The Five O'Clock: Juniper Lemonade Tonic

Juniper berries, lemon, and tonic mix in this crafty cocktail created by longtime TABLE contributor Quelcy Kogel. She uses Red Ribbon Tonic Water, which is a bit on the sweeter side (to our benefit!). It’s the perfect tonic to add to any of our favorite spirits, especially when it’s combined with a juniper simple syrup that mimics the flavors of a good, dry gin.

Have it as a mocktail with only the tonic and syrup, or follow the cocktail recipe below and add your favorite gin for a refreshing, fruity happy hour.

Juniper Syrup

Ingredients

1 cup granulated sugar

1/2 cup water

3 teaspoons juniper berries

3 bay leaves, slightly crushed

Instructions

Combine sugar, water, juniper berries, and bay leaves in a small saucepan; stir to disolve sugar. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat.

When mixture boils, reduce the heat to medium and simmer until mixture is slightly thickened, about 5 minutes.

Remove from heat and let steep 15 to 20 minutes. Strain syrup to remove herbs, and transfer to a container with a tight-fittting lid. Cover and refrigerate until ready to use.

Cocktail

Ingredients

2 ounces gin

4 ounces fresh squeezed lemon juice

1/2 to 1 ounce juniper syrup

Red Ribbon Tonic Water

Juniper berries (optional)

Instructions

In a Collins glass, combine the gin, lemon juice and syrup over ice. Top with tonic, garnish with juniper berries, and serve.

Yield: 1 serving