Both the infusion and cordial need to be made in advance, ideally at least a day ahead, and both make enough for eight serves. If you don’t use them both up, the infusion is good in light aperitifs, spritzes and even cooking (for instance, for deglazing or for sauce), while the cordial is lovely in teas, drizzled over desserts or mixed with soda water for a refreshing non-alcoholic drink.
Route Napoleon
Serves 1
For the infusion
150ml dry vermouth – Noilly Prat, Dolin Dry or, for a sweeter alternative, Cocchi Americano
1g herbes de Provence
For the cordial
60ml tonic water
45ml ginger ale
2 chamomile teabags
45g apricot jam
For the drink
15ml fresh lemon juice
10ml caster sugar
35ml good gin – we use Hendrick’s
7½ml St-Germain elderflower liqueur
7½ml peach liqueur (we use RinQuinQuin), or peach brandy
20ml herbes de Provence infusion (see above and method)
20ml chamomile and apricot cordial (see above and method)
1 cherry tomato, halved, to garnish
1 sprig curly parsley, to garnish
A pinch of salt, to finish
Put the vermouth and dried herbs in a clean jar, seal and leave to infuse for 24 hours. Strain into a clean jar, ideally through coffee filter paper, then store in the fridge, where it will keep for three or four weeks.
For the cordial, put the tonic water and ginger ale in a small saucepan and heat to 70C. Take off the heat, drop in the teabags, leave to steep for five minutes, then lift out the tea. Add the jam to the pan, blitz to combine, then fine-strain into a clean jar or bottle. Leave to cool, seal and store in the fridge, where it will keep for two to three weeks.
To build the drink, put the lemon juice in a shaker, add the sugar and stir to dissolve. Add all the liquids and a handful of ice, shake well, then strain into a rocks glass filled with fresh ice. Garnish with the cherry tomato halves and parsley, and finish with a pinch of salt on the cut side of the tomato halves.
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Samet Ali, bar director, Oriole, London WC2
