When your OH is a chef and tells you that on your (incredibly rare) days off he is going to cook all kinds of wondrous things, you feel a slight (actually make that a HUGE) sense of guilt that you're really not bringing anything to the relationship.  Yes, I chose wines to go with the meals in question, but choosing a wine doesn't really match up to all the prep that goes into a really special meal.  I therefore decided I needed to make a cocktail.

I asked him if he wanted a 'tried and true' or something made up, he chose the latter (I later made the former), and he decided (I assume because he had spent the day before cooking doing woodwork in the garden) that this cocktail should be called 'The Carpenter'

INGREDIENTS:

• 20ml Bottlegreen Elderflower Cordial
• 20ml Monin peach syrup
• 25ml lime juice
• 50ml Vanilla vodka (I make this using JJ Whitley or East London vodka and adding Little Pod vanilla extract - 1tsp for every 250ml vodka)
• Garnish - either a wedge of peach, a sprig of elderflower or a lime wedge

METHOD:

• To a cocktail shaker (as always, I use a Boston shaker) add your cordial, peach syrup, lime juice and vodka
• Fill with ice about 1/2 to 3/4 of the way
• Clamp on the lid and shake vigorously until the shaker is very cold
• Double strain into a coupe glass and garnish with your chosen garnish.
• Drink!

A little while ago, I wanted to make Tony & I a cocktail, and, inspired by my recent riff on a daiquiri for our cocktail of the month at Copper & Ink, I pulled a few bottles from our bar and created a little something.  I asked Tony what he thought it should be called.  He said 'Kevin'.  So here you are, folks.  The Kevin....

INGREDIENTS:
50ml Spiced Rum (I used Rum Bothy)
25ml lime juice
25ml Creme de mure (I love Mure Liqueur)
Blackberry for garnish

METHOD:

• To a cocktail shaker (I use a Boston shaker always), add your ingredients (starting with the cheapest first)
• Fill the shaker with ice and shake until the the outside of the shaker is too cold to hold
• Double strain into a coupe or martini glass (I love a coupe so this is what I use)
• Garnish with a blackberry
• Drink!