As we swelter through the dog days of summer, what you want is a drink which has a bit of a sharp bite to it while still being fruity and sippable. Enter of one my all-time favorite drinks, the Jasmine. This lesser-known cocktail is a citrus lovers delight, and is somewhat similar to the beloved Pegu Club but with a sharper, more bitter edge.
What I love about this drink is that it somehow manages to capture all the juicy, sharp flavors of really good pink grapefruit juice, but without containing any actual grapefruit juice in it. Instead, it uses gin, Campari, Cointreau, and lemon juice to bring together zingy citrus flavors with a piercing alcoholic bite.
With so few ingredients and no added sugar, there’s nowhere to hide poor ingredients in this combination. So use better gin for this — it needn’t be the very fanciest gin you own, but nothing bottom shelf — and opt for a citrus-forward gin if you have it. If I’m feeling bougie I’ll use Brooklyn Gin in this drink, as it has a smooth character but plenty of lemon peel flavor.
It’s also even more important to use very fresh lemon juice as this will be the main source of sweetness in the drink. A shriveled, weeks-old lemon will not do here. Find one which is fresh and juicy and squeeze it while you’re making the drink rather than beforehand.
Get those details right and this drink is both simple to make and absolutely delicious.
How to make a Jasmine
Ingredients:
- 50ml gin
- 25ml lemon juice
- 10ml Campari
- 10ml Cointreau
Method:
Combine ingredients in a shaker tin with ice. Shake well and strain into a coupe glass. Garnish with a lemon twist.
