By Jonathan Hatchman, Food Editor, @TLE_Food
Born from a competition between five of London’s top bartenders – Druid’s Botanist Cup uses Islay’s first and only dry gin – The Botanist – and is currently available from the award-winning Nightjar in Shoreditch until the end of this month. Created by Nightjar’s Nikolett Maczo, the key focus and inspiration for the drink is foraging, using a range of specialty ingredients such as mahonia flowers and rowan berries both handpicked from Haggerston Park. The use of The Botanist gin also ties in with the theme, having been crafted using nine classic gin botanicals, augmented with 22 local herbs and flowers that are all foraged responsibly by botanical scientists from the Hebridean Island.
As is the nature with the inclusion of so many foraged ingredients, the drink is very difficult to recreate perfectly at home, however a simplified recipe has been provided by the bar, comprising the likes of Amaro, plum jam, honey, and Angostura bitters. Alternatively, to enjoy the full, proper, experience Druid’s Botanist Cup is available from Nightjar until the end of March, priced at £12.
Ingredients
50ml The Botanist gin
15ml Amaro
2 tsp plum jam
1 tsp honey
1 dash Angostura bitters
Lemon zest
Method
Add in all ingredients to a shaker and shake.
Strain into a Champagne glass.
Garnish with lemon zest.
Further information on Nightjar can be found at barnightjar.com.
