Premier Padmini Negroni

Full credit to Jake Odlum, head of drinks, Dishoom for this one! We used his recipe but didn’t have sweet vermouth so used regular and added a drop of sugar syrup.

5g cocoa beans (we use Indian cocoa beans, naturally, but any kind will do; they can be found in healthfood stores and some supermarkets)

½ small pear, cored

210ml gin

210ml Campari

210ml sweet vermouth, such as Martini Riserva Speciale Rubino

7 squares good-quality dark chocolate (70% cocoa solids), to finish

Gently bash the cocoa beans with a cocktail muddler or a wooden spoon. Peel and roughly chop the pear half – you should end up with roughly 20g chopped flesh. Put everything bar the chocolate in a non-reactive container for which you have a lid, add 120ml water, then pop on the lid and leave to infuse at room temperature for 24 hours.

The next day, fine-strain the liquid through two non-absorbent cloths or muslin, then decant into a sterilised 750ml bottle and seal. It will now keep for up to two months.

To serve the cocktail, pour 100ml of the mix into a tumbler filled with ice, garnish with a square of chocolate and enjoy.