New Fashioned Brunch Cocktail
Fill up a pilsner glass with crushed ice (or any tall skinny glass would work)
In a cocktail shaker add the vodka, passion fruit syrup, Meyer lemon juice and basil leafs. Add ice cubes and shake vigorously for 10-15 seconds
Fine strain through a fine mesh strainer over the crushed ice and add a splash of lemon Pellegrino. If you have it, top with a few dashes of Angostura bitters to form an aromatic floater
Top of with more crushed ice, garnish with a mint bouquet and serve. Cheers
In April, Meyer lemons have already made their way to onto the produce shelves at the local store, and we took full advantage of their mildly acidic taste and herb-like aroma. In combination with aromatic basil, the vegetative nature of the lemons gave the Vacation Vibes more depth and a robust aroma.
And even though we prefer making most syrups ourselves, the reality is that certain natural flavors are hard to extract, and making syrups can be complicated and unjustifiably expensive. So while we applaud homemade syrups, the Monin line of products is a great and cheap alternative to save time, money, and hassle.
Lastly, we used a hand ice crusher to crush the ice, and this made a huge difference in both the taste, and the presentation of the cocktail. If you don’t have a crusher however, or are reluctant to spend money to get one, you can also crush your ice by putting it in a sealable plastic freezer bag and smashing it with a wooden mallet or another blunt kitchen tool. And if it all fails, ice cubes will do in a pinch.