The boy and his poison: The Nicola 6

I am officially sounding the four day weekend claxon, I checked around and by all accounts it’s ok for us all to sack off the last hour and beat the rush to the beer garden. However, it is your patriotic duty on this Royally endorsed four day weekend to get the drinks right. Sure you could rustle up some Pimms, and I'm sure when gin o'clock sounds even Liz wouldn't say no to a nerve softening pint of pink gin and tonic in the sun, but if you're throwing a party or just want to add a splash of the exotic to your evening there's nothing quite like a 'boat drink' and the most regal I could think of for the jubilee is the Nicola 6.

Loaded with English flavours from the muddled strawberry and cucumber, to the lavish slug of pink fizz on top… the drink was conceived in Shoreditch's East Room, where you could get it by the champagne punch bowl (dangerous).  However, don't worry if you just want to try this out for yourself, it’s as simple to knock out one or two as it is to scale to a punchbowl, your only problem will be resisting making more.

You'll need (for one)

• 25ml Vodka
• 3 Fresh strawberries (diced)
• A couple of slices of cucumber (diced)
• A dash of berry cordial (or Chambord if you dont have any)
• 1 tsp of lemon juice
• Rose cava to top up
• A strawberry to garnish

Make it

• Muddle the strawberries, cucumber, lemon juice and vodka together in the bottom of a shaker
• Add your dash of berry cordial and a handful of ice
• Shake vigourously 
• Strain through a sieve into a martini glass
• Top up with the fizz, slice a strawberry down the middle and slide onto the side of the glass