BLUEBERRY & BAY LEAF TONIC

 

MAKES 4 DRINKS

I always start every gathering at home, big or small, with a toast or head-bowed blessing. I don't really believe in those sleeves of blue or red plastic cups that are so common at large gatherings. If I've gone to the trouble of crafting a signature drink for the evening, I've also gone to the trou- ble of selecting ornate drinkware from which to consume it. Often I get my culinary inspiration by taking common ingredients and using them in unexpected ways. That's the philosophy behind this drink. Fresh bay leaf has such a rich, herbaceous flavor, and I store it in the fridge to preserve that. Dried bay leaves or bay laurel is a common pantry ingredient, and I make certain to use them within a month of opening the jar. Why not put it in a cocktail?

• Ice
• 24 ounces tonic water
• 2 ounces brine from 
• Quick-Pickled 
• Blueberries (page 43)
• Quick-Pickled Blueberries (page 43), for garnish
• 4 ounces Lemon Cordial (page 72).
• 4 bay leaves, for garnish

Fill four cosmo glasses with ice. Divide the brine from the pickled blueberries and the lemon cordial among the glasses. Stir to combine and top with the tonic water. Serve garnished with pickled blueberries and a bay leaf on a cocktail pick.

NOTE: A few of the quick-pickled vegetables and fruits in this book can be use in a tonic like this one. Just substitute the brine from the Quick- Pickled Blueberries for brine from Quick-Pickled Squash Spears (page 44) or Quick-Pickled Purple Carrots (page 45) and proceed as directed.