Drink of the Day: Day Three

This morning, I found myself in a Tales of the Cocktail seminar on the history and evolution of gin by the very entertaining Philip Duff. The tasting ended with one of gin’s more recent “evolutions,” G’vine Nouaison, a French grape-based gin infused with grape-vine flowers. Not ten minutes later, I was sitting by the pool, sampling a cocktail made from Esprit de June, a new liqueur made from…distilled grape-vine flowers. And who had created it? Philip Duff. The gods were telling me I’d found my  cocktail of the day.

Okay, it’s not a total random coincidence–the same distiller is behind both products. But in any case, the light, delicately floral (but not perfume-y) flavor of both G’Vine and June were a welcome tonic to the muggy Tropical-Storm-Bonnie-oppressed New Orleans afternoon. Think St. Germain, but with slightly more berry-like notes.

The two spirits can still be a little tough to find (the June liqueur only came out in…wait for it…June), so if you’re not about to spring for bottles of both, try a G’Vine and Tonic, or a shot of June liqueur in a glass of champagne.

 

Floral Martini
created by Philip Duff

1/2 oz. Esprit de June liqueur
1-1/2 oz. G’Vine gin
1/2 oz. Noilly Prat dry vermouth
3 dashes orange bitters
lemon peel

Stir all ingredients except the lemon peel in an empty stirring glass. Pour the ingredients over large ice cubes and stir for 10 to 15 seconds. Strain into a cocktail glass. Squeeze a lemon peel over the drink to extract the oils, rub the peel on the rim of the glass, and discard.

Previously
Day Two: Death in the South Pacific

Next
Day Three: The Boss Hogg