Thursday Drink Night (TDN) is a weekly online cocktail gathering where each week a theme is chosen and enthusiasts assemble to challenge each other.
Here's where it gets interesting: the recipes created are posted on Twitter for the world to see. Among the Twitter account's nearly two thousand followers is Mutineer Magazine which reviews each recipe and publishes the best one.
Now, as I understand it, the original mission of this virtual gathering was for cocktail enthusiasts to throw together potent potables with whatever ingredients they had on-hand.
I suspect that over the years, for whatever reason, those guidelines have drifted significantly. I say this because each night that I've taken part I've felt a bit out of my league - and I'm a fairly seasoned bartender.
In any case, this past week's theme was gin. I had only an airplane bottle of Bluecoat American Dry Gin so I knew I had to get this drink right in one shot. The original recipe only had to be tweaked by two thirds of an ounce as you'll soon see.
La Vie en Rose
- 2 oz Bluecoat American Dry Gin
- 1 oz Laird's Applejack (or Calvados)
- 1/2 oz Dolin Blanc Vermouth
- 1/2 oz fresh lemon juice
- 1/2 oz simple syrup
- 2-3 drops rose water
Shake ingredients with ice. Double strain into a chilled couple glass. Garnish with a single rose petal (if you have one).
This sipper is floral and delicate. Grafted with the gin botanicals, one can tease out the Applejack after each quaff which then punctuates finally with a slight sweetness.
I think those folks who still scoff at gin would find this a nice re-introduction to it.
