This wasn’t the recipe I had planned for today.
I was going to post chocolate based drink, but . . .
1) I thought maybe we should hold off on the reintroduction of chocolate for one more week.
and
2) it is probably about time that a little bit of alcohol made a reappearance around these parts. It has been dry for a few weeks now.
I had visions of this being a delicate pale pink drink, but it would appear the raspberries had something else in mind. Maybe I muddled them too much. Or maybe it is just the way raspberries are. Either way, it is quite a vivid drink, but delicious nonetheless.
The cocktail itself requires a little bit of forward planning because you need to make a mint syrup, but that is easy to do – fresh mint, sugar and water, boiled and allowed to infuse for a while and then strained. Nothing to compli-micated. But worth the extra effort as it gives a lovely flavour.
And the quantity given below makes more than you need for two drinks, so plenty left over for next time. Depending on the size of your glass, of course!
Raspberry Gin Cocktail
Ingredients:
- 1 cup (approx. 28g) fresh mint, including stalks
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 1/2 cup water
- 12 raspberries, roughly, plus a few more as a garnish
- 2 measures of gin, your choice of brand, I used Hendricks
- tonic or soda water
- ice cubes, slice of lime and mint leaves to serve
Method:
- Chop up the mint and place in a small saucepan with the sugar and water. Bring to the boil then remove from the heat. Make sure all the mint is submerged in the water and leave to cool completely. Pass through a fine sieve to remove the mint and set aside.
- Put the raspberries and gin in a jug and muddle together (I use a fork). Set aside while you assemble the cocktail.
- Place some ice cubes in two glasses and fill 1/3 full with the mint syrup. Strain the raspberry / gin mixture and divide between the glasses. Top up with tonic or soda water and garnish with a slice of lime, a mint leaf and a few extra raspberries.
Notes:
Any remaining mint syrup can be stored in an air-tight container in the fridge for a couple of weeks.
© The Pink Rose Bakery 2015
The Pink Rose Bakery 
I do love a good gin cocktail – sounds delicious!
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They are hard to beat, aren’t they?! 🙂
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Now you’re talkin’ – perfect for this ridiculously nice weather.
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I know! How long will it last I wonder????
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Since I’m not allowed any alcohol at the moment (I’m pretty sure God hates me: no booze, chocolate, doughnuts or fresh bread….) I was about to look past this when the words “mint syrup” caught my eye. I reckon a spot of that’d go good with some fizzy water, and I can pretend I’ve got a grown up drink!
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No alcohol??? Oh dear. Only temporary I hope . . .
And yep, the mint syrup and fizzy water would be delicious! 🙂
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Not very temporary… I have to take oxycodone for my arthritis pain, and you’re pretty much forbidden to drink, otherwise you’d be out for the count. So unless the arthritis goes away, I’m mainly ‘dry’ except for very special occasions. I have a jug of the syrup sitting in the fridge waiting to be sampled!
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Oh . . . well, we will just have to come up with some delicious non-alcoholic options that don’t feel as if you are missing out. I am all for that, not being a big drinker myself.
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I’m finding myself increasingly attracted to drinks that contain strong flavours and aromatics and bitters, just to get a more ‘adult’ flavour profile than cordials and fruit juices.
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Plus you have to mix it . . . always feels different when there are a couple of bottles involved.
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