Gin Con Tomate Cocktail
10
Wish you could distill late summer into a glass? Although basil, pink peppercorns and balsamic vinegar are slightly unusual-sounding cocktail ingredients, when mixed with gin and tomato water, everything comes together. — Christine Sismondo
Ingredients
2 oz Tomato Basil Water
1 oz Royalmount Gin
1/2 oz lemon juice
1/2 tsp balsamic vinegar
1/2 tsp simple syrup
1 sprig fresh basil, (for garnish)
4 pink peppercorns, (for garnish)
Instructions
Add Tomato Basil Water, gin, lemon juice, vinegar and simple syrup to an ice-filled mixing glass and stir for 30 secs. Strain into an ice-filled rocks glass. Garnish with basil, and then, using your fingers, crush pink peppercorns over cocktail.
Lightly purée 3 large ripe tomatoes, 1 tsp salt and 20 fresh basil leaves with an immersion blender for a few seconds (less than 10). Place a cheesecloth-lined sieve over a bowl; strain tomato mixture for about 1 hr. Makes 8 to 10 oz of light-pink, umami-rich, slightly sweet tomato water. Resist the urge to drink all of it at once; also, save the pulp to use in tomato sauce or spread on olive-oil drenched toasted baguette to make pan con tomate.
Kitchen note
Other gins will work, but we chose Royalmount for its bright and fresh spring-garden notes. It also happens to be made in Montreal by a family-owned company: royalmountgin.com
For more tomato recipes
Make every fresh summer tomato one to be celebrated, starting with the colourful tarts, tangy salad and other summer tomato recipes in our tomato recipe collection.