Lottie Muir is a master cocktail maker. Author of 'Wild Cocktails From The Midnight Apothecary' she is an expert in using ingredients from the garden to create fresh and imaginative drinks. In her book she explains how to forage for these wild ingredients, whether they be seasonal flowers or herbs. The below recipe is an excerpt from her book; a raspberry & geranium scented cocktail, perfect on a summer's afternoon.

This very pretty, delicious, pink cocktail is a riff on raspberries and lemon treated in various ways, with an extra layer of depth provided by the use of scented geraniums (Pelargonium) and vinegar. Although you can't taste it directly, the vinegar in the Shrub gives a savory umami depth, which is rounded off with a dash of angostura bitters. The frothy body of the egg-white foam provides a mildness and beautiful mouth-feel in contrast to the strong, punchy gold rum, creating a very balanced, luxurious cocktail.

Ingredients

30ml Scented Geranium Vodka

30ml gold rum

22ml Lemon Verbena and Raspberry Syrup

10ml Raspberry and Scented Geranium Shrub

10ml freshly squeezed lemon juice

1 egg white

Dash of angostura bitters

Tools: Cocktail shaker with strainer,

tweezers (optional)

Glass: Martini

Ice: Cubes

Garnish: Scented geranium

(Pelargonium) leaf, 3 tiny edible flowers, such as rosemary or viper's bugloss (Echium vulgare)

Serves 1

Chill the glass thoroughly in the freezer or refrigerator for 2 or 4 hours respectively. Alternatively, fill the glass with ice.

Pour all the ingredients (but no ice) into the cocktail shaker. Cover and dry-shake hard for 20 seconds to consolidate all the ingredients and really emulsify the egg white. Add ice to the shaker, cover again, and shake hard for another 20 seconds. If you used ice to chill your glass, empty it out. Strain the cocktail into the chilled glass. Let the egg-white foam settle. Place the scented geranium leaf and the 3 edible flowers on top of the foam, using tweezers if necessary, and then serve.

Rub and sniff the scented geranium leaf in the garnish before drinking to release the essential oils and stimulate the taste buds.

The garnish of three little flowers provides pleasure for the eyes to ensure that no sense is left unsated! Top candidates for this are the exquisite flowers of plants from the mint (Lamiaceae) or borage (Boraginaceae) family, such as rosemary or viper's bugloss.

Scented Geranium Vodka

2 large handfuls of unsprayed

rose-scented geranium leaves,

such as Pelargonium graveolens or

P. Attar of Roses'

700 or 750ml bottle of vodka,

80 proof/40% ABV

1-litre wide-mouthed, sealable jar, sterilized

Sealable presentation bottle(s), sterilized

Makes approximately 750ml:

Smack the individual unwashed leaves between your hands to release the essential oil before dropping them into the jar. Cover with the vodka. Seal and upend the jar gently a couple of times. Leave in a cool, dark place for 24 hours.

Taste to see if you are getting a strong flavor of scented geranium. If you aren't, reseal and leave for a maximum of 48 hours. Strain the infusion into a wide-mouthed pitcher, then funnel into the sterilized presentation bottle(s) and seal. Store in a cool, dark place and use within 6 months.

Lemon Verbena and Raspberry Syrup

500ml water

400g caster sugar (you could substitute half the sugar with 2 tbsp/5g or 2 young stems of sweet cicely (Myrrhis odorata) leaves, finely chopped, for a slight aniseed flavor)

125g raspberries

4 lemon verbena leaves

Sealable, heatproof presentation

bottle(s), sterilized

Makes approximately 500ml:

Stir the water and sugar together in a nonreactive pan over a low heat to make a simple syrup. Once it has reached boiling point, add the raspberries and lemon verbena leaves, stir, and let simmer until the raspberries have collapsed (about 10 minutes).

Strain while still piping hot, but not boiling, into a wide-mouthed pitcheryou really don't want raspberry pips in this syrupthen funnel into the sterilized presentation bottle(s). Seal and store in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks. The remaining raspberry

(with the lemon verbena solids removed) can be used as a compote over yogurt or ice cream.

Raspberry and Scented Geranium Shrub

500g very ripe raspberries, washed

10 scented geranium (Pelargonium) leaves

800g caster sugar

Approximately 500ml champagne vinegar or apple cider vinegar

Sealable presentation bottle(s), sterilized

Makes very approximately 500ml:

Place the raspberries in a large bowl. Smack the unwashed scented geranium leaves between your palms to release the essential oils, and place them among the raspberries. Cover them with the sugar. Drape a clean dishtowel over the top of the bowl and leave on a countertop.

The maceration will take up to 48 hoursyou will notice the sugar turn red, and under the crust an amazing bright raspberry liquid will appear. Strain the liquid into a measuring cup. Add an equal amount of champagne vinegar or apple cider vinegar to the amount of liquid in the measuring cup. Stir to make sure all the sugar in the liquid has dissolved. Funnel into the sterilized presentation bottle(s) and seal. This shrub will mellow with time, so try to leave it for a week before consuming. Store in the refrigerator once opened and consume within 6 months.

This recipe was extracted from book WILD COCKTAILS by LOTTIE MUIR, published by CICO Books (£16.99)

Photos by Kim Lightboy.

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