Aelder Wilderness Cocktail by bartender of the year Iain McPherson from Panda & Sons Edinburgh

This week bartender of the year Iain McPherson from Panda & Sons in Edinburgh shares his Wilderness recipe

We love a cocktail at Alba, so we’ve asked mixologists from across Scotland to share the recipe for their signature drink. We’ll update the list regularly, so if you’re a cocktail fan, make sure you save this page. And please let us know if you’ve come across any bars or drinks worth shouting about in the comments section below. We’ll check them out ourselves, and add the best of them to our list.

Slainte mhath!

Drink of the week: Wilderness

By Panda & Sons, Edinburgh

Fresh from being crowned best bartender at the World’s 50 Best Bars awards, Iain McPherson shares this recipe from his buzzy New Town speakeasy, Panda & Sons.

The key ingredient here is Aelder Elixir, a liqueur made by Buck & Birchin East Lothian mixing wild elderberries, whisky and wild botanicals,” McPherson says. “I add it here for its lovely berry yet tannic notes — it’s as if Ribena and red wine joined forces. The sherry gives it a lovely long finish, going side by side with the maple.”

Ingredients:

• 20ml Makers Mark
• 15ml Aelder Elixir
• 20ml manzanilla sherry
• 15ml lemon juice
• 15ml maple syrup
• Soda water, to top up
• 1 blackberry