hyde park swizzle

3-4 sprig Mint
2 oz Plymouth Gin (Beefeater)
3/4 oz Lime Juice
3/4 oz Simple Syrup

Muddle mint in a shaker tin, add rest of ingredients, dry shake, and dump into a Pilsner glass. Fill with crushed ice, swizzle to chill, top with 2 dash Angostura Bitters and 2 dash Peychaud's Bitters, and swizzle the bitters into the top layer of the drink.

Two Fridays ago, I ventured into the Death & Co. Cocktail Book once again, and I found myself in the Swizzle section staring at one of Phil Ward's 2008 creations. The Hyde Park Swizzle seemed like a gin version of the rum-based Queen's Park Swizzle with the addition of Peychaud's Bitters to accompany the Angostura Bitters swizzled into the top layer. Actually, the original Queen's Park Swizzle had the bitters as a base ingredient and not one used as a garnish or mixed in as a top layer as currently done with this classic; instead a spent half lime shell accompanied the mint sprig as garnish.
The Hyde Park Swizzle began with clove aromas from the bitters over that of juniper and mint from the rest of the ingredients. Next, the lime sip gave way to mint and gin on the swallow with clove and allspice later joining the ranks as the top layer entered into the sip. Overall, the Swizzle drank much like a Southside with bitters adding to the show in the last third or so of the drink.