While hunting: the more of this stuff you drink now, the smaller the fences will seem. And the more you drink in the pub afterward, the bigger the fences have been!
My friend Lorna (equestrianreality.wordpress.com) maintains that if you ride side saddle then you must learn how to make a potentially lethal combination of wild berries, sugar and alcohol and swap drinking vodka out of a glass in night clubs for drinking said lethal combination out of a hip flask in a tent/horse lorry/on horse back. so here goes:
Gather your equipment and ingredients!
Ingredients
- 450g/1lb berries (sloes/blackberries/ gooseberries/ raspberries/damsons) or other fruit (e.g. damsons, cherries, plums, peaches)
- 225g/8oz caster sugar
- 1 litre/1¾ pint spirit (vodka/gina/brandy/whiskey)
Particularly good combinations are: Sloe gin, gooseberry gin, damson vodka, raspberry vodka, blackberry brandy, cherry brandy, but you can try which ever you want!
Preparation method
- Pick and wash the fruit.
- Put in a large sterilised kilner jar. (If using sloes put them in the freezer for a couple of hours first so that the skins burst on them)
- Pour in the sugar and the alcohol, seal tightly and shake well.
- Store in a cool, dark cupboard and shake every other day for a week. Then shake once a week for at least two months. Try to resist for as long as possible- the longer you leave it the more delicious/potent it will be!
- Strain through muslin into a sterilised bottle
- Enjoy- and drink responsibly! har har har!!!
Other combinations:
The percy special: equal parts whiskey and cherry brandy
Whisky mac: Scottish whisky and ginger wine.
Port and brandy: half and half.
Hot buttered rum: Warm a glass of cider in a pan with some cloves, a cinnamon stick and a spoonful of honey or molasses sugar, add a good slug of dark rum and float a pat of unsalted butter on the top.
Hot spiced port: with cloves and hot whisky with sugar.
Mulled wine: a long standing favourite.
Lovage liqueur and brandy, two parts to one, is scrummy
Home-made Drambue recipe, described as “a lethal concoction”: “Half a bottle of whisky or brandy, 1 bottle of Strongbow, 1 pound of sugar, 1 medium sized bottle of rosehip syrup (if you have trouble getting hold of this you can use apple and pear concentrated baby juice instead). Mix together until the sugar is dissolved and decant it into suitable receptacles”
Equal parts of blackberry brandy + vodka
2 parts whisky to 1 part cherry brandy
Another option is a 1/2 and 1/2 mix of Butterscotch Schnapps and Apple Pucker Schnapps. Tastes like a tart caramel apple.
An excellent flask filler to warm the cockles of your heart (and oh-so-trendy!): 2 parts Cognac (or whiskey, bourbon, or rye) 1 part St Germaine (elder flower liqour that is lovely. Not overly floral or sweet, just yummy
Morning “coffee”. Two parts whipped cream flavored vodka to one part kahlua.
Equal parts (or slightly more whiskey) of scotch whiskey and amaretto
1/2 Sherry 1/2 port (hound’s blood)
Riding Side Saddle in Ireland 
I’d just say – hold back on the sugar until quite late in the process. When it’s ready to taste you can always add more if it needs it but you can’t remove it if there’s too much, and there’s nothing more disappointing than a wonderful brew that is too sweet.
Another quick and very satisfying recipe – Drambuie, Port and Brandy – ideally in equal amounts but it works well at half Port, quarter Drambuie and quarter Brandy (cheaper!) It’s very smooth and pleasant, but hits like a heart attack when it gets about half way down your throat. Very amusing to watch someone else drink it!
Thanks Sarah! Someone else suggested a little less sugar too, thanks a million for your comment and I hope you like the recipes- I must try yours! x
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How, dear ladies, do you keep from wetting your pants?
The usual way. You hand your horse to a friend & run off to the bushes. There isn’t enough cover. All your friends laugh and jeer. Hounds appear and the huntsman laughs and jeers. Everyone moves off except for your friend but you can’t get back on because your horse is in hysterics and you are half seas over. Just have another drink, that’s my advice.
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