Iam 92 and of Swedish descent, so I have inherited Scandinavian tastes such as the famous smörgåsbord. Among the culinary delights to be found there are the many herring dishes of which my wife, Jessie, 89, and I have become very fond. Essential to the enjoyment of herring, however, is akvavit, a liqueur imported from Aalborg in Denmark, but as time passed the cost of Aalborg akvavit became prohibitive for pensioners and we started to think of alternatives. After much experimentation Jessie and I worked out what we considered was a sufficiently satisfactory substitute for the original. We call it "Jessirik akvavit", a combination of our first names.

Ingredients:

1 x 750ml bottle of gin (or vodka)

5ml (1 tsp) finely grated lemon zest

2 star anise

5ml (1 tsp) crushed coriander seeds

5ml (1 tsp) fructose liquid sweetener (or 2-4 tsp caster sugar, adjust to taste)

Method:

Pour the gin into a jug, add the other ingredients, cover and leave to stand for a week. Strain through a tea strainer and then strain again through a clean/new handkerchief. To avoid losing any of the joy of this delectable liqueur, now suck the handkerchief. Serve the liquid neat in very small v-shaped liqueur glasses, ice cold, straight from the freezer.

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