Pignut’s hedgerow highball. Photograph: Rob Lawson/The Guardian. Drink styling: Seb Davis. View image in fullscreen Pignut’s hedgerow highball. Photograph: Rob Lawson/The Guardian. Drink styling: Seb Davis. The good mixer Cocktails Cocktail of the week: Pignut’s hedgerow highball – recipe Thoroughly British, a bit rustic, and very much an early-autumn treat
Prefer the Guardian on Google T his easy, food-friendly drink is built around the flavours of the countryside – sharp apple, local honey, garden herbs – rather than imported citrus. A touch of blackberry gives colour and depth without turning it too sweet, and echoes the kind of preserves and foraged fruit that run through our food menu.
40ml London dry gin – any classic dry one will do 50ml cloudy apple juice , ideally a tart one 1 tsp local honey 1 tsp blackberry jam or preserve 2 small sprigs fresh thyme Sparkling wine , to top 1 blackberry , or 1 thin apple slice, to garnish
Measure the gin, apple juice, honey and jam into a cocktail shaker or jam jar filled with ice, then add the thyme and shake hard for about 10 seconds, so the honey and jam dissolve. Fine strain into an ice-filled highball glass, top with sparkling wine (ideally a local one), garnish with a blackberry or slice of apple, and serve.
Laurissa Heywood, co-owner, Pignut & The Hare , Scawton, North Yorkshire