The people at Johnnie Walker have declared Johnnie Walker Red Label mixed with ginger a ‘brave new serve’.

This is a bit perplexing because when I was growing up whisky and ginger ale (American) was the drink all my uncles favoured at Christmas. It was as old as the hills.

Omnipresent taste expert Sam Bompas, of Bompas & Parr says,  “The way ginger and whisky interact on the palate means it’s more than just a taste, it’s a sensation: you get that’burn’, heat, the chill of refreshment, and to that extent a Johnnie & Ginger is more than a drink, it’s an experience.”

“We now understand that ginger has a sialagogue effect – that is, it stimulates saliva – as well as activating the trigeminal nerve – which carries sensation in the mouth directly to the brain, making the experience akin to a culinary roller coaster.”

 Gosh, and you thought you were just having a drink!

Ginger Mixer Recipe

Equipment: a jar, grater, measuring jug, spoon, bowl, cheese cloth

Ingredients: sugar, ginger (your preference of type), water

1)  Grate 30g of ginger. Make sure you retain all the juice

2. Squeeze the juice out of the pulp into a jar through a cheese cloth, or just with your hands

3. Rinse the ginger pulp with a splash of water and squeeze again to extract more juice

4. Optionally, add some of the pulp into the ginger juice

 5. Pour 30g of sugar into the juice in the jar, then, shake until dissolved (you’ll be surprised how much will dissolve — you don’t have to use all of it).

4) Add any flavour you feel boldly compliments the ginger to taste – fiery, light, spicy, fresh or sweet!

6) Sieve and pour – your mixer is ready!

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