Tipples in the Name of Love

VIK RETREATS’ LA SUSANA

Located in the sand on the Playa Mansa beach of José Ignacio in Uruguay, La Susana is a laidback restaurant and beach club that serves the ultimate in fresh, local and organic Uruguayan cuisine, enhanced by a terrific ambiance and great music. Under the shade of bamboo pergolas, guests can enjoy the enchanting seaside setting while sipping on bespoke cocktails and VIK wine.

Set just steps away from Bahia Vik, La Susana compliments Vik Retreat’s unrivalled collection of retreats in Uruguay including Estancia Vik, Playa Vik, and Bahia Vik. As the South American summer heats up, the bartenders at La Susana have shared recipes for the property’s favorite beach cocktails, which are nontraditional takes on the Aperol spritz and hot caipirinha.

La Susana Spritz

Ingredients

• 90ml Aperol
• 60ml sparkling wine
• 1/4 grapefruit
• 1 Tbs sugar
• 1 slice of fresh cucumber

Method

1. Put the grapefruit and sugar in a shaker and crush with a mortar until it becomes a syrup.
2. Fill the shaker with ice and add the Aperol. Shake strongly and strain into a large wine glass filled with ice.
3. Add the sparkling wine and finish it with the cucumber slice.

Red Hote Caipi

Ingredients

• 60ml Christiania vodka
• 30ml passion fruit pulp
• 1 Tbs red berries mix
• 1/2 lime in quarters
• 2 Tbs sugar
• 5 drops of Tabasco sauce
• ice flakes

Method

1. Put the lime and sugar in a glass and crush with a mortar until it becomes a syrup.
2. Add the passion fruit, berries, Tabasco, vodka and fill the glass with the crushed ice.
3. Shake well and serve in the same glass.

THE RETREAT AT BLUE LAGOON

Situated on a private inlet of the UNESCO Global Geopark, The Retreat at Blue Lagoon offers visitors the opportunity to experience the incredible geothermal waters of the lagoon in true luxury and privacy. Apart from the lagoon itself, two other big draws of the Retreat are the spa, which boasts innovative in-water treatments, and the highly esteemed Moss restaurant, which showcases creative Icelandic cuisine. The Retreat also has its own Wine Cellar, which is built into a cavern of multi-hued, frozen-in-time lava that erupted in 1226. Anchored by Old World wines – with a focus on Bordeaux and Burgundy – the Wine Cellar also houses New World wines from the Americas and Australia.

Cover Club

This cocktail requires dry shaking, so be sure to assemble the following ingredients into the cocktail shaker WITHOUT ice.

Ingredients

• 3cl Marberg Gin
• 1.5cl fresh lemon juice
• 1.5cl simple syrup
• 3-4 muddled raspberries
• 2cl egg white

Method

1. Start with cleaning and inspecting the raspberries to make sure they are good before dropping them into the shaker.
2. Add the liquid ingredients to the shaker and shake together rigorously.
3. Add ice to the shaker and shake everything again.
4. Double strain the mixture into a chilled cocktail glass using a cocktail sieve – this should result in a nice foam being formed on top of the drink.
5. Garnish with dried and crumbled raspberries.

Inspired by Marberg

A stirred cocktail where ingredients are assembled directly into the glass and served.

Ingredients:

• 4.5cl Marberg Gin (can be substituted with any gin but Marberg gin recommended)
• dash Angelica bitters
• Ginger Beer to top off
• Aquavit-pickled blueberries to garnish

 Method

1. Place ice cubes in an old fashioned / whiskey tumbler glass.
2. Put the Angelica bitters into a spray bottle and spray the inside of the glass.
3. Pour 4.5 cl Marberg Gin over the ice.
4. Top up the glass with non-alcoholic Ginger Beer and stir gently.
5. Spoon the Aquavit pickled blueberries on top and put 1-2 spoonfuls of the Aquavit pickling juice on top of the drink to create a nice effect.
6. Serve and enjoy.

ANGSANA VELAVARU

Situated in a picturesque lagoon on the beautiful Turtle Island, Angsana Velavaru is surrounded by lush tropical gardens and tranquil waters. Its charming beachfront villas provide direct access to the crystal clear waters and its rich coral reefs, and offer private verandas where guests can lounge amidst swaying palm trees, or dine al fresco in the cool ocean breeze.

The resort also boasts an array of exceptional facilities, including revitalising treatments at the luxurious Angsana Spa Velavaru, fine dining at the ocean-suspended Funa restaurant, and everything from windsurfing and water skiing to diving and snorkelling at the PADI 5-star Gold Dive Centre and water sports hub. All offer stunning panoramas of the lagoon and its surroundings, so guests soak up the sights whether they’re surfing, swimming or sunbathing.

Siam Sunrise – cocktail

Ingredients:

• 40g lime
• 10g ginger
• 1 piece lemongrass
• 1 peppercorn
• 5g castor sugar
• 1 can soda water
• 1 fresh chilli
• 50ml vodka
• 20ml white rum

Method:

1. Muddle the lime, ginger, lemongrass and peppercorn in a rock glass until fragrant.
2. Add 50ml vodka and 20ml rum and stir.
3. Fill the Glass with ice and top off with the soda water.
4. Garnish with sliced ginger, pepper and lemongrass.