For me, nothing evokes the joy of Christmas like the smell of a Christmas tree…

Well, the smell of a Christmas tree and the smell of the Christmas box that stores my parents’ decorations for eleven months of the year, though I haven’t worked out how to bottle that yet).

The easiest way to capture aroma in a drink is to create a tincture – an alcoholic extract of a plant, or an intense and high (80-100% proof) alcohol infusion.

So once you’ve purchased your Christmas tree, relieve it of one good-sized branch and reach for the high proof vodka:

1. Combine 60ml vodka and add a handful of Christmas tree needles in a small jar.
2. Cover and infuse for 3-4 days.
3. Remove the needles and bottle the tincture in an atomiser.

The finished tincture can be used to rinse glasses or glass stems or as a light spritz over the top of a finished drink – don’t over do it though, too much pine can be poisonous!