cheers – Exploren with Lauren

Wisconsin was recently hit with several weeks of subzero temperatures, so we were in desperate need of something to remind us of spring. We called on Waterloo Gin (made with juniper, coriander and anise, with flavors and aromas of pecans, lavender and grapefruit zest) to make a wonderful cocktail to lift our spirits, so to speak.

We combined the gin with a flavorful honey rosemary syrup, lemon juice, and ez ginger soda, an organic soda made with just five simple ingredients: water, Stevia, ginger, agave, and citrus.

While Lauren’s husband says this cocktail “tastes like plants,” we find it to be much more complex, with an elegant balance of citrus flavor, botanicals, and just the right amount of sweetness. We appreciate his honesty though, and we’ll let him stick to his beer. 😉

If you’re a cocktail lover and especially a gin drinker, we think you’ll love this one as much as we do. Cheers!

Honey Rosemary Syrup Ingredients:

1/4 cup water
3 Tbsp honey
1 sprig of rosemary

Cocktail Ingredients:

1.5 oz Waterloo Gin
2 oz Honey Rosemary syrup
1 oz lemon juice
ez ginger soda

To start, you’ll want to make your Honey Rosemary syrup. Heat water over medium heat for about 5 minutes, then add honey and rosemary, stirring until honey is dissolved and mixture is fragrant. Remove the sprig of rosemary and set syrup aside to cool.

Once the syrup has cooled, it’s time to make the cocktail! First, fill a highball glass with ice. Then add the gin, syrup, and lemon juice. Top with ginger soda and stir. Garnish with a lemon wheel and sprig of rosemary. Enjoy!

Strawberry and rhubarb is probably one of the best early-summer duos we can imagine. In honor of World Gin Day (June 13), we created this delicious Strawberry Rhubarb Gin Fizz that will have you tasting summer no matter what time of year it is.

Unless you already have some rhubarb gin in your bar collection, this will take some time (potentially several weeks for the infusion), but if you stock up on rhubarb while it’s in season and infuse a big batch, you’ll be able to enjoy this tasty and refreshing beverage all year round.

You will need:

3 1/2 cups of washed & chopped rhubarb stalks
1 cup sugar
500 mL gin (about 2 cups) (we used Spring44 Distilling Gin)

Cut rhubarb stalks into small (about 1 cm) pieces.
Place into large jar and add sugar.
Seal the jar and shake to combine. Leave overnight to allow time for the sugar to pull the juice out of the rhubarb.
After 24 hours, add the gin and shake again.

We infused our gin for about 3 weeks, but depending on your preference you may want to let it infuse for a longer or shorter duration. Give the jar an occasional shake throughout the process and taste often! When it has reached your desired level of flavor, it’s done! We’ve heard of infusing as long as 4 weeks, and as short as 12 hours.

When you decide your gin is ready, it’s time mix up a delicious Strawberry Rhubarb Gin Fizz!

Here’s what you’ll need to make it:

2-3 fresh (or frozen) strawberries
1 oz fresh lemon juice
1.5 oz rhubarb-infused gin
Klarbrunn Strawberry Guava sparkling water
Strawberries and/or lemon for garnish

Muddle 2-3 strawberries with lemon juice in the bottom of a mason jar. If using frozen strawberries you may need to wait a few minutes for thawing. The lemon juice should help speed up the process.
Add in rhubarb gin and stir.
Fill the rest of the jar with ice and top with Strawberry Guava sparkling water.
Garnish with fruit and enjoy!

We’d love to know if you try our infusion or cocktail recipe! Let us know how it goes in the comments! Cheers!

Tag: cheers

Honey Rosemary Gin-Gin

Strawberry Rhubarb Gin Fizz with Rhubarb-Infused Gin