In our constant quest to bring you as many different
and fascinating cocktail recipes as we can
with not always the most obvious ingredients
(!), this time we thought we would bring you
various suggestions to try which include ice
cream! Always a favourite thing to indulge
yourself with – after chocolate of course!
We hope these fab ideas will help you chill
out over the summer months with your friends
- or not as the case may be with our very changeable
weather here in the UK! So, why not just chill
out with the coolest of cocktails – in
every sense of the word!
Whilst testing out some of the cocktail recipes – it’s
a hard job but here at in-the-spirit but we will
go to any lengths on your behalf! - the team got
to wondering where ice cream first came from. Here’s
the history bit…
There seem to be several possibilities recorded
as to the origins of ice cream making - although
not all of the stories have been verified. The
earliest records of anything like ice cream being
produced was from China in the 1st century where
buffalo, cow and goats’ milk was heated
and then allowed to ferment. This was then mixed
with
flour to thicken the mixture and then camphor
was added for flavour and it was refrigerated
before
being served.
Freezing in those days was achieved by mixing
salt with ice – this reduces the freezing point
and it was then possible to achieve temperatures
below -14°C. It is unknown who discovered this
process but it is thought to be the Chinese. The
process of ice ream making did not arrive in Europe
until the 16th century. By the 17th century the
Italians had moved on from making water ices (or
sorbets) to making ices with sweetened milk – particularly
in Naples.
The first record of ice cream in the UK was
believed to be at a Royal Banquet held at Windsor
Castle
in 1671 by King Charles II where only the guests
at the King’s own table had a plate of “iced
cream” because it was considered so rare
and unusual.
During the 19th century the production of ice
cream was made easier by the introduction of
a machine
in the 1840’s. It consisted of a wooden bucket
which was filled with an ice and salt mixture and
had a rotating handle. There was a central metal
container containing the ice cream was surrounded
by the ice and salt mixture. The churning made
ice cream with a smooth texture. The key ingredient
of ice cream making was to have enough ice. Before
refrigerators were invented, ice blocks were imported
for countries such as Norway and Canada and brought
into central London and other major ports – travelling
into the centre of the cities on the canal networks – to
be stored in ice houses. From these ice houses
it was then sold to ice cream makers.
In London a man called Carlo Gatti arrived
in 1847 from the Italian speaking area of Switzerland
and
began selling refreshments from his own stall.
Historical documents show that Mr Gatti bought
ice cut from Regent’s Canal under the terms
of a contract with the Regents Canal Company. Mr Gatti also owned ice wells (sometimes referred
to as ice houses) where ice and other food items
were stored. He was registered as an “ice
merchant” during the 1860’s when his
first shipment of 400 tons of ice from Norway was
recorded. The readily available ice stored in his
ice wells allowed Mr Gatti to make ice cream in
larger quantities and he was also thought to be
the first ice cream maker to sell to the ordinary
man and woman who had previously been unable to
afford such a luxury. Some of the London ice wells
remain – the most well known is in New
Wharf Road near Kings Cross station. This is
home to
the London Canal Museum and it also features
many exhibits showing the history of ice cream
making
and selling in Victorian London.
So after the history lesson to give you the
lowdown on some of the stories as to where ice
cream
originated from – what about some cocktail recipe ideas
including ice cream? We have various suggestions
that you might have not thought about whether you
prefer fruity, minty or nutty flavours we hope
the following suggestions have something for everyone!
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