Make an Old-Fashioned Gin With Lemon Syrup
Old-fashioned ones are usually dark drinks made with brown liqueurs, but the basic format – booze, sugar, bitters, ice – can be applied to any high-quality liquor, even light. A truly good gin requires nothing else – which is why martinis are so widely loved – but the beauty of an old gin, or any old gin, lies in the ease of making it. (Only my love of inaction can rival my love for genie.)
You could make an old-fashioned gin with simple sugar and that would be nice, but I took it one step further to make this cocktail brighter, sunnier and more special to the touch. You probably remember that I am a big fan of fruit syrups Stella Parks, who can not cook , they are very tasty and do not require much effort. Having recently made a pitcher of lemonade, I poured the used lemon zest with sugar and then let it hang until a beautiful, aromatic yellow syrup spilled out at the bottom of the bowl. (Thanks osmosis!)
I then mixed a teaspoon of the resulting syrup with a couple ounces of Hendrick’s Lunar gin, which lacks the cucumber flavor of the original, but is offset by more citrus. (Full Disclosure: They sent me this gin.) Any gin will work with this syrup, however, because lemon and gin are two great flavors that go well together. You can stir everything (with ice) and strain into a lowball with one large cube, or you can build it right in a glass and add cracked ice to thin and cool in place. (I almost always choose the latter option because it’s the easiest.) To make this sunny, sweet enough old-fashioned option, you’ll need:
- 2 ounces gin
- 1 teaspoon lemon syrup
- 3 drops of Angostour bitter
Pour everything into a low bowl and stir, then add a lot of cracked ice and stir again. This drink will be a little spicy at first, but will soften as the ice melts, which in my opinion is part of the journey.