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1.Combine sugar and freshly ground black pepper on a plate and rim glasses with sugar-pepper mixture.
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2.Combine first five ingredients in a cocktail shaker.
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3.Fill with ice and shake for 20 seconds.
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4.Strain into rimmed glasses.
yields 2 drinks
the RESURRECTION
For our Spring cocktail party we needed a drink to help shake the frost from our bones and the ice from the ends of our noses. When thinking of Spring the mind (at least my mind) thinks first of rhubarb, that wondrous rhizome, made famous by the English. Here, the rhubarb has been infused in gin for a couple of weeks to impart its magic. Yes, rhubarb leaves are toxic but you’d have to eat a lot of them to suffer the consequences. And the stalks (which I use to flavor the gin) aren’t poisonous. You’ll have to think ahead on this one, since the gin needs time to sit in a dark corner. If you simply must have a Resurrection tonight, try using plain gin and muddle a handful of diced, raw rhubarb in the shaker before adding the ice. You may need to add a bit more simple syrup because the raw rhubarb will be quite bitter. The walnut oil adds a beautiful glittery sheen to the top of the drink and lends some body and a nice finish.
Ingredients
4 oz. rhubarb-infused gin ★
2½ oz. fresh lemon juice
1½ oz. red wine gastrique
1 oz. black pepper simple syrup
⅛ teaspoon walnut oil
freshly ground black pepper, to taste (optional)
¼ cup sugar (optional)
METHOD
If you haven’t the patience to wait a couple weeks for the gin to infuse, you can use plain gin and muddle a handful of diced, raw rhubarb in the shaker with the gin before adding the rest of the ingredients. You may need to increase the amount of black pepper syrup since the raw rhubarb will be more bitter than the rhubarb gin.
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