Category:
Beverages

Seasons:
April, May, June, July, August

Courtesy of Lucinda Hutson

Makes 1 spritzer

This is my favorite warm-weather spritzer—especially when flavored and garnished with stems of the cucumber-scented salad burnet before it goes dormant in summer’s heat. Salad burnet returns with vigor and thrives throughout our winter and spring—growing in a cascading fountain of long stems with small, serrated leaves that also taste like cucumbers. You can find salad burnet transplants at nurseries now. Plant in full sun in rich soil. It makes a lovely border plant.

Super easy

2 ounces gin
Premium tonic water, to taste
Juice of 1/2 lime
Several slices organic, unpeeled pickling cucumbers
Sprinkling of organic rose petals, optional
Nosegay of long sprigs of salad burnet (See note)

Gin and Roses Directions

Rim a chilled highball glass with lime and fill with ice, or better yet, with one jumbo ice cube.

Add the gin and tonic water, to taste.

Squeeze the lime into the drink.

Stir and garnish with the slices of cucumber, rose petals and salad burnet sprigs.

Note: Try freezing short stems of salad burnet in tonic water to make decorative ice cubes for this drink.