Ooh, this is a great Xmas drink - all berries and marzipan flavours. I've just decanted off this year's sloe gin especially to make it (we had an incredible crop of blackthorn fruit in Cumbria, UK, this year).

I wonder how often new riffs on drinks are the result of 'running out'? I know it has made me push the envelope - "necessity is the mother of invention" and all that.

Out of rye at the moment, so I just made this with double the bourbon and replaced the rye measure with a half-measure of a smoky single malt. Also halved the Suze (I do love it, but it's rather domineering). The result was reminiscent of a boozy whisky marmalade - very nice, it'll do until I get a restock!

Supping = sipping