There are few scents that evoke the British summertime as beautifully as fresh elder blossoms. As May ripens into June the hedgerows burst into deeper flower and sweeten the air with their perfume.

We have our own rather unruly tree that Maurice keeps trying to convince me to remove, but I love it for its froth of early summer blooms and dark autumn berries – not to mention the baby pigeons who hatch in its tangled branches each year. Its furthest limbs extend over part of the pergola, spreading out their creamy umbels, and there are few things as lovely as sitting in their dappled shade and listening to the soft coos of the tree’s inhabitants. It’s a particularly fine place to spend the early hours of the evening (perhaps with a plate of crudités fresh from the vegetable patch, and something cool to drink) and to linger in the late summer light.

And so we come to today’s cocktail. There are times (on especially warm days) when only a margarita will do and if you stick to the time-trusted formula of spirit, sweet and sour there are a multitude of ways to successfully riff on the classic and introduce seasonality into the drink. I’m particularly pleased with how this version has turned out – sweet, smoky, sour, floral, just a little vegetal, and oh so refreshing.

Before I move onto the recipe I must take a moment to sing the praises of St Germain elderflower liqueur. As regular readers may know, it’s an ingredient that features in many of my recipes and one that I wouldn’t be without. Its floral nature pairs beautifully with gin, coaxes hidden notes from tequila and Mezcal, and mixes easefully with sparkling wine. It can even be paired with whisky, as the Dead Rabbit’s ‘Irish Maid’ (a truly fantastic cocktail of Jameson Black Barrel, cucumber, St Germain, simple syrup and lemon juice) demonstrates with aplomb. In short, if you’re looking for an addition to your cocktail cabinet that will expand your repertoire and won’t just gather dust at the back (let’s be honest, we all have those bottles) this is a winner!

Ingredients

10 cm piece of cucumber

5 ml Mezcal (to rinse the glass)

60ml tequila resposada

35ml St Germain elderflower liqueur

30ml lime juice

Method

1. Add the Mezcal to your preferred glass and swill to coat the inside edges. Discard any excess.
2. Roughly chop the cucumber and add to a shaker with the lime juice. Using a muddler crush the cucumber as much as your strength will allow!
3. Add the remaining ingredients to the shaker, top with ice and shake for a minute until extremely cold.
4. Strain through a fine sieve into your prepared glass and serve immediately.

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