Future cocktails

 Firstly, imminent future cocktails: yes, I'll be on twitter at 7 for #ConfinedCocktails. And I will be raising a glass to Anne-Marie, who has just qualified as a yoga teacher this morning. I think we might partly spend cocktail hour raising glasses all round - who's got something that they have achieved, or wants celebrating, during this period? We've talked about the pernicious feeling that you should Do Something with lockdown, other than just survive in the midst of global chaos. No. But if you did manage to pass something, fix something, get a promotion, finish something, make a change, despite everything we've been going through, I reckon you deserve a cheer. That includes any birthdays of lockdown that haven't had enough celebrating. Let there be cheersing. 

I shall be cheering in riesling and with dill chips, having been to lovely Scandikitchen yesterday. It's been a weekend of getting out already, and will do tomorrow too. Intrepidity. I'm not loving it, to be honest. Half the transport has been wildly empty and safe, the other half widlly full and stuffed with people with masks over one ear while they chat with friends. I know numbers are low in London at the moment, but it worries me that people have gone to this point of notional conformity and no more.

But I've been laying up cocktails of the future too. Not all worries. It's damson time hereabouts, rather early (everything is early this year, including bloody autumn). I did those in gin last Sunday. 

Not my usual damson supplier, and there's rather a lot more twig in there than usual. I've probably oversugared it, by the looks of things, but last year's was rather bracingly sharp, so perhaps I'll do a blend. 

I'm also experimenting with some blackberry whisky. I'd thought of doing it as a hedgerow blend, but I have suddenly missed the elderberries - they were looking great last week, before I'd got the booze, but by Tuesday ours had pretty much shrivelled up and died. Still, if you're in less arid parts (not that it hasn't been pouring here), apparently it's a good mix with the blackberries for an intriguing winter warmer. 

Going cautiously with the blackberries, a mere half bottle. We'll see how it works out. (As you can see, I've plenty of leftovers from last year. And indeed 2018.)

Lastly, a look ahead for those who haven't spotted a brainwave from Katy. At some point in the grimmer end of autumn, we'll be doing a #ConfinedCookalong, where we cook a broadly agreed dish (probably our classic risotto) and twitternatter for a distanced dinner party of conviviality. Details, date and everything else tbc, but doesn't it warm you that people are thinking of these things?