Last Updated on February 26, 2022
LAIBA Bottled Cocktails are the Perfect Gift for Loved Ones This Mothers-Day:
With a month to go until Mother’s Day, I am here to save you from the extortionate rates that flower delivery companies charge for holiday delivery. Why not treat the woman who birthed you to a set of luxury bottled cocktails from LAIBA instead? Easy to prepare, delicious, and gorgeously designed, it’s a gift that will make the pain of childbirth seem slightly more worth it.
Created by award-winning Beverage Director Michael Chen, LAIBA cocktails are founded on the idea that you can put world-class mixology in a bottle. Relying on LAIBA’s attention to complexity in their drinks alongside their wonderfully chic design, these are not pre-mixed tinnies from the corner shop. LAIBA boxes are laid out like huge chocolate boxes (but so much better), with a key that gives detailed information on each drink, and provides beautiful illustrations of how to serve each one. Because the drinks descriptions are so detailed, the more experienced mixologists among us can use the flavours listed to adapt the suggested serve to their individual tastes. Equally, however, this is a perfect gift for those who don’t have a cocktail shaker, or who haven’t made cocktails before. The complexity is already in the bottle. Most of the time, all the drinks require to taste and look amazing, is a shake before pouring them straight over ice.
The LAIBA Tropical Vibes Set is a perfect Mother’s Day gift set for any discerning mum who loves a glamourous cocktail. For £45 for six 90ml bottles, it includes two bottles each of the LAIBA Sour, the Passion De-Light and the I Am Coconuts. If these don’t seem like your mum’s vibe, that’s no trouble either, you can custom design your box on the LAIBA website. Anything over £35 is free delivery, and you can get a full range of the LAIBA products or just seventeen Negronis if that’s your jam. Having already tried their Earl’s Old Fashioned and the Espresso Martini, they are as phenomenal as they sound, but I will be focusing on the three cocktails included in Tropical Vibes Set: the LAIBA Sour, the Passion De-Light and the I Am Coconuts.
I started with the I Am Coconuts, a wonderfully refreshing drink, made from Red Chili & Kaffir Lime Leaf Infused White Rum, Lime, Apple and Coconut Syrup. At first sip it is limey and sugary delight, that has a subtler coconutty taste than I was expecting, preferable for those of us who don’t, in fact, like getting caught in the rain. After a while, you notice the lovely heat on your lips and tongue from the chilli. Don’t worry guys, it’s not very spicy, especially if you take away the chilli garnish – but if you wanted to add a tad more heat, I would wager a chilli salt rim would balance out the sweeter flavours and take this drink to the next level. Though I served mine neat after shaking with ice, LAIBA suggests simply pouring it over ice and stirring before garnishing. This one is super easy, even if you don’t own a cocktail shaker and is quite frankly the best pre-mixed cocktail I’ve ever had. Its complex flavour develops in the mouth, a very impressive feat for a bottled cocktail, and certainly leaves you wanting more.
The next cocktail I tried was the Passion De-Light, a low-calorie creation that mixes Cucumber Infused Vodka with Lime and Passionfruit Puree. I served this with crushed ice instead of normal ice, as I thought it complemented the summery vibes of the drink – if you’re following in my footsteps, be sure to use plenty of it. This super dry cocktail punches you with lime in the first sip, with the sweeter notes coming through as the drink travels to the back of the throat. The passionfruit and lime rather overpower the cucumber here, but I’m not complaining – as a lover of ‘not too sweet’ Pornstar Martinis, this is a real winner for me, that really accents the sour notes. The garnish with this drink is everything. The cucumber accents the hidden vodka in this cocktail and rubbing the mint outside the glass will wake up those oils in the mint, and really take you to summer. The Passion De-Light is not as complex as the I Am Coconuts, in terms of its flavour, but perfect for those who love a sour cocktail. This is certainly a tipple to have in the sun or as a palette cleanser, that will leave you begging for a sweet dessert.
The final cocktail in the Tropical Vibes set is the LAIBA Sour. A spin on the classic Whiskey Sour, this drink is made by mixing Single Malt Whiskey with Lemon Juice, Nutmeg & Hazelnut Infused Salted Caramel, Apple, Angostura Bitters and Scrappy’s Chocolate Bitters. LAIBA suggests two ways to serve this spin. As someone who lives and breathes Whiskey Sours, I chose to go with the more traditional method and shook the premix with 25ml of egg white (or 25ml of aquafaba, for a vegan alternative), to have that lovely sour smoothness. The LAIBA Sour has an almost Christmassy feel to it, with the nutmeg and hazelnut infused salted caramel and apple puree. It is much more complex than your average Whiskey Sour, and with the nutty and sweet infusions, it reminds me more of the festive favourite, the Amaretto Sour. This is a very balanced cocktail, that really showcases all its flavours. First, you are hit with the delicious hint of lemon, then hazelnuts, then the delicious single malt at the back of the throat combines with the lasting taste of burnt sugar. Scrumptious. Having tried the LAIBA Sour by itself beforehand, I would say that, over ice, this cocktail would make a great dry aperitif, but it is a lot smoother with the egg white, so perhaps serve this one with dessert or just after it, so as to really bring out the nutty notes in the cocktail.
All-round I was very impressed with the Tropical Vibes Set. Complex drinks in simple packaging, yet still easy to personalize and make your own. Don’t be fooled with these as well – though these may come in cute hand-sized bottles, they are no Fruit Shoots. Don’t be me, and have three in a row. Otherwise, they will leave you wondering why the walls are spinning, and why you feel the urge to take a five o’clock nap. Although, if you are a Mum on Mother’s Day, you definitely deserve it.
LAIBA:
LAIBA Tropical Vibes Gift Set: https://uk.shop.laibabeverages.com/products/tropical-vibes?variant=32448551452853
LAIBA Website: https://uk.shop.laibabeverages.com/
Next day delivery on all products if ordered before 2 pm, Monday-Friday.
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