When I was an undergraduate in the Brideshead (that’s to say Re-Revisited) Era of 1980s Oxford this was the drink of choice at many a pretentious cocktail party. It’s not a cheap way to get drunk, but remember we’re talking the age of the jeunesse dorée here: I seem to remember sipping this under a veiled pillbox hat, the ash from a Sobranie Black Russian flicked from a mesh gloved finger tip. I feel better for getting this off my chest now.
Ideally, this should be shaken over ice, so as not to dilute it, but if you’re making a jugful (and basically, it’s just one third of each ingredient, sugar syrup to taste) it makes life easier if you just toss a handful or so of ice cubes in with it.
25ml Plymouth (or other) gin
25ml Cointreau
25ml lemon juice (about half a lemon’s worth)
1 tablespoon sugar syrup (or dissolve a tablespoon of caster sugar in the lemon juice first)
ice cubes
Shake the ingredients over ice and pour into a glass.
Makes 1.
