We are hosting New Year’s Eve this year and I’m pretty excited! And we all know, you have to have a signature New Year’s Eve cocktail for 2023!
I’m known around the neighborhood for my garden fresh cocktails with only the freshest ingredients from the garden and orchard. For such a special evening, I don’t want to let anyone down. What’s fresh out in the orchard this time of year? Lemons and mint are thriving!
New Years Eve calls for something sparkly, sophisticated and elegant. So this cocktail should have bubbles. Nothing says New Year’s Eve like bubbles!
And for the sophisticated part… gin. While we are at it, lets double down on the gin…ger! Gin and ginger together, what could be better!!
I’m calling it the Ginger Grant. because she was tall, sparkly and elegant. Who doesn’t like Gilligan’s Island? Hello New Year’s Eve cocktail. Hello Tina Louise.
Heres how I‘m making it.
Ingredients
- Good quality Gin
- fresh squeezed lemon juice
- simple syrup
- Ginger Ale (Ginger Beer would be a spicy alternate)
- several sprigs of mint (you could substitute rosemary)
- Sliced fresh ginger (optional)
Instructions
Making the simple syrup
You’ve read this part of the recipe before… I love using freshly made simple syrup in cocktails to balance things out while still being able to control the amount of sweetness for each person!
Simple syrup is easy…. equal parts sugar and water. If you are making cocktails for two, a quarter cup of each is enough. Double the amounts of each for larger groups. Simmer it on the stovetop to dissolve all of the sugar, and then allow it to cool prior to using it in this recipe
Making The Ginger Grant
Place a few leaves of the mint in the bottom of your cocktail shaker, along with a slice or two of the ginger and a splash of simple syrup.
Using a muddler, squish the mint leaves and ginger into the syrup; about 45 seconds.
Add ice to your cocktail shaker. Pour a splash of lemon juice, and a serving of gin over the ice, and shake vigorously.
Strain the gin and muddled lemon juice into your highball glass (normally, I’d use a canning jar, but for New Year’s Eve I will use old fashioned champagne glasses).
Top the cocktail with the ginger ale and garnish with a mint sprig.
Happy New Year everyone!
