I say this all the time because I believe it: sometimes the best things in life are the simplest. The winner of the Gin Cocktail Contest we ran before the holidays proves that perfectly. The honors for the winning recipe goes to Greg Easter for his drink called The 5/25.
When I say simple I in no way mean boring. If that had been the case I would not be writing about this 3-ingredient drink. No, what seems on screen to be an average gin cocktail is an explosion of tastes when it is mixed up and the ingredient that is key to making this happen is Easter's Moroccan citrus syrup. This is a mix of citrus and cardamom, an ingredient that makes a regular appearance in Moroccan cuisine, and when this is mixed with Beefeater and fresh lime, the drink comes to life. The 5/25 is a shining example of the happy marriage of gin and citrus and certainly worth a taste.
Check out The 5/25 cocktail recipe...
Interestingly, I learned from Easter yesterday that his latest article in the Los Angeles Times (to which he regularly contributes) is about Bathtub Gin. It is a nice read and includes a recipe for those who are inclined to give the Prohibition-era endeavor a try as he includes his recipe.
Back to the contest... This was a great one and everything I expected from a gin theme. I want to thank everyone who participated for sharing your recipes. There is not a single one that was not enjoyable. However, I did have two other favorites which warrant mention. One is the Spikenard by Blair Frodelius who took top honors in the previous November's cinnamon challenge with the Admiral Perry. The Spikenard utilizes my favorite flavor, lavender, in two forms, a syrup and Dry Soda in a fizz-style drink. The other gin finalist was Stew Ellington's Yazuka, which is a fascinating mix of flavors that combines gin, sake, absinthe, maraschino, and Swedish bitters. Now, that's some flavor for you.
Thank you to all, and congratulations Greg. I'll be announcing the next contest soon.
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