Sharkbait’s Cocktail of the Week: Lemonade? No. Limoncello

I’m back again with another drink featuring mint. I still have multiple fresh sprigs so I want to make sure I put them to good use. I originally was thinking of a gin/mint/blueberry drink. Most of the recipes I saw were just variations on a gin & tonic. Though delicious in their own right, I felt like I could do better. In my research, I came across a variation on a gin collins, but with added limoncello. That’s when I remembered we have a bottle of limoncello from a batch my uncle made a while ago. It’s been in the back of our fridge for who knows how long. Thankfully, this homemade concoction has a base of grain alcohol, so it’s still A) potable, and B) potent. When I asked my uncle just to be sure, I was assured it was “at least 100 proof”. Good enough for me!

So, I took inspiration from the aforementioned recipes, and decided to make my own hybrid cocktail:

1.5 oz. gin

.5 oz. Limoncello

.25 oz Simple syrup

5-6 Mint leaves plus more for optional garnish

1 Thinly sliced lemon, for garnish (optional)

Handful of fresh blueberries

Add the mint, blueberries and simple syrup to a cocktail shaker and muddle. Add gin, limoncello & ice. Shake and strain into a cocktail glass. Garnish with mint & lemon slice (optional).

As you’ll notice, the limoncello gin collins recipe calls for TWO OUNCES of limoncello. I found that to be a bit excessive. I mean, I like a strong drink (as I’ve mentioned many times here before), but that might be too much.  I backed it down for this application.

No aroma comes off of the drink. That kind of surprised me, given that Everclear and gin form the base here.

The first sip has a medicinal kind of taste to it. The second sip is where the flavors start to come in. It starts out lemony, but with a very strong alcohol flavor. You can tell there is some high octane booze here. The gin is pretty much obliterated by the limoncello. The blueberries are the reason the drink has a purplish hue. Happily, their flavor does come through towards the end of the sip, as does a little bit of minty zest.

Oddly enough, the more I sip this, the better it becomes. The limoncello harshness seems to fade, allowing the other background flavors a chance to shine. Maybe the limoncello didn’t mix well during the shake and settled on top? Maybe the Everclear in the limoncello is messing with my taste buds?

As an experiment, I took the last bit of the drink, poured it into a rocks glass with the boozy ice from the shake, and topped it with some soda water. That cooled the limoncello burn even more and allowed the mint to flourish more than it did in the straight up application. I found it very refreshing.

Overall, I find the application with the soda water on the rocks to be better. I didn’t hate the straight up version, though it seems like it needs something else when had that way. I suggest you try both, and go with whichever version you like.

(Banner image found here)