Good Luck Charm Recipe
Gracias a Dios Gin, Aromatized Wine, Yuzu Curacao, Blackberry Shrub, Lemon, Bitters
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Ingredients
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Cocktail
Blackberry Shrub (makes ~1 cup; yields enough for multiple cocktails)
Method
Blackberry Shrub (advance, 1–2 days recommended)
Macerate berries
Place the blackberries and granulated sugar in a medium bowl or jar. Muddle or gently mash the berries to release juices so sugar dissolves and combines with berry juice. Cover and refrigerate for at least 4 hours or up to 24 hours to macerate; stirring once or twice helps.
Strain and combine with vinegar
After maceration, strain the berry-sugar mixture through a fine-mesh sieve into a bowl, pressing solids to extract as much liquid as possible. Discard or reserve solids for another use. Combine the strained blackberry syrup with the apple cider vinegar in a clean jar, stir or shake to blend.
Finish and age
Stir in the tablespoon of fresh lemon juice and optional pinch of salt. Taste and adjust vinegar or sugar to preference (more vinegar for tang, more sugar for sweetness). Refrigerate the shrub for at least 24 hours to mellow; it will keep refrigerated for several weeks. Use 1/2 oz per cocktail as directed.
Cocktail Assembly
Mix
In a mixing glass or cocktail shaker filled with ice, add 2 oz Gracias a Dios Gin, 0.75 oz aromatized wine, 0.5 oz yuzu curaçao, 0.5 oz blackberry shrub, and 0.5 oz fresh lemon juice. Add 2 dashes aromatic bitters.
Stir or shake
If you want a silky, spirit-forward texture, stir the mixture in a mixing glass with ice for 20–30 seconds until well chilled and slightly diluted. For a brighter, aerated cocktail, shake vigorously for 10–12 seconds in a cocktail shaker.
Strain and serve
Discard ice or water from the chilled serving glass. Double-strain the cocktail into the chilled glass using a Hawthorne and fine mesh strainer to remove small ice chips and any berry particulates.
Garnish
Thread a fresh blackberry onto a pick and rest it across the rim or float in the drink. Express a lemon twist over the surface to release oils, wipe the rim with the twist and drop it into the drink or perch on the rim.
Serve
Serve immediately. The balance should be bright and slightly tart from the shrub and lemon, rounded by the aromatized wine and gin, with a touch of orange-yuzu sweetness and bitters for depth.