Cocktail of the week: Carlotta’s sunset sour – recipe | The good mixer

Created for Carlotta, Big Mamma’s new restaurant in Marylebone, London, this is a summery twist on the classic New York sour. With a fruity, apricot sweetness and notes of aniseed from the dill syrup, it’s topped with a good-quality primitivo to add a pop of dark berry notes.

Sunset sour

Serves 1

For the dill syrup (makes enough for 15 serves)
150ml sugar syrup
2g fresh dill fronds (about ⅓ tbsp)

For the drink
35ml bourbon – we use Wild Turkey
15ml apricot liqueur or brandy – we use Merlet Lune d’Abricot
15ml fresh lemon juice
10ml dill syrup – see above and method
10ml egg white
10ml primitivo, or other big, full-bodied, mildly tannic red wine

Heat the sugar syrup in a bain-marie or bowl suspended over simmering water, then add the dill, turn off the heat and leave to infuse and cool to room temperature. Sieve, decant into a clean jar or bottle, and store in a dry place, where it will keep for a month or two – the syrup is also lovely as a base for gin fizz (gin, dill syrup, lemon juice and soda) or a hugo spritz (prosecco, dill syrup, elderflower liqueur and soda).

To make the drink, put everything bar the wine in a cocktail shaker, shake hard to set the egg white, then add ice and shake again. Double strain into a tumbler, float the red wine on top, and serve.