The 80s, before the night begins
Johnnie Walker Black Ruby brings dark fruit, warm spice and velvety depth. Next to it: a homemade cherry cola – real sour cherry, warm citrus and spice, a vermouth infused with southernwood (Eberraute, a historic cola herb) and a touch of guarana, because in the 80s nobody went home early. Not soda, but structure: not sweet and naive, but balanced and grown up.
Glass: highball with one large clear ice block · Method: built
The drink
The film shows the ingredients but not the exact measures. The quantities on this page are a balanced home version, not Bar Montez’s exact house spec.
- 40 mlJohnnie Walker Black Ruby
- 120 mlHomemade cherry cola, well chilled (below)
- 1Large clear ice block
- GarnishRuby glass shard (below) on a cocktail pick
Prep 1 · Southernwood vermouth
- 150 mlSweet red vermouth
- 2 gDried southernwood (Eberraute) – from a pharmacy or herb shop
Steep for 24 hours, then strain. Southernwood is bitter – taste after 12 hours if you prefer it subtle.
Prep 2 · Cherry cola (about 500 ml)
- 300 gSour cherries, pitted (fresh or frozen)
- 1Orange, zest only
- 1Cinnamon stick and 2 cloves
- 200 mlWater
- 90 gSugar
- 60 mlSouthernwood vermouth (Prep 1)
- 0.5 gGuarana powder (contains caffeine)
- Sparkling water, or a soda siphon for carbonating
Prep 3 · Ruby glass shard
- 100 gIsomalt
- 2 dropsRed food colouring
Melt the isomalt in a small pan to about 160 °C, stir in the colour, pour thinly onto a silicone mat and let it set. Break into shards. Careful – hot sugar burns.
Step by step
Cherry essence
Put the sour cherries into a container and crush them lightly to release the juice – real sour, ruby red, bold and vibrant.
Warm citrus and spice
Add the orange zest, cinnamon and cloves – warm citrus and spice for nostalgia. Pour over the water and sugar, bring briefly to the boil and let it steep for 30 minutes.
Add the infused vermouth
Strain the cherry base and stir in the southernwood vermouth. It brings subtle bitterness and structure.
Weigh the herbs precisely
Southernwood and guarana are strong – use a fine scale. A few grams change the whole drink.
A touch of guarana
Stir the guarana into the cherry base. At the bar, the cola also gets a natural lift from fermentation; at home, mix the chilled base 1:1 with sparkling water, or carbonate it in a soda siphon.
Black Ruby on clear ice
Place a large clear ice block in a highball glass and measure in 40 ml Johnnie Walker Black Ruby with a jigger.
Top with cherry cola
Slowly pour about 120 ml of the chilled cherry cola over the ice. When it meets Black Ruby, it transforms.
Add the ruby glass
Finish with a ruby glass shard on a pick. It represents the dance floor: reflection, movement, light bouncing everywhere – like a disco ball.
Created by Mario at Bar Montez, Rosewood Munich. Film and photographs: muellerschoenstudio.
See you on the dance floor – and please drink responsibly.