Okay, I'm not going to lie… I'm not ready to let go of summer. I like pumpkin spice in my coffee, but not yet. I love pumpkin beers, but come see me next month with that noise.
This week, I bring you my It's-Not-Fall-to-Me-Yet-Dammit cocktail. I guess the name is a work in progress, but the drink isn't.
And last I checked, it's still hot as hell outside.
Lemon Ginger-Pepper Cocktail
Makes 1
Ginger-Pepper Simple Syrup:
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup water
1 nob of fresh ginger, cut into thin 1-inch slices
Whole peppercorns (ground peppercorns work, too)
In a small saucepan, combine water and sugar over medium-high heat. Stir until sugar is fully dissolved, then turn down heat to simmer. Add in ginger alongside 10-15 whole peppercorns. Allow syrup to simmer for 15-20 minutes. Strain and pour into a covered jar before refrigerating. The syrup will last for at least a month.
Cocktail:
3 ounces gin
1.5 ounces ginger-pepper simple syrup, or to taste
Lemonade
Lemon wedge
Fill a Collins glass, or a pint glass if you're not trying to be all fancy-like, with ice and add gin. (I used Farmer's Organic Gin since I had it on hand, and it pairs well with lemon.) Add the ginger-pepper syrup before topping with lemonade and a squeeze of fresh lemon. Combine in a cocktail shaker, pour back into the glass and enjoy.
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This article appears in Sep 17-23, 2015.