No 6 spritz
I named this summery drink after my fisherman’s hut as it’s the sixth on the beach. The base is a cherry shrub. As sweet as it is mouth-puckering, this infused syrup is just as tasty sloshed over ice and topped up with soda water as it is mixed into a cocktail.
You can explore making it with different soft fruits with some brightness – raspberries, blackberries, rhubarb – or even damsons. And feel free to get playful with the vinegar. I like using apple cider vinegar as it rounds out the cherries nicely, but the deep, aromatic flavour of a good red wine vinegar would pack a punch too.
To make the cocktail, I’ve used gin and prosecco as that’s what I tend to have to hand, but vodka and champagne would make equally jazzy substitutes. Fishers Original Gin, distilled up the road from me in Aldeburgh, has a unique coastal flavour thanks to botanicals of bog myrtle, rock samphire and spignel.
Use these measurements as a guide and make the drink your own. When the sun really shines, I like this longer, in a tall glass, and add some sparkling water after the prosecco.
Timings
Prep time: 10 minutes, plus overnight macerating
Serves
1
Ingredients
For the cherry shrub (makes enough for 10-12 drinks)
200g pitted cherries
200g caster sugar
240ml cider vinegar or red wine vinegar (I used Aspall Apple Cyder Vinegar)
For the spritz
30ml cherry shrub
45ml gin
a splash of prosecco
Method
First, make the shrub. Roughly chop the cherries or give them a quick whizz in a food processor to make a rough paste. Add this to a large, sterilised jar with the sugar and vinegar. Give it a hearty shake.
Sit the jar on the kitchen counter overnight, shaking it every now and then as you pass by. The next day, strain through a fine sieve into a bottle or another glass jar, being sure to squeeze all the juice from the pulp. (This jammy pulp is great folded through some softly whipped cream for a Victoria sponge filling, or even as a base for a simple fruit tart or crostata. It may need a little extra sugar.)
Shrubs only get better with age, so it’s best to leave it in the fridge for a couple of days before using. Having said that, if you don’t have much patience (like me), then it can be used straight away too. This will easily make enough for 10 drinks – store in the fridge, tightly sealed, for 4-6 weeks.
To make the spritz, pour the shrub into a Nick & Nora glass (like a martini glass but with rounder sides), large wine glass or tumbler followed by the gin, and top up with prosecco. Finish with a pinch of sea salt.