Friday, 13 August 2021

Elderflower Champagne by Elizabeth Henry

There is a bubbly – sparking, light,

That’s cheap but certain to delight.

A crisp refreshing quenching drink

That’s prepped beside the kitchen sink.

 

No luscious grapes of red or blue

Are needed for this fizzling brew.

No arduous grafting in the field

To guarantee a prosperous yield.

 

Instead I’ll take a peaceful stroll,

With scissors and a spotty bowl,

Until I find a bustling hedge

Where baby birds are known to fledge.

 

I’ll snip and gather countless flowers

Beneath the sun and squally showers,

Before returning, face aglow,

To steep my blooms in H2O.

 

I’ll boost my blend with lemon juice,

Some peel and sugar, then I’ll sluice.

I’ll add a lid of flimsy weave,

And in the shed, I’ll duly leave.

 

If foam and spume do not appear,

And if the liquid still looks clear,

I’ll lift it with a glug of yeast,

A nutrient at very least.

 

When it froths, I’ll drain it off

Through fine and gauzy muslin cloth.

(I should have made a jug or two

To divvy at my barbecue!)

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