Dry January: Spiced Honey Lemon alcohol-free cocktail

SERVES 1

500ml (18fl oz) water
1 sliced lemon grass stalk
5 black peppercorns
2 cardamom pods
2 cloves
slice of fresh root ginger
10ml (2 tsp) clear honey 

GLASSWARE
Teacup

ICE
None

GARNISH
Lemon twist

This is not so much a cocktail as a full-flavoured tonic. The ingredients in the Spiced Honey Lemon deliver a well-being explosion that will have you feeling great just by sniffing it. The lemon grass has antioxidant qualities, the ginger helps digestion, the black peppercorns have antibacterial properties, the cardamom acts as a diuretic, the cloves are natural painkillers and the honey contains flavonoids that are thought to reduce the risk of getting some cancers. This is literally a little cup of good health and great flavour, offering the comforting bliss of a hot toddy, without the jolting whack of booze.

Pour the water into a saucepan and add the sliced lemon grass, peppercorns, cardamom pods, cloves and ginger. Bring to the boil, then strain into a teacup. Stir in the honey and garnish with a lemon twist.

Bartender’s Tip
Experiment with different accent spices – start by substituting one at a time to work out your favourite combination.

Recipe taken from GQ Drinks edited by Paul Henderson. Available here