Shaken and Shared – UK’s top spirits brands create the perfect pairings

With the Easter bank holiday being right around the corner, the UK’s top spirits brands have teamed up to create the Spirits Sharing Series.

Great food is better with great company, and sharing plates, platters and sweet feasts have never been more popular

With the Easter bank holiday being right around the corner, groups of friends and family will be preparing to come together over a shared meal. The UK’s top spirits brands have teamed up to create the Spirits Sharing Series in partnership with Alex Head, founder of Social Pantry, and Carl Brown, the man responsible for the drinks at Dishoom. The two have created a collection of five shareable food, dessert and cocktail pairings perfect for enjoying over the Easter weekend and throughout Spring, including:

Gordon’s Bloody Mary, paired with a sharing board laden with the ultimate spring brunch bites.
Smirnoff citrusy punch to go with a seasonal al fresco fish ceviche supper.
Captain Morgan Original Spiced Gold fruity, fizzy cobbler paired with a Mediterranean-inspired feast.
Tanqueray green Martini, matched with a smorgasbord of vegan dishes.
A Baileys Chocolat Luxe milk punch paired with an indulgent Easter array of sweet treats.

With the popularity of sharing food changing the way we eat, a plain old bottle of wine no longer cuts the mustard. Instead, opt for these novel and delicious group serves, which can be found online at thebar.com. We also have an exclusive set of recipes to create a delicious pairing Hot Cross Bun Cheesecake with Orange & Pistachio Crunch alongside Captin Morgan and Baileys recipe for Bottled Milk Punch.

Hot Cross Bun Cheesecake with Orange & Pistachio Crunch

Why only have hot cross buns for breakfast over Easter when you can have it for dessert too. Two delicious favourites combined in one – hot cross buns + cheesecake… delicious!

Ingredients:

For the base:

150g ginger biscuits
25g sultanas
25g mixed peel
50g butter
½ tsp cinnamon

For the cheesecake filling:

280g pack cream cheese
25g caster sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
½ tsp cinnamon
100g mascarpone
2 eggs

For the decoration:

1 orange
100g green pistachio

Method:

Heat oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4. Butter a 20cm cake tin.
Place the ginger biscuits in a food processor and blitz until chopped into very small pieces then add the sultanas and mixed peel and blitz again just once or twice to combine.
Melt the butter in a pan, then mix in the cinnamon followed by the biscuit mixture.
Add to the cake tin, press down a little with the back of a teaspoon then bake on a tray in the oven for 10 mins until crisp and golden.
Leave to cool, then turn oven down to 150C/130C fan /gas 2.
Whisk together all the cheesecake filling ingredients until smooth.
Pour the mixture into the tin. Carefully slide it into the oven and cook for 25-30 mins until just set. The mixture should still be ever so slightly wobbly when gently tapped. Don’t worry if it dips a little or cracks.
Remove from the oven and leave to cool completely before covering with cling film and putting in the fridge. You can make to this point up to 2 days ahead.
To make the decoration simply roast the pistachio in the oven, once cooled chop finely with a knife, sprinkle on the cheesecake with plenty of fresh orange zest.
Serve on a gorgeous cake stand.