Gin O’clock

RHUBARB SOUR

The sour is a classic cocktail format involving a spirit, some lemon or lime juice, something sweet and sometimes also an egg white. This version is a little sweet, a little tart and wholly delicious.

SERVES 1

MEDIUM

 50ml (1¾fl oz) gin

 20ml (¾fl oz) fresh lemon juice

 1 egg white (optional)

 Twist of rhubarb, to garnish

FOR THE RHUBARB SYRUP

 3 stalks of rhubarb, finely chopped

 200ml (7fl oz) water

 200g (7oz) caster sugar

Tip the rhubarb into a saucepan, add the water and simmer over a medium-low heat until the rhubarb is mushy and the water is pink. Strain out the rhubarb pieces and add the sugar. Simmer, stirring, until syrupy in consistency. Cool before using and store in the fridge (see also How to … Make a Simple Syrup).

Add the gin to a cocktail shaker with the lemon juice, 20ml (¾fl oz) of rhubarb syrup and the egg white (if using) and shake once, hard, without ice to emulsify the egg. Add ice, shake again and strain into a cocktail coupe. Garnish with a rhubarb twist and serve.

Rhubarb Sour

LAVENDER LEMONADE

A refreshing long drink with a beautiful balance of tart, sweet and delicate floral notes, this cocktail is sure to put a spring in your step!

SERVES 1

EASY

 50ml (1¾fl oz) gin

 2 tsp runny honey

 Cloudy lemonade, to top up

 Lavender flowers (fresh or dried) and slices of lemon, to garnish

Put the gin into a collins glass and stir in the honey until it’s dissolved. Add ice (lavender ice cubes are beautiful in this drink – see Botanical Ice Cubes) then top up with cloudy lemonade. Garnish with lavender and slices of lemon.

Lavender Lemonade

LAVENDER HONEY CHEESECAKE

This light and oh-so-easy cheesecake can be thrown together on a lazy Sunday afternoon, and pairs particularly well with more floral gins. Blue skies or grey, this cheesecake’s delicate purple hue is guaranteed to bring a bit of sweet springtime to your plate!

SERVES 8

 180g (6oz) digestive biscuits, crumbled

 80g (3oz) butter, softened

 2 tbsp caster sugar

 300g (11oz) full-fat cream cheese

 200g (7oz) mascarpone

 100g (3½oz) runny honey, plus extra to drizzle

 Violet food colouring gel (optional)

 1 tsp vanilla extract

 ½ tsp lavender essence

 2 tsp fresh lemon juice

 300ml (10½fl oz) double cream

 Culinary lavender grains and honeycomb, to decorate (optional)

YOU WILL ALSO NEED

 20cm (8in) springform tin

 Piping bag (optional)

1 Preheat the oven to 200°C/180°C fan/Gas 6.

2 Place the biscuits and sugar in a food processor and pulse into fine crumbs, or crush in a resealable plastic bag with a rolling pin. Melt the butter in a saucepan, then remove from the heat and stir in the biscuit crumbs to form clumps.

3 Remove the base of the springform tin and reinsert it so the ridges curve downwards, then press the biscuit mixture firmly into the base. Bake in the oven for 10 minutes, or until crisp.

4 In the food processor or by hand, beat together the cream cheese, mascarpone and honey. If you’re colouring the cheesecake, then slowly tint the mixture until the desired shade is reached (see tip).

5 Add the vanilla extract, lavender essence and lemon juice. Pour the double cream into a separate bowl, add a touch more food colouring and whip until thick. Fold this into the cheesecake mixture.

6 Spoon or pipe the mixture on to your biscuit base, then chill the cheesecake in the fridge for at least 6 hours.

7 Serve drizzled with honey and a scattering of lavender, or crumble honeycomb on top for a decadent touch.

8 Enjoy with a Bee’s Knees for a truly perfect pairing!

TIP: Dip a toothpick into the food colouring gel and then swirl it into the mixture; repeat and then see if you need to add any more.

Lavender Honey Cheesecake

HOW TO … GROW YOUR OWN GARNISHES

Whether you’re working with a windowsill or an allotment, everyone can grow their own gin garnishes … and spring is the perfect time to start! Here are the best garnishes to grow for every space, and a few tips to help you get started.

THE WINDOWSILL

Not everyone has acres of space for their horticultural exploration, so the windowsill is an ideal alternative for those who still want to flex their green fingers.

Soft herbs like basil and parsley do well on an outside sill through the summer, but they need to be inside for the winter months. They love to be watered regularly, but basil doesn’t like to be damp overnight, so watering it in the morning is best. It is also good to pinch off and discard any flower buds that may appear, so that the leaves can grow nice and bushy!

Chillies are also great for the windowsill, but they do prefer to be indoors. They need lots of light and to be watered regularly, especially when it’s hot outside. Aphids can be a problem for chillies, but they can be stopped by spraying the plant with a drop of dish soap dissolved in water.

THE GARDEN

If you do have a garden, evergreen herbs like rosemary, thyme and lavender will do beautifully out there! They are just as happy in a plant pot as a flowerbed, so long as the soil is well drained – they hate soggy roots. The only other thing to remember is to trim them after flowering. Does it get any easier than that?

Mint also does well in the garden, especially as it likes plenty of water. It will spread if given the chance, so unless you want your flowerbeds swamped with the stuff, it might be best to plant it in a spacious pot instead.

THE ALLOTMENT

If your outdoor space isn’t big enough for your green-fingered ambitions, allotments offer a great extension for delicious garnish growing. Planting raspberries is a great way to take advantage of the extra space allotments offer. They need a sunny spot and like to be watered regularly in soil that drains well. You will need to construct a wire fence to help them grow straight, but they’re well worth the effort.

If you also have a greenhouse, small lemon trees would do very well in a nice pot, so long as they’re given citrus plant feed regularly and lots of water in the summer. Be careful in winter, though, as in colder seasons it’s best to wait for the top soil to dry out between watering. They also like humidity, so sitting the pot on gravel, on a tray that has been filled with water to the top of the gravel, is a great way to achieve an ideal environment for them.

Happy gardening!

CUCUMBER MARTINI

Mum will love this refreshing twist on a ginny classic. Best served before a long Mothering Sunday lunch.

SERVES 1

EASY

 60ml (2fl oz) gin

 1 tsp simple syrup

 5 thin slices of cucumber, plus extra to garnish

 Leaves of ½ bunch of mint

 1 tbsp dry vermouth

Add all your ingredients to a cocktail shaker, then fill with ice and shake. Strain into a chilled Martini glass or cocktail coupe and garnish with a thin slice of cucumber, or a cucumber ribbon, to serve.

Cucumber Martini

BREAKFAST MARTINI

On Mother’s Day, this is the only thing the special lady in your life will want to see on her breakfast-in-bed tray!

SERVES 1

MEDIUM

 50ml (1¾fl oz) gin

 2 heaped bar spoons (or teaspoons) of marmalade

 1 tbsp triple sec

 1 tbsp fresh lemon juice

 Orange peel, to garnish

Stir the gin and marmalade together in a cocktail shaker until the marmalade has dissolved, then add the triple sec and lemon juice and fill with ice. Shake for 20 seconds, then strain into a Martini glass. Garnish with orange peel and serve.

Breakfast Martini

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