Hearts + Butterflies Gin + Tonic

Gin

Jan 22

Listen.

I’m a ridiculous person.

I know this. You know this. WE ALL KNOW THIS. So yes, I spent a literal STUPID amount of hours stamping heart-shaped confetti out of rose petals for this drink. And to toss casually at my chicken (toss the rose petals, not the drink. Geez!).

And I have zero regrets.

I love Valentinesy drinks. And I love rose drinks. And I really, really love color-changing gin (that magical blue butterfly pea flower-infused potion from Empress Gin 1908…when you hit it with something acidic it changes to a purpley-pink hue). And all of this comes together in a very refreshing, tangy, floral G + T.

HEARTS + BUTTERFLIES GIN + TONIC

Makes one serving.

3 oz. Empress Gin 1908 (or, just whatever gin you prefer)
3 oz. tonic water
.5 oz. fresh lemon juice
.25 oz. rosewater
approx. 1 tbs. heart-shaped organic rose petal confetti (or just a few whole rose petals—you don’t need to cut them into tiny little hearts unless you have some time to kill)
organic rose petal/confetti ice cubes
Start by…yanno…cutting your rose petals into trillions of tiny hearts (I used teeny tiny heart-shaped cookie cutters). Or skip this step and just keep the rose petals whole. Freeze your rose petals into ice cubes, and if you want to be real slick, use tonic water to make your ice cubes so that your G + T doesn’t get all dilutey. Let those suckers freeze overnight. While you’re at it, chill your glasses, too.
When you’re ready to build your beverage, place about a half tablespoon of heart confetti (or a few whole rose petals) in the base of a collins glass. Stack your rose petal/confetti ice cubes in the glass all the way to the brim, sprinkling in more rose petal confetti or rose petals as you stack the ice. Add gin, rosewater, lemon juice, and top with tonic water. Give it a stir, and enjoy. Toss your excess rose petal confetti at your chickens. They’ll be pissed for a second until they realize they can eat it. THEN EVERYONE IS HAPPY.

This tiny chicken (whose name is Spork), put up with exactly three takes of me tossing confetti at her before she got super mad and soared like a falcon straight at the camera lens: