This is a dry cocktail and I love it! You'll have to find some good ingredients for this one - including a fairly pricey soda and some very good quality olive oil. For some reason this cocktail seems to bridge fall and winter nicely and makes me think of a nicely roasted pheasant served with a juniper berry sauce and roasted potatoes with rosemary - but I digress.First - crush about 2 tsp of whole juniper berries.
Add the crushed berries to the Gin and let stand for about 15minutes.
To build the cocktail to a shaker 1/3 filled with crushed ice add:
- 4 oz. Bombay Sapphire East Gin (lightly infused with crushed juniper berries as noted above)
- 1 oz. fresh-squeezed lime juice
- 1/2 oz. Arbequina Extra Virgin Olive Oil (I used California Olive Ranch brand)
- 4 drops of Bittercube Bitters Jamaican #1
Shake and strain into two cocktail glasses. Top with Dry brand Sparkling Juniper Berry flavored soda. Garnish with a slice of fresh fruit (preferably pineapple guava if you have it - the scent compliments the herbally nose of the drink).Option: If this drink is too dry for you, make a juniper berry simple syrup and add about an ounce to the shaker or else a good squeeze of agave nectar.
Makes 2 refreshing and warm cocktails.
Cheers!
