Plan C Recipe

1. Prepare Verdita

Place cilantro, parsley, and mint in the bowl of a small food processor. Add peeled garlic clove, chopped ginger, honey, and lime juice.

2. Pulse the herbs and aromatics until finely chopped, scraping down the sides as needed (about 10–15 pulses).

3. With the processor running, slowly stream in the olive oil and vinegar to emulsify into a loose green sauce. If the verdita is too thick, add 1–2 tablespoons of water, one tablespoon at a time, until it reaches a pourable but still vivid texture.

4. Season with salt and black pepper, pulse once or twice to combine, then taste and adjust honey, lime, or salt as desired. Transfer the verdita to a jar and refrigerate until ready to use. Makes roughly 3–4 tablespoons.

5. Combine honey, sliced ginger, and water in a small saucepan and bring to a gentle simmer over medium-low heat. Stir until the honey dissolves, then simmer 2–3 minutes to infuse the ginger.

6. Remove from heat and let steep for 10 minutes to deepen the ginger flavor.

7. Strain the syrup through a fine-mesh sieve into a small jar, pressing on the ginger to extract flavor. Cool to room temperature before using. Refrigerate any extra syrup for up to 1 week.

8. Fill a tall glass or highball with ice cubes (about 1 cup).

9. Pour 4 oz fresh orange juice over the ice.

10. Add 1.5 tablespoons of house verdita directly into the orange juice. Use a spoon to gently swirl and partially incorporate the green sauce — the verdita should create mottled green ribbons through the juice for visual contrast and herbal flavor.

11. Stir in 1 tablespoon of the cooled honey & ginger syrup until blended with the orange and verdita.

12. Top gently with 3 oz chilled soda water. Give the drink one or two gentle stirs to combine without fully homogenizing; you want some texture from the verdita to remain visible.

13. Garnish with an orange wheel or twist and a sprig of cilantro, if using. Serve immediately.

14. Optional variation: For a slightly brighter, fizzier profile, use sparkling citrus water and increase soda to 4 oz. For a boozy version, add 1.5 oz blanco tequila or gin before topping with soda.