Recipe by Luke Jefford

Award winning bartender and restaurateur, James Fowler, created this quirky take on a margarita using foraged fig leaf. Finished with some London Essence ginger ale to compliment the tropical flavours of fig leaf & chilli cordial.

The stunning coconut flavour of fig leaf lingers on the pallette long after you've finished the drink. Which in our case, wasn't long!

Ingredients for the cordial

• 750g Caster

• 750g Water

• 20g Dried Fig Leaf

• 1 Teaspoon Citric Acid

• 2g Dried chilli

Ingredients for the cocktail

• 50ml Tequila

• 20ml Fig Leaf Cordial

• 15ml Lime Juice

• Ginger Ale

Method

Step 1

To make the cordial, combine all ingredients in a pan and bring slowly to the boil. Strain through a fine sieve and leave to cool in the fridge.

Step 2

Pop the tequila, cordial and lime juice in a coctail shaker with some ice and shake.

Step 2

Strain through a hawthorn strainer (or any you have to hand) into a glass with ice.

Step 3

Top with ginger ale to your taste. You could leave the ginger ale out if you wanted, for a more intense fig leaf and ‘true’ margarita.

Step 4

Sit back and enjoy.