Cocktails: Strawberry, Mint, Gin + Tonic

The strawberry, mint, gin + tonic cocktail is the perfect way to enjoy your Sunday evening. During shelter in place, Sunday is one of our favorite days of the week because we have a standing cocktail hour with a small circle (via FaceTime of course #socialdistancing) and we get to enjoy another episode of the final season of Westworld on HBO. I love a good show binge, but there’s something so exciting about looking forward each week to and really savoring a new episode. Anyhow, back to the cocktail. Lynette asked me to come up with something that would kick up a regular gin and tonic. Before I knew it, we were in the kitchen scheming and collaborating to make the strawberry, mint, gin + tonic cocktail happen. A few notes. During shelter in place/social distancing I am very much staying away from consuming most foods raw. This is a personal decision to just reduce risk. This recipe calls for fresh mint. We took care to thoroughly rinse and dry each piece of mint that we used. For the reason of reducing risk we also decided to cook the strawberries which I think really added to the layers of flavor in this kicked up gin and tonic. You need to cook the strawberries for a short time with a little sugar and lime and the result is very tasty.

If you want to make a pitcher of this for a party or larger gathering, create the base (basically all the ingredients that go into the cocktail shaker) and multiply by how many cocktails you wish to serve. Put the base in a pitcher and store cold. When ready to serve, I would allow guests to free pour the tonic to their own liking, and to keep it bubbly and fizzy at the time that they are enjoying their cocktail.

Without further ado, I give you the strawberry, mint, gin + tonic for your Sunday evening. Give it a try and of course, let me know in the comments below how you like this for your happy hour. Cheers!

Strawberry, Mint, Gin + Tonic Ingredients

• 2 ounces gin

• 3 mint leaves (well rinsed and dried with paper towel)

• 1 teaspoon granulated sugar + granulated sugar for rim

• 2 large strawberries, hulled and halved

• 1 ounce fresh squeezed lime juice + 2 Tablespoons

• 2-3 ounces tonic

• Ice

Strawberry, Mint, Gin + Tonic Instructions

• On medium low heat, place strawberries in a sauté pan. Add 1 teaspoon of sugar and 1 Tablespoon of lime juice. Allow to cook for 30 seconds to 1 minute. Cool.

• Place three mint leaves into a cocktail shaker and add strawberry mix.

• Muddle ingredients well

• Add gin, 1 ounce of fresh lime juice, and ice.

• Shake ingredients well

• Place 1 Tablespoon of lime juice in a shallow dish. Dip the rim of cocktail glass. Then dip rim into granulated sugar

• Pour contents of the cocktail shaker into the glass. Top off with 2-3 ounces of tonic and cheers! Enojoy.