Bringing along the mamas, Fiona Lockwood was invited to celebrate the launch of Slingsby Gin x Oh La La! Macarons’ Mother’s Day offerings.
What happens at a Macaron and Martini Workshop? It sounds simple but we actually did not know; the only experience I have had making macarons was a disaster and I was not hoping to do that again in front of people!
Greeted by friendly faces we were handed a baby pink rhubarb and lychee martini and told to take a seat. The first part of the evening started with an interactive baking demonstration on how to achieve the perfect French-style macaron. Without giving all the tips away, we learnt moisture is the enemy, Italians make macarons with sugar syrup and there is definitely a proper way to hold a piping bag!
Next came the cocktail lesson – dry, perfect or wet? Dirty or with a twist? Gin or vodka? Our favourite piece of knowledge to bank for pub quizzes is that apparently, the espresso martini came from a supermodel asking for a boozy pick-me-up! For those feeling brave, the stage was set to get behind the bar and try your hand at creating a cocktail!
Then the Marmalade Gin Martinis were served; we could no longer resist and tucked into our plate of macarons!! The new flavour for mothers day uses Slingsby’s award-winning Marmalade gin with cardamom & lavender. A delightful combination of lightly boozy and deliciously creamy buttercream makes the perfect filling!
Slingsby’s Marmalade Gin uses locally sourced botanicals with zesty Yorkshire marmalade, water drawn from the world-famous Harrogate aquifer and a pure single grain spirit. It makes for a smooth and delicious gin that works wonderfully with orange juice and prosecco.
Finally it was time to get creative with unlimited pre-made macarons shells to construct and decorate! Digging through our eyes were caught by the limited edition galactic macarons. Glistening gold against a celestial blue and purple background, these 24-carat edible gold leaf decorated shells are stunning and just like the night sky!
There are already decorated macarons on display and but it isn’t until you try you realise it’s a lot harder than you thought! Giggles will ensue! Turns out flowers are pretty fun to make. Anything that involves sprinkles is messy and glitter sticks to everything – you will find it for days! Tip for those going in the future – make the tiniest of snips in the icing piping bag if you want any chance of controlling it! And handle with care, the number of macarons I squished too hard and broke so I had to eat…
Taking our creations home, we walked away with giant smiles and a sugary spring in our step. Almost a week later, we have been indulging our sweet tooth every few days with a macaron and making breakfast gins at the weekend for a treat! Macaron and Martini Workshop for the win.
The limited edition Mother’s Day ‘Breakfast Martini’ Macaron box contains 18 macarons, a bottle of 50cl Marmalade Flavoured Slingsby Gin and a handwritten card, and is available via OhLaLa! https://ohlalamacarons.com The full range of Slingsby Gin can be found on their website at https://www.spiritofharrogate.co.uk/
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