I am a lucky woman, because I have my own cocktail bartender at home. This is one of our favourites and it doesn’t take much coaxing to get one made for me.

So simple, I wish all recipes with just three ingredients turned out so well. But just promise me you’ll use good quality gin and fresh lemon juice. When you’re using very few ingredients they must be of good quality.

This cocktail is shaken, not stirred because the lemon juice results in a cloudy drink before it’s cooled whereas shaking a clear cocktail turns it cloudy. But shaking cools your cocktail more quickly, so it gets less watered down in the process

Delilah
serves 1, from The Essential Bartender’s Guide by Robert Hess

1 and 1/2 ounce (45ml) gin
3/4 ounce (22ml) cointreau
3/4 ounce (22 ml) fresh squeezed lemon juice

The instructions are simple, shake with ice and strain into a cocktail glass. But it’s a beautiful process, so there are many photos.