Mr. Butler’s Refreshing Cocktail
“Mr. Butler brought a tray of drinks into the garden. Flossie squeaked her pleasure at renewing their acquaintance and he unbent far enough to pat her trunk. ‘A refreshing cocktail, Miss Fisher,’ he said. ‘In view of the day we have all had.’ Phryne sipped. ‘Oh, lovely,’ she said. It tasted of cherries. A bubbly, delicate, utterly refreshing mouthful of spring.”
It may not be Springtime up here (in the Northern hemisphere), but I’ve fancied trying my hand at Mr. Butler’s Refreshing Cocktail since re-reading Queen of the Flowers, last month. And, I did spend the day in the (elephant-less!) garden. I was not lounging, but planting tulip, iris and allium bulbs, repotting house plants, wintering the peonies and trimming the rhododendron got me warm enough that I wanted to sip a nice, chill cocktail once the work was done! I did not made the long drink version, though; I keep that one for Spring!
Ingredients (serves 1):
8 ice cubes
30 millilitres/1 fluid ounce (2 tablespoons) cherry brandy
30 millilitres/1 fluid ounce (2 tablespoons) good quality Gin
1/2 lemon
a teaspoon Cointreau
a teaspoon Honey Syrup
Fill a shaker with ice cubes. Pour in cherry brandy and Gin. Squeeze in the juice of the lemon halve, and add Cointreau and Honey Syrup. Close tightly, and shake energetically until well-chilled.
Strain into a coupe or cocktail glass.
Enjoy Mr. Butler’s Refreshing Cocktail immediately, whilst reading a murder mystery perhaps...
