These cocktails would kick-start the four-course dinner party, with recipes from Schwartz, which are also part of its flavour forecast for 2012.

Watermelon cooler cocktail

Prep time: 10 minutes and overnight to make the dill ice cubes

Serves 2

Ingredients

600ml (1 pint) water

1/2 tsp Schwartz dill

25g (1oz) caster sugar

7g (1/4oz) mint leaves

25ml (1fl oz) fresh lemon juice

1 meyer lemon, sliced (optional)

50ml (2fl oz) tequila gold

50ml (2fl oz) vodka

300ml (1/2 pint) watermelon juice

75ml (3fl oz) cucumber juice

2 sprigs of dill, finely chopped

  1. The night before: Make the ice cubes. Mix the water and dill and pour into an ice cube tray and freeze.
  2. Next day: Muddle the sugar, mint, lemon and lemon slices in the base of a cocktail shaker, mashing them all slightly with end of rolling pin until the sugar dissolves. Add the tequila, vodka, melon and cucumber juice. Shake then strain and pour over the dill ice cubes. Garnish with a sprig of mint, shaved cucumber and a little fresh dill. Serve with a straw.

Lemon blanc cocktail

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Serves: 6

Ingredients

125g (5oz) sugar

125 ml (4fl oz) water

1 bunch fresh lemon thyme *

125 ml (4fl oz) gin

125 ml (4fl oz) limoncello liqueur

125 ml (4fl oz) meyer lemon juice *

275ml (9fl oz) lemon thyme syrup

1 Schwartz vanilla pod

75ml (3fl oz) milk

25ml (1fl oz) single cream

Lemon twists, to garnish

  1. For the lemon thyme syrup: Mix the sugar and water in a small saucepan and bring to the boil. Add the lemon thyme and simmer for five minutes. Remove from the heat and leave to cool for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally until the sugar has dissolved completely. Strain. Cover and refrigerate until well chilled.
  2. Heat the milk and cream with the vanilla pod for two minutes and leave to cool.
  3. Fill a cocktail shaker half full with cracked ice. Add all the ingredients. Shake until well mixed and chilled. Strain into cocktail glasses. Serve with or without ice. Garnish with lemon twists.

Tips

* If fresh lemon thyme is unavailable, substitute with two teaspoons Schwartz thyme Leaves.

* If meyer lemon juice is unavailable, use three tablespoons of lemon juice and one tablespoon of orange juice for each cocktail shaker.

By Drink