★ Original Cocktail ★
Ingredients
2 oz sparkling water
2 oz St. George Botanivore Gin
1 oz blended lime cordial
Directions
Build in a glass over a large ice cube.
Notes
This tastes dangerously refreshing. So great on a hot day!
gin
Enzoni
Credit: The Educated Barfly, citing Vincenzo Errico
Ingredients
1 oz St. George Botanivore Gin
1 oz Campari
3/4 oz lemon juice
1/2 oz 2:1 clear syrup
7 grapes
grape garnish
Directions
Muddle the grapes with the other ingredients in a shaker tin. Shake and strain over a large ice cube. Garnish with grapes.
Notes
This is a favorite. It’s similar to a Negroni, but you’re swapping out vermouth for lemon juice, simple syrup, and grape. It’s so light and refreshing—perfect for summer! The color is gorgeous too, a deep, bright, pink. The green grapes I used were ok and this drink was still spectacular, so I can only imagine what it might taste like with ripe red or purple grapes.
Bramble
Credit: Robert Simonson, A Proper Drink, citing Dick Bradsell
Ingredients
2 oz St. George Botanivore Gin
3/4 oz lemon juice
1/2 oz 2:1 demerara syrup
1/2 oz Giffard Crème de Mûre
lemon and blackberry garnish
Directions
Shake gin, lemon juice, and syrup with ice and strain over a rocks glass with crushed ice. Drizzle the crème de mûre on top and garnish with lemon peel and blackberry.
Notes
This drink is summer in a glass, and it works just fine on a 70-degree day in February. My version was a bit sweeter, as I used Meyer lemons and 2:1 syrup. I wasn’t willing to spend money for out-of-season fruit (and the lemon twist was just fine), but in a few months I’ll have a good excuse to load up on blackberries.
Watch Dick Bradsell make his original cocktail, the Bramble,
Ramos Gin Fizz
Credit: Cocktail Chemistry
Ingredients
2 oz St. George Botanivore Gin
1/2 oz lemon juice
1/2 oz lime juice
1 oz 2:1 clear syrup
3 dashes Theodule Noirot Orange Flower Water
1 oz heavy cream
1 large egg white
2 oz orange La Croix
Directions
Add gin, citrus, cream, and syrup to a shaker. Shake with 4 ice cubes for 20 seconds. Double strain out ice and add egg white. Dry shake without ice for 40 seconds. Pour into chilled collins glass and let sit for one minute. Slowly pour soda water into the center of the foam until it rises above the rim. Dash orange flower water on top.
Notes
It reminds me of spiked citrus sherbet and it’s worth the shaking. I might try it with 1 1/2 oz gin next time as it was a bit strong, but I still loved it.
Peach Cobbler
Credit: Leandro DiMonriva, The Educated Barfly
Ingredients
1 1/2 oz St. George Botanivore Gin
3/4 oz Giffard Crème de Pêche de Vigne
3/4 oz orgeat
3/4 oz lemon juice
4 drops Angostura Bitters
mint garnish
Directions
Shake and strain over crushed ice.
Notes
The quality of the peach liqueur makes a big difference here. Alas I committed a sin and served this over small ice cubes rather than crushed or pebble ice, because I was low on pebble ice. However, it was great just the same. Slapping the mint against your hand to release the oils makes the mint super-fragrant. A potent one for me! Easy to sip quickly. Curious to try this with cardamom bitters.
Sloe Gin Fizz
Credit: Punch
Ingredients
1 oz club soda
3/4 oz St. George Botanivore Gin
3/4 oz Plymouth Sloe Gin
3/4 oz lemon juice
1/2 oz 2:1 simple syrup
1 egg white
Angostura Bitters
Directions
Pour club soda into a coupe glass. Dry shake the remaining ingredients, then add a large ice cube and shake again until it’s chilled. Strain and pour into the coupe glass, and dot with Angostura bitters.
Notes
This is fabulous. It feels like a spring or summer drink, but would also work well for brunch with the berry flavor from the sloe gin. I use 2:1 simple syrup (2 parts white sugar, 1 part water) since it lasts longer. I also added bitters—I keep some Angostura bitters in a small dropper bottle, to allow for more precise placement and design. A beautiful drink.
Variations
I’ve seen recipes for the egg white version with only sloe gin, and I’m hesitant to try it. I think the equal parts gin and sloe gin make more a much more balanced drink. I also tried the Educated Barfly’s version, which doesn’t use egg white and is served over ice in a collins glass. It was far too tart for me!
Dear Jane
Credit: Leandro DiMonriva, The Educated Barfly
Ingredients
1 oz St. George Botanivore gin
1 oz Campari
3/4 oz Carpano Antica Formula Vermouth
1/4 oz St Germain Elderflower Liqueur
lemon peel garnish
Directions
Mix over ice. Add thick strip of lemon peel.
Notes
In an odd decision, I dumped the ice sphere in after I mixed the drink, so it splashed a bunch. Assuming the 1/4 oz elderflower liqueur still stayed in the glass…quite tasty! The lemon peel is so fragrant.
The Aviary's Gin and Tonic
Credit: The Aviary Cocktail Book, Cocktail Chemistry
Ingredients
gin
Green Chartreuse
simple syrup
citric acid
tonic water
cucumber spheres
Directions
See Cocktail Chemistry for directions.
Notes
I tried this, but alas, didn’t have a carbonator, and my drink wasn’t chilled enough. And I didn’t have enough cucumber spheres. But the ones that came out were so fantastic. The Green Chartreuse adds something interesting, and contrasts well with the cucumber. I’m also going to brush up on my frozen reverse spherification.
Negroni
Ingredients
1 oz St. George Botanivore Gin
1 oz Campari
1 oz Carpano Antica Formula Vermouth
2-3 drops saline solution
orange peel garnish
Directions
Build/stir over ice. Garnish with thick orange peel strip.
Notes
So smooth and drinkable for being 100% alcoholic ingredients. I think the particular gin and vermouth brands are key.
Blue Hawaii
Credit: Leandro DiMonriva, The Educated Barfly
Ingredients
3/4 oz white rum (white or flavored)
3/4 oz vodka or gin (flavored)
1/2 oz Drillaud Blue Curaçao
1 1/2 oz pineapple juice
1/2 oz lemon juice
1/2 oz lime cordial
1 tsp 2:1 demerara syrup
5 drops saline solution
Luxardo cherry garnish, or pineapple wedge
Directions
Shake and strain over crushed or pebble ice.
Notes
Definitely one of those “I can’t believe I’m drinking this at home” drinks…so good! Good spirit flavors here are coconut and pineapple. Not to be confused with a Blue Hawaiian, which has coconut cream.
The Bee's Knees
Ingredients
1 1/2 oz gin
3/4 oz lemon juice
3/4 oz 2:1 honey syrup
Directions
Shake and serve in a chilled glass.
Notes
So fresh and clean! The 2:1 honey syrup wasn’t overpowering at all.
Saturn
Credit: Martin Cate, Smuggler’s Cove
Ingredients
1 1/2 oz gin
1/2 oz lemon juice
1/2 oz passion fruit syrup
1/4 oz orgeat
1/4 oz John D. Taylor’s Velvet Falernum
lemon and Luxardo cherry garnish
Directions
Shake and strain over crushed or pebble ice. Form lemon peel into a circle and place a cherry in the center on a toothpick, to represent the ringed planet.
Notes
Wow. This might have been my first cocktail that made me appreciate the magic of many ingredients working together to create something awesome. Homemade passion fruit syrup makes a difference, I think.
Gin and Tonic
Ingredients
1 oz St. George Botanivore Gin
4 oz Fever Tree Elderflower Tonic Water
lime wedge
Directions
Build in a glass. Squeeze lime wedge in drink.
Notes
This drink made me like gin. A lot. This is my preferred way to enjoy this cocktail. For those that like it boozier, you can add more gin and/or decrease the tonic water.
