Name: Gingerbread martini
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 5 min
Total time: 15 min
Yield: 4
Ingredients: 200ml vodka; 50ml hazelnut-flavoured liqueur; 25ml herbal digestif or liqueur; 50g dark brown soft sugar; 1 tsp ground ginger; ½ tsp ground cinnamon; strip of lemon peel

200ml vodka
50ml hazelnut-flavoured liqueur
25ml herbal digestif
or liqueur

For the ginger syrup

50g dark brown soft sugar
1 tsp ground ginger
½ tsp ground cinnamon
strip of lemon peel

Method

step 1
First, make the ginger syrup. Put the sugar, ginger, cinnamon, lemon peel and a pinch of black pepper in a pan with 50ml water and bring to a simmer (watch closely, as it can bubble up). Stir once or twice until the sugar has dissolved. Turn off the heat and leave to infuse until cold.
step 2
Strain through a fine mesh sieve and discard the lemon peel. Pour the syrup into a 500ml bottle along with the all the liqueurs and 100ml cold water. Shake and chill until needed.
step 3
To gift, package up the cocktail base and the instructions: Chill, then divide between four chilled glasses and serve straightaway. The cocktail base will keep chilled for three days.