Cucumber Gimlet

The following makes 2 drinks - can easily be doubled/tripled for a pitcher! Why would you even want to make just one! It's as cool as a gimlet. By the way - you could use vodka if you don't have gin in the house*.

2 tbsp. Sugar
1 Small Cucumber - the Persian kind or 1/4 English cucumber
Some Basil
Juice of one or two Limes
4 oz Gin
Splash of Water
Crushed Ice

Cut the cucumber in small pieces (skin n' all) and muddle with the sugar and basil in the bottom of a cocktail shaker/mixing glass. Add the lime juice and stir to dissolve the sugar, then add the gin and water and stir to combine all the ingredients. Strain into two glasses filled with crushed ice. Garnish with cucumber, lime or basil - or all three!

*There should always be gin in the house.

Pepper Berry

 

We like a boozy cocktail and this certainly is one. Himself made it as directed from John Cusimano's My Year in Cocktails and next time (and there will be one) I'd like to try it with the even more peppery watercress.

 

10 Arugula Leaves

3 or 4 Strawberries

2 oz gin (Try Aviation)

1 1/2 oz St. Germain elderflower liqueur

Pinch freshly ground black pepper

Juice of 1/2 lemon

1/4 oz agave syrup

 

Muddle the arugula in the bottom of a cocktail shaker with the strawberries and agave syrup. Add the rest of the ingredients with ice and shake. No need to strain but pour over crushed ice in chilled glass.

 

 

 



Ruby Summer

Last weekend I went to New York on a mission: spend as much time nattering with the the delectable Domestigeek and do as much 'cocktail research' as my liver would allow. Consider it a success! Research day two brought us to the tap room of the Dead Rabbit where we made a decent dent on the menu - and were right at home sitting at the bar to boot. On my next trip I'll make it upstairs to the parlor!

The Bitter Bramble inspired this one. I wanted to use a gift we received earlier this year of Ruby Blue Wild Blackcurrant Liqueur (aka Irish cassis) and so replaced the creme de framboise with it. This was perfect - light, refreshing, summary and not too sweet.

1 1/2 oz Gin
1/2 oz Blackcurrant Liqueur
1/4 oz Fresh Lime Juice
4-6 oz Fever Tree Tonic Water (half a bottle)
Lots of ice
Berries to garnish

Stir all ingredients in a glass with ice. You may call it a fancy G&T, I call it summer in a glass.

Margaroni

 

Delicious strawberries from a farmer's stand inspired me to make this almost exactly as the Margarita de la Primavera from Imbibe - the name didn't just work for me (and I turned the sweetness down a tad).

 

1 1/2 oz Tequila blanco

1/2 Campari

Tsp agave nectar

3/4 oz fresh lime juice

1 large strawberry

3 dashes rhubarb bitters

salt to garnish rim of glass

Orange peel

 

Rim glass with salt. Muddle strawberry and agave nectar at bottom of glass. Add remaining ingredients and ice, shake to chill and strain into the rimmed glass. Garnish with an orange peel twist.

 

Enjoy with a little World Cup sticker exchange.