Inspiration for FNC comes from many places. Today it’s from The Faerietale Foodie.

I needed a drink that I could give to my strange friends that don’t like whiskey or gin. Obviously they are good friends because I still like them despite their obvious drinking flaws, so I wanted a cocktail that I would drink too. The Summer in a Glass works really well but takes forward thinking. What about when people just pop in unexpectedly?

When I saw this post, containing a recipe for a cocktail using vodka and elderflower liqueur and apricot jam, I knew I was onto something. All ingredients I have. Except not. No apricot jam. I have gooseberry, rhubarb and ginger, strawberry and vanilla, cherry, orange and lemon marmalade, all homemade, all delicious but no apricot. Which is annoying because I did consider making some this summer but opted not to.

So I used the gooseberry. Which I think worked really well with the elderflower.  This is a nicely balanced not too sweet, not too sour combination. I used Sipsmith vodka because that’s what I have in the cupboard, I think it’s a great all rounder and smoother than any other vodkas I’ve tried and it’s local!

What

50ml vodka

30ml elderflower liqueur

10ml lemon juice

1 teaspoon gooseberry jam

How

1) Fill a shaker with ice and pour all ingredients in.

2) Shake hard

3) Fine strain into a rocks glass filled with ice