Apple Day mocktail

Dame Claire Daniels of Rull Orchard shares her wonderfully refreshing apple mocktail, inspired by friends at Landwich on a scorching summer’s day at the market. Combining orchard-fresh apple juice, local honey and fragrant herbs, it’s a simple celebration of seasonal flavours. Enjoy over ice with sparkling water, or add a splash of calvados or pommeau to make a cocktail of it.
Wassail!

Ingredients

1tbsp honey (buy real, local honey)

250ml apple juice (not from concentrate). I used our apple and rhubarb juice here because I love the sour!

Lots of fresh, uplifting herbs - whatever you can grow or get your hands on in the local greengrocers. I used 5 Shiso leaves, a handful of lemon basil and just a few mint leaves (Pear mint is lovely and mellow and doesn’t overpower the other flavours)

Method

Combine the ingredients above and give a jolly good shaking.

Strain into a glass over ice and top up with sparkling water.

At this stage you can add a glug of your preferred spirit and offer a swift stir; calvados or pommeau work superbly!

Sit back and enjoy - Wassail!