By Raven A. Dales ⁠

⁠Death & Rebirth

On another day, we’d meet in the middle.
I count the days until we are together again.
Time waxes and wanes
To make up for the space between us.
But soon enough,
Our seasons change to make ends meet.
When the night is longest,
Faerie fyre makes me braver, bolder,
To find you in the dark.
I yearn for the longest day
But I’d be just as happy
If we met in the middle.

During the solstice, the sun experiences a period of the longest night and shortest day. During this time we come together to rejoice and bring light to the darker times, to brighten our spirits until the days grow longer. Midwinter is a time to light fires and celebrate and reflect on what the year has provided, and what we will reap the following year.

2oz Benromach 10 year⁠
1oz Caramelized honey, lemon & orange cordial⁠
2 dashes Scrappy’s black lemon bitters⁠
3oz Soda⁠
1 1/2oz Gingerbeer⁠
1/2oz Unsworth Ovation, float⁠

⁠Glassware: Collins⁠

Ice: Well ice⁠

Garnish: Ovation float⁠ & 2x half lemon wheels⁠

Method: build over ice, float the Ovation over top. Garnish. Enjoy!⁠

⁠Caramelized Honey & Citrus cordial:⁠

450g honey⁠
1 orange, microplaned & juiced⁠
1 lemon, microplaned & juices⁠
200g water⁠
2.5% Citric acid ⁠

⁠In a pot, bring your honey up on medium-high heat. It will start to bubble so be careful not to let it spill over. You can stop it be taking it off the heat carefully. Turn the heat down to medium and allow to cook out. You want to smell caramelization. Once it’s reached its desired colour and smell, add the citrus juice, zest and the water. Allow to infuse until it reaches room temp, then strain it. Weigh the liquid and multiply that number by .025 to get the amount of citric acid to add. Mix until dissolved and store in the fridge.⁠