Wine list

Picture / Christchurch Star

MOONSHINE MAGIC
Cocktails made from Hokonui moonshine are giving whisky a new image. Once contraband, the spirit from the deep south is now available as Old Hokonui at Speights Ale Houses nationwide. There mixologists are coming up with clever combinations using fresh flavours like lime to cut the oiliness non-whisky drinkers have shied away from.

If you're tired of vodka cocktails, but think you're not tough enough for moonshine on the rocks, try one of these at home:

Moonbeam

45ml Hokonui whisky (3x15ml nips)
30ml fresh lime juice
15ml sugar syrup or Rose's lime juice
dash of soda

Serve in a short glass over ice.

Old hooker

45ml Hokonui liqueur
30ml Irish cream
10ml wildberry juice

Add to a long glass and fill with lemonade.

FESTIVAL FEVER
There's one festival after another at this time of year. First there's the Waiheke Island Wine Festival on February 11 with 20 wineries taking part. Then Devonport has its day in the sun with the Devonport Food & Wine Festival February 18-19 and, finally, the Auckland Wine & Food Festival at the Viaduct Harbour runs April 8-9. For details see: www.waihekewinefestival.co.nz www.devonportwinefestival.co.nz www.aucklandwineandfoodfestival.com Match made in heaven Auckland's Match bar has been included in a prestigious international book - Signature Cocktails by Bill Tikos.

The book, featuring 50 cocktails made in bars from Amsterdam to Venice, published in November by Mitchell Beazley, says the Pitt St bar has "taken the art of mixing cocktails to a new level".

It included Match's Ugello Nero recipe featuring the bar's homemade plum syrup. If you feel like giving it a go at home, it goes like this:

Ugello nero plum syrup

1kg ripe plums
1 cup sweet red grapes
1 vanilla pod
2 crushed cardamom pods
150ml water
200g white sugar
2tsp salt
1 whole lime, squeezed

Add plums to boiling water and blanch off the skin then remove the stones.
Add all the other ingredients to a deep pan and bring to the boil. Simmer for 1 hour then put all ingredients through a sieve. Now reduce the liquid to a syrup. This stage varies in time due to individual tastes.

From this recipe you will achieve approximately 100-150ml of Plum Syrup. Add 45ml of Plum Syrup, 45ml of 42Pure and 5ml of creme de cacao blanc to an ice filled shaker. Shake and pour.