Disaronno, Vanilla & Apple Cocktail

This cocktail, seductively sweet and just wow. There's nothing better than sitting outside in the summer sun with great company whist enjoying a sweet, refreshing cocktail. I love cocktails. They stimulate your taste buds and evoke conversation as you try to guess what exactly is in your chosen alcoholic concoction. Every student will sympathise with me when I say there's one fundamental problem with cocktails - their price. One would expect to pay at least £8 for a cocktail. This is fine for the odd special occasion, but not something you can enjoy on a weekly basis. I've decided that homemade cocktails are the solution to this problem. 

This cocktail is simply a blend of all of my favourite flavours. Disarrono is without a doubt my preferred choice of liqueur, with its incredible bittersweet almond taste. The apple juice I used is homemade from the apples we grow in our garden, however any good apple juice will do the trick as it blends effortlessly with the sweet liqueur. The cool mint also combines perfectly with the smooth vanilla extract. What's better is that the fresh mint also contains healing properties which sooth and aid digestion.  The taste is simply heavenly and a perfect reflection of the beautiful weather. 

Serves 2 

(makes 2, small cocktails as photographed)

150ml of fresh apple juice

20ml disaronno 

1/2 freshly squeezed lemon

20ml elderflower cordial

4 fresh mint leaves

10ml vanilla extract

ice cubes

Method

- Pour the apple juice into a large glass (I just use a pint glass). Add the disaronno, squeezed lemon, cordial, vanilla extract, 4-5 cubes of ice and 2 torn mint leaves. 

- Stir well using a long spoon. If you have a cocktail shaker then shake away!

- Using a cocktail strainer (or some sort of straining device), pour into a chilled glass, add a cube of ice, a mint leaf and a slice of lemon on the side to serve. 

***

Top tip - put the glasses into the fridge before you serve the cocktails to keep them cool and refreshing. 

- ensure the apple juice is chilled before use.

- not all of us will have a cocktail strainer to hand, so I just use a tea strainer. But you just want to ensure none of the lemon pips and shredded mint enters into the glass!

Enjoy!