High Five (cont.)

Who doesn’t like high fives? Particularly when they’re of the boozey kind?
This time, still being hot out and all, I thought five great bartenders could showcase Gin around town.

Starting things off, at Clio, Todd Maul is quietly doing incredibly creative stuff- think science meets cocktails- he’s often using a centrifuge for example. Here, he drills holes in perfect cubes of ice, and uses a pipette to insert loomi, a Persian black lime- the drink improves as it melts! This is no ordinary gin and tonic.
Photograph by Wayne Chinnock.

Bull’s Eye Gin & Tonic
2 oz Death’s Door Gin
3 oz Fever Tree Tonic
Loomi ice cubes
Long lime peel

Around the corner in Kenmore, it is a treat to sit in front of Scott Marshall, one of Boston’s all time greats, at Hawthorne. Incredibly likable, talented and can personally drink a gallon (how many bottles is that?) of Chartreuse in a sitting, he whipped up one of my summer standbys:

PC Southside
2 oz Plymouth Gin
.75 oz pomegranate grenadine
.75 oz lemon juice
3 slices muddled cucumber
6-8 mint leaves
(he mentions it’s also great tall over ice with soda as a Collins)

Heading across the river on Mass Ave, Noon Ithansuwan has upped the ante with her new cocktail program at Moksa in Cenrtal Square. By the way, I love that her cocktail menu states “get properly drunk with Noon.” Always on the cutting edge with tea infusions, spices, syrups and fresh ingredients, here featuring:

The Peking Sailor
2oz Hendrick’s Gin
1oz Cmapari
1 oz Elderflower infused cider vinegar
1 oz lemon juice
1 oz Prosecco float
Cucumber and orange garnish

A bit further into Cambridge, Chris Olds has created a new bar program to mirror the beautiful new space at Park in Harvard Square. His classically styled gin drink leans to the turn of the century:

The Defender
1.5 oz Hayman’s Old Tom Gin
1.5 oz Carpano Antica Sweet Vermouth
Barspoon Crème Yvette
Dash Reagan’s Orange Bitters
Orange peel garnish

A bit of a U-turn to Inman Square, Beau Sturm at Trina’s Starlite Lounge, prepares a simple elegant twist on the classic Gimlet. Named after a trip to MOMA in New York where he found a cilantro infused gin on the café menu, his drink, to me, is a summer classic.

The Modern
2oz Cilantro Gin
.75 oz simple syrup
.5 oz lime juice
Sweet 100 tomato garnish

Wait, that’s the High Five, but how about a night-cap? So, I’m cheating I guess, but this last one is also a terrific like-minded example, and shows how versatilie a classic cocktail can be.

Also, “High Five plus one” works for me.

Head back into Boston, slip late night into rising star Ryan Mcgrale’s bar at Storyville. His take switches the herb to basil and adds fruit with “rose” referring to a specific type of Italian fragola (strawberry).

King Rose
2 oz Plymouth Gin
.75 lime juice
.75 simple syrup
Muddled strawberry and basil leaves
Basil leaf garnish