Photographs: Clay Williams and Fine Young Man Productions
It feels like years since we helped Hendrick’s gin with the menu for a special December 14th invite-only dinner in the “Enchanted Forest of Curiosities,” but we just got a load of photos of the event (shown above) as well as recipes from Hendrick’s for every cocktail we drank (those are below) and we wanted to share.
The event, you may recall, is a semi-portable forest the British gin company sets up once or twice a year as an Alice in Wonderland-like collaborative party space complete with a soil floor, a foggy mist, and actors that scamper among spotted toadstools dressed as forest-like creatures.
This was the spectacle’s first set-up in Brooklyn–and in a loft above the American Apparel on N. Sixth Street, no less–and we helped by tapping a few of the contributors to our new cookbook to make their recipes for the guests. Those lucky folks were served drinks out of a wishing well under a paper “snow” fall, from a bar in a tree house, and from a roving cast of folks dressed in Victorian garb and tiny top hats–and they also included three winners from our cartoon caption contest, each of whom got to go for free:
Alex Schkrutz, Manhattan (“A rose by any other name is a cucumber, look it up if you don’t believe me.”)
Jesse Sanchez, Brooklyn (“It’s about time you quit guerkin my chain and give it to me straight.”)
Shannon Sturgis, Brooklyn (“I thought you said the Hendrick’s Gin would put a little hair on my chest? I look like Colonel Sanders!”)
“It’s about time you quit guerkin my chain and give it to me straight.”–Jesse Sanchez, Brooklyn
“I thought you said the Hendrick’s Gin would put a little hair on my chest? I look like Colonel Sanders!” –Shannon Sturgis, Brooklyn
The whole was a blast, in other words, and from the hometown perspective, we’re actually still floored by the deliciousness of all the Edible Brooklyn cookbook dishes–some made by home cooks, and all finished on hot plates in the basement beneath the space. (You can get the full menu right here.) In fact we liked seeing the cookbook come to life so much we’re kind of thinking of putting together a few more dinners just like it, gathering some of our favorite contributors to the book. Though they probably won’t be hosted in a loft-sized forest.
Cocktails from the Hendrick’s Gin Enchanted Forest of Curiosities/Edible Brooklyn Cookbook Dinner
Snow Miser’s Cooler
1½ parts Hendrick’s Gin
½ part St. Germain
¾ part Lime Juice
¼ part Simple Syrup
1½ part Soda Water
1 dash Lavender/Spice Bitter
Cucumber Spear
Mix all ingredients excluding soda water and cucumber spear. Ice, shake well and strain into iced long glass and top with soda. Garnish with cucumber spear and serve in a long glass.
Alaskan Sour
1½ parts Hendrick’s Gin
¾ parts Yellow Chartreuse
½ part Simple Syrup
½ part Lemon Juice
¼ part Egg White
2 dashes Regan’s Orange
Combine ingredients. Dry Shake. Ice and shake well. Double Strain up with lemon twist spritz and discard before serving in martini glass.
Post In-Law’s Visit Punch
1 part Hendrick’s Gin
1 part Chamomile Tea
1 part Pineapple Juice
½ part Lemon Juice
½ part Honey Syrup
1 Mint Tip
3 dashes Peychaud’s Bitters
1/4 part Dry Cognac
Lemon wheel
Combine ingredients in a punchbowl, stir well and lash with bitters. Smack mint over bowl and discard. Serve in martini glass, garnish with lemon wheel.
*To make tea: place 4 bags per 8oz hot water. Allow to steep 1 hour. Chill.
**To make syrup-: 2 parts honey to 1 part warm water stirred well and kept cold.
But Fifteen “bob” Punch
20 parts Hendrick’s Gin
20 parts Unfiltered Apple Cider with Mulling Spices
20 parts Tazo Red Apple Tea
10 parts Coconut Juice
10 lemons
5 parts Grade B Maple Syrup
Star Anise
Cinnamon Sticks
*To mull: Heat 8oz apple cider with mulling spices and apple tea bag for 5 min, discard tea bag.
Combine remaining ingredients and keep at a low rolling heat. Garnish with star anise and cinnamon sticks. Serve in a punch cup.
Improved White Cargo Punch
5 parts Hendrick’s Gin
10 parts Vanilla Ice Cream
1 part Maraschino Luxardo
1 part Lillet Blanc
Nutmeg
One hour before serving place ice cream, Hendrick’s, maraschino and Lillet into a punchbowl. Fold ingredients and stir constantly. Garnish each punch cup to be served with nutmeg dust.
Cucumber Martini
2 ½ parts Hendrick’s Gin
½ part Lillet
Cucumber Slice
Stir ingredients and strain into a martini glass. Garnish with a cucumber slice.
Hendrick’s and Tonic
1 ½ parts Hendrick’s Gin
3 parts Tonic Water
Cucumber Slice
Pour Hendrick’s Gin into a long glass over ice cubes and fill with tonic water. Stir. Garnish with a slice of cucumber.
Archangel
2 parts Hendrick’s Gin
1 part Aperol
Cucumber Slice
Lemon peel
In a mixing glass, combine ingredients, muddle cucumber, ice well and stir until well chilled. Double strain into martini glass and garnish with lemon peel.
Will-o’-the-Wisp
2 parts Hendrick’s Gin
1 oz Lambic Pear Beer/Tarragon/Thyme simple syrup*
¼ part Green Chartreuse
¾ parts fresh lemon juice
Soda Water
Tarragon sprig
Combine first 3 ingredients in a mixing glass, add ice and shake well. Strain into an iced long glass and top with soda water. Garnish with a tarragon sprig.
*To make: 1 part white sugar, 2 parts lambic pear beer, goodly sums of tarragon and thyme. Heat until the sugar dissolves and herbs steep into the syrup (about 1 hour). Cool and keep cold.
High Tea for One
2 parts Hendrick’s Gin
1 part Lemon Juice
1 part Caraway simple syrup*
½ part Clementine Juice
1 barspoon marmalade
2 dashes Peychaud’s Bitters
Combine ingredients in a mixing glass, ice, shake and strain into a tea pot, serve into a tea cup and garnish with toasted caraway seeds** floating atop a thin cucumber wheel.
*to make: place 16 oz of caraway seeds into the pot as you make a simple syrup with 1 part water to 1 part sugar and let sit for 2 hours. Strain and chill.
**to make: place seeds in a pan and heat up until roasted well. Store in a container and garnish.
