The great thing about most food recipes is they're easy to name. A simple description of its constituent parts: arctic char rice bowl, mozzarella pluot salad, bacon cinnamon rolls. But drinks, drinks are a different story. The name "honeydew cucumber gin cocktail" just doesn't roll off the tongue. It doesn't sound as graceful as an Old Fashioned, or Aviation, or Manhattan. I think for drinks, a name is almost as important as the way it tastes.
I don't really believe in throwing out a series of random words until something sticks. Memories are a much stronger place to pull names from. Even if it evokes no particular feelings for anyone else besides myself and and a few others. For us, it's important enough.
Eons ago, when we were studying abroad in London, we stayed in these cookie cutter private dorms by Kings Cross. The closest bar was a place called The Long Hope, right across the intersection. It was an average bar, nothing about it particularly stood out, but it was a place that forever engrained itself into our memories, a symbol of the summer we spent abroad in a city that made a profound impact on the rest of our lives. So this drink is named after that bar, a summery drink to commemorate a bygone summer from years ago.
In order to celebrate the ever fleeting bounty this wonderful season provides, this cocktail was actually made for #drinkthesummer, happening today! It's a virtual boozy bash hosted by the wonderful Sherrie and Renee. Check out all the other fun drinks everyone else has concocted below, make them all, then go pass out as the sun sets and wake up for more.
Appeasing a Food Geek | Sugar Plum Margarita
Beard and Bonnet | Pineapple and Cilantro Moscow Mule
The Bojon Gourmet | Basil Pluot Pimm's Cup
The Broken Bread | Blackberry, Cucumber and Mint Gin Spritzer
Brooklyn Supper | Bloody Maria Cocktails
A Brown Table | Fig and Bourbon Summer Smash
Cake Over Steak | Blackberry Bourbon Cocktail
Chocolate + Marrow | Raspberry Thyme Smash
The Clever Carrot | 5 Minute White Peach Margaritas
Cookie and Kate | Watermelon Sangria
Dunk & Crumble | Ginger Peach Whiskey Smash
Earthy Feast | Strawberry, Basil and Pink Peppercorn Negroni
Edible Perspective | Rosé Slushies
Faring Well | Sparkling Melon Coolers with Muddled Raspberries and Mint
Feed Me Phoebe | Pimm's Cup Cocktail with Fresh Ginger, Lime and Tarragon
Fix Feast Flair | Berry Peachy Kentucky Mules
Ginger & Toasted Sesame | Blackberry Peach Margarita with Spicy Salt
holly & flora | Pimm's Cup with Blackberry and Lemon Zest Shrub
Hummingbird High | Thyme Lemonade
Hungry Girl por Vida | Peanut Butter and Berry Smoothie
i am a food blog | Thyme Gin and Tonics
Kale & Caramel | Sweet Coconut, Hibiscus & Lime Slushie
le jus d'orange | Peach Yogurt Soju and Ginger Plum Kombucha Cocktail
Loves Food, Loves to Eat | Coconut Nectarine White Wine Spritzers
my name is yeh | Nutella Egg Cream
The Pancake Princess | Strawberry Balsamic Shrubs
The Pig & Quill | Raspberry Basil Gingerade Fizz
Salt & Wind | Watermelon Aperol Spritzes
She Eats | Fizzy Lime and Blackberry Shrub
Snixy Kitchen | Sparkling Asian Pear and Mint Iced Tea
Tasty Yummies | When Figs Fly: Spiced Rum Fig Kombucha Cocktail
Tending the Table | Plum Spritzer with Ginger and Kafir Lime
Vegetarian 'Ventures | Sparkling Peppered Plum Blush
Vigor and Sage | Peachy Tomato Basil Gin and Tonic
what's cooking good looking | Watermelon Basil Colada
With Food + Love | Fresh Heirloom Bloody Marys with Old Bay and Spicy Pickles
Will Frolic for Food | The Sugar Hollow: Watermelon Gin Cocktail with Cardamom and Lime
Notes:
You can make fresh honeydew juice by puréeing honeydew chunks then straining the mixture through a fine mesh sieve. It'll keep for 2 to 3 days in the fridge.
Makes 1 drink.
Ingredients:
4 thin slices of cucumber
3 to 4 mint leaves
2 oz gin
1 & 1/2 oz honeydew juice
3/4 oz lemon juice
1/4 oz simple syrup
mint for garnish
Instructions:
Muddle cucumber and mint together in the bottom of a tumbler. Add gin, honeydew juice, lemon juice, simple syrup and a good handful of ice. Cover and shake for 10 seconds. Remove cover and set strainer on top of the tumbler. Holding a fine mesh sieve in your other hand over the glass, pour drink through strainer and sieve. Serve up. Float a mint leaf on top for garnish.