thames river

1 1/2 oz Beefeater Summer Edition Gin
3/4 oz Pimm's No. 1
1/2 oz Lemon Juice
1/4 oz Simple Syrup (1:1)
1/4 oz Crème de Cassis

Shake with ice and strain into a cocktail glass. Garnish with a lemon twist.

Mixoloseum's Thursday Drink Night a little over a week ago was sponsored by Beefeater Gin to help promote their new summer edition bottling. Beefeater's master distiller, Desmond Payne, designed this recipe as he did Beefeater 24 and the rumored winter edition. The summer version has the same nine botanicals as regular Beefeater with the addition of elderflower, hibiscus, and black currant. Overall, the gin is softer than regular Beefeater with the alcohol weighing in at 80 instead of 94 proof and with a lower juniper berry and coriander seed signature.

Instead of the new floral elements in the botanical mix, I honed in on the black currant and created a cocktail that featured crème de cassis. Basing the drink off of the previous night's Bronx River, I exchanged the sweet vermouth for the more British-themed Pimm's No. 1, switched around some of the proportions, and added the cassis. I considered switching to lime; however, Pimm's and lemon are more linked in my head thanks to the Pimm's Cup. For a name, I modified the original and chose the Thames River.
The Thames River had an attractive dark red hue from the Pimm's and the cassis. The nose started with lemon notes, and the sip possessed a pleasant fruitiness that meshed well with the gin. Overall, it had a very refreshing and drinkable nature that matched the softer styled base spirit.