28 January 2007

Gin in the Morning



I swear I do not have a drinking problem.
Just because this cocktail was made at 10:30 in the morning, does not mean that I am an alcoholic. The only reason this drink was made so early is because there is good lighting at 10 in the morning.
You might say, well, why don’t you wait until three o’clock in the afternoon? The lighting is still good then, and at least it’s the afternoon, a more reasonable time of the day to start drinking.
My answer to that sensible question is that at 3 o’clock today, I am going to be in my car driving. Would you rather that I drink this cocktail while I am driving?
No, I didn’t think so.

So. Then we have established that drinking at home in the morning is better than drinking on the road in the afternoon. Now that you are convinced that it’s okay to make a drink at 10:30 in the morning, let’s talk about the drink itself, instead of my drinking problem (which doesn’t exist, I swear).
In my mind, this cocktail was going to be ruby red, shimmering in the candlelight as I handed glasses to my guests as they walked in the door last night. In real life, however, the drink turned out light brown and shimmering in florescent light, because when my guests arrived, I was still cooking the soup and we ended up chatting under the stove light instead of by candlelight.
Big whoop. The drink might not have looked the way I hoped it would, but it tasted better than I ever imagined! Besides, pomegranates are so trendy these days- everyone expects a pomegranate drink to be red. So predictable! When a drink is supposed to be red, but it turns out brown, it keeps people thinking. But not thinking hard enough that they won’t sip it delightfully and exclaim how deliciously sweet and and tangy and bubbly it is.

Now, the question is, am I going to drink this cocktail when I am finished taking photos of it?
You bet I am. There’s actually not any gin in this one. I finished the bottle last night. Oops. Maybe I do have a problem.

Bubbly Pomegranate and Gin Cocktail - Delicious!
-adapted from various recipes on the internets

You can adjust the proportions to your taste. I ended up squeezing the lime garnish into the drink to make it a little less sweet.
2 parts jin*
1 part lime juice
1 part simple syrup
1/2 part pomegranate molasses (I found this in the baking aisle at Whole Foods...cheaper than pomegranate juice, and a little goes a long way)
2 sprigs of mint (bruised or torn into small pieces)
Club soda or seltzer water

In a shaker or with a stirrer, mix the first five ingredients with ice.
Pour into a glass that is filled with ice. Top with club soda.
Garnish with lime and mint.

*I misspelled gin on purpose so you would think I already had a few this morning. Gotcha.

bubbles!

9 comments:

Patricia Scarpin said...

Erielle,

Anything for good lighting. I'm with you on this. We should sacrifice ourselves for the perfect photo.

This is a very interesting drink, I love lime juice.

Anonymous said...

You crack me up.
My friends and I are always thinking of reasons (besides our kids driving us nuts) to justify drinking in the morning. I like your way of thinking! Drinking at 10am is much better than drinking at 3:30pm while picking the kids up from school. It's all good!

Anonymous said...

oh thats just great erielle, first you ate all the peanuts and now your drinking in th morning. mmmmm, pomegranite beverages...

J said...

No gin? Then why drink it? HA! Mimosas and Bloody Mary's are both morning drinks, so I think you're OK.

Cherry said...

I adore your photography. The light picked up the bubbles so well that I suddenly want something light and bubbly myself.

Erielle said...

Patricia,I am completely willing to sacrifice my sobriety for the sake of good lighting.

Kristen, you could always give your kids drinks and then they would become relaxed and chill, and drive you less crazy? Maybe I'm going to far.

Aria, that was funny. Yeah, so what, I ate all the peanuts. I love saying that!

J, You make very good points. Now I don't feel so bad about suggesting a drink in the morning. It's just that gin feels like such a serious drink!

Cherry, thanks for the lovely compliment. Did you ever get something bubbly? If you weren't in a mood for gin, I bet the drink would be great without the gin, and maybe with a little more pomegranate molasses or lime.

Anonymous said...

I'll admit it. I love drinking before noon! Ok, it doesn't happen very often but it's so much fun to break the rules every once in a while ;-)

Great drink! I love Gin!

Anonymous said...

The 10 am vs. 3 pm question has nothing to do with propriety, and everything to do with sacrifice for our art. At my house, I would have to make this drink between 3 and 3:10, when a lone shaft of sunlight reaches the kitchen. Maybe your 10:30 photo will start a new trend, and we can all have a gin and pomegranate cocktail in the morning instead of a Bloody Mary?

Anonymous said...

Hey that drink sounds so delicious. I love drinking but mostly do morning drinks with vodka. I have also tried a drink called Pama. It will know you off of your feet and maybe have you feeling a little passion (if you know what I mean) I would compare this drink to making love, I swear. I am a passion fruit lover and this drink is not that cheap but well worth it. I have a website if you all would like to check me out some time. I love working and making new freinds online. Visit www.iceagejewels.com any time.

Salude !