Spring is here, somewhat… the temperatures are still cool but the days are sunny and reach tepid plateaus of warmth cajoling flowers to unfurl to take in every gram of heated sunshine.
IT is not, however, warm enough for an Aperol or a crisp Gin Tonic, instead the shy warmth of a Spring afternoon necessitates something inbetween; an elixir that is at once refreshing and yet with enough depth to take off the errant chill brought on by the still lingering crispness in the air
So the gentleman is left wondering; what shall I drink? This is not Scotch weather and while a light Rye may suffice, and truthfully it is always Bourbon weather, one needs something a little different to sip on in the late afternoon when the gentlemen has perhaps finished working in the yard or maintaining his home. These times require something altogether different.
It is with this in mind we would like to introduce The Fitzgerald.
The Drink
Quite simply it is a “Gin sour” [see here for our whiskey sour], made with sugar syrup, gin, and Angostura bitters (skip the egg-whites). At first glance this may seem like a Gimlet, except that a Gimlet must be made with lime-juice, and for purists Lime cordial (as in Rose’s Lime) and no bitters.
We like it because it’s refreshing and the bitters keep it from being to unsubstancive adding a nice layer of mystery and vim.
The Fitzgerald makes 1 cocktail
- 2 oz gin
- .75 oz fresh-squeezed lemon juice
- .75 oz simple syrup
- 2 dashes angostura bitters
Combine all ingredients into a shaker, add ice, shake; strain into a cocktail glass. Enjoy. No fuss, no nonsense, and a grown-ass-man drink to boot.
TGG Primer on The Fitzgerald:
– Always use a chilled shaker, fill with ice and discard.
– Build drink in an empty shaker; i.e. one without ice or the gentleman will risk watering down his drink.
– Many great bitters exist; try cinnamon bitters, orange bitters, or even some that may echo the flavors of the gin (citrus, anise, et al.)
– We love Hendricks but it proves to be to floral; stick with what we dub ‘Decanter Standards’ –i.e. those ‘standby’s’ kept in an undecorated decanter on top of the bar: Beefeater, Tanqueray, or Brokers.
For more classic Gin drinks visit our friends at TheKitchn here.
Circa Alejandro 