(Durandor) John of the Wild put his palm to the ground of the gravelly dirt. Gardens are essentially non-existent in the stone-encased city of Durandor but, as John begins an Elvish chant, spindly vines and clover-leafed shrubs begin to sprout from the ground. Flowers blossom and fruit trees rise. Passersby stop to take in the spectacle of the lush garden oasis emerging around the half-elf paladin.
One of the first things the John of the Wild character did when he joined the Heroes of Durandor was create a magical garden in the center of Durandor. It was garden Osiric intended to be created by Noor, but John just came in and did it. Noor was both threatened and impressed…and a bit relieved since he’s a druid with no real interest in creating plant life. This cocktail is my homage to John of the Wild’s garden.
It’s also the Fourth of July and this red-white-and-blue cocktail is light and refreshing and ideal for how hot it is today. The gin, citrus, berries, and soda water combine to create a pumped-up garden spritzer.
I smoked the berries because I like to say I’m going to make a cocktail and then 9 hours later actually have one. Plus, the smoker added that perfect Fourth of July barbecue vibe.
The berries actually only need 20 minutes on the smoker, plus a bit of cooling time). If you don’t have a smoker, no worries, just throw the berries in fresh. You could likely also achieve substantially the same vibe by throwing the berries on a grill if you have one. Or, you could consider using a makeshift smoker with a smoking plank and cooking/baking torch, though I don’t think it would necessarily infuse the berries with enough smoke to make it noticeable in the drink.
In short, smoking the berries is not necessary to enjoy this cocktail. But if you have a smoker, join me on the pedestal of delicious pretension.
If you dig gin & tonics, you’ll either love this cocktail or you’ll find it terribly overworked. For those in the latter category, the soda water splash (versus a tonic) does keep the overall taste profile relatively clean and simple. The berries offer a nice element of complexity (particularly if they’re smoked) but, they’re not overbearing. Plus, this drink looks gloriously lush.
Hope you get to enjoy fireworks and this gorgeous garden in a glass inspired by the oasis in Durandor.
Gin of the Wild
Ingredients: Makes 1 cocktail but with the work involved, I recommend making a whole pitcher.
- 2.5 oz Gin
- 1.5 oz Fresh Lemon Juice
- 1 oz Simple Syrup
- 1/4 cup of smoked mixed berries
- Orange slice
- Soda water
- Garnish option: Mint, charred orange, more berries
Recipe:
- To smoke the berries and orange slices: Set your smoker to 325 degrees, put blueberries/strawberries/raspberries/blackberries on a smoker tray or pan in the smoker for 25-30 minutes. After about 10 minutes, set the orange slices on the grill rack and let it char for the remaining 15 minutes. Let cool a bit.
- Lightly muddle the berries in a shaker with the simple syrup. The berries should be super soft if you smoked them so just keep the muddle soft so you don’t completely obliterate the berries.
- Add the gin and lemon juice to the shaker and shake with ice.
- Pour into a tall glass (I used a Collins glass) over more ice.
- FYI I didn’t strain it. I wanted the berry pieces in the glass because 1. It looked cool; and 2. I wanted to eat gin-soaked berries. If you prefer to strain it, go for it superstar.
- Top with soda water.
- Garish with a charred orange slice and some hearty sprigs of mint.
The Bourbon Dragon 