This is an easy-peasy cocktail, plus if you don’t already
have a bottle of Vermouth kicking around (you crazy fool, you) it’s a handy
thing to have in the cupboard because a splash of it can replace white wine in
loads of recipes.
Ingredients
200g ripe, juicy blueberries
50g caster sugar
A splash of lemon juice
A couple of pints of water
1 shot of Vermouth per glass
Start by liquidising the blueberries – use a hand-blender
if you can, but if you haven’t got one, you’ll have to use elbow grease and a
potato masher! Keep going until you have a thick dark purple liquid, then
strain this through a fine sieve, to get rid of the seeds and bits of skin.
You’ll have to stir the liquid in the sieve to get it all dripping through.
Next, pop the strained fruit juice in a jug and add the
water – how much you need will depend on how ripe (and thus how flavoursome)
the blueberries are, so add a bit at a time and keep tasting it. Then add the
sugar and lemon juice, and stir really well.
Pop the jug in the fridge with a handful of ice cubes and
leave it to chill – it’ll be much better cold. When you’re ready to serve, put
a shot of vermouth in each glass and then strain the blueberry juice a second
time as you pour it in, to really make sure there are no pips. Garnish with a
slice of lemon and, if you’re feeling fancy, frost the rim of the glass with
sugar – simply wipe the lemon slice around the rim of the glass, then up-end it
and, pouring a little granulated sugar out onto a saucer, turn the glass in the
sugar to coat it. Leave it to dry for a minute or two before filling the glass.
Cheers!
