A Cool Sipping Summer Cocktail
Sue Van Slooten
First off, this recipe is absolutely delicious! It’s a rather unlikely combination in a way, as drinks using honey are somewhat unusual. One that comes to mind is mead, a very ancient drink made from honey, spices and water, among other ingredients, then fermented. Mead is fairly difficult to come by for the most part, although it may be more popular in England. This cocktail makes use of honey simple syrup, and simple to make it is. It’s just a 50/50 concentration of honey and water, simmered together. (Regular simple syrup is just water and white sugar, same ratio. Try it for sweetening ice tea.) The recipe calls for Ungava gin, and if you can’t find it, use any high quality gin that’s readily available, although Ungava would be preferred for its unique flavor. This gin is a Canadian specialty utilizing arctic plants and herbs from northern Quebec. It has a lovely golden colour to it, unlike the usual clear gins on the market. Wait a minute you say, Canadian gin? There is no such thing. Gin comes from England, end of story. Not quite. This one is the first to be made in Canada, outside of the English sphere of gin influence. So if you can find it, do try it, you will be very pleasantly surprised.
Bee's Knees
Ingredients:
Ungava Gin - 45ml
Lemon juice - 30ml
Honey syrup - 30ml
Total Recipe yields one portion
Method:
-Load ingredients into shaker tin
-Shake with one scoop of ice
-Strain over chilled glass
Honey syrup recipe:
Add one part honey with one part water and bring it to a boil.
Now you have the perfect sipper for out on the deck, balcony, picnic or whatever social occasion that needs a cool, sweet/sour drink to savor. Just the thing for this hot summer we’re having!
Please remember to drink sensibly, and don't drink and drive!
Important Notes:
Ungava Gin. www.ungava-gin.com Their website for more ideas and recipes. Do check this out, it’s a totally cool, pun intended, website. Last accessed July 14, 2016.
Ungava Gin is produced by Domaine Pinnacle.
Photo by Courtesy of Domaine Pinnacle.