G&T granita

What’s better in SUmmer than granita? This recipe from suzanne farrell takes it to new heights!
220g castor sugar
120ml water
Juice of one lemon including fleshy bits
Juice of one lime including fleshy bits
(made up to 500ml with cold water)
200ml gin
80 – 100 ml sin-ko-nah tonic syrup (or to taste)
1/2 granny smith apple*, peeled, cored and very finely diced (about 5mm square or smaller if you can or grated – including the juice as well
*The apple gives the granita a bit of balance with some sourness and some body. You could use the whole apple if you like the result.  
Mix castor sugar and 120ml water in a pan over a medium heat and stir until the sugar is dissolved.  Bring to a steady boil for 5 mins. Take off the heat and cool for 10 mins.
Stir in cold water, citrus juices and pulp, add the gin and tonic syrup. Keep tasting as you add things until you’re pleased with the flavour – remembering that it will taste less sweet and less alcoholic when frozen.
Add the apple pieces (and juice if you grated the apple) and stir.
Pour into a freezer safe container – a large and flat tray is most efficient but anything that fits in your freezer will do. Freeze for 30 mins – then take it out – pour it into a saucepan  and whisk for a few seconds. Then  return to freezer for another 30 mins. Continue to do this until the granita is pretty firm and frozen, but not solid like ice. This will take 3 – 4 hours.
To serve, use a fork to break up the granita into icy cold lumps. You can store the left over granita in the freezer for a month or so. Break it up with a fork before you put it in the freezer and also before you serve it.
I serve this as a drink in a chilled martini glass, with an extra shot of gin, or limoncello, and a thyme sprig as garnish. Or you could make it the base of a dessert with lemon gelato scoops and shortbread biscuits.

A mean punch

MIRANDa SHARP, Melbourne Farmers’ Markets, makes a mean punch:

Make a mix of 1/3 ginger ale or ginger beer, 2/3 soda water, add a good pour of fresh orange juice to that and a dash of pomegranate cordial or homemade citrus cordial, and a generously large slug of sin-ko-nah to taste.

Cool as a cucumber

Matt wilkinson, Pope Joan, likes his G&Ts like this:

Juice cucumbers with the skin on, add a little bit of salt, then freeze as ice cubes.  In a long glass add the ice, more fresh cucumber, a pinch of salt, lemon, gin (Gordon’s or Four Pillars from the Yarra Valley), tonic and a couple of drops of sin-ko-nah tonic syrup.

Hot toddy

Boil your kettle, then allow the water to cool slightly.
Pour 1 tbsp sin-ko-nah tonic syrup into a mug, add a good dose of gin and fill with hot water (not too hot – we don’t want to scold the nice gin!). When served warm, the bitterness of the tonic syrup will be more pronounced, so you may wish to add a teaspoon of honey.

Oolong iced tea

recipe courtesy of Adam, Pipi:

Brew a small pot of strong oolong tea and allow to cool.
Meanwhile, in a shaker add together:
15ml sin-ko-nah tonic syrup
50ml gin
75ml tea
1 sugar cube (or 1tsp)
lemon slice
1 crushed juniper berry
Shake vigorously; strain and serve with a thin slice of lemon.

sin-ko-nah martini

recipe courtesy of Adam, Pipi:

Add to a cocktail shaker:
50ml gin or vodka
15ml sin-ko-nah tonic syrup
juice of 1/4 grapefruit
sprig mint
ice
Shake well, rim your glass with the grapefruit and sip with pleasure.

sin-kō-nah aviation

recipe courtesy of Adam, Pipi:

60ml gin
30ml luxardo
10ml creme violette
20ml lemon juice
8ml sin-ko-nah tonic syrup
Build the above ingredients over crushed ice, mix and imbibe.

sin-ko-nah panna cotta (makes 6)

Recipe courtesy the lovely Brydie Smith, Mansfield Regional Produce Store
250ml heavy cream
100ml full cream milk
1 1/2 tablespoons sin-ko-nah tonic syrup
1/4 cup castor sugar
zest of 1/2 Meyer lemon*
1 1/4 tsp powdered gelatine

Method: (more…)

Taking a night off

50mls fresh lemon juice
50mls water
25mls sin-kō-nah tonic syrup
10mls sugar syrup
Shake over ice, strain into a tumbler full of ice.

Mocktail Me

1 egg white
3 x cloves
1 dash angostura bitters
1 dash orange bitters
150ml fresh orange juice
30-35mls sin-kō-nah tonic syrup

Shake and serve straight, or over ice for a subtle and refreshing beverage.
Can be served hot without egg white, but with egg yolk.

Cherry ‘POP’

30mls sin-kō-nah tonic syrup
20mls Cherry Heering
25mls fresh lemon juice
7.5mls sugar syrup or sugar to tasteShake over ice and fine strain into a cocktail glass. Garnish with a cherry in season.

Above Average cocktail

20mls sin-kō-nah tonic syrup
20mls Kahlua
20mls Amaro montenegro
20mls fresh lemon juice
2 dashes of Angostura bitters (optional)
Shake over ice, fine strain into a 5-6oz cocktail glass.

Sinful Gin Punch

50mls Four Pillars gin
25mls fresh lemon juice
15mls sin-kō-nah tonic syrup
10mls sugar syrup
Shake over ice and double strain over ice and garnish with seasonal fruit.

sin-kō-nah negroni

30mls Four Pillars gin
25mls Cinzano rosso
20mls sin-kō-nah tonic syrup
1-2 dashes of Angostura orange bitters
Stir over a large block of ice and garnish with a large orange peel.