One corner of our small raised bed garden is occupied with all things ‘lemon’ – lemongrass and lemon verbena. Both of these took off like gang-busters with our rainy, cool spring and hot, dry summer. What do to with all that abundance? Make a cocktail of course. Here’s what I came up with.

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Lemongrass "Martini"
Author: 
 
Ingredients
  • 1 cup water
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 2 stalks fresh lemongrass, tops trimmed
Instructions
Lemongrass Simple Syrup
  1. Place water and sugar in a heavy-bottomed pan and bring to a boil. Meanwhile, remove the outer layer or two of the lemongrass and with the back of a knife, bruise the lower part of the lemongrass stalk.
  2. Lower the heat under the sugar syrup and add the lemongrass. Simmer 10 minutes on low heat. Remove pot from heat and cool to room temperature. Strain out the lemongrass. Store in refrigerator. Set some martini glasses in the freezer to chill as well.
To make the cocktail:
  1. ½ ounce lemongrass simple syrup
  2. ounce gin (I used Bombay Saphhire)
  3. Fever Tree tonic to top off
  4. sprig of lemon verbena per glass
  5. Place syrup and gin in a cocktail shaker – the above quantities are PER DRINK. Add ice and shake for about 10 seconds.
  6. Pour into the chilled glasses and top off with about 3 ounces of tonic.
  7. Garnish with a sprig of lemon verbena.
 

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