Willie Smith’s Dark River Stormy Seas

Willie Smith’s of Tasmania makes a wide range of ciders, both pure apple as well as flavored. I bought this thinking it was a cider, but it is a cocktail which is a combination of distilled apple spirits and ginger beer, with added lime zest. 6.0% ABV. My rating - not good - 4/10.

Taipei Lemon

I don’t know the proper name of this drink but it tasted great. I tried it in a tiny bar in Taipei during a nighttime food tour in the Guangzhou Street Night Market (near the Longshan Temple). The bartender told me the ingredients but not the proportions: gin, Cointreau, lemon juice and sugar syrup. Tart and very lemony. I’ll try to duplicate at home.
On a web search I discovered that it is probably some version of the White Lady, a classic cocktail from the 1920s that contains gin, Cointreau and lemon juice.

Here is recipe with the general proportions:

• 1.5 - 2 oz Dry Gin
• 0.5 - 0.75 oz Cointreau or Triple Sec
• 0.75 oz Fresh Lemon Juice
• 0.25 oz simple syrup (optional, for balance)
• 1 Egg White (optional, for foam)

Instructions

1. Dry Shake: Add all ingredients to a shaker without ice and shake vigorously for 10–15 seconds to emulsify the egg white.
2. Shake with Ice: Add ice to the shaker and shake again until well-chilled.
3. Double strain into a chilled cocktail glass (coupe or martini).
4. Garnish with a lemon twist.