A change in seasons comes with a very welcome change in weather, and even better: a change in sights, smells, and flavours! Particularly in our prairie spring, we see a major shift in palettes. As the sun finds its courage and the vegetation livens up a little bit, maybe some seasonal drinks can help you do the same?
We start to move away from (but not completely forsake!) more robust winter flavours and into sweeter, fresher tastes. Spring is actually a great opportunity to bring more modern cocktail trends to the fore. In recent years, there's been a trend towards inclusion of more herbal and floral notes in cocktails, and even some vegetal influences that have been long absent, barring a few exceptions like cucumber and whatever you might find in a caesar.
Whether it's a rainy day, or you're finally feeling the sun on your bones after the long winter, spring drinks should generally tend towards vibrancy and the fresh flavours popping out of the ground. If you like more local stuff, there's some great options like rhubarb, cherry, and gooseberry on the horizon. Herbal and floral accompaniments are going to be more readily available as well. In fact, it's not hard to grow some of your very own to have on hand when an opportune moment strikes (literally every moment). If you're having trouble getting in all your servings of vegetables for the day... well, this might not quite cut it. However, if you carrot all to expand your scope of salubrious solutions, here are a select few to get you started.
Being that it's thirsty Thursday, I cooked up a little beverage today too. The cucumber dill martini.
- 2 oz Vodka
- 3/4 oz fresh lime juice
- 1/2 oz agave syrup
- 2 sprigs fresh dill
- 3 slices cucumber
Cut 2 cucumber slices into smaller chunks, add a dill sprig with your agave syrup into a shaker and gently muddle till your cucumbers are satisfyingly squashed. Add your remaining liquid ingredients and softly shake it like a sorcerers concoction till a frosty spell forms on the surface of your tin. Then double strain into a chilled cocktail glass to get all those unsightly dill flecks out, and garnish with your remaining sprig and cucumber slice. Only then can you wave your non-drinking fingers in the air defiantly at the sky. Left for April showers. Right for May flowers.
If you have any ideas, suggestions, or questions about spring cocktails, I'd love to hear about them in the comments section! Have a happy Easter weekend!