BEN Madigans Bar and Kitchen on the Cavehill Road have launched an exciting new cocktail menu.
The selection features a range of 24 cocktails with a range of classics, shorts and longs. With the weather set to improve (hopefully) in the coming weeks and months, they are sure to be a huge hit.
All cocktails are priced at £9.95, which is slightly cheaper than the expected going rate these days in most bars.
Ahead of the launch, I went along last Thursday afternoon to test some of them out for myself.
The first cocktail I tried was called ‘Midnight Sky’, made up of Born Irish Whiskey and Cointreau shaken with orange juice and vanilla syrup topped with whipped cream.
I must say it was delicious and almost like a dessert. It reminded me very much of a sort of cold Irish coffee, which is one of my favourite drinks. A return visit is in order just for this cocktail alone.
Next up was ‘Mr Lee’, a gin-based cocktail, consisting of Ginato Pompelmo Pink Grapefruit Gin joined by a duet of jasmine and melon syrups and tempered with lemon juice.
As an occasional gin drinker, this cocktail instantly gives summer vibes, full of taste and flavour and finished off with rose petals, it was top notch.
The next cocktail was Parasol. Named after a great cocktail bar in Greece, this cocktail of Kadoo Pineapple Rum, pineapple juice and mango juice will make you daydream of sitting under a parasol on a tropical beach somewhere. It was similar to a Pina Colada but a twist and ultimately refreshing – roll on the sunshine!
Next on the menu was a short cocktail by the name of ‘Benicillin’. As a whiskey lover myself, this looked and tasted like a dream. It consisted of Powers Whiskey combined with honey and ginger syrup, shaken with lemon juice and a Jameson Black Barrel float.
On to the long cocktails and the first was the Siamese Sling, made up of Beefeater Gin shaken with lemon juice, apple juice, mint and ginger syrup. Topped with ginger ale, it was the ultimate thirst quencher.
The final cocktail was Madison Ave, made up of Absolut Vodka, lime and watermelon syrup shaken with mint and strained into a high ball and topped with prosecco. The cocktail was finished with a literal Haribo watermelon sweet which I thought was brilliant presentation.
It is clear that the talented team at Ben Madigans have put a lot effort into this cocktail menu. There really is something for everyone, including those classics like Pornstar Martini, Espresso Martini, Margarita and Bramble to name but a few.
All the cocktails looked and tasted fantastic and it would be fair to say the Cavehill Road establishment would put some well-known city centre bars to shame with the quality of their cocktails. I am already looking forward to my next visit and hopefully some sunshine to accompany me.
169-175 Cavehill Rd,
Belfast BT15 5B.
Phone: 028 9692 2009
Website: benmadigansbar.com
Email: info@benmadigansbar.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/
BenMadigansBar
