Velvet North

01

What you’ll need

• 8 dried culinary juniper berries
• 1/4 tsp whole black peppercorns
• 1 unflavoured rooibos tea bag containing only rooibos
• 180 ml freshly boiled water
• 160 ml unsweetened 100% blackcurrant juice with no added flavours or colours
• 100 ml unsweetened 100% pear juice with no added flavours or colours
• 40 ml fresh lemon juice, finely strained
• 40 ml pure maple syrup
• 1/8 tsp fine sea salt
• 3 cups ice cubes, for stirring only
• 4 unsweetened dehydrated pear chips with no honey or glaze
• 12 fresh or thawed frozen blackcurrants

02

Mix the drink

1. Lightly crush the juniper berries and peppercorns with the flat side of a knife. Put them in a heatproof measuring jug with the rooibos tea bag and pour over the freshly boiled water.
2. Steep for 8 minutes, then remove the tea bag. Strain the infusion through a fine sieve and measure 120 ml into a clean jug. Refrigerate for 30 to 40 minutes until thoroughly cold.
3. Add the chilled juniper-rooibos infusion, blackcurrant juice, pear juice, strained lemon juice, maple syrup and salt to a mixing jug. Stir until the maple syrup and salt are fully dissolved.
4. Fill a large mixing glass three-quarters full with ice. Pour in the mocktail base and stir smoothly for 25 seconds, or until the outside of the glass is very cold.
5. Taste a teaspoonful. The drink should lead with tart blackcurrant, open into pear and juniper, and finish gently dry; if needed, stir in up to 10 ml cold water for balance.
6. Strain immediately through a fine sieve into four pre-chilled glasses, keeping all ice out of the finished drinks.