Editing ELS/Holiday Cocktail Kit (2020)

The ELS denizens have passed their time in quarantine with each other and, not infrequently, with cocktails. We have really missed ''you'' and have on many, many, many occasions wished we could share a drink with you. Toward that end, we've put together kits that we're hoping you can use to share a cocktail or three with us in the best way we know how at the moment.

Our kits have three special cocktail ingredients made with a number of botanicals and spices:

;Pear Gin: We infused dry gin over about a week with dried pears as well as fresh pears and apples from our winter CSA. The result is much closer to an [[:wikipedia:Old Tom gin|Old Tom]] than a [[:wikipedia:London dry gin|London dry]].
;Spice Vermouth: A [[:wikipedia:dry vermouth|dry vermouth]] infused for a day or so with orange peel, cinnamon, and cloves.
;Rosemary Syrup: A rich simple syrup (2:1 by weight) simmered with fresh rosemary foraged from a Seattle food forest.

To help you use them, we've also put together recipes for four cocktails (one is a ''great'' mocktail). We've enjoyed making these ingredients and the drinks they produce and we hope you'll enjoy them with us from afar.

Because we know that the state of your bars and liquor cabinets varies, the recipes below only require the three ingredients in our kit plus lemon juice since we imagine you'll be able to source these on your own. If you've made other recipes using the ingredients in the kit, please let us know so we can try them out too!

Let's plan to have a drink together on Jitsi?

== Recipes ==
=== Zoom from the Hammock [EtOH optional] ===

;In a few words: Sparkling rosemary lemonade.

;Ingredients:
:* ½oz (15ml) ''ELS Rosemary Syrup''
:* ¾oz (22ml) Fresh-squeezed lemon juice
:* 2oz (60ml) Sparkling water (normal water will be OK too!)

;Instructions: 

:* Mix all ingredients except water into a cocktail shaker
:* And ice and shake for 45-60 seconds until cold and diluted
:* Strain into a highball or Collins glass over ice cubes
:* If you've got them on hand, garnish with a sprig of rosemary

;Mixing it up (so speak): Add 1oz ''ELS Pear Gin'' before you shake and you've got what ELS calls the '''T.P. Fizz'''. The name is reference to both the classic [https://punchdrink.com/recipes/seapea-fizz/ Seapea Fizz] and some to early-stage quarantine procurement challenges we fear you might be able to relate to.

;Credit and inspiration: Inspired by [https://kindredcocktails.com/cocktail/dish-walk-cooler Dish Walk Cooler] by Benjamin Mako Hill (Seattle)
:For Mako, it was probably Jitsi from the Hammock.

=== 520 Twilight Dash ===

;In a few words: A fruit-forward martini suitable for a cold winter night.

;Ingredients:
:* 2½oz (75ml) ''ELS Pear Gin''
:* ½oz (15m) ''ELS Spice Vermouth''

;Instructions: 

:* Mix ingredients into a mixing glass
:* Add ice and stir for 40-60 seconds until cold
:* Strain the ice and pour the liquid into a chilled stemmed cocktail class or coupe
:* If you've got either on on hand, garnish with a piece of dried pear on a toothpick or a twisted orange peel

=== Best-of Week ===

;In a few words: A spirit forward shaken cocktail with a bit of something for every palette.

;Instructions: 
:* 2oz ''ELS Pear Gin''
:* ¾oz ''ELS ''Spiced Vermouth''
:* ¾ oz Fresh-squeezed lemon juice
:* ⅓oz ''ELS Rosemary syrup''
:* [Optional] 1 dash Grapefruit bitters
:* [Optional] If you have a fruit eau-de-vie like pear or plum, swap in ½oz of eau-de-vie for the same amount of gin.

;Instructions: 

:* Mix all ingredients into a cocktail shaker
:* And ice and shake for 45-60 seconds until cold and diluted
:* Strain into a stemmed coupe or cocktail glass
:* Garnish with a expressed grapefruit peel as garnish (lemon will work too if that's what you have)

;Credit and inspiration: Inspired by [https://www.starchefs.com/cook/recipe/joaqu%C3%ADn-sim%C3%B3/death-taxes Death & Taxes] by Joaquín Simó (Pouring Ribbons, NYC)

=== Least Mode ===

;In a few words: A low-alcohol vermouth based libation. The optional ingredients will take things in a floral direction but it's good without them too!

;Ingredients:
:* 1½oz ''ELS Spiced Vermouth''
:* ½oz ''ELS Pear Gin''
:* ½oz (scant) ''ELS Rosemary Syrup''
:* ¾oz Fresh squeezed lemon juice
:* [Optional] 3 drops orange flower water
:* [Optional] 1 dash aromatic cocktails bitters (e.g., Angostura or even [[ELS/Aromatic Cycle Bitters (2016)|ELS Aromatic Cycle Old Fashion Bitters]] although we certainly hope you're all out!)

;Instructions:
:* Mix ingredients into a mixing glass
:* Add ice and stir for 40-60 seconds until cold
:* Strain the ice and pour the liquid into a "lowball" or [[:wikipedia:DOF glass|DOF glass]] over a single large ice cube if you've got one.
:* Garnish with a lemon twist

;Credit and inspiration: Inspired by [https://kindredcocktails.com/cocktail/a-thousand-blue-eyes A Thousand Blue Eyes] by Nick Detrich (New Orleans)