New horizons beckon, new adventures await, but only the brave deserve the fair.
We journeyed into the new year and returned laden with bottles of potential. With excitement we approached the first one and found... oh dear... we don't actually like Pimm's Winter (a.k.a. Pimm's #3) all that much.
Enter the challenger, The Scribe, proposing not merely A Mixed Dram, but conquest of a whole new territory to be claimed with the flag of Mixology Monday.
We began by tasting the Pimm's Winter again. Nope. Still don't like it straight, but perhaps we can work with this.
"I'm tasting cherries..."
"Okay, yes."
"... and bitter"
"Right."
"Great! We've got cherry & bitters; we just need to put a drink around it!"
"Yes!"
"Gin. Very fucking dry gin."
"Hmm...." *paws through rather depleted gin selection* "Boodles?"
"Yes. And dry vermouth."
"We ran out, but I think there's enough wine going on. We just need something else to sweeten it."
"And cut the booziness."
"Ah! The Depaz Cane Syrup!"
"Perfect!"
"What else though? Oh! Oh my yes." *opens the strange cupboard next to the bitters cupboard [yes, we have a bitters cupboard, shut up] and pulls down arcane bottles acquired from an online Iranian grocery store (now under embargo apparently)* "Golchin Willow water!"
"Ye gods, that doesn't just work, it's really complicated and good!"
"Odd, but good though! And its got the analgesic built right into the drink!"
Winter Willow
1 oz Pimm's Winter (Pimm's #3)
1 oz dry gin
.5 oz willow water
.25 oz cane syrup
Shake with ice, serve in a chilled cocktail glass garnished with a Marasca cherry.
"You realize people are going to be furious. We've created a brand new impossible-to-find-ingredients cocktail."
"Well, I say they need something new to quest after once the Creme Yvette comes out."
