Christmas Gift Ideas for both Him and Her - Rusty Barrel Cocktail Bath Set 🍸 🛁

At this time of year, we all have a lot on our plates, and there’s nothing we like better than soaking in a long, hot bath with a glass of something special.

And then an idea hit us.

Why not combine two of our favourite things? 

Introducing our Fitzrovia Cocktail-Themed Bath Set!

These British-made bath products will have you soaking away your worries in no time.

We thought we’d take a look at the cocktails that inspired them and...well...it would be rude not to give one or two of them a try!

Porn Star Martini

With a name like Porn Star Martini, this lively little cocktail has certainly caused a bit of a stir in its short history and, despite attempts to gloss over its rather racy name, it has become a leading contender in the  UK’s Favourite Cocktail list.

So whether you call it a Passion Star Martini, a Passion Fruit Martini, or you go with the original branding, the Porn Star Martini is here to stay.

Invented in 2002 by Douglas Ankrah in a Knightsbridge cocktail bar, the tropical mix of passion fruit, vodka, and prosecco is a bubbly cocktail to liven up any night out.

Our Porn Star Martini Candle gives the perfect passion-fruit fragrance as it burns while you sip, soak, and relax.

Recipe

• 2 crinkly and ripe passion fruits

• 60ml Vodka

• 30ml passoã

• 1 tbsp lime juice

• 1 tbsp sugar syrup

• Prosecco

Method

• Fill your cocktail shaker ⅔ full with ice

• Slice the passion fruits in half and scoop the seeds of one of them into the shaker along with the lime juice and Monin Sugar Syrup.

• Shake well for 8-10 seconds  and, using your Hawthorne strainer and pour into 2 martini glasses

• Top up with prosecco, and serve a shot of prosecco on the side

• Float the other passion fruit half on top of the drink and serve

Piña Colada

The exact history of this creamy and coconut-rich creation is a little hazy. 

Some claim it dates back to 19th century Puro Rican pirates, while others credit Ramón “Monchito” Marrero for creating it at the Caribe Hilton Hotel in, again, Purto Rico.

It should be no surprise then to discover that Purto Rico unveiled the Piña Colada as its official drink in 1978.

Pop one of our Piña Colada shower steamers on the floor of your shower, and the heady aromas of coconut, pineapple, lime, and rum will transport you to the beaches of Purto Rico in moments.

And once you’ve had your shower, relax with your very own Piña Colada.

Recipe

• 50ml white rum

• 50ml pineapple juice

• 30ml coconut milk

• 1 maraschino cherry

• Slice of pineapple

• Ice

Method

• Add the rum, pineapple juice, coconut milk and ice to your Rusty Barrel Cocktail Shaker

• Shake well for 8-10 seconds

• Add a few ice cubes to your glass and, using the inbuilt strainer in the lid, pour over your piña colada

• Garnish with the cherry and pineapple slice, and serve

Gin & Tonic

The only cocktail on our list to have with anti-malarial properties!

In the British East India Company in India, in the 1800s, malaria was a real concern. Doctors had shown that quinine-laden tonic water was an effective cure, but it was incredibly bitter (it had a lot more quinine in those days).

As the British soldiers were already given a gin ration (how times change!), it didn’t take long before some bright spark added their gin to the tonic, and the classic G&T was born.

Gin itself has been traced back to the 11th-century monks (always the monks) and has at various times been referred to as ‘Dutch Courage’ and “Mother’s Ruin,” but, enjoyed responsibly, it’s the perfect choice as a refreshing pre-dinner aperitif.

SInce 2013, gin has exploded in popularity, with every flavour imaginable now available, and our Gin and Tonic Bath Salts are the perfect botanical-scented addition to your bathroom.

Recipe

• 50ml gin

• Tonic water

• 2 slices of lemon

• 1 slice of lime

• Ice

Method

• Add the ice to your glass

• Pour over your gin

• Fill up your glass with tonic

• Garnish with your lemon and lime, or maybe add a sprig of rosemary

• Serve with a Rusty Barrel Metal Straw

Espresso Martini

One of the best things to come out of the 80s, and another London creation, the espresso martini was created by legendary Mixologist Dick Bradsell.

Legend has it that Supermodel Kate Moss came into his bar and asked for a drink that would “wake me up and [bad word deleted] me up,” and the espresso martini was the answer!

We love an espresso martini, but it really shouldn’t be as good as it is. Coffee and vodka don’t often get mentioned in the same sentence, let alone in the same glass, but there’s something that just...works with the rich depth of espresso, the sweetness of the coffee liqueur and then the kick of the vodka that we can’t resist.

The good thing is, they’re really simple to make, too.

So, grab your Rusty Barrel Shaker & Jigger and whip one up as you run your bath.

Then, drop in your Espresso Martini Bath Bomb, and lose yourself in clouds of espresso-scented steam.

Recipe

• 50ml vodka

• 35ml Kalua

• 25ml of espresso

• Ice

Method

• Fill the cocktail shaker ⅔ full with ice

• Add the vodka, Kalua, and espresso to the tin

• Shake for 8-10 seconds

• Strain into two martini glasses

• Garnish with three coffee beans

If you want to mix it up a little, substitute the Kalua for Patrón XO Café. 

Be warned. It packs a punch!

Strawberry Daiquiri 

The daiquiri was invented by Jennings Cox, an American living in Cuba in the late 19 century, naming it after a nearby beach.

Drinking rum with sugar and lime, however, can be traced back many years earlier.

LIterary superstars F. Scott Fitzgerald and Ernest Hemmingway catapulted the daiquiri into the limelight in the 20s and 30s, but ready-made, neon-coloured frozen daiquiris poured from cartons did nothing for the drink’s reputation.

Made well, though, and with fresh fruit such as strawberries, pineapples, mangos, or bananas, or even stick with the classic with just rum and lime, the daiquiri deserves its position as one of the true classics.

Our Strawberry Daiquiri Soap Bar is the final instalment of our Cocktail Bath Set and, in our opinion, is the best smelling one of them all.

Recipe

• 4 strawberries, plus half a strawberry for garnish

• 2 tsp white sugar

• 35ml white rum

• 1 tbsp strawberry liqueur

• Half a lime

Method

• Add the ingredients to the cocktail shaker, including the lime, and crush them together with a muddler. (If you don’t have one, the Rusty Barrel Cocktail Gift Set is a perfect addition to your Christmas list, or use the end of a rolling pin)

• Place the lid on the shaker, and shake for 8-10 seconds

• Strain the daiquiri into a martini glass, and garnish with half a strawberry.

So there you have it.

Five of our favourite cocktails to sip while you enjoy a long soak in the tub. 

And we didn’t even talk about bathtub gin! 

That’s a subject for a future blog, we promise.