The boy and his poison: The Country Sidecar

Inspiration hitting you during a 3am cab home on a Sunday morning can be a little unexpected. In fact, when you're jaded, a little delicate and struggling with mastery of your basic motor-skills the next morning, the series of post-it notes strewn over the flat to remind you of said inspiration seems a bit unsympathetic.

As I attempted to explain to my semi-conscious taxi-buddy, mixing cognac and Chambord should essentially be the preserve of the cough-mixture industry but the picture I saw in my twitter stream said otherwise. Plump berries sat in a sugary bath of brandy and black raspberry liqueur etched a deep enough mark in my memory to guarantee I made it the next day. The drink came from @burgeracblog's visit to a bar in the Cotswolds and apparently they decided to call it a Sidecar. Its definitely no sidecar but with its origins in the countryside, the name seemed quite fitting.

You'll need:

• 50ml Cognac (brandy will do just fine)
• 25ml Chambord (Cassis, or creme de mure will work equally well)
• 25ml Lime juice
• Blackberries

Make it:

• Add the brandy, Chambord and lime to a shaker
• Drop a handfull of blackberries in with them and muddle with a rolling pin
• Add a handful of ice cubes
• Shake for 10-15 seconds
• Strain into a coupe or cocktail glass
• Garnish with a cocktail stick full of blackberries.