Mr Lyan (Ryan Chetiyawardana)
Mr Lyan (Ryan Chetiyawardana)
(Image credit: Mr Lyan (Ryan Chetiyawardana))

The Lyan’s share

Also known as Mr Lyan, Ryan Chetiyawardana is an award-winning and internationally acclaimed mixologist. In 2013, he opened his original venue White Lyan – the first cocktail bar in the world to use no perishable ingredients (not even ice), as an exercise in sustainability. Today he operates Super Lyan in Amsterdam, Lyaness and Seed Library in London and Silver Lyan in Washington DC.

His third book, Mr Lyan’s Cocktails at Home, is published this month. A new edition of 2015’s Good Things to Drink with Mr Lyan and Friends, it divides 69 cocktail recipes into sociable sections such as Alfresco Days, Friday Nights and Fireside Serves. New recipes in this edition include the Golden Cherry Fizz made with vodka and light red wine; and the Belle Ball, a spiced toddy-style winter warmer. Expert advice on ingredients and techniques includes the essential kit you need to mix drinks, store cupboard staples and homemade bitters and syrups. Available through Amazon UK

What is… tsipouro?

Made in Greece, tsipouro is a grape brandy. Its history can be traced back to the 14th century, when records show that it was being distilled by Greek Orthodox monks on Mount Athos in Macedonia. Today production is still associated with Macedonia, but tsipouro is also made in Thessaly, Epirus and on the island of Crete, where it’s known as tsikoudia. Made from grape pomace (left over after winemaking), most tsipouro is clear and unaged, though barrel-aged versions are produced. It is usually served neat and chilled, alongside meze snacks.

What to drink now… Between the Sheets

With its seductive name, Between the Sheets was a signature cocktail of the Jazz Age. Its origins are disputed and there’s considerable variation between the oldest recipes, though it probably originated in a New York speakeasy during Prohibition. The first printed recipe, in Frank Shay’s 1929 book Drawn from the Wood, calls for equal parts gin, Bacardi rum and Cointreau. It’s likely that when the recipe travelled to Europe, Cognac and lemon juice were added to create a mix more reminiscent of a Sidecar. Try it with Ron Santiago de Cuba Carta Blanca (Alc 38% Amathus Drinks, Master of Malt, The Vine Whisperer, The Whisky Exchange, The Whisky World), a versatile and well- rounded Cuban rum for cocktails.

Between the Sheets

Ingredients: 45ml white rum, 45ml Cognac, 45ml Cointreau, 45ml fresh lemon juice

Glass: Coupe

Garnish: Lemon zest twist

Method: Shake all the ingredients with ice, until your hands are cold, then strain into the glass and garnish.

Julie Sheppard
Julie Sheppard
Regional Editor for Australia, New Zealand and South Africa & Spirits Editor

Julie Sheppard joined the Decanter team in 2018 and is Regional Editor for Australia, New Zealand and South Africa & Spirits Editor.

Before Decanter, she worked for a range of drinks and food titles, including as managing editor of both Imbibe and Square Meal, associate publisher of The Drinks Business, senior editor of the Octopus Publishing Group and Supplements editor of Harpers Wine & Spirit. As a contributor, she has over 20 years’ experience writing about food, drink and travel for a wide range of publications, including Condé Nast Traveller, Delicious, Waitrose Kitchen, Waitrose Drinks, Time Out and national newspapers including The Telegraph and The Sunday Times.

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