Jasmine

This evening I decided to try a drink I read about several months ago called the Jasmine. It was created by Paul Harrington when he was working at Townhouse, in Emeryville, CA. His friend asked him to make something he’d never made before so he decided on a riff on the Pegu Club Cocktail. Made with gin, lemon juice, Cointreau, and Campari, the Jasmine sounded like something I’d be into. The recipe was listed without a picture so I was pleasantly surprised by how beautiful the drink presented! I’ve mentioned before that part of why I love cocktail hour is it is an important marker of time. It’s a moment to pause, make yourself something nice, and unwind.

I haven’t been feeling particularly celebratory lately. I think many people are feeling this. Covid seems never-ending. We’ve been stuck at home for almost 8 months. We’re nearing the end of an unbelievably contentious election cycle. My emotions have been all over the place. When I’m not in a good place emotionally, I don’t really feel like making cocktails. I don’t like to drink when I’m unhappy. It rarely helps. So that explains some of my absence of posting this month. The other part of my excuse is lack of motivation/laziness. These things are probably related!

Anyhow, this evening I felt like I needed to break free from the funk. Gin sounded good and while I was tempted to make yet another Negroni, I decided to mix it up and share something new with you. The Jasmine is a nice cocktail. It’s a gorgeous light pink but not at all sweet. You might judge the appearance but it’s a pretty stiff drink. The gin is front and center so use something you like. I chose Dingle Gin for my cocktail. (Dingle, Ireland might be my favorite place on Earth!) If you’re not typically a fan of Campari, this drink would be a good one for you as it calls for only a small amount of the bitter apertif, just enough to bring a touch of bitterness which works well with the Cointreau.

Life is weird right now. Make yourself something nice if you’re feeling up to it. Cheers!

Jasmine

Ingredients:

1 1/2 ounces gin

3/4 ounce lemon juice

1/4 ounce Cointreau

1/4 ounce Campari

lemon twist, as garnish

Method:

Combine ingredients in a shaker filled with ice. Shake until well chilled. Strain into chilled cocktail glass. Garnish with lemon twist.

Recipe created by Paul Harrington.