Gin month continues here at Drink – Play – Love, where I discovered this most enticing recipe while flipping through the October 2012 issue of Chatelaine. The game changer is the ginger and honey simple syrup — sweet in a subtle way with just a tiny kick. The vermouth mellows the gin, the cider adds a taste of fall harvest and the sparkling water an uplifting fizz. Another Honey Tree, please!
Gin meets apple cider, sparkling water and ginger-honey syrup in this pleasing cocktail.
The recipe was created by mixologist Raj Nagra for Chatelaine. I didn’t have any basil on hand but figured mint would work well with the ingredients (it did) so I used that instead. I also didn’t have raw ginger and so substituted a 1/4 tsp of ground ginger. The only thing I didn’t like about the recipe is the number of ingredients required — it’s not the kind of cocktail you can just whip up on a whim; you have to plan ahead.
I am seriously loving gin after a week of forced safari consumption of Gordon’s while in Tanzania.
Honey Tree
- 3 tbsp Bombay Sapphire gin
- 2 tbsp ginger and honey simple syrup*
- 2 tbsp fresh-squeezed lemon juice
- 1 tbsp Martini Bianco
- 3 basil leaves (I used mint)
- 2 tbsp apple cider
- 2 tbsp sparkling water
Combine Bombay Sapphire gin, simple syrup, lemon juice, Martini Bianco and basil leaves in a shaker. Cover and shake for 10 seconds. Strain the mixture into a rocks glass filled with ice. Add apple cider and sparkling water. Stir gently. Garnish with basil leaves.
*Bring equal parts honey and water and a few pieces of raw ginger to a boil. Strain into a jar and cool before using.
— Recipe from Chatelaine, October 2012
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