Improved Cascade Fizz

The one thing I miss (and I mean the ONLY THING) about winters in the Pacific Northwest is the sweet Douglas Fir scent that comes sweeping down from the Cascade Mountains into the Willamete Valley. Waking up to a cold morning, with fresh dew on the lawn and the smell of the Cascades is captivating. It also makes me want a drink…

So, as plane tickets back to the states are more expensive than Conan’s NBC buyout, we have to manufacture some inspirado…

Improved Cascade Fizz

(Why is it improved? ’cause the first time around it sucked. This version is much better, I swear.)

Whatcha need!

(Cuke/Juniper tincture)

1/2 cup of Juniper berries

1 cup diced cucumber

12 oz Cruzan Light 151 rum

Combine all ingredients in a mason jar and hide in your closet for a week, agitating it once day while naked and singing praise to the Goddess Gaia. Just kidding, you don’t have to be a hippie about it. (although naked agitation is liberating)

Then after a week of closed door behavior: Strain your new Cucumber Juniper tincture. It should smell like boozy sweet pine trees.

Combine in a tumbler:

2 oz fresh diced cucumber

2 lime wedges

1 tspn white sugar

over ice and muddle it like you’re at the Sarasota South Trail Cinema. (Two Paul Rubens jokes in one post! Zing!)

Then fill that tumbler with ice and add,

2 1/2 oz New Amsterdam Gin

1 oz of your Cucumber Juniper tincture

1 egg white

Shake like ….(wait for it, wait, maybe, MAYBE…) um, crazy (yeah, three was pushing it) and then strain into a martini glass.

Dig It!