Sweet Dreams Are Made Of This Cocktail

𝄞Sweet dreams are made of this, Who am I to disagree, I travel the world and the seven seas, Everybody’s looking for something𝄞

We all dream of something, someone or sometime, some of us will get to live those dreams while others will go on dreaming, this Cocktail is meant not just for the dreamers, but for the ones pursuing those dreams in any which way they can.

The Champagne – Celebrity’s Champagne

Founded in 2013 by Christophe Kuo, on the picturesque island of Taiwan, off the coast of China and Hong Kong.

Celebrity’s Champagne imports Champagne from France to Taiwan, they specialize in the smaller French growers, looking for that unique taste, they help the Taiwanese people experience more of what Champagne has to offer at an affordable price in a lovely box with an elegant label.

Celebrity’s Motto: The real taste of Champagne.

Celebrity’s Champagne – My Girl Champagne – Tasting Notes

Aroma – “Lovely expressive aroma, delivering everything you could want from a Champagne, with a creamy presence joining you along the entire journey, with zesty lemon, yellow fruits, yeasty characters, pastry, glazed icing sugar pastry, croissants, glazed peach/apricot, with notes of vanilla ice cream on the aroma.”

Flavour – “Elegant, just like the lady on the label, smooth on the palate with sweet and light citrus, hints of apricot and peach, yeasty, croissants and pastry, very similar to the aroma, with freshly baked glazed icing sugar pastries and creamy at the close/length.”

Gold Medal in the Creamy Category at the Glass of Bubbly Awards 2022

The Rum – Norfolk Rum

For many years, Ben Crisp, the founder of Norfolk Rum had claimed that he didn’t like rum, so how does someone who ‘doesn’t’ like rum, start his own Rum Distillery?

It wasn’t until the summer of 2017 that he was given a chance to taste what he describes as “a truly remarkable rum that tasted like no other I had tried before”, thinking himself too rash in his judgement of Rum, he decided to dedicate some time towards this new world that had been opened up to him, trying and sampling rums from all over, with him starting a collection to sit alongside his gins in his gin cabinet.

Unfortunately, he never found a taste to even match what he’d experienced in 2017, he did find some ‘nice’ rums, but nothing to live up to his dreams.

Disappointed by his conclusion, he did some digging and realised that there weren’t many Rums actually produced in England, with the majority having their base rums imported from the Caribbean and then adding their own flavouring locally, “surely there was a better way?”

So in May 2020, when the world was forced into lockdown, the aviation industry that he worked in suffered dearly, so, not wanting to sit around letting time pass him by, using the help and encouragement of his partner Helen, Mother-in-law Theresa and their family, he set off on an adventure to create a unique rum that is firmly rooted in Norfolk, using the land’s unique offerings to flavour a superior base rum.

Ben hopes that his rum will gift people the same experience he had in the summer of 2017, that his rum can convert anyone that claims “I don’t like rum”.

Reaching out to Ben Crisp, the Owner of Norfolk Spirits Company, I asked him: “What Was The Feeling/Experience Like When You Created Your First Rum?” 

“It was really exciting, We had worked through a number of different options for the rum that we wanted and I knew instantly when we got the right version. I spent quite a lot of time that week drinking it and not believing that we had gone from a crazy idea to an actual product.” – Ben Crisp, Owner of Norfolk Spirits Company

Navy Strength Rum– Tasting Notes – “Smooth and warming, with a punch that could knock your socks off, including amplified characters of dark fruits, caramel, honey and sweet treacle.”

The History of Navy Strength Rum comes from on-board Royal Navy Ships, the ABV was for the sailors, the rum would very likely be stored close to the ship’s supply of gunpowder, and if the ship took fire from enemy vessels or forts and a canon stuck the Rum, drenching the gunpowder, it would still ignite at 57% ABV.

In 1816 a test was conducted that showed that gunpowder would still ignite at a 54.5% ABV, which is technically the true British Navy Strength, but many distilleries still stick to 57% ABV.

Sweet Dreams Are Made Of This Cocktail

Ingredients

• Celebrity’s Champagne
• Navy Strength Rum
• Lime Juice
• Honey Syrup
• Nori Sheets/Seaweed
• Bay Leaf
• Lime
• Rosemary

How To Make The Sweet Dreams Are Made Of This Cocktail

• Set sail with 10mls of Navy Strength Rum
• Add 5mls of Lime Juice
• 15-20mls of Honey Syrup
• Top up with Celebrity’s Champagne
• Garnish with the Following:
• A Bay leaf
• A Twist of Lime
• A Twist of Seaweed
• A Twig of Rosemary

Sweet Dreams Are Made Of This Cocktail Tasting Notes

Aroma – “Almost like perfume, mesmerising just like the lady who wears it, fresh zesty lime, rosemary with herbals and floral notes, then a subtle saline expression from the nori sheet/seaweed, it’s so complex yet easy to enjoy, I fear I may never grasp the true potential of the aroma, I don’t want to leave it behind, but I must venture into the flavours.”

Flavour – “Removing the wonderful garnish display, and venturing into the flavours, you’ll discover a silky, honey-like texture display of yellow fruits and green citrus (lime), with a surrounding of pastries, Danish, flaky, croissants, a whole mix of exciting bakery goodness, but let’s not forget to mention the powerful display of ripe dark fruits and succulent caramel/honey from the Navy Strength Rum.”