The Groundskeeper
I am looking at weather.com right now, and I can officially say we are in spring.
Not the everything is in bloom kind of period, but its toughest part, where it just hasn’t made up its mind what time of the year it is. And truly neither winter nor summer.
So for an example, the current temperature as I write this in the City of the Ciudad is 57. Temp in Wichita, Kansas? 91. And the reverse could just as easily happen in a few days time.
So I thought that a drink I have been making as of late would actually work well this time of year. One that would work well both in cooler and warmer climes, one that also shows off a common bit of produce this time of year.
I call it…
The Groundskeeper
Freshly squeezed juice of 2 small oranges
1 shot of gin
½ Shot of limoncello straight from the freezer
Splash of tonic water
Stir gently, and then pour over three cubes of ice in an old fashioned glass.
I have been told by neighbors that the house in which I live has an orange tree from the original orchard that stood in the area. I say that it makes this drink easier this time of year, just popping in the backyard to grab a couple. But regardless of where you are this is a good time of the year for them.
It is light and refreshing enough to drink on a hot day, yet its herbaceous nature stands out if in chilly weather.
About the name. People who have tasted the thing with all of its orange, lemon, botanicaliness say it is like drinking the garden department of a home improvement store, or it is like drinking “citrus and shrubbery.”
This may not be selling it.
But you have to trust me.
I’m sold! You had me at gin. And the alluring combo of “Citrus and shrubbery”. Reading through it, it also surprisingly makes sense as an Autumn cocktail here in NZ, especially with the last few crisp sunny autumn days we’ve had. Nice work.