spring hill

1 oz Berkshire Mountain Distillers Ethereal Gin
3/4 oz Green Chartreuse
3/4 oz Lime Shrub (*)
1/2 oz Jasmine Green Tea Syrup (2:1)
2 dash Dandelion and Burdock Bitters

Build in a glass over ice and stir. Garnish with a half lime wheel.
(*) I did not inquire whether this was a rum-based shrub or a vinegar-based one. For the former, plenty of recipes exist, and for the latter, Tait Farms sells one. I have written for more details on the recipe, so check back later (**).
(**) I received their recipe:

Lime Shrub
• 12 Limes (mandolined thinly)
• 4 oz Water
• 16 oz Cider Vinegar
Simmer for 5 minutes, pressing on limes often to extract juice.
• 600 gram Sugar (20 oz)
Add sugar and keep on low heat, stirring occasionally for 5 minutes. Cool completely, strain, and bottle.

Last Friday, Andrea and I finally went to Journeyman restaurant in Somerville. We had been planning to go for my birthday back in July until a car plowing into their façade shut them down for a few weeks. Once I heard that they had finally reopened, I planned a visit that very first week. Currently, the drink list at the restaurant is an Old Fashioned bar where combinations of spirits and bitters can be requested; moreover, there is a short list of batched drinks. In the near future, Journeyman will be opening a 36 craft cocktail bar in an adjacent space so perhaps the restaurant's drink repertoire will grow accordingly. For a start, I asked for one of the batched cocktails, the Spring Hill; while the caption was "Spring in Somerville," it is actually the name of one of the seven hills in the city. Between the jasmine green tea, the Chartreuse, and the lime shrub, I was instantly drawn to this recipe.
The lime from the shrub and garnish and the jasmine from the tea syrup contributed greatly to both the aroma and the sip. The swallow was rather herbal from the tea more so than from the Chartreuse. As the ice melted, the tea's tannins began to appear on the swallow as a cleansing note. Perhaps the Chartreuse and gin flavors would have been more forward had the sugar content been decreased or perhaps that the jasmin tea syrup been less concentrated. Regardless, even as a complex sweet tea, the drink was quite delightful.