Signature · 20–35 minutes including chilling components · Serves 1
Garden Red
Illustrative image generated with AI, not a photo of the cooked dish.
A red sour: fruit adds body, basil freshness and pepper only aroma. The base is dry gin; serve cold and evaluate at actual dilution.
Fresh preparation concentrates the central ingredient; bar technique controls chill, texture and dilution. Initial documentary formula, with no physical tasting recorded; sweetness and acidity need an initial trial with specific products.
Special equipment: Jigger, strainer and chilled glassware
Ingredients
Mix
- 45 ml Dry gin, 40% ABV.
- 30 ml Strained fresh strawberry purée.
- 20 ml Fresh strained lemon juice.
- 15 ml Chilled 1:1 simple syrup.
- 1 basil leaf for shaking and another for garnish.
- 2 food-grade pink peppercorns.
- 60 g fresh strawberries for purée; measure actual yield.
- For the syrup: 40 g sugar and 40 g potable water.
- Potable ice: cubes for shaking; no serving ice.
Method
Mix
- Blend washed strawberries, strain without pressing seeds through and measure 30 ml. Dissolve 40 g sugar in 40 g hot water, chill and dose 15 ml. Keep fruit and syrup cold until shaking.
- Add one basil leaf to the liquids. Shake with ice for 10–12 seconds and double-strain into a chilled glass without ice. Nominal liquid volume is 110 ml; about 20 ml of preparation ice melt is assumed, except in a built highball. Measure actual dilution in the first trial; do not top up to a fixed volume.
The serve
Serve in a chilled stemmed glass, with cubes for shaking; no serving ice. Apply one basil leaf and two lightly crushed food-grade pink peppercorns immediately before serving without blocking the sip. Expect strawberry, basil and pink peppercorn first; as ice melts, evaluate whether gin remains present and sweetness and acidity stay balanced.
Key points
- Measure every liquid; nominal volume is not an observed yield.
- Keep fresh ingredients cold and serve immediately.
- Record brand, composition and ABV to make the result repeatable.
- Adjust one variable per tasting; this formula has not been physically validated.
Notes
- Theoretical strength: 18 ml nominal absolute alcohol / (110 ml mix + 20 ml assumed dilution) = approximately 13.8% ABV. This excludes serving ice melt and volume contraction. Actual dilution depends on ice, time, temperature and technique. Measure extraction yields during preparation and discard fresh leftovers at the end of the session.
- Consume in the same session. Do not infer microbiological shelf life for juice, purée or cocktail from alcohol content. Do not bottle for another day.