This week Oisin Davis, of Great Irish Beverages, makes a special Cucumber Collins cocktail. 

Oisin says, 'As so many listeners of the Tom Dunne show have texted and tweeted in saying that they don't have cocktail paraphernalia but are still keen to mix drinks at home, this led me to looking at things a little differently. What if we made nice party drinks with zero cocktail equipment? Just the utensils you have at home! This is exactly what I did just recently for a photo shoot for a big piece in the summer issue of Uncorked - the seasonal Supervalu drinks magazine. Here's one I did earlier.....

CUCUMBER COLLINS

INGREDIENTS, SERVES 5:
150 ML BEEFEATER GIN
50 ML OF ELDERFLOWER CORDIAL
3 TABLESPOONS OF CASTER SUGAR
50 ML FRESH LEMON JUICE
¼ CUCUMBER SLICED TO FLAVOUR THE DRINK
¼ CUCUMBER SLICED TO GARNISH
½ LEMON, SLICED TO GARNISH
750 ML SPARKLING WATER

METHOD:
In a deep bowl, pour in the elderflower cordial, sugar and lemon juice and stir them together until the sugar has dissolved. Then place a sliced cucumber quarter into the bowl and, using a potato masher, crush the cucumber into the mix for about 1 minute. Using a baking sieve, strain all liquid into a punch bowl. Then stir in the gin with plenty of ice and top up with sparkling water. Garnish with the rest of the lemon and cucumber.

Tip: You can prepare this up to 24 hours in advance. Just add the sparkling water and ice when ready to serve.