Rebecca’s Recipe of the Week: Another Great Cocktail | Canalside Community Food

Good cocktails are greater than the sum of their parts. This one has a lot of parts, but nonetheless manages to exceed them, to produce a subtle and effective drink that will cure what ails you. If you were wondering what to do with all the citrus you’ve acquired in your La Jimena box, here is one suggestion. Rose, orange, mint, and cinnamon combine in a liquid homage to the flavours of Morocco. It’s worth seeking out some rose liqueur; the Edinburgh Gin Company make a very acceptable pomegranate and rose gin liqueur which works well, or you can use Briottet Liqueur de Rose. In either case, give this one a try.

Lost in Marrakech
Serves 1

Ingredients
3-4 wide curls of orange peel
15 mint leaves
40ml white rum or cachaça
10ml rose liqueur
2 drops orange flower water
20ml orange juice
15ml lemon juice
15ml lime juice
25ml cinnamon simple syrup (see below)
2-3 drops Angostura bitters
rose petals (to garnish, optional—but Neil’s Yard sells these loose and they look very pretty. . . )
more fresh mint (to garnish)

Preparation
Combine the orange peel and mint leaves in a lowball glass. Crush them a bit to release the flavours, and then add some ice.

Pour in the rum, rose liqueur and orange flower water. Stir.

Blend the citrus juices and cinnamon syrup and add to the glass. Stir again.

Shake a few drops of Angostura bitters over the top, and decorate with rose petals and a bit more mint.

Drink thinking of distant locations far from our troubled isle.

Cinnamon simple syrup

Ingredients
1 cup water
1 cup sugar
1 cinnamon stick

Preparation
Combine water and sugar in a small saucepan and bring slowly to the boil. Simmer gently until the sugar is dissolved—about 5 minutes. Add the cinnamon stick, and then decant into a glass jar or other container. Let cool, and refrigerate for at least 24 hours to allow the flavours to blend. This keeps indefinitely in the fridge.

Recipe adapted from Dav Eames, in The Guardian.