Cocktail of the week: Il Maremmano’s blushing Maremmana – recipe

Pomegranate is abundant in the Maremma region of Tuscany, especially from late summer onwards. The tartness of the fruit and fragrant basil complement each other wonderfully, and here combine to make a vibrant and refreshing summer cocktail.
Serves 1
For the basil syrup (makes about 10 serves)50g sugar 15g basil, leaves and soft stems, roughly chopped
For the drink50ml rum, spiced or gold25ml 100% pomegranate juice ⁠15ml fresh lime juice10ml basil syrup (see above and method)1 sprig fresh basil, to garnish
First, make the syrup. Put the sugar in a pan with 50ml water, bring to a boil on a medium heat and cook until the sugar dissolves and the mix reduces to a syrup. Take off the heat, stir in the chopped basil and leave to cool and infuse for five minutes. Once it’s cooled slightly, blitz the syrup with a hand blender or in a Nutribullet, then fine strain into a clean glass jar. Seal and chill – it will now keep in the fridge for about a month.
To build the drink, measure all the liquids into a shaker filled with ice and shake well, but without diluting it too much. Double strain into a rocks glass filled with fresh ice, slap the basil sprig between your hands to release the oils, then drop into the glass and serve.