Blood orange makes its guest appearance for a few weeks each winter. Lightly crushed cardamom, a squeeze of lemon, topped with soda and poured over ice. Sharp, gently spiced, and cold by design, built for a fire-lit room rather than a summer terrace.

Blood orange, deep red rather than the usual amber, with a flavour closer to raspberry than a standard orange, gone again by spring. Cardamom keeps it feeling like winter, a drink for the hot tub as much as the fireside. No alcohol in this one, though a measure of gin sits well alongside it to spice things up.

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The Recipe

Serves 1 | Prep: 10 minutes
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For the cardamom syrup (makes enough for several drinks)

• 100g caster sugar
• 100ml water
• 6 cardamom pods, lightly crushed

For the drink

• 100ml blood orange juice, freshly pressed
• 2 tsp cardamom syrup
• A squeeze of lemon
• Soda water, to top
• Ice

Method

1. For the syrup, combine the sugar, water and crushed cardamom pods in a small pan. Simmer for 5 minutes, then remove from the heat and let it steep for a further 10 minutes. Strain and cool.
2. Fill a glass with ice. Add the blood orange juice, lemon juice and cardamom syrup.
3. Top with soda water and stir gently.
4. Garnish with a blood orange slice or a whole cardamom pod.
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Best had somewhere warm, glass in hand, snow falling outside.