mojito from ipanema

2 oz Leblon Cachaça
1/2 oz Lime Juice
1/2 oz Simple Syrup
2 medium Nasturtium Leaves (sliced into 6ths)
1 Nasturtium Flower

Shake with ice, double strain into a Collins glass with 3 oz soda water, fill with ice, add a straw, and garnish with a fresh nasturtium leaf and flower.
Two Mondays ago, I began my Monday night residency at the Cocktail Lab at Earl's Prudential with a three drink menu. The theme tying the trio together were herbs and fruit that either I grew in my garden or were foraged within a half mile of my home. As for the foraged aspect, I had already described the Crabapple Fight! (now with a photo from the event) that utilized three types of crabapples from the Davis Square bike path, and the second drink utilized my garden's sage by way of the Oaxacan Smash that I came up with over the summer. The third menu item featured nasturtiums that are in full bloom right now on the fringes of the garden. I was originally considering pairing this with a rum, but when I learned that nasturtiums are from Peru, I decided to go with cachaça to maintain a South American theme. For a format, I decided that a Mojito would be recognizable enough to lure people into drink cachaça. Overall, the peppery notes from the nasturtiums worked rather well with the grassy funky flavors of the Brazilian spirit, and the presentation with the bright flower and lily pad-like leaf did not hurt either.