Happy first Friday in December. This December feels a little bit different thanks to *gestures wildly* everything going on, But I’m going to try and be festive damnit, since Christmas is one of my favorite holidays. Another reason this feels a bit different is that the Sharkbait clan is moving in early January. So the thought of packing on top of packing up our Christmas decorations did not sound appealing, so we went for a scaled down decorative theme for our place this season. Though we did still get a tree, which came in quite handy for this week’s drink.

How so? Well, this week I made the Muddled Pine from bartender Carmen Polcyn via liquor.com. Not only is there a pine sprig garnish, but it calls for pine syrup, which is chopped pine needles left to steep in freshly made simple syrup for a couple hours. That’s the bit that intrigued me the most, so I went for it:

Muddled Pine

2 dashes Angostura bitters
1 oz.lemon juice, freshly squeezed
1/2 oz. pine syrup*
15 Fresh cranberries**
1 oz. gin or vodka (I used gin)
1 oz. lemon-lime soda, to top
Garnish: 3 cranberries
Garnish: pine sprig

Add the bitters, lemon juice, pine syrup and cranberries to a shaker, and muddle the cranberries. Add the gin or vodka and ice, and shake until chilled. Strain into a rocks glass over ice. Top with the lemon-lime soda. Garnish with 3 cranberries and a sprig of pine.

*Pine syrup: Add 1 cup of water and 1 cup of sugar into a saucepan and bring to a simmer, stirring until dissolved. Reduce heat to low, and add a handful of chopped pine needles. Stir and remove from heat, and let sit for two hours. Strain out solids. Will keep, refrigerated, for up to three weeks.

The aroma is very clean. The pine garnish is immediately noticeable , but in a good way. On a second whiff, I get a bit of lemon that manages to sneak its way through.

The initial sip is a bit tart, but the intensity eases fairly quickly.  I didn’t use anything close to the 15 fresh cranberries the recipe called for. Since I only had dried cranberries, I erred on the side of caution. Dried cranberries tend to be a little sweeter, and can have a bit more of an intense flavor as opposed to fresh.

As I’ve mentioned before, I tend to omit or avoid soda toppings to my drinks, but this one works here. The carbonation cuts through nicely and adds a pleasant mouth feel. The cranberry mutes any sweetness the soda adds, so you’re really left with slightly lemon-y bubbles. 

I only get a bit of the pine from the garnish and the syrup, but I think it could use more. It’s flavor is reserved, but I suppose that is the point. Too much could easily overpower the delicate balance this drink has going for it. I might add a bit more chopped pine needles to a second batch, but I wouldn’t go overboard with it.

This is a nice, seasonal drink that would be good to make for a small group. (Which is good because you’re not supposed to get together with large groups this year). Have a round of these with a starter before Christmas dinner. 

(Banner image found here)