You asked for it, and you got it - all of you kind people who filled out my survey asked for more interviews with more legends. Our guest is the world's most-awarded bartender & bar owner. If Mr Lyan isn’t a legend, I don’t know who is.
If you call yourself a cocktail connoisseur, then you will have come upon the name Mr Lyan in your travels. Ryan Chetiyawardana, aka Mr Lyan opened White Lyan in London in 2013. It was a moment that will go down in cocktail history as the first cocktail bar in the world to use no perishables, no fruit, and even no ice, an innovative approach to sustainability, with much lower waste and a use of pre-made cocktails and never before seen ingredients.
This focus on a ground-breaking approach remains in the evolution of White Lyan, Super Lyan, Dandelyan, Cub, Lyaness, Silver Lyan, and Seed Library.
Ryan’s with me to discuss his new book, Mr Lyan’s Cocktails at Home: Good Things to Drink with Friends, but we go into so much more -
How his relationship to flavor evolved, how his studying Fine Arts at Central Saint Martins as well as Biology at Edinburgh University spurred him on to get behind the bar, and why the need to write a book at all.
You have no idea how excited I am to finally have Ryan on the show!
Before we begin, you can always watch this episode on Youtube, plus all the other Lush Life episodes as well as a whole lot more; just head to youtube.com/@lushlifemanual
The cocktail of the week is Ryan’s Barlay Champagne!
INGREDIENTS
- 4 shots (100ml/4oz) water
- 6 shots (150ml/6oz) lemon barley water cordial
- 8 shots (200ml/8oz) fino sherry or dry vermouth
- 12 shots (300ml/12oz) London dry gin
- 10 dashes Tabasco
- Rosemary sprigs, to garnish
METHOD
- Add the water, cordial, sherry or vermouth, and gin to a jug, then add the Tabasco
- Stir and then decant into a clean wine bottle and chill well
- To serve, add a shot and a half (40ml/1.5oz) of the chilled mixture to a flute, then top with bubbles.
- Add a sprig of rosemary and serve
The Magic is that “you can make lemon barley cordial at home (it's a very old-fashioned British cordial of pearl barley and lemon), but this recipe works great with any store-bought cordial that brings sweetness and acidity. Elderflower, blackcurrant, or even more regional ones such as redcurrant or gooseberry also work-although there's a richness to the barley addition that works wonderfully. Tabasco adds a background heat, but try adding other accent spices such as gochujang or sriracha - just sieve it after mixing to remove any particulates, as they will interfere with the fizz. Plus, you just want a hint of fruity warmth. else you’ll throw the balance of the drink.”
You’ll find this recipe, more Champagne cocktail recipes, and all the cocktails of the week at alushlifemanual.com, where you’ll find some of the ingredients in our shop.
Full Episode Details: https://alushlifemanual.com/cocktails-at-home-with-ryan-chetiyawardana
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