Gin Buck
Fall is only a few days away so that means cool breezes, marine layers and maybe even the occasional cloud burst. Before the temperature drops completely though, there’s still time for cool, fizzy drinks. But if you’d like to acknowledge the fall, the Gin Buck is the way to do it.
Similar to the Foghorn, this cocktail uses ginger beer. I love ginger and use it all the time in both food recipes as well as cocktails. See, I’m not a big spice fan. Chiles are usually too much for me, but ginger adds that extra little zing I love without sending me running for the ice water or milk. Plus, ginger always makes me think of fall. Around this time of year I start seeing ginger in almost everything from cakes and cookies to smoothies and cocktails.
There are several ways to include ginger in your drinks. You can take the root, shred it and infuse the liquor with fresh ginger, you can add ginger ale to your cocktail or you can do my personal favorite and add ginger beer. I prefer ginger beer to ginger ale because unlike modern ginger ale, most ginger beers are made with real ginger; so they have that extra zing I mentioned earlier. Now, if you think I’m suggesting ginger beer should only be used for fall cocktails, that’s not what I’m saying at all. While ginger absolutely reminds me of falling leaves and chills in the air, since it’s carbonated and usually served over ice, it’s perfect for a summer cocktail as well. As a matter of fact, if you’re as a big a fan of ginger beer as I am, you can use it year round. And there’s no better cocktail to start with than the Gin Buck.
This drink is one of the easiest to make because it’s literally two ingredients. I know, two. Today’s version calls for gin and ginger ale. But if you want to go retro (and who doesn’t) the 20’s version calls for ginger beer and a little lemon juice. Don’t get me wrong, the ginger ale is good, it just doesn’t give that gingery zing that ginger beer does. So, if you want ginger, I mean real ginger, go with the ginger beer. You’ll get a great cocktail that’s perfect for this time of year and a good choice when the local watering hole is slammed.
Gin Buck
Ingredients:
- 2 oz. gin
- 5 oz. ginger beer
- 1/2 oz. lemon juice (optional)
Directions:
- Stir the gin, ginger beer and lemon juice together in a rocks glass.
- Add ice and a wedge of lemon for garnish and serve.
