Gardening With Booze
I’ve become a huge fan of gin in the last year or so mainly due to its refreshingly distinctive flavor no matter right out of the bottle. A lot of base liquors seem to be used in cocktails to provide a background for for the cordials that cover up its flavor. With gin, adding a few simple ingredients can bring out even more flavor in the base liquor and create something pretty amazing.
My recent discovery of a wide variety of herbs and vegetables growing under a covering of weeds in the backyard of my new house has led me to some gin based experiments in freshness. Below is my favorite so far - a twist on a classic gin and tonic using two insanely under-rated ingredients in the mixology world. I haven’t come up with a good name for it yet so feel free to send me ideas if you think of something good.
Cucumber Tonic
Ingredients:
6 slices cucumber, quartered
3 sprigs fresh dill
2 slices lime, quartered
2 oz gin
.5 oz simple syrup
1 oz tonic water
Instructions:
Combine cucumber, dill, lime, and simple syrup (instructions on how to make this in previous post) in a shaker and muddle to release flavors. Add ice to fill shaker 3/4 of the way to the top and add gin. Shake well, then add tonic and give it a few more shakes. Pour into a martini glass and garnish with a sprig of dill and a slice of cucumber for the rim. If prepared correctly, it should have a slightly green hue. Be careful not to get too many cucumber seeds in the glass.
Cheers,
Foggy
