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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
2 oz Tomato Basil Water (recipe below)
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)
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.
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
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.
A National Magazine Award-winning writer, Christine Sismondo has been writing about spirits, cocktails, bars, and history for publications including Chatelaine, Sharp and the LCBO's Food & Drink for over twenty years. She’s also the Academy Chair for Canada East for World’s 50 Best Bars, author of America Walks into a Bar (2011), Prohibition, a six-part podcast series for Wondery’s American History Tellers and, most recently, Cocktails, A Still Life.