Warm Ride

When I first arrived in Hong Kong, I was lucky to land myself a job in a brasserie called Post 97. It was part of a group of three food and beverage outlets on Lan Kwai Fong, the main nightclub district on Hong Kong Island.

I took up working as a waitress to keep the cash flowing while adjusted to my new way of living (squished in with six million other people on a rock hardly big enough to swing a cat). During day shift we had no bar tender, so the two waiting staff (there were rarely more at that time of the day) had to prepare drinks as well as serve customers. Having a fully stocked bar at my disposal made me feel like Queen of my little dung-heap for some strange reason. Believe me when I say there is immense satisfaction in pulling a beer!

At night the bar was managed by Alan, a prize winning cocktail maker, no less. His winning drink - vodka martini. He made it for me one time when I'd finished a Friday night shift. I was totally unprepared for the fire that raged all the way down my throat and continued to smoulder in my belly! I don't what the hell I thought a martini was made out of, but it sure wasn't like any of the sweet confections they conjured at Dominque's at home in Penrith Panthers!

Back in Australia two years later, my sister decided Christmas should be characterised by an endless procession of cocktails. I was thrilled to take up her challenge. I found myself standing before the blender on Christmas Day, liqueurs lined up on the counter, wondering what wonderous thing I could produce with the limited ingredients we had. I tossed in a bit of this, a bit this, added an extra splash of something else, dropped in some crushed ice and turned the blender on. The scent of something wild filled the air. I poured the creamy goop into two glasses, passed one to my sister, and took a sip. I was immediately overtaken by a warm sensation, my arms turning numb, my jaw, I'm sure, going slack.

"What's this called?" my sister asked. There was no other way to describe it.

"Warm Ride," I said. She took another swig then sank into her chair, circles of red emerging on her cheeks.

Ingredients
30ml brandy
30ml amaretto
30ml Kahlua
60ml fresh cream
crushed ice
extra coffee powder

1. Half fill the blender with crushed ice. Pour all the liqueurs over the ice then add the cream.

2. Blend until mixture resembles constency of a thick shake. Pour into a martini glass. Decorate with coffee powder and straw, then serve.

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