The Pairing
Theft of Swords, by Michael J. Sullivan
The Reasoning
While food and drink don’t feature strongly in Theft of Swords, I couldn’t resist a play on the name of the pub owned by Gwen DeLancy, love interest of Royce. Here the Rose is represented by sparkling rosé wine, and the Thorn by blackberry jelly. Mixed with brandy, this drink is light and sweet but with a nice warm glow.
The Recipe
You will need:
- Cocktail shaker
- Wine, margarita or coupe champagne glass
- Channeling or Paring knife
- 5-6 ice cubes
- 1 lemon
- 1 generous tbsp blackberry jelly
- 2 oz brandy
- Sparkling rosé
Take your channeling/paring knife and cut a twist of lemon peel. Set to one side. Cut the lemon in half and squeeze 1 tsp of lemon juice.
In your cocktail shaker, mix ice cubes, lemon juice, blackberry jelly and brandy. Shake vigorously and strain into your glass. Top up with sparkling rosé, and garnish with your lemon twist. Cheers!
