English Garden Smash
There’s a big event happening this weekend. You’ve probably heard something about it here and there. And if you haven’t, then you’ve clearly been living under a rock for the past couple weeks. I’m talking about the Royal Wedding.
Yes, finally, Prince Henry and Meghan Markle are getting married. All the festivities kick off at 4 am eastern. 4 am! That’s 1 am Pacific. So, unless you plan on staying up all night, you’re going to have to pick and choose which pieces of the big event to watch. I’m tuning in when I wake up, and then again in the afternoon when I attend my friend’s royal wedding party. But no matter whether you’re enjoying the festivities at home or somewhere else, you’re going to need something to eat and drink.
So, I started thinking… what would you eat or drink at parties like these? I mean, of course champagne cocktails and plenty of scones and tea sandwiches. But what else could you enjoy, especially when it comes to a drink? It should definitely be something special, and since it’s May, something light and fruity. And we absolutely can’t forget the fancy cup. Luckily I recently received a bottle of Pomp & Whimsy gin liqueur and instantly knew it would be perfect.
You’re probably wondering what gin liqueur is. I did. I mean I’d heard of gin, but a gin liqueur? Well, turns out it dates all the way back to the 1800’s. According to Pomp & Whimsy’s site, Victorian liquor sellers often used sugar and other flavorings to make the low quality gins of the time more palatable. These “gin cordials” as they were called, were cheaper, lower proof and easier to drink than the unsweetened, undiluted gin that came straight from the barrels. Once the Coffey still was invented, though, high quality gins became more commercially available, and by the turn of the century, dry gin was the preferred spirit of choice.
Victorian women however, discovered that the infusion of additional fruits or botanicals made for a richer sipping gin. Because women were the ones hosting garden parties or evening soirées, they were the ones who added sugar and bitters to these richer gins, in effect creating some of the first cocktails of their time. Pomp & Whimsy set out to recreate “this long forgotten tradition, while simultaneously updating the spirit for a modern palate,” and they’ve done one heck of a job. It’s so good in fact, it makes a great addition to any gin cocktail, which is why I used it in this smash.
Yes, I made a gin smash. I mean, what could be more befitting the royal wedding than a cocktail made with London dry gin? One made with London dry gin and a gin liqueur. But I didn’t stop there. Since I wanted to pull out all the stops for this momentous occasion, I added botanicals you might find in an English garden: things like fennel and thyme. Combined with the sweet flavors of fresh strawberries, and the deliciously rich Pomp & Whimsy, you get a smashing cocktail that’s well deserving of Harry and Meghan’s nuptials. But don’t worry, once the wedding is over and we all go back to our humdrum lives, we can still relive the bliss that was the royal wedding by simply sipping on this sweet summer tipple.
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 1/2 cup water
- 1/4 cup fresh fennel, chopped
- 1 teaspoon fresh thyme, chopped
- 3 large strawberries hulled and chopped
- 1/2 ounce Pomp & Whimsy gin liqueur
- 1-1/2 ounces London dry gin
Instructions
- Mix the sugar, water and fresh fennel in a small sauce pan over medium-high heat. Bring to a low simmer, stirring constantly until sugar is dissolved. Simmer for another 10 minutes and set aside. Let cool and strain into a bottle.
- Fill a tin julep cup with crushed ice and set aside.
- Place 1/4 ounce of fennel-infused simple syrup, thyme, strawberries and gin liqueur in a cocktail shaker and muddle together.
- Add the gin and ice and shake vigorously until chilled. Strain into the prepared julep cup, add more crushed ice, and garnish with a strawberry, fennel frond and sprig of thyme. Serve.
