A Champagne cocktail is a very elegant aperitif. The brandy and bitters with the sugar cube give this drink a lovely twist, and the forever-bubbling sugar cube at the bottom of the glass looks spectacular. This recipe calls for beautiful pink cordial made from the lilly pilly, an Australian native fruit. If you can’t find lilly pilly, try using crabapples – when ripe, the lovely small apple is sharp and will give a very similar finish to the lilly pilly. The cocktail will look almost like a kir royale, but will have the flavour of the slightly tannic lilly pilly cordial. Try to find dark-coloured lilly pillies, as this means they are ripe. It’s important to add only a small amount of cordial and not to overplay its delicate flavour. It’s there to stain the Champagne, not overpower it. You may be concerned about the amount of cordial you’ve made against the amount you actually use. The reason you make a large amount is that the lilly pilly is very seasonal and is only at its peak for a number of weeks. So I say make hay while the sun shines!