Fabri Manus

Fabrimanus Bespoke Cocktail

The cocktail I'd like to share with you this week, is a Bespoke Cocktail named the Fabrimanus.

Fabri Manus is derived from the Latin translation of 'The Artisan's Hands' and is the name of the bespoke, cabinet making firm, run by husband and wife team, Michael and Caroline Usher. Michael is the Artisan whose hands create the bespoke joinery and cabinet making commissions and Caroline takes the helm of the business side, allowing him to focus on creating high quality pieces for their diverse portfolio of clients. This September marks the ten year anniversary of the company's instigation and is a milestone achievement for them both, brought about by talent, hard work and exacting standards of quality and workmanship.

Visit the Fabri Manus website

I was approached by Caroline to create a Bespoke Cocktail to mark the occasion, that they could both enjoy, but that primarily focussed on Michael's love of cider with a nod to Caroline's appreciation of gin, in particular, William's Chase. We also discussed how we could include some of the produce they grow at home and I was immediately drawn to the herb, tangerine sage and fresh blackberries. The final stipulation was that it should be quite sweet, so a spoonful of sugar wouldn't go amiss...

In the end, I decided to make a homemade Blackberry Liqueur that seemed to be in keeping with Fabri Manus ethos and was something that Caroline could quite easily make and store to use in the Bespoke Cocktail as well as others. The tangerine sage, when muddled in the drink, added an extra fruity, earthy dimension that was further enhanced with a dash of Angostura Orange Bitters. I opted for the Williams Chase Elegant Gin as it is quite a light, fruity gin with a slight apple nose that was perfect for combining with cider. In fact, Williams Chase Elegant Gin, unlike most, is actually distilled from apples rather than grain and in the early stages of the process, is a flat cider. And finally, but all importantly, the cider. I toyed with the idea of using an artisan brand, but truth be told, my client is partial to Strongbow and it is a perfectly quaffable, light and fruity drink, so that is what I went with.

I created a base cocktail using all of the above ingredients that could be shaken and served short and sweet, like a martini, in a stemmed, cocktail glass or served over ice and topped up with extra cider to make a long, refreshing, summer cooler.

Fabrimanus

1 oz Williams Chase Elegant Gin
1 oz Blackberry Liqueur
3-4 leaves tangerine sage
dash of Angostura Orange Bitters
2 oz Strongbow Cider
fresh blackberry to garnish

In the bottom of a shaker, muddle (gently squish) the tangerine sage with the gin and blackberry liqueur.
Add the cider and stir for about 20secs to remove the fizz (this will ensure there are no explosions when it comes to shaking the drink).
Add a couple of dashes of bitters and a handful of ice.
Shake hard until the outside of the shaker frosts over and strain into a chilled, stemmed cocktail glass.
Garnish with a fresh blackberry on a cocktail stick.

Fabrimanus Cocktail - glass by Toasted Glass

Fabrimanus Cooler

1 oz Williams Chase Elegant Gin
2 fresh blackberries
1 oz Blackberry Liqueur
3-4 leaves tangerine sage
dash of Angostura Orange Bitters
 Strongbow Cider to top up

In the bottom of a tall sturdy glass, muddle (gently squish) the sage, blackberry, gin and liqueur.
Add a dash of bitters, plenty of ice and top up with fizzy cider.
Stir carefully to mix.

Fabrimanus Cooler - glass by Toasted Glass

Should you decide to try this one at home, be sure to raise your glasses to Michael and Caroline Usher, without whom this cocktail would not have been created.

T.L.C Cocktail

TLC Cocktail - Bespoke Cocktail Service

This cocktail was created as gift to mark the 30 year, Pearl Wedding Anniversary of a couple who work hard all year on the farm and in the local community and enjoy an annual cruise to far flung lands as a reward. From the brief I was given, I wanted to create something that would combine quintessentially British flavours with something a little more  cosmopolitan, that was both fruity and sweet.

The name of the cocktail refers to the couple's initials, but serendipitously also stands for 'tender loving care', without which, a marriage is unlikely to last 30 years. The bottles were hand painted in a lace design with a pearl outline and the number 30 entwined into the pattern to represent their 30 years of marriage to one another.

And so, to the cocktail...

The recipe calls for fresh raspberry purée which is easily made by squishing the raspberries through a sieve with the back of a spoon - collect the purée in a dish and discard the pips. About 4 large raspberries should be enough to make a tablespoon of purée.

The dash of lemon juice should be fresh, not the bottled type, but is literally, just a tiny squeeze, less than half a teaspoon. Although seemingly minuscule, that little dash just adds a freshness and depth to the alcohol.

Should you wish to make their signature cocktail for yourself, you will need to invest in a bottle of Martin Miller Gin (highly recommended with Fever Tree Tonic for an exceptional G&T), Cartron Crème de Pêche de Vigne and Giffards Crème de Framboises (both delicious when added to fizz in the style of a Kir Royale) and a sweet vermouth such as Martini Rosso which is an essential ingredient for many cocktails, including my current fave, the Negroni.

TLC Cocktail

3/4 oz Martin Miller Gin
1/4 oz Crème de Framboises
1/2 oz Crème de Pêche de Vigne
1/2 oz sweet vermouth
1 tbsp raspberry purée
dash of fresh lemon juice
raspberry to garnish

Add all of the ingredients to a cocktail shaker with a handful of ice (cubed, not crushed) and shake hard until the outside of the shaker becomes frosted (about 20 secs).

Strain the contents into a chilled martini glass and garnish with a raspberry or two on a cocktail stick.

TLC Cocktail - glass by Toasted Glass

If you find the drink a little intense, served this way, why not try it served over ice or topped up with champagne - delicious!

TLC over ice - glass by Toasted Glass

Blackberry Liqueur

Blackberry Liqueur - bottle by Toasted Glass

Crème de Mure, or Blackberry Liqueur, is a delicious cocktail ingredient, bursting with fresh berry flavour and essential for making that modern-day classic, gin cocktail, the Bramble. It is however, less ubiquitous than that other berry liqueur, Crème de Cassis, and tends to be found in more specialist liquor stores. As a result, Crème de Cassis is often used in substitution, which is rather like substituting a raspberry with a strawberry - both are tasty, but they are very different.

There are some great brands out there, including Cartron and Briottet, but if you like getting creative in the kitchen, why not try this simple recipe and make your own. You can use frozen blackberries, but do ensure that they are fully defrosted beforehand. Always try to use the best fruit that you can, to ensure the high quality of your liqueur - you get back what you put in. The lemon zest is optional, but it does help to enhance the flavour of the berries, although it is very important that all the white pith is removed as it becomes bitter when steeped in alcohol.

Aside from the listed ingredients below, you will need a large, clean, airtight jar, a sieve, a muslin cheesecloth or coffee filter paper.

Crème de Mure

2 cups blackberries
3cm strip of lemon zest (pith removed)
1 1/4 cup vodka
3/4 cup brandy
1/2 cup simple syrup (2 parts sugar to one part water)

To begin with, make the simple syrup by heating half a cup of water in a pan.
When the water begins to boil, add one cup of sugar and reduce heat to a simmer.
Stir constantly until the sugar is completely dissolved and the liquid is crystal clear.
Remove from heat and allow to cool.

Add the fruit and zest to sealable container such as a large, clean jar, along with the alcohol.
Muddle (squish) the fruit and alcohol, then replace the lid and shake.
Store at room temperature but out of direct sunlight, for a minimum of 3 days.

Strain the contents of the jar through a fine mesh strainer, pressing down with the back of a spoon to extract all the juice.
Filter the remaining liquid through a muslin cheesecloth or coffee filter paper.
Repeat the filtering process again and then add half a cup of simple syrup and stir.

Pour the liqueur into an airtight jar or bottle and shake to combine.
Allow to rest for at least a day before using.

Store in a cool, dark place for up to 3 months.

Rose and Cardamom

Fun With Marshmallows (Part 2)

Rose Cardamom Martini - glass by Toasted Glass

After the success of cocktail making with Earl Grey marshmallows, those lovely people at Eat Toast Dunk Me were kind enough to send me another, intriguing flavour to try. This time it was a box full of middle eastern promise - delicious Rose and Cardamom. All the flavour of turkish delight but without the stickiness and light as air.

Having explored the potential of infusing alcohol with this superior confectionary in my last post, Fun With Marshmallows, I decided that this time, I would take my inspiration from the delicately exotic and fragrant flavours and mix up some rose and cardamom cocktails. The marshmallows make a fun accompaniment and can really enhance the aroma when used as a garnish or just have them as an indulgent snack, alongside.

This first cocktail takes the classic Gin Rickey (gin, soda and lime) and turns it into a fragrant summer cooler, perfect for balmy nights and hot, sunny afternoons.

Rose and Cardamom Gin Rickey

2 oz Martin Miller Gin
1 oz freshly squeezed lime juice (about 1 lime)
1/2 oz simple syrup
2 cardamom pods
tbsp rosewater

Muddle (squish) the cardamom pods with gin, lime, simple syrup and rosewater in the bottom of a heavy bottomed glass.
Add plenty of ice, top up with soda and stir to mix.
Serve with a rosewater and cardamom marshmallow.

Rose and Cardamom Gin Rickey - glass by Toasted Glass

This next cocktail is adapted from one that I found whilst trawling the virtual bars of the internet. I couldn't attest to its origins but whoever thought it up - well done - it's jolly nice. I have used rosewater and simple syrup rather than rose syrup as it's unnecessary to invest in or make your own when the composite parts are those two ingredients anyway. The ruby grapefruit gives a wonderful pale pink tinge and the Peychauds bitters add a depth that is hard to explain, but try one with and one without and you'll see for yourself...

Cardamom Rose Cocktail

2 oz Hendricks Gin

1 oz freshly squeezed ruby grapefruit juice

1 oz freshly squeezed lemon juice

1/2 oz simple syrup

1 tbsp rosewater

2 dashes Peychauds bitters

1 cardamom pod

In the bottom of a shaker, muddle (squish) the cardamom pod with the gin.

Add all of the other ingredients with a handful of ice and shake hard for about 10 seconds.

Strain into a chilled glass with ice.

Serve with a couple of cubes of Eat Toast Dunk Me rose and cardamom marshmallow.

Cardamom and Rose Cocktail - glass by Toasted Glass

Last but not least is a cocktail in the 'martini' style, featuring Hendricks Gin and Martini Rosato, a rosé vermouth that is sweeter than it's dry counterpart, with flavours of raspberry, lemon, cinnamon and cloves.

Rose Cardamom Martini

2 oz Hendricks Gin

1 oz Martini Rosato

2 tsp simple syrup

1tsp lemon juice

2 tsp rosewater

dash of Angostura orange bitters

1 cardamom pod

In the bottom of a shaker, muddle the gin and cardamom.

Add the remaining ingredients and shake hard until the outside of the shaker becomes frosty.

Strain into a chilled cocktail glass.

Pop in a rose and cardamom marshmallow.

Rose Cardamom Martini - glass by Toasted Glass

Thank you to Eat Toast Dunk Me for this week's inspiration and if you'd like to find out other delicious ways to enjoy their marshmallows, then pop along to their website and be inspired by the plethora of delicious and inventive flavours.

Visit Eat Toast Dunk Me

Fun With Marshmallows

Love Potion Iced Tea

These days, my time for mixing cocktails has become very scarce as I am pretty much a permanent fixture at the studio table, painting glass from dawn 'til dusk. This is good news, of course, as my work as a glass artist is my business as well as my passion, but I do miss being able to devote a lot of time to the business of mixology, which is an art in itself. That isn't to say that I have given up drinking cocktails - not at all, but the planning, the preparation and the photography of creating new cocktails and then blogging about them, is a full time occupation in itself and sadly, I just can't fit it all in...

However, in serendipitous fashion, just as I completed a large batch of orders, I was sent a packet of rather intriguing, Earl Grey Marshmallows by my lovely friend and leader of the Secret Tea Society, Claire Worral. The amusingly named, EAT TOAST DUNK ME natural, gourmet marshmallows are made by Copper and Cane Ltd and are a cut far above your average mallow, using organic ingredients and stocked in both artisan and prestigious establishments, including Selfridges. The Secret Tea Society was testing their tea-dunking capabilities (apparently) and thought I might like to experiment with them in my capacity as the Society's official cocktail expert (or 'in house drunk'), particularly as I absolutely love Earl Grey tea and these superior mallows are made with best organically produced bergamot.

Delicious Earl Grey Marshmallows

The main challenge in creating a cocktail, involving these, frankly irresistible marshmallows was to not scoff the lot before I'd done anything with them! However, I managed to restrain myself after I had sampled one or two (just to get a measure of them, you understand) and put my metaphorical, thinking cap on. I think if it were a real thinking cap for creating cocktails, it would have to be something rather fabulous, probably involving feathers and possibly beading, but I digress...

My first thought was to dissolve the mallows in alcohol which would imbue it with the delicious flavour of bergamot and sweeten it too. The only hitch is that this is rather time consuming and they will take a day or two to fully dissolve, so my advice would be to make up a small batch of it as it will store well; adding one marshmallow for every 2oz of alcohol, to a clean glass receptacle with a lid and giving it a bit of a swirl, twice a day. I, on the other hand, just popped a marshmallow in a cocktail glass with 2 oz of Hendricks Gin and stared at it, plaintively, willing it to dissolve. Finally, after 48 hours and some very stern looks, the ebullient marshmallow finally succumbed to the gin and I was left with a lightly sweetened and delicately fragranced spirit that combined the flavours of rose and bergamot without one overpowering the other. As a bonus, the natural food colouring in the marshmallow left a faint pink tinge to the drink that was rather pretty and should you decide to make a decent amount of the stuff, I highly recommend making a Gin and Tonic with it, using a superior tonic, such as Fever Tree Naturally Light Tonic Water and adding a strawberry, halved and hulled and a wedge of fresh lime.

Patiently waiting for my marshmallow to dissolve...cocktail glass by Toasted Glass

If you are feeling a little more adventurous, then this next cocktail will not disappoint. It combines the fragrant flavours of rose and bergamot with strawberry, lime and a little triple sec for a zesty and fresh cocktail, served in the Martini style. I have named it The Secret Martini in honour of the Secret Tea Society and it's unseen but essential addition of the EAT TOAST DUNK ME marshmallow.

The Secret Martini

2oz Hendricks Gin, infused with 1 Earl Grey Marshmallow
2 fresh strawberries, halved and hulled
3/4 oz freshly squeezed lime juice
1/2 oz triple sec liqueur

Add all of the ingredients to a shaker and muddle the strawberry until it has partially broken down.
Pop in a handful of ice and shake hard until the outside of the shaker frosts over.
Double strain the contents into a chilled martini glass

Secret Martini - cocktail glass by Toasted Glass

Having established that the bergamot in the marshmallows paired well with the Rose infused flavour of Hendricks, I thought it would be equally harmonious when added to Pinkster Gin, adding another dimension to their lightly raspberry infused gin with lavender notes. This time however, I decided to short cut the dissolving process by making an iced tea cocktail and popping the mallow into the tea whilst it was still hot and then allowing it cool - genius! The tea in question was no ordinary blend, but the Kent and Sussex Tea Co. 'Rose Congou', a superior loose leaf black tea mixed with beautiful, scented rose petals and another gift from the Secret Tea Society as part of my annual membership pack. It really is a lovely tea that makes a wonderfully fragrant infusion without any hint of bitterness.

To make this next cocktail, you will need a high quality, loose leaf, rose infused tea - Rose Congou is ideal.
Allow the tea to infuse for between 3-5 minutes and then pour 100ml into a clean receptacle.
Pop in 2 Earl Grey marshmallows and stir until dissolved.
Allow to cool.
Now you are ready to begin...

Love Potion Iced Tea

2oz Pinkster Gin
3.5oz (100ml) Chilled, Rose Congou tea, sweetened with Earl Grey marshmallows (see above)
1/2oz freshly squeezed lemon juice

Add everything to the bottom of a shaker with ice and stir to chill.
Strain into an ice filled glass and add a wheel of freshly cut lemon.

Love Potion-drinking jar by Toasted Glass

This final cocktail requires a little more patience again, whilst you wait for the marshmallows to break down, but the surprisingly delicious combination of bergamot, tequila, ginger and lime is well worth the wait.

As before, allow the marshmallows to dissolve in the tequila at a ratio of 1 mallow to every ounce of tequila (you will need 2oz for this next drink)

Sugar and Spice

2oz silver tequila infused with 2 Earl Grey marshmallows (as above)
3/4 oz freshly squeezed lime juice
Fever Tree naturally light ginger beer to top up

Pour the mallow infused tequila and lime juice into an ice filled hi ball or large tumbler.
Top up with ginger beer and stir with a swizzle stick.
Garnish with a lemon wheel.

Sugar and Spice-glass by Toasted Glass

So thrilled was I with the cocktail possibilities, not to mention the out and out deliciousness of this divine confectionary, that I will be trying out their Rosewater and Cardamom mallows next! Stay posted for 'Fun With Marshmallows Part 2'....

Get Fresh

Jardiniére Cocktail - glass by Toasted Glass

It's about this time of year that we in Britain consider debunking into the garden to expose pasty limbs and hobbit-like feet to the warmer air. Pinning all our hopes on meteorological clemency, we plan our weekend barbecues and even entertain the idea that salad might constitute actual food. However, more often than not, the weather lets us down and a planned afternoon sur l'herbe becomes a quick Pimms before the familiar plip plip of raindrops moves the whole shebang indoors again. 

All the more reason to get the drinks just right. After all, if you only have time for a drink in the garden, you want to make sure it's absolutely delicious and will go some way to assuage the disappointment of another Great British wash out - and of course, if the weather does hold out, then you'll have time to try all three of these fabulous, fresh and fruity cocktails.

The Jardiniére cocktail, as the name suggests, takes its inspiration from the garden, combining the flavours of strawberry, rose and lavender in a subtly floral, long drink with plenty of fruit and fizz. The recipe calls for Chase Vodka because it is incredibly smooth with a slight sweetness and creamy finish that comes from the traditional and artisanal distillation of the King Edward and Lady Claire potatoes it is produced from. Incidentally, it is also gluten free which will be welcome news to Coeliac sufferers. 

Lavender syrup is available to buy online, but can be made quite simply at home and will last for months in an airtight container. You can use fresh lavender flowers if they are in season or dried, culinary lavender which can be purchased all year round from Lavender World.

Jardiniére

2oz Chase Vodka

2 tsp lavender syrup (click here for recipe)

4 strawberries

2 dashes of rosewater

Prosecco to top up

Sprig of lavender to garnish

Chop the strawberries into quarters and set four aside.

Add the remaining quarters to the bottom of a shaker and squish to a pulp.

Add the vodka, rosewater and lavender syrup and mix together.

Shake the mixture along with a handful of ice and strain into an ice filled tall glass.

Pop in the remaining pieces of strawberry and top up carefully with Prosecco.

Stir with a swizzle stick to mix and garnish with a sprig of lavender.

Tip - if you gently smack the lavender between your palms before garnishing, it will release it's beautiful, floral scent.

Jardiniére Cocktail - glass by Toasted Glass

Clementines are characteristically sweeter than their larger cousins, the orange, which makes them perfect for this gin based cocktail. The addition of elderflower liqueur adds a floral element and a touch of thyme gives an extra fragrant layer to the drink, all of which combine to create a very fresh, light flavour. Whitely Neil Gin is a good fit with this drink as the Baobab tree fruit and aromatic cape gooseberries in its distillation, give it plenty of fruity, citrus zest.

Clem and Thyme

2oz Whitely Neil Gin
1/2oz Chase Elderflower Liqueur
2 sweet clementines
Small sprig of fresh thyme
Clementine wheel to garnish

Gently muddle (squish) the thyme along with the gin and elderflower in the bottom of a cocktail shaker.
Squeeze the juice from the clementines and add to the shaker along with a handful of ice.
Shake hard and strain into a tall glass filled with ice and garnish with the citrus wheel.

Clem and Thyme - glass by Toasted Glass

Creamy cocktails are not usually considered to be particularly fresh and light, but the proliferation of fresh raspberries in this cocktail make it surprisingly refreshing and utterly delicious. The inspiration came from the traditional Scottish dessert of the same name, that like this cocktail, features raspberries, honey, cream and whisky. In addition to whisky, this drink features Absolut Raspberi vodka which is naturally flavoured and stops the whisky overpowering the mix. Like the dessert, the whisky is a subtle undertone, which isn't to say that you shouldn't pick your scotch carefully. In this instance, nothing too peaty or smokey, but a light, honeyed single malt such as Jura Origin is ideal.

Cranachan 

1oz Jura Origin single malt whisky
1oz Absolut Raspberi
2 tsp Tiptree Scottish Heather Honey
8-10 raspberries
1oz single cream

Set aside 3 or 4 raspberries to add whole to the glass.
Press the remaining raspberries through a fine sieve to remove the pips and collect the juice in the bottom of a shaker.
Add the rest of the ingredients with a handful of ice and shake hard to mix.
Strain into a tall glass filled with ice and the remaining raspberries.

Cranachan cocktail - glass by Toasted Glass

In an ideal world, you'll be enjoying these cocktails under the shade of a parasol on a glorious, sunny afternoon as the smell of barbecuing something or other wafts across the garden, but fear not, they taste equally great, huddled round the kitchen table, wrapped in a picnic rug...

Cinco de Mayo

TG Micheleda Cocktail

Never let it be said that Toasted Glass would miss out on a cocktail opportunity and despite having no Latino connections whatsoever and only a rudimentary grasp of Spanish, Mr TG and I decided to embrace with open arms, the alcoholic potential of the Cinco de Mayo celebrations.

That is the beauty of Cinco de Mayo (or 5th of May to those whose Spanish is even more rudimentary than mine own) - although deeply rooted in history and marking the date in 1862 of the remarkable Mexican victory over Napoleon's invading French army at the Battle of Puebla, it has become a celebration of Mexican culture and heritage. Although only observed as an official holiday in the State of Puebla in Mexico, it is celebrated across Mexico and the United States, having grown in popularity over the years as the Latino population expanded. In the 1980's, beer company marketeers spotted an opportunity to make a fast buck and brought the celebration to the masses making it so high profile that in 2005, US Congress lobbied to have the date observed across the American States with appropriate cultural ceremonies - cue the mariachi bands, tortilla chip sombreros and tequila....

Across the world, there are Cinco de Mayo celebrations to be had, particularly in the capitals and major cities, but if you can't make it to one of those, why not get in the spirit of things and knock up a few inspired cocktails at home... Margaritas are always a popular choice, but having fairly exhausted their potential in previous posts (click here for some alternative Margarita recipes), it was time to don the thinking sombrero and come up with something new...

Cinco de Mayo - glass by Toasted Glass

Cinco de Mayo

2oz silver tequila
2oz freshly pressed watermelon juice
2cm round of cucumber peeled and cubed
Sliver of birds eye chilli
Dash of simple syrup
Wedge of fresh lime

To begin, make the fresh watermelon juice by pressing a few cubes through a sieve and collecting the liquid - discard the seeds and pulp.

Add the tequila and cucumber to the bottom of a shaker and gently muddle (squish). The idea is not to liquify the cucumber so don't worry if it stays fairly whole - the flavour will leech out.

Pour in the watermelon juice and add the sliver of chilli and a dash of simple syrup.

Squeeze the wedge of lime into the shaker and discard the pith and peel.

Shake hard with ice until the outside of the shaker has a frosty bloom and strain into a chilled martini glass.


Beergarita

1oz silver tequila
1oz triple sec
1oz freshly squeezed lime juice
Tiny pinch of salt flakes
Mexican beer to top up (we used Corona)

Add the tequila, triple sec, lime juice and salt to a shaker with ice and shake hard.

Strain into a highball with ice and top up with a light Mexican beer such as Sol or Corona and stir gently to mix.

Beergarita - glass by Toasted Glass

This next drink is an adaptation of a Mojito, using silver tequila in place of rum and with the addition of a little fresh raspberry which not only adds to the flavour but creates a magnificent colour.

Raspberry Tequito

2oz silver tequila
6 raspberries
8-10 mint leaves
1oz freshly squeezed lime juice
1/2oz simple syrup
Sparkling water to top up.

To begin, press the raspberries through a sieve with the back of a spoon, collecting the juice in the bottom of the shaker and discarding the pulp and seeds.

Add the tequila and mint and gently swish to release the essential mint oils - don't overdo it or the flavour becomes 'grassy'.

Add the lime juice and simple syrup with a handful of ice and shake hard for about 20 secs.

Strain (or double strain if you don't want any bits of mint floating) into an ice filled highball glass and top with a little sparking water.

Stir gently to mix.

Raspberry Tequito - glass by Toasted Glass

No Cinco de Mayo celebration would be complete without a nod to the Micheleda, the Mexican beer cocktail that has many variations that range from the simple addition of lime and salt to more complex variations involving chilli, clam juice, tomato and worcester sauce. Never ones to shy away from the complex, this TG Micheleda chucks it all in the mix, (bar the clam juice as Mr TG didn't fancy that much) and despite our reservations, it turned out to be delicious, not too mention relatively innocuous in terms of alcohol.

TG Micheleda

1/2 (33cl) bottle of Corona
1oz tomato juice
1/2oz freshly squeezed lime juice
Pinch of salt flakes
Dash of Worcester Sauce
Sliver of birdseye chilli
Fresh ground black pepper

Add all of the ingredients to a shaker with ice and stir to combine until the outside of the shaker frosts over.

Strain gently into a tumbler and garnish with a lime wheel.

TG Micheleda - glass by Toasted Glass