The boy and his poison: Ginger Brew

In my eyes, there's only one thing better than cocktails… steak and cocktails, which is why the small Hawksmoor chain has such a special place in my heart. I was fortunate enough to be taken there to recover after a fairly heavy birthday weekend and decided I needed something fizzy, and with a sly little kick that could take the edge off of a blinding headache sufficiently enough to enjoy the incredible food.

Shakey Pete's Ginger Brew leapt off of the menu. Last summer I adopted ginger beer shandies as my sundowner of choice and this drink combines all the taste of that drink with the icy hit of a slush puppy and the ABV of a turbo shandy. I highly recommend popping in to their new bar if you're out in East London, or better still pick up a copy of Hawksmoor At Home to get the proper recipe for the ginger syrup. But if, like me, you're in need of a quick fix to the 'spinning room' problem this should hit the spot.

You'll need:

• 50ml of gin
• 25ml ginger cordial (Bottle Green's Ginger and Lemongrass worked well)
• 25ml of lemon juice
• A small bottle of beer
• Half a glass of crushed ice (use a blender or a rolling pin and a plastic bag)

Make it

• Pour the gin, cordial and lemon juice into any available long glass you have and stir
• Add the ice
• Top up slowly with the beer