It’s summer in Florida, and one walk around the block is enough to reduce me and the puppy-sized cow to panting, gasping puddles. My car thermometer registered 97 degrees yesterday. The humidity is oppressive. Even the regular rain showers only cool us off for so long. We are in a season where cold, refreshing drinks are a must, and as such, I’ve been setting aside my preferred bourbon and reaching for the lighter, crisper gin.
As I’ve said before, I don’t really care for London Dry gins, but there’s a world of other possibilities out there– my favorites being the sweeter Old Tom style and the citrusy New World style. Lately, the most frequently-opened bottles on my shelf have been gins from the St. Augustine Distillery and the Seattle-based 3 Howls. Not wanting to waste a drop, I’ve been using a very reliable cocktail formula with these spirits:
1.5-2 oz Gin + Half a Lime + Anything Carbonated = Awesome.
When the anything carbonated is soda water, you’ve got a Gin Rickey.
When the anything carbonated is tonic water, you’ve got a Gin and Tonic.
And while these classics are great, I like to get a bit more adventurous.
My brother recently tipped me off to the existence of Mr. Q cucumber soda, and it fits perfectly with the formula above. Cucumber provides a slight fresh bite that the soda in a rickey just doesn’t have. Plus, the cucumber flavor is great for tricking my brain into thinking there’s some kind of health benefit.
(There’s not. Just 90 calories and 0 vitamins.)
Of course, if you want to go sweeter, you can use the classic North Carolina soda, Cheerwine, to make a delicious spiked cherry limeade. Ideally, this should be served in a collins glass or mason jar garnished with maraschino cherries on a cocktail skewer, but on a hot summer day, I find people are willing to overlook presentation as long as the drink is cold and wet. You can also make this drink with bourbon (which is Jessi’s preference), but I like it best with 3 Howls Navy Strength Gin.
Like all my summer cocktails, this drink can be easily prepared and served in a mason jar:
pour 1.5-2 oz gin over ice,
squeeze in half a lime,
seal the jar, shake it, open it up again,
and fill the rest of the jar with whatever soda you’re using.
For bonus presentation points, you can toss the expended lime hulls into the jar prior to shaking, but since this will introduce some lime pulp into the cocktail, I prefer not to. Whatever route you go with this recipe and whatever other carbonated mixers you try, remember the main rule: have fun with it. And, as always, if you come up with your own variations, let me know; I’d love to try them!
In conclusion, friends, it’s hot.
These drinks, however, are cold.
I hope they help you stay cool out there.