the native rose

1 1/2 oz Berkshire Mountain Distiller's Greylock Gin
1/2 oz Royal Combier
1/2 oz Mint Syrup
1/2 oz Lime Juice
5 drop Rose Water

Shake with ice and strain into a cocktail glass. Top with sparkling wine and garnish with a mint leaf.

Last Wednesday, Andrea and I attended a cocktail-paired dinner at Lineage in Brookline. The bartender line-up included not only Lineage's Ryan Lotz, but the Franklin/Citizen's Joy Richard, Eastern Standard's Kevin Martin and Jackson Cannon, and the future Island Creek Oyster Bar's Bobby McCoy (presently still at Eastern Standard). The drinks that night were all made with Berkshire Mountain Distillers products -- their gin, vodka, rum, and corn whiskey; distiller Chris Weld was there as well, and I had a chance to talk to him about his distillery and future projects including their Bourbon that has been aging in barrels for a few years now.
The drinks that night started with a Rooibos tea-laden punch that Jackson Cannon whipped up. It was the perfect thing to take the edge off of my post-drive angst -- the traffic was pretty horrific as gamenight travelers to Fenway tied up the roads until we finally made it into Allston. After a bit of mingling with the other dinner guests, we took our seats for the food was going to be served soon. The first dish was late summer melons from Stillman's Farm served with sheep's milk feta, radish, and Thai basil. Joy Richard matched this dish with a cocktail using Berkshire Mountain Distiller's Greylock Gin. The Native Rose started with a mint aroma with floral hints. The sip was crisp, citrusy, and slightly herbal such that it matched the melon appetizer quite well.