Mamani Gin & Tonic
1.5 oz gin 2-3 fresh jalapeño slices (or, if you prefer, a milder pepper), seeds removed 2-3 sprigs cilantro or basil 2-3 chunks cucumber 1 chunk celery stalk 4 oz high-quality tonic water (Fever Tree or Q Tonic) 1-2 cherry tomatoes, along with a basil or cilantro leaf, on a pick for garnish Ice Fill a mason jar, Collins glass, or short tumbler with ice. In between the ice cubes, layer in a slice or two of pepper, a sprig of cilantro or basil, and a cherry tomato. In a cocktail shaker, combine the first five ingredients. Use a muddler or wooden spoon to gently crush the vegetables...
Read MoreThe Herbarium
1.5 oz Hendrick’s Gin .5 oz St-Germain elderflower liqueur 3-4 chunks lemon cucumber or regular cucumber 2-3 sprigs basil ¼ lemon Club soda Borage blossom or basil leaf for garnish Squeeze lemon into cocktail shaker and combine all ingredients except the club soda. Muddle cucumber and basil, then add ice, shake, and strain into a tall, skinny Collins glass filled with ice. Top with club soda and add garnish. Like...
Read MoreThe Farmers Market
1.5 oz vodka (Try Glacier Potato Vodka from Idaho) Gin or tequila would also be lovely in this drink. 2-3 ‘Mexican Sour Gherkin’ cucumbers or regular cucumbers 1-2 stalks ‘Red Venture’ celery 2-3 sprigs cilantro or basil 2-3 slices small spicy or mild peppers 6 cherry tomatoes or 1-2 slices large tomato Dash of Worcestershire sauce (try Annie’s for a vegetarian version) 3-4 oz Q or Fever Tree tonic water Reserve a celery stalk, cherry tomato, or cucumber for garnish. Combine all ingredients excep the tonic water in a cocktail shaker and gently crush the vegetables and...
Read MoreMexican Sour Gherkin Cucumber
This is not actually a cucumber. It’s a close relative, Melothria scabra, native to Central America and Mexico, with a bright, tart flavor a bit bolder than a cucumber—but the flavor isn’t the only reason to grow this one. The fruits themselves are only the size of a grape, but they resemble miniature watermelons, with a mottled green and white skin. They’re the perfect size for a drink garnish. (get them here) Look for them in garden centers, but if you can’t find them, grow them from seed. They’ll get up and running quickly, they’ll tolerate cold better...
Read MoreGrow Your Own: The Old Tom Gin Collection
My cocktail-loving friends at Log House Plants have put together a collection of plants based around the flavors in gin. They’re a wholesale nursery, so they’re growing the plants for sale at retail garden centers and gourmet grocery stores on the West Coast. Look for them in your local indie garden center/grocery store, or order them online from the Territorial Seed Company, who has joined in this effort and put together a great collection of cocktail-friendly plants and seeds. Here’s what’s in our Old Tom Gin Garden collection: Cucumber Mexican Sour...
Read MoreI’ll Have What She’s Having.
Gin. (vodka if you must, but really–gin. Hendrick‘s would be a fine choice.) Basil and cucumber, muddled. Squeeze of lime juice. Splash of Dry Cucumber Soda Happy Wednesday!
Read MoreBooks by Amy Stewart
The Drunken Botanist
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