We poured this cocktail for our debut appearance at Chicago Gourmet, the famous food & drink festival that happens each fall in Millennium Park in Chicago. We had beautiful weather on this late September weekend (Sept 26-27) – it was low 70’s and sunny on Saturday, and low 70’s but a bit cloudy on Sunday. Our cocktail was great for the weather, and wildly popular- a number of folks told us it was the best cocktail they had at the event!
We wanted something delicious and unique, yet accessible and appropriate for a daytime event with many delicious beverage options. Sonja had found some fresh lemongrass at an awesome farmers market on a recent trip to Kansas City, so we created a honey-lemongrass simple syrup to pair with our Sol Chamomile Citrus Vodka.
We like the how the herbal notes of the Sol play with the lemongrass, and the accent of honey gives it a little richness, making it a perfect fall transition cocktail while still being light & refreshing.
Indian Summer Fizz
1½ oz Sol Chamomile Citrus Vodka
¾ oz Lemongrass Honey Syrup (see recipe below)
¾ oz Fresh Lemon Juice
1/2 oz Fizzy Water (we used club soda)
Combine Sol, syrup, and lemon juice in a shaker. Shake with ice, strain into a chilled cocktail glass, and top with fizzy water. Garnish with a lemon twist. If desired, you could strain the cocktail over fresh ice in a rocks glass instead, then top with fizzy water & garnish.
Lemongrass Honey Syrup
1/2 cup Clover Honey
1/2 cup White Sugar
2/3 cup Water
2 tbsp Chopped Fresh Lemongrass or 2 tsp Dried Lemongrass
Bring ingredients to a simmer in a non-reactive saucepan. Simmer for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally (and be careful, the honey likes to foam up). Cool completely, then strain out lemongrass. Store in the refrigerator in a clean, glass jar for up to one month.
Cheers to the last bit of summer and the beginning of fall!
