We thought dry January was a fabulous idea, until we realised it would mean that one couldn't drink any gin which, frankly, is the last thing anyone needs during this rather tiresome month. So, we urge you to run away to the tropics this weekend with a Gin Sling.

We are in love with this delicious little number. Tart and refreshing, nothing evokes the image of a cold drink sipped in the shade of a veranda on a sultry, humid afternoon somewhere hot and exotic more than the sling. The favourite of many an iconic bar the world over, there are countless recipes. However this one is, in our opinion, the perfect balance of flavours. Enjoy!

Ingredients:

2 ounces Wheadon's Mandarin Lime and Hibiscus Gin

1/2 ounce Cointreau

1/2 ounce lime juice (or if you actually are in the tropics use mandarin lime or calamansi)

4 ounces club soda

Lime or Calamansi wedge

Directions:

Shake the gin, Cointreau and lemon juice in a cocktail shaker with ice.

Strain the contents of the shaker into an ice-filled highball or Collins glass.

Squeeze the lime wedge over the drink and drop it in.

Add the club soda to combine, and serve.