RETROSPECTIVE 2026
A page-turning collection of ten original ink-and-watercolour cocktail sketches. Swipe the pages left and right, or use the Previous and Next page links.
UNPOURED
Collection
Ten little cocktail wishes, served in ink and watercolour.
Inside
this issue.
A little record of rather extraordinary times, as told through the drinks I was dreaming about.
10 ORIGINAL WORKS / 03–14 OCTOBER
There were
many things
to wish for.
Apparently, mine included a rather impressive cocktail menu.
It was October 2020. Going out for a leisurely drink wasn’t quite the straightforward affair it used to be. Somewhere between staying indoors, occupying myself and contemplating what I would rather be doing, a cocktail wishlist began to take shape.
So, naturally, I painted it.
These sketches became part of my Inktober explorations: a collection of drinks I fancied having, given their own place on the page when the real thing seemed much further away.
Wine & Cheese
A wine glass, a wedge of cheese and a few grapes. The sort of pairing that needed no explanation.
Old Fashioned Whiskey
A generous pour, a tumbler and a playful tilt. Some wishes arrived in very specific glassware.
Blue Margarita
A cooler shade of longing, with a little lime and an imaginary change of scenery.
Long Island Iced Tea
Tall, iced and garnished. A summer afternoon sketched into an October spent indoors.
Espresso Martini
Coffee, but make it a cocktail. Apparently my priorities were perfectly clear.
Mulled Wine
Cinnamon, citrus and star anise turn two small glasses into a cosy little occasion.
Soju Night
A green bottle, a small glass and an unmistakable plan for a different sort of evening.
Spilled Martini
The cocktail that made it onto the paper but never quite stayed in its glass.
Pink Lady Margarita
A splash of pink, a little citrus and the rather cheerful promise of company.
Brandy
Warm amber washes, a citrus slice and a final invitation to linger.
Ink.
Wash.
Wish.
The idea was simple: let the ink find the shape and allow the watercolour to follow. The glasses had to feel transparent, the drinks inviting and the little garnishes almost good enough to taste.
There was no particular need for perfect lines. The uneven edges, wandering marks and little pools of pigment were part of the pleasure.
Six years
later.
The wishlist stayed on paper. The pleasure of making it stayed with me.
Looking back in 2026, I find myself enjoying these sketches precisely because they haven’t been tidied into perfection. Their loose lines, shifting colour and untouched white paper still carry the spontaneity of the moment.
What began as a longing for ordinary pleasures became a rather cheerful record of an unusual time.
Creativity doesn’t always need a grand reason. Sometimes a sketchbook, a little imagination and the thought of a very nice cocktail are quite enough.
DESIGNS / THE CREATIVE JOURNAL
In the end, the glasses may have been empty.
The sketchbook wasn’t.
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