March’s Cocktail: Miss Casablanca

Sixteen years ago, I finished my high school exams and headed off to my first music festival – Glastonbury. My inebriation at the time and the years that have passed since, leave me with a hazy memory of the week. But I do remember going to watch a band called Elastica play on the main stage and just as they were about to start playing, the lead singer’s eye caught the beautiful sunset just behind us. She gave a big smile and said, “wow, look at the sun, everyone”. So hundreds of us turned around to look at the sun. She was right, it was gorgeous. “Let’s give a big cheer to the sun”, she bounced. So hundreds of us did. OK, looking back it sounds ridiculous. Maybe you had to be there. But it made sense to me aged sixteen and I still like the sentiment now – the sun is brilliant and deserves our cheers.

And March is the month when my dear friends in Europe are finally allowed to come out of their gloomy snowy hovels and enjoy the sun which those lucky enough to live in Thailand have been lapping up all winter. During February I could no longer bare to look on Facebook for all the grizzling about the weather in London. And who could blame them? If you blinked you missed daylight, the public transport system (still flummoxed by the predictable annual phenomenon of snow) came to a grinding halt, and reality TV replaced actual socialising.

But this month is a different story, look:

As true Brits, my friends at the first glimpse of the sun have stripped off and rushed out to populate London’s parks and beer gardens and are just so happy about it.

My seasonally-affected friends, this cocktail is for you!

 There is nothing that tastes like the sun coming out more than coconuts and pineapples. My marvellous Mixologist, Buk from Seven Spoons Restaurant in Bangkok has created this playful twist on a classic Pina Colada, spicing it up with delicious cardamom and giving it a modern, elegant make-over.

Cheers everyone, cheers to the sun!

Ingredients

2 oz / 60ml dark rum
½ oz / 15ml Malibu or coconut rum
 2 oz / 60ml pineapple juice
4 cardamom pods

Method

1. Put the cocktail glass in the freezer to chill
2. Mash the cardamom pods with a bit of pineapple juice (about a tbsp) in a boston glass
3. Add some ice and pour in the dark rum, coconut rum and remaining pineapple juice
4. Shake well and strain twice to remove any bits of cardamom husk
5. Pour into the chilled glass and garnish with a sprig of mint