dirty gin martini-ish

The cocktail world has jumped the shark. Sure it’s fun to go to the likes of Trick Dog for a Straw Hat (vermouth, Calvados, cider, chestnut honey and rosemary), but if I’m gonna pull out that many ingredients at home, I’m gonna bake a cake. So I was very pleased when my brother-in-law and I stumbled on a 2-ingredient cocktail (well, 3 ingredients in his case) when he was here last. Elmer (yes, that’s his name…sort of) is a gin & tonic man, but he likes it “dirty” — in other words, with a splash of brine from the olive jar, which creates a sweet/salty effect with tonic. I had great gin on hand (Junipero, distilled right here in SF by Anchor Steam), but I didn’t have any cocktail olives. Rummaging around for something briny, I realized preserved lemons would do the trick. After all, lemons go in G&Ts, and preserved lemons bring the salt. So Elmer had a preserved-lemon dirty G&T and I had gin on the rocks with a splash of the brine. We both garnished with a piece of PL. It was delish. I drank three. I felt gooooooooood.

ingredients

handful of ice
1 or 2 jiggers good gin
1/2 teaspoon brine from preserved lemons
tonic water, optional
preserved lemon for garnish

directions

Put ice in a highball glass. Pour in gin; splash in brine and stir. Top off with tonic if going that route. Slice a little chunk off a preserved lemon and float it in glass (remember, those babies are salty so go small).