Monday, October 02, 2006

Paging Tom Collins


How many of you out there drink gin? Raise your hand. OK...now keep your hands up if you drink gin in something other than the ubiquitous gin and tonic. For the fifteen of you with your hands still up...congratulations. (And for the three of you who actually drink gin martinis. more power to you. You're a better man (or woman) than I am. Talk about putting hair on your chest!)

For the rest of you tonic-stuck gin-lovers, let's expand your repertoire. A summery drink that I discovered this year capitalizes on the great botanical flavor of gin, but combines it with sweetness and a little fizz to make it sippable on even a warmish Texas evening.

Here's the standard recipe:
2 ounces gin (For this drink, I prefer Bombay Sapphire. More later on the OTHER gins I keep on hand.)
1 ounce lemon juice
1/2 ounce simple syrup (Equal parts water and sugar heated in microwave or on stove until dissolved. You'll want to keep this in an recycled bottle or jar in your refrigerator. Expands your cocktail possibilities exponentially.)
3 ounces chilled club soda.
Pour all into ice-filled collins glass (tall and chimney shaped).
Traditional garnishes are a lemon slice and maraschino cherry.

It's basically sparkling lemonade with a gin kicker. Cheers!

P.S. The adventurous among you should throw a rosemary sprig in your simple syrup as it cools, then remove before you store. The extra herbiness of the simple syrup will add a new dimension to your Tom...or should I say Rosemary...Collins.

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