Drinks with Anna: Spring: the Season for Beautiful Weather, Friends, and Festivals

Spring is in the air, and this is the perfect season to enjoy some light and refreshing drinks with botanicals, seasonal fruit, and GIN. Many people have a love/ hate relationship with gin. Others have a life memory involving gin. A lot of people when they think of it order the classics like gin & tonic or a gin martini; however, with the wide range of herbal ingredients and distinct styles, gin is being reimagined with a variety of cocktails. I feel like gin is making a comeback, and I decided to craft some cocktails with different brands using different botanicals and aging processes. These cocktails are perfect for crawfish boils, family gatherings, or pre-festival drinks.

GARDEN GIMLET
  • 8 pieces of cucumber cubed
  • 2 oz McQueen Gin
  • 1 oz fresh squeezed lime juice
  • 1/2 oz basil infused simple syrup
  • 3 dashes of Bitterman’s celery shrub bitters
  • Basil Leaf & Cucumber Slice for garnish

In a rocks glass muddle the cucumber cubes. In a cocktail shaker filled with
ice, mix the gin, lime juice, simple syrup, bitters, and 1⁄2 of the muddled cucumbers. Shake well then strain into a chilled coupe glass. Pour the remaining muddled cucumbers in. Garnish with a basil leaf and cucumber slice.

G & TEA
  • 2 oz of Drumshanbo Gunpowder Irish Green
  • 5 oz fresh brewed green tea-chilled
  • 1/2 oz fresh squeezed lemon juice
  • 3 dashes of chamomile bitters
  • Drop of honey
  • Lemon garnish

In a cocktail shaker filled with ice pour gin, green tea, lemon juice, chamomile bitters, and honey; shake well, and strain into a rocks glass filled with ice. Garnish with lemon wedge.

GIN & JUICE NOLA STYLE
  • 2 oz Hendrick’s Gin
  • 4 oz Fresh squeezed ruby red grapefruit
  • Teaspoon of Absinthe
  • 1/2 oz simple syrup
  • Grapefruit slice and cherry for garnish

In a cocktail shaker filled with ice pour gin, grapefruit juice, absinthe, and simple syrup. Shake well. Strain into a chilled martini glass (if you are feeling fancy) or a Collins glass filled with ice. Add a grapefruit slice and cherry for garnish.

THE PINKY
  • 2 oz Monkey 47 Gin
  • 2 oz Fresh squeezed orange juice
  • 1 tablespoon house infused simple syrup
  • 4 oz Fresh Squeezed Pink Grapefruit juice
  • Seltzer
  • Orange Slice

In a cocktail shaker filled with ice pour gin, orange juice, simple syrup, and grapefruit juice; shake well. Pour into a rocks glass filled with ice. Top off with seltzer. Garnish with an orange slice.

GIN OLD FASHION
  • 3 oz Rabbit Hole Bespoke Gin (this gin is barrel finished)
  • 1 oz house infused lavender simple syrup
  • 1 oz house infused mint simple syrup
  • 3 dashes of Ryan’s Orange Bitters Orange slice
  • Bourdeaux cherry
  • 2 Louisiana strawberries

In a rocks glass muddle, orange slice, cherry, and one strawberry, then fill with ice. Pour gin, both house- infused simple syrups, and orange bitters; then tumble. Garnish with a strawberry slice.

TIP: If you want to cut some calories, use Swoon Simple Syrup. It has zero sugar. It can replace simple syrup, honey or agave in any drink. I infused the Swoon and made a basil, lavender, and mint syrup. It was delicious and not bitter. Swoon can be purchased online or at World Market. If you want to make your own low calorie infused simple syrups use Stevia instead of sugar.

Enjoy the beautiful spring weather and sip on some fun, easy, and refreshing cocktails that are perfect for any occasion.

by Anna Tusa