Cocktails and gardening: Juniper French 75 recipe

Beth Evans-Ramos, a blogger at the fantastically named Mama Knows Her Cocktails, will be presenting at the Northwest Flower and Garden Show on Thursday.

Her presentation, Botanical Beverages: Toasting a Healthier Happy Hour, caught my eye. She was kind enough to share a recipe for a Juniper French 75 with us. She will be including it in her show-and-tell demonstration at the show. She speaks at 6:45 p.m. on Thursday. The show is at the Washington State Convention Center in Seattle.

Juniper French 75

• 1 1/2 ounces gin
• 3/4 ounce Juniper Simple Syrup
• 1/2 ounce freshly squeezed lemon juice
• 3 ounces champagne or prosecco

Shake the gin, juniper simple syrup, and lemon juice with ice. Strain into your serving glass, and add the champagne or prosecco. Garnish with an edible evergreen sprig.

Juniper Syrup

• 1 tablespoon dried juniper berries (Found in bulk herb sections of some grocery stores, like Central Market. Only use juniper berries you are positive are edible!)
• 1/2 cup water
• 1/2 cup organic cane sugar

Bring the sugar and water to a low boil, stirring until the sugar is dissolved. Add the juniper berries and simmer for 15 minutes. Turn off the heat, and let the syrup cool to room temperature. Strain into a clean bottle and refrigerate. Use within two weeks.