Food & Drink

Arguably the most time-honoured of all cocktails, the secret to a classic martini – as with all great recipes – is to use quality ingredients. Good gin and good vermouth are essential here. After that: olives or lemon? Shaken or stirred? Stuffed olives with blue cheese or pimento? That’s up to you.

There are so many ways to serve this classic cocktail it almost needs sub-variant names. Serve as a shot with an oyster, Al Brown-style; go hard on the spicy sauce for a chilli kick… hey, you can even serve it with bacon!

This hot cider is a true hug in a glass. Make sure you’re using heatproof glassware! Feel free to leave out the star anise if you don't like the flavour; a grating of nutmeg is a tasty alternative.

Blackberries and boysenberries are fantastic in drinks; they are even tastier if you went and foraged for your own!

Hopefully just the name of the drink, not the weather outside, this famous cocktail originated in the Caribbean, land of rum and sailors.

Whisky and prosecco? Absolutely. The prosecco bubbles really help enhance the flavour of the whisky. If you've got a slice of lemon handy, adding a twist of citrus really finishes the whole thing off.