Spring has sprung, plus it’s Easter: high time for a refreshing sip to banish the last of winter. Use any sweet vermouth you like, be it Antica Formula, Punt e Mes or, dare I say it, The Ethicurean’s own version, The Collector. Serves one.
50ml sweet vermouth
25ml gin (I’d use Sipsmith’s London Dry)
50ml Fentimans’ Victorian lemonade
1 strip orange peel (no pith) and matches, to finish
Fill a tumbler with ice, add the gin, vermouth and lemonade, and stir. Light a match, wait for the sulphur to burn off, then gently warm the orange skin. Light another match, hold over the glass and pinch the peel directly above the flame to release the oils. These will spray on the flame and ignite, before falling into the glass.
