Hello and happy Friday once again. We’re back to normal operations thankfully. Big thank you to Internet Dad for all the hard work moving us to a better and more stable hosting platform!
This week I was inspired to try my hand at creating my own spring-like beverage with a purchase of cucumbers from a recent shopping trip. I remembered that gin and cucumber tend to play nicely together, and I figured it had been a while since I made (or at least thought I made) my own concoction here. I went with a gin base, with some elderflower since I wanted a little more flavor and sweetness and I didn’t think plain simple syrup was enough. I also added a twist of black pepper on top for a little extra flavor.
2 oz. Gin
2/3 oz. Elderflower liqueur
1 slice cucumber, plus 1 for garnish
Add the elderflower and cucumber to a cocktail shaker & muddle together. Add gin & ice. Shake until cold, and strain into a chilled coupe. Top with a twist of black pepper and a cucumber slice
The nose is mostly cucumber, with a light floral note underneath as well. Very crisp and clean, no overt gin aromas so your face isn’t melted off with strong alcohol vapors
The sip is very clean and refreshing. The shaking got it extra cold, and that does wonders here. I get a lot of fresh cucumber flavor which is great here. Gin and cucumber play very well together.
The elderflower adds a deep floral flavor as well as sweetness to balance out the heavy gin base. Unfortunately I don’t get much pepper as I thought I would, which is a bit disappointing. I got most of the pepper at the bottom towards the end of the drink. I think this would benefit from a little spice in it. In the name of science, I made another one, and instead of topping with the ground pepper, I added it to the muddling process. I think it helped out a little bit but it was still lacking, and most of it came through towards the end of the drink itself. I’d like to figure out a better way to incorporate the pepper spice throughout the rest of the drink.
This is a good spring drink. Just strong enough to let you know there is booze in it, but cool and refreshing thanks to the cucumbers in it. I suppose you could save the muddling step if you have Hendrick’s gin on hand, but I would still muddle a slice of cucumber in the shaker. The extra flavor burst the cucumber brings is worth it.
(Banner image found here)
Hendricks is my fave Gin. Thats all I have to say about that.
Local girl, who you may have seen get smacked back down by the mighty Stanford Cardinal, drafted with the 3rd pick in the WNBA draft.
https://www.yourcentralvalley.com/sports/college-sports/fresno-native-mcdonald-goes-to-atlanta-with-third-pick-in-wnba-draft/
She was unreal against UConn. I wish she’d been able to sink that final shot; Arizona should have drawn up a play to get her a better look.
That’s hard to do when everyone knew the ball was going in her hands. If anything, she should have been set up to be able to pass to a wide open person toward the basket. But, everyone wants to be Jordan and hit those game winners.
6:30 meeting this morning. I made it on time. The other people did not, and, yet, they all get in 2 hours before I do. I normally don’t get in until 8:15 to 8:45.
I’m so fucking tired right now. Only 3 hours into my normal 10 hour day.
Is it bad that of all the breakfast options I considered this morning, a Guinness was the most appealing to me?
The roastiness of coffee combined with the malty goodness of barley. MMMmmm. The perfect breakfast. If that’s bad, I don’t wanna be good.
This sounds interesting. I like the flavor combinations involved.
I suppose you could try steeping the peppercorns in the gin, but that requires a level of advance planning I rarely manage.
The other possibility would be to embed some (barely cracked) peppercorns in the cucumber slice. That would probably give you at least some pepper aroma throughout the drink.
I thought about cracked pepper in the muddle. That might work too
You should crush up that Gladwell guy too.
Then you’d have Malcolm in the muddle.
I’m calling you Jack from now on, because that joke was really a Reacher.
I want my money back
& there’s black pepper essential oils available (but not sure if they would emulsify properly)
Later on this summer please experiment with a gin and watermelon and basil concoction.
First, drill large hole in watermelon.
What you do after that is not something we need to know.
Absolutely!
Ooo. That sounds refreshing… I’m now wondering if soaking watermelon rinds (skin removed) in vodka would bring out the desired flavors.
I absolutely LOVE cucumber, but I hate pickles. Am I weird??
/knows am weird
Do you like other pickled things?
I love dill pickles, hate sweet pickles.
Cucumbers? Who cares, as they are green water chestnuts.
Right there withcha.
Dill & sour pickles – Yum.
Sweet or Bread n Butter pickles – Yuk.