Recipe

• 5 parts brandy

• 2 parts mint liqueur

Stir together with ice, and strain into a cocktail glass. Add a mint leaf.

Finally nailed it. My first attempt was sickly and harsh, with far too much sugar (thanks a lot, 12-bottle bar). My second attempt followed the IBA recipe, but I attempted to produce my own crème de menthe by infusing mint into home-made syrup and mixing it with vodka – giving not nearly enough mint flavour. This time round, I've stuck with the IBA recipe, but using a proper mint liqueur.

Instead of crème de menthe, I used a bottle of Berliner Luft I got on holiday last week – a cheap peppermint liqueur commemorating the Berlin airlift of 1948–49. It has a much mintier taste than my homemade stuff, and it goes beautifully with the brandy. I'll be drinking this again!