Cocktail to Try: Oyster House's Bootsy Collins
Please note: This article is published as an archive copy from Philadelphia City Paper. My City Paper is not affiliated with Philadelphia City Paper. Philadelphia City Paper was an alternative weekly newspaper in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The last edition was published on October 8, 2015.
Over 30 gins line the subway-tiled bar at Oyster House, from “old-world juniper bombs to softer, citrus-forward new-school” bottles, according to head bartender Lindsey Kreuger. “With seafood, people think about Muscadet or sparkling wine — and like them, gin is dry,” a natural match for the restaurant’s rotation of raw and cooked creatures of the deep.
Kreuger deploys his gin roster of cocktails that include the Bootsy Collins Punch. The bar staff was brainstorming a brunch-friendly punch and the classic, cucumber-speared Pimm’s Cup came up. Named for bass guitarist Bootsy Collins, “The Bootsy is an amped-up Pimm’s Cup,” explains Kreuger, “but it also has the traditional Collins base of sugar, lemon and club soda.” New Amsterdam gin infused with cucumber, lemon and dill lays the foundation for the tea-colored mash-up.
Sweetened with rosemary syrup, fresh lemonade covers the gin and a dose of Pimm’s. Club soda adds sparkle. A cucumber spear, pierced with a bamboo skewer, sits across the rim of the glass like a surfboard at rest. “It’s summertime-friendly, refreshing, easygoing.” Soak it in while it lasts.
Make It
- 1 ounce cucumber-dill gin (recipe below)
- 1 ounce rosemary simple syrup (recipe below)
- 2 ounces rosemary lemonade (recipe below)
- 1 ounce Pimm’s No. 1
- 2 ounces club soda
For the cucumber-dill gin: Per 750-milliliter bottle of gin (they use New Amsterdam), use half a bunch of fresh dill, one large unpeeled cucumber sliced into coins and the peel of one lemon. Combine all ingredients in a jar or other sealable container and infuse at room temperature for at least 24 hours, shaking occasionally. Taste before serving.
For the rosemary simple syrup: Combine 2 cups of water and 2 cups of white sugar in a 4-quart saucepan over medium heat. Dissolve sugar, add two sprigs of fresh rosemary and remove from heat. Cool to room temperature, transfer to a sealable container and refrigerate overnight.
For the rosemary lemonade: Combine equal parts fresh lemon juice and rosemary simple syrup.
Combine all ingredients and serve over ice with a fresh slice of cucumber and a straw.
