private shandy

The theme for this month's Mixology Monday (MxMo LXXIX) was picked by Christa and Shaun of the BoozeNerds blog. The theme they chose was "Resin" which seems quite seasonally appropriate with Christmas trees being primed for decoration. The BoozeNerds elaborated on the concept by describing, "We thought hard about a theme that would work well for this time of year, and after contemplating the food, booze, and decor we like for the holidays, we settled on 'Resin.' From savory rosemary in a stuffing, to a delicious juniper-y gin in a martini, to a fragrant fir ornament or garnish, our friends the evergreens have a lot to offer... The challenge: come up with an ingenious creation using the resin-y ingredient of your choice. Zirbenz, retsina, hoppy IPA, pine-nut puree, even? Sure! Spirit, garnish, aroma, all are fair game. Whatever resin means to you, we want to hear it."

Given the excitement of the ThirstBoston events last weekend and my jam-packed work schedule before and after to make up for my time off, I did not have much time to search recipe books for the perfect resiny answer to this Mixology Monday riddle. However, I had been staring at the perfect recipe during these many shifts over the last two weeks, namely the Private Shandy created by Russell House Tavern's bar manager Sam Gabrielli here in Cambridge, MA. The Private Shandy pairs the elegant juniper note of Privateer Rum's gin with the resiny hoppiness of Blatant's IPA and perfectly fits the theme.

Private Shandy
• 1 1/2 oz Privateer Gin
• 3/4 oz Cinnamon Syrup
• 1/2 oz Housemade Pamplemousse Cordial (*)
• 1/2 oz Lemon Juice
Shake with ice and pour into a beer glass (~14 oz) containing 3 oz of Blatant (or other West Coast-style) IPA. Top with ice, garnish with a wide grapefruit swath, and add a straw.
(*) A commercial grapefruit liqueur like Combier would work well here as would making your own cordial using this recipe from Craigie on Main.

The wonder of the drink is how well the IPA beer's flavors match the other ingredients. The hops' pine and resin flavors complement the juniper and other botanicals in the gin, and the hops' citrus and grapefruit notes work elegantly with the grapefruit cordial and lemon juice. Finally, the cinnamon syrup ties together the drink with spice elements that go splendidly with the grapefruit, hops, and gin notes.
So thank you to Christa and Shaun of the BoozeNerds for picking the theme and running this month's show, and thanks to the rest of the Mixology Monday participants for keeping the spirit of the event alive!