A&M: This recipe was a finalist in the Best Summer Cocktail Contest. Although it didn’t win, the race was very close, and we thought this excellent drink deserved a spot in the cookbook. A Pimm’s Cup gone south of the border, the cocktail gets its name from a mythical creature whose name means “goat sucker.” (Don’t drink too many—we don’t know what will happen!)
Janeymax calls for a couple of ingredients that may require a run to the local package store (Cynar, which is made from artichokes; blanco tequila; and Peychaud bitters), but it’s well worth the field trip.
2 slices cucumber
1 ounce blanco tequila (Herradura, Dos Manos, and Gran Centenario all work)
1 ounce Pimm’s No. 1
¾ ounce fresh lemon juice
¾ ounce simple syrup (see Tips and Techniques)
1 dash Peychaud bitters
1 splash soda water
1/8 to ¼ ounce Cynar
- Muddle 1 cucumber slice at the bottom of a shaker.
- Add the tequila, Pimm’s, lemon juice, simple syrup, and bitters.
- Add ice and shake.
- Strain into a Collins glass with ice.
- Top with soda water to taste.
- Float the Cynar to taste.
- Garnish the cocktail with the remaining cucumber slice and serve!
Photography by Sarah Shatz
TIPS AND TECHNIQUES
To make the simple syrup, combine ¼ cup sugar and ¼ cup water in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil, stirring to dissolve the sugar as it heats. Boil for 1 minute, then remove from the heat and let cool completely. Simple syrup may be stored in a container in the refrigerator for 2 to 3 weeks.
To “float” the Cynar in step 6, invert a spoon over the drink so the tip of the spoon is just touching the liquid, near the edge of the glass. Then slowly pour the Cynar over the inverted spoon so it floats atop the drink.
ABOUT THE COOK
Jane Lopes is a wine store manager and bartender living in Chicago, Illinois. Here’s her blog: Lush Wine (www.lushwine.wordpress.com).
Her favorite entertaining tip: “Have places for people to sit, plenty of booze, and snacks out when friends arrive. People will be happy no matter what happens after that.”
WHAT THE COMMUNITY SAID
Miss Ginsu: “Ha! The name makes me giggle. And I’ve never heard of Cynar, so that’s worth the price of admission right there. Thanks for the education!”