Strawberry Fields Forever (an inevitability)

Spring is here. Normally, for me, it would be planting season. However so much of what I planted last year has returned, better than ever. My perennials - raspberries, strawberries, chives, oregano, mint, and sage - are all bigger and more delicious than last year. Some of the annuals, such as the tomatoes, have even propagated themselves by way of squirrel poop. For the strawberries, it is as if the plants know when June 1st is, regardless of weather conditions, and they begin growing, spreading, and fruiting anew. I think I've already harvested more strawberries this season than in all of last season. Surely, the best is yet to come. Naturally, when confronted with lush, perfect produce, I transform it into cocktails.

To preface this cocktail, a bit about them. I am a fan of Martinis. A Martini is a specific cocktail made using gin and vermouth. There is some wiggle room regarding ingredient choice but there is a point at which the "Martini" appellation no longer applies. Vodka and apple pucker is not a martini of any sort. That the "-tini" suffix is so frequently attached to any drink served "up" in a cocktail glass is a source of great frustration. Typically, drinks served up, that is, shaken or stirred with ice and strained into a glass, are presented in a cocktail glass - a stemmed vessel with an obtuse conical bowl. That said, with a sense of tradition, one can adapt classic cocktails to include quality ingredients and end up with a fine beverage. Here, then, is the Strawberry Mango Gimlet. (as always, I will accept naming ideas.)

A Gimlet is a derivative drink of the Martini where the vermouth is replaced with fresh lime juice. Simple syrup is usually added to balance the lime, and an orange liqueur like Cointreau is often included for depth. Included in this variant is North Shore Distillery's Alphonso Mango gin. North Shore Distillery, located in Lake Bluff, IL is one of the top small-batch distilleries in the country, with the top rated gin in the United States. Every year, they concoct a specialty spirit using rare ingredients (Israeli dates, Indian mangoes, etc.). Of the mango gin, there were only about two dozen cases produced; bottles are hand numbered out of 256.

Above is the setup and a close-up of the gin bottle. You can see that the strawberries are tiny but very red. They are quite full of flavor unlike their store-brand counterparts. The equipment needed is a cobbler (or Boston) shaker, a citrus juicer, a muddler (not pictured) and a cocktail glass, iced to protect the drink's chill.

Strawberry Mango Gimlet

• 1-3 small strawberries
• Juice of 1/2 small lime, about 3/4 fl oz
• 1 3/4 oz North Shore Mango Gin
• Dash simple syrup

Muddle the strawberries in the bottom of the shaker with the lime juice and simple syrup until well mashed.

Add gin and shake gently to combine. Strain into cocktail glass.

The drink also makes a fine Fizz or Collins when poured over ice into a highball glass and topped with soda water.

Prost.