The name of this recipe tells you all you need to know. Jayne Gillespie is a great gardening friend and diligent about making sure you do not dry out when you are working with her. Strangely, we seem to get more done in the morning than we do after lunch. The instructions in the recipe are Jayne’s, and clearly make the point that just as with all cooking, when making a cocktail it is worth taking care at every step and using the best ingredients you can. The shot measure is used here to give you the proportions, but you can easily scale this up for a party by using a larger glass as your measure. You will need a cocktail shaker.

Ingredients

  • 1 shot of Three-year-old Havana rum Don’t be tempted to try this with an inferior rum – it won’t be the same
  • ¾ shot of Sugar syrup I use Monin Pure Cane Sugar Syrup or make my own
  • ½ Lime Or ¾ shot shop-bought lime juice
  • A handful of Mint leaves
  • Crushed ice, to serve

Method

  • STEP 1

    Cut the lime half into four pieces and put into a cocktail shaker with the mint.

  • STEP 2

    Using the end of a wooden rolling pin, bash the lime segments (sections) and mint leaves to bruise and release the delicious mint, lime zest and juice (this is important as the lime juice is needed to balance the sugar syrup).

  • STEP 3

    Add the rum and sugar syrup.

  • STEP 4

    Shake well and then pour into a glass filled with crushed ice.

  • STEP 5

    Alternatively, you can mix the cocktail in a jug, let it chill in the refrigerator and then add the crushed ice just before serving.

Authors

Aaron Bertelsen

Having studied at Kew Gardens and spent two years at Jerusalem Botanical Gardens in Israel, Aaron Bertelsen is now vegetable gardener and cook at Great Dixter. His book, The Great Dixter Cookbook was published in March 2017.