juice of half a lime, plus a few thin slices for garnish
3tablespoonsgin
1/2 - 1teaspoonrosewater
ice
sparkling water
Instructions
Put the pods in a dram-type glass (about 1 1/2 cup capacitand give them a gentle crush with a muddle stick or other blunt object. You just want to crack them; pulverizing them will result in lots of small, floating particles that will unpleasantly get stuck in your teeth. Add the agave, lime juice, gin and rosewater, and stir to dissolve the agave. (Optionally let the mixture sit for 5 minutes or longer to infuse with the cardamom.) Add the ice, then top with sparkling water and a slice or two of lime, and serve.
Notes
Inspired by Alembic's late Mediterranean Homesick Blues.As mentioned above, I use organic agave nectar to sweeten this drink, as it is already in liquid form and it imparts a slightly warm, yet neutral, flavor to the drink, but you could use simple syrup (preferably made with organic sugar), or honey dissolved in a bit of hot water. There are many excellent gins on the market: Hendrick's, No. 209, and Junipero (made by the local Anchor Brewery) being my favorites thus far, but New Amsterdam also makes a good, inexpensive version. My bottle of rosewater has been hanging around my cupboard for several years; if you have a fresh bottle, which may be more potent, start with the smaller amount, then add more, if needed, to taste. The cardamom flavor comes out more the longer you take to sip it; you can optionally steep the cracked pods in the gin mixture for several minutes before adding the ice and sparkling water. You can make this virgin, too; just omit the gin, and increase the other flavorings slightly.Nutritional values are based on one drink.