So this is something I’ve never participated in, but I’m giving it a shot.  Mixology Monday is an online event where cocktail bloggers from around the web make drinks based on a theme.  It happens once a month, and this one is hosted by Matt over at RumDood (who will provide a round-up of all the cocktails created), and the theme he’s chosen is ginger.  Ginger in whatever form: sliced, shredded, ginger beer, ginger liqueur, WHATEVER.  It’s just gotta be ginger.  I’d been working on this drink already when I found out this month’s theme, so what better place to debut it than to a group who could provide the most humiliating ridicule and soul-crushing criticism possible, right?

Generally speaking, I am horrible at making new drinks*.  I shouldn’t say that…I’m inexperienced at making new drinks, I’ve really never done it much, just left it up to the professionals.  But for some reason this drink sprung up from out of nowhere, the ingredients from around my house just spoke to me until I did what they said and put them together in a drink.  I happened to have some candied/crystalized ginger lying around from a dip my sister-in-law had made for a family event.  It’s basically sliced ginger dried out and coated in sugar.  You know, candied.  It results in a milder and sweeter ginger flavor, though it still retains some of that natural ginger warmth.  Anyway, enough blibbity-blab, here’s the drink:

The Ginger-Grass Shimmy

2oz Martin Miller gin

1/4oz simple syrup

1 slice candied ginger

1-2oz DRY Lemongrass soda

Lemon peel garnish

Combine gin and simple in a shaker and shake.  Pour over ginger slice and muddle ginger.  Top with lemongrass soda and garnish with lemon peel.

You can adjust the simple up or down to your liking, there’s bound to be residual sugar on the ginger, so that will add some sweetness.  You need to pour the gin/simple over the ginger before muddling since it’s pretty dry and dry-muddling it would be FOOLISH.  Also, if you’re preparing this in a cocktail glass to be a fancy-jerk like I was be careful when muddling the ginger, cocktail glasses are typically pretty fragile.  I tried this with several different gins, but the Martin Miller provided the most “clean” feel to it and added to the refreshing nature of the drink.  I got the DRY lemongrass soda at a Fresh Market near me that was clearing it out at $1.99 a 4-pack, and bought it on a whim that I’d find a use for it some day.  I’ll be honest, this isn’t a super ginger-forward drink, but if you muddle it well you’ll get a nice little ginger-burn at the back of your throat when you sip it, a nice contrast to the bright crisp flavors of the rest of the drink.  If you want more ginger flavor, maybe garnish with some fresh sliced ginger instead of the lemon.  I would have tried that if I had some.

So there it is!  I don’t know if I’ll submit a drink next month, but it just seemed like a great convergence of things came together to make this drink happen and a good way to put it out in the world.  Be sure to check out RumDood to see all the other entries!

*This drink may serve to perpetuate that general rule, YOU be the judge!