It's true what they say, “Necessity is the mother of invention”. Or in my case, the mother of a cocktail. And believe me, this elderberry vodka tonic was necessary.

When it's been one of “those days” and I need something stronger than wine, vodka is usually my go-to. Usually in the summer I'm all about fruity rum drinks. Today was a vodka day for sure – with 2 teenage daughters living at home, there's bound to be a few of them. When you hate going to the store for only a few items at a time, you make do with what you have and start inventing.

Several months ago I picked up some Elderberry liqueur, and I'll admit, it was the gorgeous bottle that got me hook, line and sinker. It's not super sweet, and it takes the edge off of stronger alcohols like vodka, gin and even whiskey.

The bottle is still more than half full, since I rarely use it, and I happened to have some vodka and tonic water. We always have a couple of lemons in the fridge so I figured I may as well give it a go.

The verdict? Awesome! Adding a squeeze of lemon helps give it a crisp flavor, while the elderberry adds just a hint of sweet so that the vodka isn't so overpowering.

It's definitely not the fruity type of drink I usually make, it tasted great and you can be sure I'll be having one again – probably soon.