For Melifera, summer rhymes with strolls along the water and delicious shared moments. It is also a time where the immortelle flower is harvested, where you share laughs and drinks with friends and want to surprise your taste buds with region specific aromas.

Our favourite, a Corsican signature cocktail

The story of this cocktail; is the story of an encounter between a secret place in Bonifacio called the Hotel Version Maquis and its chef barman, Arthur Hudin a true magician. Arthur lets his creativity roam freely to create a novel cocktail, absolute gem. Its Barona goes perfectly the floral and warm notes of the Melifera gin with the aromatic, fragrant side of the barona, and the endemic Corsican thyme. The acidity balances out this intriguing and fresh aromatic cocktail. It is an invitation to travel, to the legendary island of Corsica that we and Arthur share on @frisky_cocktails. First step is to prepare your syrup. In a saucepan, heat over 500ml of hot water, 500g of sugar, 100g of barona thyme and 5g of citric acid on low heat for the. For the thyme, remember to take of the branches that will add bitterness to your mixture and keep the leaves. For those of you who are not lucky enough to be in Corsica at the moment, you can use regular thyme to replace barona. Filter then set aside in the refrigerator. In a shaker full of ice, pour 5cl of Melifera, 2.5cl of barona syrup. Shake, strain and serve in a chilled cocktail glass. Arthur’s little tip is to put the glass in the freezer beforehand. You drink is ready, close your eyes and enjoy. Can you smell the Corsican maquis?

A sun-gorged recipe

Peach, the idea summer fruit is our guest of honour to sublimate our Gin & Tonic, this mythical cocktail for gin amateurs. Not much is required for this recipe. In a highball glass, fill with ice, pour 50 ml of Melifera gin and add 120ml of your best tonic. Follow up by roasting a quarter slice of peach in your oven or with a blowtorch, lightly coating it with brown sugar beforehand. Decorate your glass with this slice of peach and a spring of lemon thyme. We promise you you’ll love this cocktail as much as us.

A spicy “after the beach cocktail”

After letting yourself indulge in the sweetness of fruits, allow yourself to be surprised by the spicy twist of our Bloody Mary on the Beach. This is a revisited cocktail by Melifera, where we prefer green tomatoes from red ones, and gin to vodka. Are you ready for this experience? Ice a highball glass with crushed ice. Pour 50ml of Melifera in a shaker, 80ml of green tomato juice, 15ml of lemon juice, spices (celery salt, salt and pepper) and add some drops of Tabasco. Shake energetically during a couple of minutes and transfer your mixture in the iced glass. As a garnish, you can choose between: olives, basil, pepper or even a celery branch.

L’article Our three Gin-based recipes to spice up your summer est apparu en premier sur Melifera - Gin bio français à la fleur d'immortelle.

La buvette de la plage

The priority is to emphasis the brand’s roots with the island of Oleron. It is here in Saint Denis d’Oleron that La Buvette de la Plage awaits you. A dream location and its terrace sits on the delicious Boirie beach, right next to the
sailing club. Ideal location to take a break after an outing at sea. If Fred greets you with a smile, it is Theo, his son, who works behind the bar and prepares a signature cocktail of which only he has the secret. With your feet in the water, you can taste your latest peach cocktail, as surprising as it is delicious, before indulging in exceptional cuisine. A wholesome and warm place where Melifera feels right at home.

La Yole de Chris

Do you know the skiff? This light and beautiful narrow elongated boat that used to accompany ships at sea. This is the name that chef Christopher Coutanceau and his partner Nicolas Brossard have chosen for their marine bistro, adjoining the 3-star gourmet restaurant. La Yole de Chris awaits you in the heart of La Rochelle, on Concurrence Beach, with its terrace with a magical view of the ocean. It Is the perfect spot to share products straight from the sea in a friendly and relaxed atmosphere, while enjoying a special Melifera cocktail created by the starred chef himself. Let us not forget to salute the Michelin plate awarded to La Yole de Chris in 2020, as well as the green badge highlighting a “Commitment to sustainable gastronomy”. As a committed brand we have obviously noticed!

La plage de la Ribaudière

Let’s stay in Charente-Maritime with two great addresses near Royan. In Ronce-les-Bains, La Plage de la Ribaudière, located in an old sailing school offers a ”fisherman cabin” atmosphere. Imagine, you are installed on a beautiful terrace under the pines, on the edge of Cèpe beach, with the sea and the Ile d’Oleron in the horizon! What could be better to drink a fresh gin and tonic or a cocktail prepared by starred chef Thierry Veyrat’s team? Cherry on top, you can end the evening by treating your taste buds to a refined cuisine based on the catch of the day and local products, all of which earned La Plage de la Ribaudière a Bib Gourmand awarded by Michelin. Want to know a little secret? La Ribaudière, the parent company, is a Michelin star from Bourg-Charente.

La crique Suzac Beach House

Let’s leave behind the ocean, destination Meschers and La Crique – Suzac Beach House, set on the sand at the heart of the small cove of Suzac, surrounded by sandy cliffs, facing the Gironde estuary. The decor is made to imagine having drinks while watching the sunset in a bohemian chic spirit and pleasant musical atmosphere. Since Melifera joined the place in spring, its mixologist has been offering mouth watering cocktails based on our gin. To accompany them, let yourself be tempted by local producers’ treasures, such as Adrien Geay’s oysters or Maëva’s cheese.

Le Zéphyr café

Imminent departure ! Take the ferry from Royan to cross the estuary to Verdon, direction Montalivet. The next stop is 50 meters from the ocean: Le Zéphyr Café. More than a terrace, it is a real place of life, surfing, salt, beach, music and much more … sheltered from the wind and bathed in sunshine. A place like we love them, where you can enjoy the perfect Melifera “ginto”. A super cool atmosphere for this after-beach bar which was one of the first to fall for Melifera.

l’Hôtel Version Maquis Citadelle 5 étoiles

Change of scenery, change of region. The ocean gives way to the Mediterranean Sea and its legendary island, Corsica. It is in Bonifacio, in a magical setting, that the 5-star Hotel Version Maquis Citadelle is located. An exceptional address for a spellbinding moment, seated at the table of this incredible hotel bar, by the infinity pool, with a breathtaking view of the citadel of Bonifacio. The maquis, diffuses the powerful scent of immortelle, the star of the show. The link between Melifera and this place was obvious. A meeting around the immortelle flower that head bartender Arthur Hedin celebrated by creating a signature cocktail with our gin. The Melifera Barona Martini is a magnificent tribute and undoubtedly our favourite.

La Chapelle Saint-Martin

After the sea, make way for the green and poetic landscapes of the Limousin countryside. In Nieul, La Chapelle Saint-Martin, our first ambassador, holds a special place in our hearts. Melifera shares with its starred chef, Gilles Dudognon, common values of authenticity, terroir, high standards and creativity. Today, we won’t talk to you about the terrace of its gourmet restaurant, a dream location to contemplate the 35-hectare park planted with two-hundred-year-old trees and the pond, but about a whole new place created in the owned by Gilles Dudognon. A timeless place: the extraordinary garden. Completely open Art Deco structure, large terrace, giant rhubarb leaves, waiters dressed as gardeners… We dream with our eyes open while tasting a Melifera gin cocktail.

17 Fort-Royer

End of the trip with an immersion at the heart of the capital. Since Leena decided last year to offer her city clients the pleasures of Oleron, Paris has been home to 17 Fort-Royer. A restaurant painted blue like a fisherman’s hut, a nice terrasse in the center of le Marais, an oyster plate to enjoy, warm of freshly opened or a prawn dish, depending of your taste, with a Melifera in hand. What else could you want? Perhaps return to the source, to Cabane 17 Fort-Royer, in the middle of oyster beds on the island of Oleron, so dear to Melifera.

L’article The best terraces to enjoy a Melifera cocktail this summer est apparu en premier sur Melifera - Gin bio français à la fleur d'immortelle.