CityLife

Vimto celebrates century with cocktails

So-Berry-Vim-Van-Tastic

THE centenary celebrations for Manchester drink Vimto have seen the city's top mixologists compete to create the best cocktail. None of your daft Cheeky Vimtos here - this is about the real stuff.

In the midst of the CityLife.co.uk Manchester Food And Drink Festival, Bart Murphy swept to victory with his So-Berry-Vim-Van-Tastic concoction, made with raspberries, blackberries, lemon, mint leaves, lemonade, gin and vanilla scnapps. Oh, and the fizzy purple favourite.

A teetotaller's version, The Shlurple Sensation (named after a recent ad campaign) features melon juice, grape juice and orange juice.

The competition was judged by John Nichols - grandson of Vimto's founder and current chairman of owner Nichols; Michelle Eagleton of Channel M; and Dave Khan, manager of The Living Room - where Murphy's creations will be available throughout October.

CityLife is just relieved that 1990s ad character Purple Ronnie has stayed out of it.


RECIPES...

So-Berry-Vim-Van-Tastic
Mix
2 raspberries
1 blackberry
3 lemon squeezes
1/2 oz gomme syrup
Add
25ml of Vimto
1 oz of Beefeater Gin
1oz of vanilla schnapps
Shake and strain over crushed ice in a wine goblet
Stir through 5 smacked mint leaves
Top with lemonade and garnish with a blackberry, raspberry and mint sprig

The Shlurple Sensation
Chilled half pint glass
50 ml of fresh water melon juice
25 ml of fresh grape juice
25 ml of orange juice
Shake and strain, then top with lemonade and a 25ml Vimto "float"
Garnish with a watermelon wedge