Glassware: Chilled Cocktail Glass
Ingredients:
1.5 oz. Crop Myer Lemon Vodka
.75 oz. Ginger Juice*
.5 oz. Lime Juice
.5 oz. Demerara Sugar Syrup
4-5 Mint Leaves
1 Dash Angostura Bitters
Garnish: Mint Leaf
Directions: There is no need to muddle the mint, a slap between the palms is all that is needed to open the essential oils, and the ice will do the rest.
Combine all ingredients, from smallest to largest, with ice into a cocktail shaker, and shake to a 13 count. Use the double strain technique. To double strain, pour the drink through the regular strainer into another shaker or jar. Then hold a fine mesh strainer over the glass and pour. Garnish, serve and enjoy!
Flavor Profile: This is a ginger and citrus-forward drink, where sugar and the rest of the flavors are used to balance. The biggest key to making this cocktail is the ginger. Everyone does it a bit differently. A lot of ginger or light ginger, the choice is yours. The Crop isn’t sugary, or lemon sour forward. It’s clean and natural, so it adds body. The lime and sugar are dialed down as well, and the mint cools down the ginger and helps to create a transition. The bitters add just enough flavor to temper any part of the beverage getting ahead of the others. There are options for experimentation, and it’s an easy one to have fun with.
An excellent beach-style cocktail will often possess two key attributes: crisp and refreshing. This beach cocktail is wrapped around one of the most famous and sought-after cocktails, the mojito. Now pair that with an image of a hard-working Santa Claus the day after Christmas – shrugging off his big red coat and catching some rays on the beach with a great drink. You don’t have to be Santa to enjoy a break and a good drink!
Outcome / Look: This drink will skew to a pale lemon color with a burnished hue that comes from the angostura and mint. Color will also vary depending on homemade or purchased ginger flavorings.
Notes: Ginger juice can be store-bought or homemade. An example of store-bought is Ginger Soother (Ginger and Turmeric) by The Ginger People – available in a general chain grocery. To make ginger juice, wash and peel ginger root with a potato peeler. Then chop into smaller pieces. Emulsify with a juicer or a small “Nutribullet” like blender. If you are using a blender, you will need to add some water to help blend. The juice then needs to be strained. Discard the pulp.
