Researching recipes for cocktails is a process that cannot be rushed. The idea of using sherry in a cocktail for a summer evening was new to me but worth pursuing. Pimm’s has never been my favourite drink and my quest was to find a sherry based alternative.

There is a tradition of using sherry in cocktails, Sherry Cobbler, made with ‘muddled oranges’, syrup and other fruits was popular in the US in the mid 19th century. Bamboo, a cocktail combing sherry with dry vermouth and a dash or two of orange bitters, made famous in the 1890s by Louis Eppinger, bartender of the Grand Hotel, Yokohama. Both sound delicious but I wanted a longer, cooler drink for a summer evening.

Pollen was a great find – a cocktail made from fino sherry infused with dill pollen, prosecco and elderflower cordial. By chance, all ingredients were to hand.

To make the dill pollen-infused sherry

15g dill flowers
350ml fino sherry

For the cocktail

35ml dill pollen-infused sherry
15ml elderflower cordial
75ml procsecco, chilled
1 tsp sugar syrup (optional)

Start 24 hours in advance by infusing the sherry with the dill flowers and keeping it in a lidded jar overnight. Strain through muslin and put into a clean jar or a used sherry bottle and cap.

To make the cocktail, pour 35ml of the pollen-infused sherry into a champagne flute, add the elderflower cordial and prosecco. Stir gently to combine and add a little sugar syrup (made from dissolving sugar in water and boiling for 10 minutes and then leaving to cool) if it needs sweetness.

A quicker, less alcoholic, drink can be made by combining 50ml fino sherry with 15ml elderflower cordial in a jug already containing some ice and adding sprigs of herbs (dill, thyme, tarragon, mint). Top up with sparkling water.