis Gor (@denisgor). As a professional bartender and mixologist, as well as a certified sommelier, it’s no surprise that Denis - based in Louisville, Kentucky - has placed highly in two of our editions of our annual Mixology Competition.

We first noticed Denis’ work through his remarkable grasp of mixology and commitment to his craft, packaged with a beautiful visual language. We thought his work would be a perfect fit with NUDE Glass, and it didn’t take long for us to start working together… Those who follow us on Instagram (@nudeglass) may already recognise his striking style, and mouth-watering cocktails.

Today, we’re showcasing a range of different cocktails Denis has created, paired especially with a range of our collections: from festive-inspired drinks to a romantic Valentine’s affair.

Fair Isle Collins

60ml London dry gin
20ml Meyer lemon juice
20ml Grenadine
2 dashes Angostura bitters
Soda water, to top
Sage, to garnish

Shake the first four ingredients together and strain into a Hepburn Collins glass filled with ice. Top with soda and garnish with fresh sage.

The Fair Isle Collins has a beautiful red/green color contrast to bring in the familiar festive season colors. I wanted to use pomegranates with meyer lemons as both fruits are in season now, and the Angostura bitters added a hint of baking spice to round out the botanicals used in the gin.

Evergreen Daiquiri

45ml Blanche Armagnac
15ml Rhum Agricole Blanc
20ml Kiwi syrup*
20ml Lime juice
2 dashes Spruce and Birch bitters
Absinthe, to garnish from an atomizer

Shake all ingredients without absinthe and strain into Hepburn coupe glass. Garnish with a pump of absinthe.

*Kiwi Syrup is equal parts by weight strained kiwi juice and sugar blended together.

The Evergreen Daiquiri was inspired by the festive association we have with the color green. I used several ingredients that are naturally green in color, such as limes, kiwi, and sugar cane. The spruce and birch bitters reminded me of the smell of a fresh Christmas tree, and the botanicals in absinthe added a lovely anise bouquet to perfume the cocktail.

Holiday in the Sun

15ml Campari
15ml Overproof Jamaican rum
30ml Cinnamon-grapefruit cordial*
20ml Coconut syrup**
2 scoops Blood orange sorbet
60ml Brut Champagne or Cava
Lime zest, to garnish

Pour the sparkling wine into the Stem Zero Volcano glass. Blend remaining ingredients together with a cup of crushed ice, then pour into the glass over the sparkling wine and garnish with fresh lime zest. Serve with a straw.

*Cinnamon-grapefruit cordial

250g Grapefruit juice
250g Sugar
10g Grapefruit peel
2.5g Citric acid
2 Ceylon cinnamon sticks
Sous vide at 135F for 2 hours, then strain out peels and leave cinnamon sticks to infuse in the fridge overnight before straining.

**Coconut syrup

Blend together equal parts by weight of full-fat coconut milk and simple syrup.

This cocktail was inspired by the Champagne Pina Colada served at Coupette in London. Holiday parties are often celebrated with Champagne, so I wanted to imagine what it would be like if somebody decided to go on holiday to a warmer climate rather than stay somewhere cold? The blood orange sorbet was tied together with the blend of Campari and cinnamon-grapefruit cordial. The funky rum and coconut syrup provided the tropical, warm-weather feeling, and lime zest was used on top for a little bit of aromatic brightness.

Pome and Fir Old Fashioned

45ml Calvados VS
15ml Douglas Fir Eau-de-vie
10ml Quince syrup*
2.5ml Pastis
Lemon twist, to garnish
Stir, strain over a big piece of ice into a Wayne rocks glass. Garnish with an expressed lemon twist.

*Quince syrup is 1/2 of a quince simmered in simple syrup over medium-low heat (covered) for about 20 minutes.

Calvados is one of my favorite spirits to use this time of year as the apple flavors are incredibly familiar to us. I added a Douglas Fir eau-de-vie to bring in familiar Christmas tree notes, and wanted to express more of those pome fruit notes by complimenting the Calvados with a quince syrup. A little bit of pastis added a final anise note to tie the eau-de-vie together with the pome fruits, and the lemon was used to brighten up the cocktail.