You may recall on our not-so-recent weekend away in Nelson John sampled an amazing gin & tonic cocktail at the Cod & Lobster Brasserie.
He chose both gin and tonic from an extensive/overwhelming array of options, but we were perhaps most impressed by the presentation, in a huge vintage cut glass goblet, sprinkled with lemon zest and juniper berries:
Now you might say we don't get out enough, and that would be true! But he enjoyed the drink sufficiently that I decided to try to recreate the experience at home at Struan Farm.
The perfect glass is still a work-in-process. (The one above may actually be a fruit compote rather than a glass? Or maybe a water goblet?) But I found a large inexpensive glass goblet at an "op shop" in nearby Te Awamutu that met the brief sufficiently for a first attempt. I picked up a boutique gin made in Taranaki (New Zealand) called "Juno," along with "Fever Tree" and "East Imperial" Old World Tonic. I had the fresh organic lemons and juniper berries on hand, although I did have to buy an old style lemon zester having progressed to micro-planers for most of my zesting requirements these days. My technique with lemon peel also needs some work, no corkscrew effect....
Not bad for my first effort if I do say so myself, and it seems I am needing to do so. Do you think we can characterise it as "almost Nelsonian?"
John wasn't quite as enthusiastic as I'd hoped he'd be. To be fair, this probably says more about Karen and her "joie de vivre," which can be a wee bit overpowering when she gets going. He did enjoy the drink, or at least he said he did. (Let's just say that John has adopted the mantra "happy wife, happy life." He's a wise man in most respects.)
But my quest for the proper goblet continues. I promise it won't be turned into the stuff of Arthurian legend, but I do know the locations of a fair few antique, collectible, and "op" shops around the traps and I prefer that retro cut glass look. We'll try some other "boutique" or "artisanal" gins too, having learned there are a fair few out there to sample.
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