RAISE A GLASS

Where I come from, there’s one liqueur which is traditionally poured when a loving hug is needed. Whether that’s weddings, birthdays or funerals, a glass of Bénédictine reaches the parts that no words can reach.

So I was pleased – as I was mooching around trying to find you a shiver of a snifter for Halloween – to find a whisky cocktail with a sneak of Bennie (as my friends and family would call it).

Bénédictine isn’t the star of the show in the cocktail that follows; but it will always be, in my book, the sip to turn to for comfort.

I defy anyone not to love sweet and spicy Bénédictine (often in Sainsbury, Asda, Morrisons and Tesco for around £19, 50cl, or try Amazon, £26.99, 70cl). It was created in 1510 as a medicinal elixir and uses 27 herbs and spices including honey, vanilla, juniper berries and myrrh.

This cocktail’s spotlight is on the Rat Pack’s favourite whisky, J&B Rare (RRP £22.50, widely available including Master of Malt, The Whisky Exchange, Drink Supermarket and Justerini & Brooks). J&B whisky is a blend of 40 Scotch whiskies. If you’re nervous about whisky, this sipper could be the one to win you over.

To create a Hollyween Bobby Burns, you’ll need 50ml J&B Rare; 25ml sweet vermouth; 5ml of Bénédictine and two dashes of Peychaud Bitters.

Add ice to a cocktail shaker and then stir in the ingredients. Strain into a chilled coupe glass. Flourish with a lemon peel twist.

Vergelegen Octagon Cabernet Merlot (£9, the Co-op) is a red with a warming heart. It’s a Fairtrade South African wine produced in a Bordeaux style. Where merlot grows, its fellow countryman cabernet sauvignon is often found.

Two other traditional Bordeaux grapes are in the blend: Cabernet franc and malbec.

I opened on a Saturday and we finished with a roast on a Sunday. The extra day gave the wine the confidence to open up. It was proud of its ripe black fruits and red plums, flecked with spice and smoky cedar wood. Finally, raise a glass to someone you love with Graham Beck Vintner’s Selection Sparkling (£13, Tesco).

I toasted with friends and this wine was a sure-fire winner on the “oooooh that’s nice” front. It’s a great value, crisp, appley, creation from the always reliable, always delicious South African producer.

Jane is a member of the Circle of Wine Writers. Find her on social media and online as One Foot in the Grapes.