A few days ago I was asked in the comments section about the use of certain ingredients that are usually not entirely consumed while preparing a specific cocktail. In connection with the Seelbach Cocktail I had written some words regarding champagne which often is an example for that. Another alcoholic beverage, which a lot of people won’t drink entirely on one evening and which may well also find use in cocktails, is wine. Especially red wine.

Often red wine is used as a kind of topping agent in recipes. In such a case, usually only a few bar spoons are required, so regularly you won’t talk of a real red wine cocktail. But if you look for a drink that’s really made up of red wine in a large quantity, I can recommend the surprisingly refreshing Bishop Cocktail. Originally, the Bishop cocktail goes back to a recipe by Jerry Thomas from the year of 1862, but I have become aware of the drink through an article of the German Mixology magazine about wines as a major ingredient for mixed drinks. The outcome of mixing the interesting combination of ingredients is really convincing and yet also surprising:

Fruity and fresh notes push the wine towards a more summery taste that appears a little bit like the Caribbean version of a Sangria. The beautiful notes of rum and lemon blend quite excellently, as long as you’re using a not too powerful red wine.

Recipe:

6 cl water
1 bar spoon of powdered sugar
2 bar spoons aged Jamaican rum
2 slices of lemon
8-10 cl red wine

Preparation: Mix all ingredients in a shaker and shake vigorously on ice. Then double-strain into a chilled wine glass.

Glass: red wine glass

Garnish: lemon zest

Buying sources: All ingredients should be found in well-stocked supermarkets. If you want to rely on an exquisite rum: Go ahead! Though it might be necessary to visit a specialized retailer for this. As an alternative you can, of course, simply order whatever you need online.