The first in our series of bespoke Valentine’s Day cocktails. The Gentleman’s gambit was Designed by Black Cow for C, from P.

Incredibly strong flavours with a delicate touch that hold their own. When paired with the sweet wild cherry, bitter citrus oils and sour flesh you have a cocktail that speaks volumes without having to say a word.

Ingredients

The cocktail

Black Cow, 50ml

Rooibos tea, 25ml

Black cherry mead, 15ml

Pink grapefruit and orange , 1 wedge of each + zest from each

Red chilli, a quarter

Caramelised pecan and fermented cherry garnish

Served in a tumbler with a square ice sphere

The caramelised pecans

Whole pecans, 100g

Soft brown sugar, 2 tbsp

Runny honey, 1 tbsp

The sweet pickled cherries

Cherries, 500g

Cinnamon, ½ stick

Black peppercorns, 6

White wine vinegar, 300ml

Granulated sugar, 350g

Step by step

The cocktail

Add the Black Cow, rooibos tea, cherry mead and chilli to a cocktail shaker.

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Twist the orange and grapefruit zest into the shaker, adding the peel.

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Squeeze the juice from the orange and the grapefruit wedges into the shaker.

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Shake and then pour over ice.

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Garnish with caramelised pecans a pickled cherries.

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The caramelised pecans

Toast the pecans first on a low heat until you can begin to smell the aroma they give off, remove from the pan.

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Squeeze the honey and add the brown sugar to the pan, stirring until the sugar has dissolved.

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Place the pecans back in the pan and completely coat them.

 

The sweet pickled cherries

Prick each Cherry, and place in a pan on a medium heat. Add the rest of the ingredients and stir until the sugar has dissolved.

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Put the cherries in a clean jar and remove the spices.

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Heat the liquid up further until it begins to take on a syrup like mixture. Allow to cool then pour over the cherries.

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