Winter evenings in Perthshire can get somewhat chilly, and this cocktail arrives into its very own as the days get at any time shorter and the nights for a longer period. It is a riff on a manhattan, showcasing elderberry liqueur, and is the sort of drink to love as an right after-supper sipper though chatting very long into the evening in front of the hearth.
A Naughty Evening
Serves 1
35ml blended scotch
25ml elderberry liqueur – I use Aelder’s Elixir, but Gibson’s will also operate, as would Lyme Bay’s elderberry and port variety
25ml sweet crimson vermouth (for a drier finish, use a tawny or ruby port as an alternative)
2-3 dashes orange bitters
1 strip orange peel, to finish
Pour all the liquids into a mixing glass, add a handful of ice and stir to chill and dilute for 30-40 seconds, till the mix is ice-chilly. Pressure into a martini or nick & nora glass, twist the orange peel above the best to launch the vital oils more than the floor of the drink, drop it into the glass and serve.