Raki Berry Crush

A summer cocktail with a taste explosion in a glass with a kick

Looking for “summer in a glass” cocktail, something different to the norm, a drink to wow the crowd, well I think I have it. Raki berry crush is a summer fruit explosion but with an added twist of the aniseed flavour and clean alcohol hit that comes from the Raki.

Raki is a spirit you would normally associate with fruit Cocktails but having had the pleasure of tasting this cocktail last year as part of World Raki Week I completely changed my mind, and now this fruit explosion is a firm favourite. This is an adventure for your taste buds, great for summer parties and BBQs.

A quick word on the ingredients: you might be thinking the clove & allspice syrup sounds like a real faff, well, I’m pleased to say it’s really easy. To make a basic syrup, mix sugar and water in equal quantities and heat in a pan until it boils then simmer for 5 minutes and allow to cool. You can keep the syrup in a sealed container for 2 weeks. To make the clove & allspice syrup, simply crush 3 cloves and add 1 tsp of allspice per 125ml of sugar/water. and Add to the mixture before heating and strain once cooled. For the Blackberry puree frozen are a great alternative to fresh and can be kept in the freezer until needed.

You can experiment with flavoured syrups for other drinks. Rose petals add a lovely flavour to a syrup that works well with a Bellini (sparkling wine/champagne).

If you do not like the aniseed flavour of Raki, feel free to add any white spirit. Also, for a Mocktail, simply remove the spirit.

I mentioned I had the cocktail last year at a World Raki Week event at Mayfair’s Ruya; if you like traditional Turkish food in a stunning setting, this is the place for you.