The Communist

This Christmas my mother gave my husband a collection of cocktail books. The day the books arrived in our home my husband spent all night not only reading, but mixing up drinks for us to taste. The Communist, which we found in "Vintage Spirits and Forgotten Cocktails" by Ted Haigh, is so far our favourite, and believe me when I say it's an easy drinker. Maybe even a little too easy...don't say I didn't warn you.

Adapted from "Vintage Spirits and Forgotten Cocktails" by Ted Haigh

For one cocktail:
1 ounce gin
1 ounce orange juice*
1/2 ounce of cherry brandy**
1/4 ounce fresh lemon juice (about half a lemon)

Carefully shake the above ingredients in a cocktail shaker with about 5 ice cubes. To avoid bruising the gin try to shake gently but quickly, as if snapping your wrist forward and back again. You should only need to shake in this way twice. Strain into a glass.

*We used the juice of 3 clementines for a double recipe, and I'm really excited to try it with blood oranges too.

**We used whatever brandy we had on hand and added a maraschino cherry in the bottom of the glass.