So after last Sunday’s solstice cocktail experimentation, Jeff decreed that while it tasted good, it looked like swamp water!  Green Goddess needed a makeover!  Some of this was due to the hurried making of the Five Spice powder syrup, which just got a quick strain before use, but some of it was also due to the use of the Cynar, which is distinctly brownish in colour.

So putting on my best Stacy and Clinton demeanour, I set about to make her prettier without losing the baseline flavour!   Here we go!

We needed to opt out of anything other than green or clear spirits, so I replaced the Cynar with Vermouth Bianco.  This meant, however that the sweeter, more wormwood flavours in the Bianco wouldn’t be balanced out if I stuck with the Genever, soooo, we made a switch to Beefeater 24.  The proportions remained the same, with the exception of the five spice syrup, which got cut down slightly — partly because the Bianco is sweetish, and partly because it has a slight brownish tinge.  I also strained the heck out of this with my finest tea strainer to remove any stray debris.

The key herb here is the lovage, which has a very distinct flavour — somewhere between celery leaves, parsley and angelica.  I opted to substitute Sweet Cicely this time instead of the tarragon — it has an anise note like the tarragon, but a bit sweeter.

So here we go … the grand unveiling!  Isn’t she so much prettier?!?

the Green Goddess (post makeover!)

muddle together:

• 3-4 slices cucumber (or 1/2 mini cucumber)
• 1/2 oz. five spice powder syrup
• 4-5 leaves lovage
• 1-2 sprigs sweet cicely
• 1-2 stems cutting celery
• 2-3 sprigs salad burnet

Add:

• 1 1/2 oz. Beefeater 24 gin
• 1/2 oz. Green Chartreuse
• 1/2 oz. Bianco vermouth
• 1/2 oz. fresh lime juice

Shake with ice, double strain with a very fine tea strainer into a cocktail glass rinsed with Absinthe.  Garnish with a lime twist, lime wedge and seasonal herbs.

So for those unfamiliar with some of these herbs, these were taken today in my garden:

Lovage (young sprigs)

Salad Burnet

Cutting Celery -- this has been outside unprotected all winter