I was previously aware of lovage as a plant (Levisticum officinale) but was intrigued last night to see a cordial of the same name, touted as an old English concoction. Intrigued and, yes, tempted enough to pick up a bottle to take home and sample.

Unadulterated it is incredibly sweet, a tingling of herbal flavour around a syrup core — very pleasant but definitely not for imbibing in quantity. However, I only had a tiny sip so decided to press on with the idea suggested on the bottle of mixing it with brandy. That was very successful; the brandy took away the over-unctuous sweetness resulting in a mix that was incredibly smooth and mellow. I can easily see how that would work as a fantastic winter warmer.

Another experiment, not mentioned on the bottle was trying a few more drops in some milk. Gosh! That was like liquid condensed milk. I decided to stop there before curiosity pushed me through the sugar barrier but I am very impressed with this new discovery (and, at the same time, tempted to see if I can find space for some Levisticum officinale in the garden).