Mums deserve a special drink. And while you could reach for the champagne, this cocktail by Charlie Ainsbury (past winner of the prestigious World Class bartending competition and co-owner of Sydney’s This Must Be The Place) is a much better idea.

Growing up in Bangkok, Ainsbury has fond memories of his mother, Busarapon Teerasap, cooking in the family home, “Mum was always in the kitchen,” Ainsbury says, “usually with a glass of prosecco in her hand.”

For his mum, Ainsbury has created The Royal Orchid, a variation of a TMBTP original, The Belafonte. The ingredients that reminded Ainsbury of his mum the most are lime, Thai basil and kaffir lime leaves. The Tanqueray No.TEN fortifies the drink, while the sherry adds a drying pucker. While you could add any dry sparkling wine, Ainsbury has chosen Prosecco because it’s his mum’s favourite. “This has loads of flavour, is tangy and is reasonably low alcohol,” says Ainsbury.

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Consider whipping mum up one of these on her birthday, Christmas or another time when you want to raise a glass to her.

The Royal Orchid

Approximately 1.5 standard drinks.

Ingredients
30ml Tanqueray No.TEN
10ml dry sherry (Fino or similar)
25ml fresh lime juice
20ml sugar syrup (50:50 ratio sugar to water)
75ml prosecco
Kaffir lime leaves, or Thai basil

Method
Measure out the Tanqueray No.TEN, sherry, lime and sugar syrup into a wine glass. Add fresh ice so that the glass is two thirds full, then top up with the prosecco.

Garnish with the kaffir lime leaves or Thai basil.