Garnish:
A wood sorrel triplet leaf [edible] for a lovely oxalic acid bite or a small beech leaf [not edible as is] stuck to the glass.
How to make:
If you can find a fresh beech leaf, roll it up and forcefully scrunch until you can smell it's vegetal aroma. Add it to the gin, beech leaf noyau and calvados/apple cider brandy before stirring with ice. Depending on the acidity of your vinegar, use 2 to 6 drops of Apple cider vinegar (apple balsamic or another higher quality example preferably) to add a sharpness and complexity without over dominating. Strain into a chilled glass discarding the scrunched beech leaf if using.
35 ml | Monkey 47 gin |
15 ml | Beech Leaf Noyau Liqueur (homemade) |
10 ml | Berneroy Fine Calvados |
3 drop | Apple cider vinegar |
Notes:
Late April-May is when the new season's beech leaves unfurl. While young, they are fresh and supple before going woody as they mature. If you can find a fresh beech leaf to scrunch, I find it adds a little something aroma wise but it isn't mandatory. The cocktail takes inspiration from temperate deciduous trees and as well as beech, apple is there as a core component via apple cider brandy and to add other elements commonly represented by citrus when balancing the drink (Apple cider balsamic vinegar and the wood sorrel garnish's oxalic acid being reminiscent of tart cooking apples).
Origin:
Something I came up with for the Monkey 47 competition. With it being spring, I have literally just made another batch of Beech Leaf Noyau and it inspired me to go in a deciduous woodland sort of direction using my batch from last year.