Cocktail Hour: The Black Cat

I recently became a Black Cat convert when my friend knocked me one up at the end of an epic day. And it's fast becoming my poison of choice. The reasons for this are threefold.

First and foremost, it involves cherry brandy. If it wasn't for the inevitable damage it would do to my bank balance, body and career, I'd happily guzzle cherry brandy all day long, forsaking all other beverages. Even tea. That's how much I adore it.

Secondly, and this is another big selling point for me, the ingredients are simple enough that in times of urgent need, it's a safe bet that my nearest off-license will have all the essentials.

And last but not least, it's got enough sugar and caffeine in that I'm not in danger of falling asleep with my face in my second glass, which is what usually happens with most other cocktails when it's been a hard day. (Don't judge me, we've all been there.)

What you'll need is:

25ml cherry brandy
25ml vodka
50ml cranberry juice
50ml coke

All you need to do is:
Combine all your ingredients in a highball glass with ice, add a cherry to make you feel sophisticated, then drink until the caffeine/booze/sugar combo makes you talk too fast about slightly salacious topics that you'll wish you hadn't mentioned the morning after.