thick as thieves

1 1/2 oz Pimm's #1
1/2 oz Tanqueray Gin
3/4 oz Lemon Juice
1/2 oz Raspberry Shrub (Strawberry Shrub)
1/8 oz Simple Syrup (Raspberry Syrup)
15 drop Angostura Bitters

Shake with ice and strain into a coupe glass. Garnish with a lemon twist.
(*) Read about how to make shrubs here and here.

Two Saturdays ago, I read to Andrea a list of cocktail recipes created by Toby Maloney, owner of Chicago's Violet Hour. I found the list on Complex's City Guide in an article on summer cocktails, and the one that stood out as the winner was a Pimm's-based one called Thick as Thieves. While the recipe called for raspberry shrub which they make at the bar, I had a batch of strawberry shrub that I figured would be close enough. To add some raspberry elements, I exchanged the recipe's simple syrup for a raspberry one. Essentially, the Thick as Thieves was a berry-driven Pimm's Cup that seemed like a good thirst quencher for the warm evening.
The Thick as Thieves began with an lemon oil aroma that was joined by a hint of vinegar that set a savory tone to the drink. The sip was full of lemon and berry fruit flavors, and the swallow contained the raspberry, the gin's juniper, and Angostura's spices with a rather clean and tart finish. Overall, the drink's light balance and savory aspects would make for a great aperitif as well as a delightful thirst quencher in the upcoming hot weather.