With school nearing its end, it’s time to finally look forward to summer. Soon you’ll be out of the library and sweltering under the hot summer sun. Try this spiked lemonade to help escape the heat, and forget about exam season as quickly as possible.
The Summer Snoop
2 ½ oz. Brokers Gin
½ oz. fresh lemon juice
1 oz. Ginger Simple Syrup (recipe follows)
Ginger Simple Syrup:
¾ cup sugar
½ cup water
3 tablespoons fresh grated ginger
In a small pot, bring sugar and water to a boil. Add grated ginger and reduce heat to a simmer. Stir until sugar dissolves and ginger infuses the syrup, for about 3-5 minutes. Remove from heat and allow to cool before using. Keep refrigerated. This will last you for about a month.
Directions for the cocktail:
Pour gin, lemon juice and ginger simple syrup into a cocktail shaker half-filled with ice cubes. Shake well. Strain into a glass, and serve.
What’s in the Drink?
Broker’s Gin: There are a number of acceptable gins in the $30 range for a 750 mL bottle, but Broker’s is my personal favourite. I find it to be more balanced and subtle than most, which lends itself well to a drink where the lemon and ginger are the stars. You could also reach for Tanqueray, Boodles, Bulldog or Bombay Sapphire. Whatever you do, never buy Beefeater.
Lemons: This drink requires fresh lemons, which are used for both juice and garnish. I don’t take the old lemons out of my drink to enhance the lemon flavour with each subsequent drink. The peel and rind provide a strong lemon flavour, without diluting the drink. Don’t make this drink with fake lemon juice, the excess sugar will overload your taste buds and taste awful.
Ginger Simple Syrup: This is a simple twist on an already simple recipe. Make sure you cut the hard outer shell of the ginger, just grating the inner portion. If you can, use a coffee strainer or French press to remove the ginger before transferring into the bottle you’ll store it in. This will prevent small pieces of ginger from getting into your drink, and eventually your teeth.
