These liqueurs are so much of the moment you will need to get out there very soon to gather your leaves and flowers.
Prep: 30 mins
Cook: 10 mins
Hawthorn, Beech, May Blossom
Ingredients
1ltr Gin
225g sugar
400ml water
100ml Brandy
1 pint vol of May (hawthorn) blossom
1 bottle of Brandy
Method
Beech Leaf Noyeau: half fill a large jar with young fresh beech leaves, pour on 1 ltr gin. Seal and leave 3 weeks in a cupboard. Strain, discard leaves. Heat 400ml water with 225g sugar to dissolve, add to bowl along with 100ml brandy. Check sweetness and bottle. May Blossom Brandy: fill a large jar with 1 pint vol of may blossom, add a bottle of brandy. Store 3 weeks in cool cupboard, swishing weekly. Strain through fine sieve or muslin. Make sugar syrup from 1 cup water and 1 cup sugar, add to brandy to taste.