There are still a couple weeks of warm weather left before autumn moves in, so beat the remaining heat with some delicious “ginsicles” frozen pops. The wonderful people over at Bulldog Gin have come up with some spectacular new frozen treat cocktails using their Bulldog London Dry Gin and a variety of other yummy ingredients. This gin is a handcrafted super-premium and multi-award winning London Dry Gin that features exotic botanicals and other high quality ingredients. The featured 12 botanicals—Asian lotus leaves, Italian juniper, Moroccan coriander, German angelica, Spanish Lemon, Chinese liquorice, Italian orris, Spanish almonds, Asian cassia, and French lavender—come from the same eight different countries and locations every year to ensure consistency. The finished product contains well-balanced flavors with a crisp finish.
Bulldog gin is the perfect choice to mix and freeze:
CODE RED
2 parts BULLDOG gin
1 splash tonic
1 part watermelon juice*
3-4 fresh mint leaves, plus extra for garnish
Pinch of organic cane sugar
Sliced cucumber, plus extra for garnish
In a cocktail shaker, muddle mint leaves, cucumber and pinch of sugar. Add ice, watermelon and Bulldog Gin, shaking to combine. Strain into glass and garnish with cucumber slice and a leaf of mint.
*To make watermelon juice, add chunks of fresh watermelon – seeds removed – to a blender or food processor and blend until liquefied. Strain to remove any potentially overlooked seeds or undesired pulp.
THE SUCKER PUNCH
2 parts BULLDOG gin
1 splash tonic
½ part simple syrup* (or more if you like it sweeter)
3 fresh strawberries
Dash of balsamic vinegar
In a cocktail shaker, muddle strawberries until mashed. Add ice, Bulldog Gin, simple syrup and a dash of balsamic vinegar. Shake, strain and pour! Garnish with a strawberry slice.
*For simple syrup: combine 2/3-cup organic cane sugar and 2/3 cup water in a small saucepan. Bring to a simmer over medium-high heat, stirring until the sugar is dissolved (the mixture will be transparent). Allow to cool. Makes 1 cup. Store leftover simple syrup in a sealed, airtight container in the refrigerator.
THE BLUE VICE
2 parts BULLDOG gin
1 splash tonic
1 part freshly squeezed lemon juice
½ tsp dried lavender buds
1 TB organic cane sugar
6-10 fresh blueberries
In a cocktail shaker, muddle sugar with dried lavender until sugar is dissolved and lavender has expressed its essential oils. Add blueberries and continue to muddle until mashed. Add ice, Bulldog gin and lemon juice. Shake to combine, strain and pour over ice. Drop 3 blueberries into cocktail as garnish.
THE IMPEACHABLE
2 parts BULLDOG gin
1 splash tonic
1 part peach juice, nectar or puree
½ part Gran Marnier
½ part hibiscus simple syrup*
Combine all ingredients in a cocktail shaker with ice. Shake 4-5 times and pour!
*For hibiscus simple syrup: combine 2/3-cup organic cane sugar and 2/3 cup water in a small saucepan. Bring to a simmer over medium-high heat, stirring until the sugar is dissolved. Turn off heat and add 1/2 tsp of dried hibiscus. Carefully transfer to an airtight, sealed container. Allow to steep for at least one hour or as long as overnight. When ready to use, strain hibiscus from syrup. Makes 1 cup.
FORBIDDEN FRUIT
2 parts BULLDOG gin
1 splash tonic
2 parts Applejack
½-1 part spiced simple syrup* (depending on how sweet you like it)
1 star anise pod and 1 cinnamon stick, to garnish
Combine Applejack, Bulldog Gin and spiced simple syrup in a cocktail shaker with ice. If you want some extra kick, add a thin slice of ginger as well. Shake to combine. Strain into glass and garnish with cinnamon stick and star anise.
*For spiced simple syrup: combine 2/3-cup organic cane sugar and 2/3 cup water in a small saucepan. Add in a 1/4” thick slice of fresh ginger root (peeled) and 3 star anise pods. Bring to a simmer over medium-high heat, stirring until the sugar is dissolved (the mixture will be transparent) and the spices have infused the syrup. Allow to cool, then strain out spices. Makes 1 cup. Store leftover simple syrup in a sealed, airtight container in the refrigerator.
