melancholy moment

3/4 oz City of London Gin
3/4 oz Punt e Mes
1/2 oz St. George Raspberry Liqueur
1/2 oz Grapefruit Juice

Add 5 mint leaves to the bottom of a Collins glass, add rest of ingredients, fill with crushed ice, and swizzle to mix and chill. Float 1 1/2 oz Fever Tree tonic water, top with crushed ice, and garnish with a mint sprig.

Each year, I have began my Tuesday night before Tales of the Cocktail starts by visiting the Cure. Luckily, this coincided with bartender Ryan Gagnon's schedule for we had been on the same USBG-sponsored trip to Mexico to visit the Patron distillery. As a first drink, I asked Ryan for the Melancholy Moment, a "low proof botanical Swizzle" created by Alexandra Anderson.
The Melancholy Moment gave forth a mint aroma that preceded a grape note leading into grapefruit on the sip. The swallow was a combination of raspberry and the Punt e Mes' bitterness with a mint finish, and as the tonic top entered the equation, the balance became cleaner with a quinine finish.