Recipe: tempting cordials

With a big nod to the freesia

A heavenly lunch or cosy dinner should the accompanied by a drinkable treat. To accompany the love-filled dishes we have three recipes for delectable cordials for you: an orange cordial with coriander and ginger ale, a raspberry cordial with lime and Sichuan pepper, and a pink & white pepper cordial with tonic, lemon and grapefruit. We took a lot of inspiration from the colours and scents of the freesia for these cordials. Enjoy these delectable mocktails or cocktails!

For the orange cordial you will need (serves 2)

  • 250 ml fresh orange juice

  • 1 tsp coriander seeds

  • Ice cubes

  • 1 cold 330 ml bottle of ginger ale 

  • Lemon juice to taste

  • Optional: vodka

Gently simmer the orange juice with the coriander seeds until it turns a deep dark yellow and is slightly syrupy. Remove the coriander seeds with a teaspoon if necessary. Divide the orange syrup between two glasses with ice cubes, and top up with ginger ale and some lemon juice to taste. Optionally add some vodka. 

For the raspberry cordial you will need (serves 4)

  • 250 g raspberries (fresh or frozen)

  • 4 tbsp sugar

  • Juice of 1 lime

  • 1 tsp Sichuan pepper, ground

  • Sparkling mineral water

  • Ice cubes

Set some raspberries aside, and place the rest of the raspberries in a saucepan with the sugar and the lime juice and simmer to form a thick puree. Push the puree through a sieve, return to the saucepan and add the Sichuan pepper. Leave the raspberry puree to simmer on a low heat for another 10 minutes. Add 1 tbsp water if it gets too thick. Add more sugar if necessary, and allow to dissolve. Divide the raspberry puree between the glasses, add a splash of mineral water and stir vigorously. Add ice, and top up with mineral water. 

For the pink & white pepper cordial you will need (serves 4)

  • 1 tbsp pink peppercorns

  • 1 tbsp white peppercorns

  • 5 tbsp sugar

  • Tonic

  • Ice cubes

  • Very thin slices of lemon and grapefruit

Finely crush the pink and white peppercorns with a pestle and mortar. Heat the pepper in a saucepan with the sugar and 150 ml water and simmer for 10 minutes to form a syrup. Leave the syrup to cool. Divide the syrup between 4 glasses, and top up with tonic and ice cubes. Add slices of lemon and grapefruit. 

Now look deep into another’s eyes, and drink a toast!

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