The Pairing
A Natural History of Dragons, by Marie Brennan
The Reasoning
The intrepid Lady Trent, dragon naturalist, leaves behind her buttoned up life in refined Scirland to quest for adventure in the dangerous and exotic mountains of Vystrana. What could be more fitting than a mojito with a genteel twist? This is a light and refreshing cocktail, and its sweetness can be adjusted to your taste by altering the amount of honey. For me, one teaspoon is the perfect balance.
The Cocktail
You will need:
- A drinking straw
- A channel knife (if you don’t have one, a vegetable peeler or paring knife will do)
- Crushed ice
- 2 oz gin (Hendricks works especially well)(Non-Alcoholic Substitute: Omit this Ingredient)
- 8 mint leaves, plus sprig for garnish
- 1 lime
- 1 tsp honey
- Apple juice
Pour 2 oz gin (Non-Alcoholic version: 2 oz Apple Juice), and a generous teaspoon of honey into your glass. Stir well until dissolved! Add mint leaves (minus sprig of garnish) and muddle in the bottom of the glass with a spoon. Add crushed ice to fill glass.
Using your channel knife, cut a twist of lime peel. If you are using a paring knife or vegetable peeler, shave off a slice of peel instead. Set to one side.
Cut the lime in half and squeeze the juice over the ice. For larger limes, use half.
Top off the glass with apple juice and use the drinking straw to stir well. Garnish with lime twist and sprig of mint.
Enjoy!
Update: Marie Brennan’s Blog
Marie very kindly made a post on her own blog mentioning The Lady Trent after trying it out for herself! See her verdict here.
