I Dream of Greenie Recipe

By
April Wachtel
April Wachtel, a contributing writer at Serious Eats
April Wachtel

April Wachtel is an experienced mixologist and a cocktail and spirits instructor whose recipes have appeared in Serious Eats, Greatest, Whiskey Advocate, and more. She's also founder and CEO of a cocktail mixers company, Cheeky Cocktails.

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Updated August 29, 2018
20150505-mint-cocktails-dream-of-greenie-vicky-wasik-1.jpg
The perfect spring gin drink. . Vicky Wasik

Why It Works

  • Herbal gin brings out the fresh notes in this minty cocktail. Use a clean London Dry like Bombay Dry or Beefeater.
  • Arugula highlights the peppery side of the drink and keeps things from getting too sweet.

This cocktail tastes just like spring: bright, herbal, cooling, and peppery.

Recipe Details

I Dream of Greenie Recipe

Active 15 mins
Total 20 mins
Serves 1 serving

Ingredients

  • For the Minty Pea Syrup:
  • 1 cup water
  • 2 mint tea bags (see note)
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 2 cups chopped sugar snap peas (in pod), chopped
  • 1/2 cup packed fresh arugula
  • For Each Cocktail:
  • 1 1/2 ounces London Dry Gin
  • 1 ounce Minty Pea Syrup
  • 3/4 ounce fresh juice from 1 lemon
  • Pinch kosher salt
  • Freshly cracked black pepper, for garnish

Directions

  1. For the Minty Pea Syrup: Bring water to a boil in a small saucepan and add mint tea bags (see note if you'd prefer to use fresh mint). Remove from heat, steep for 4 minutes. Remove tea bags and add sugar, stirring until dissolved. Let cool.

  2. Add 1 1/2 cups cooled mint syrup, sugar snap peas, and arugula to a blender. Blend until smooth. Strain through a fine-mesh strainer, seal, and refrigerate until ready to use, up to 2 days. You should have enough syrup for 12 drinks.

  3. For Each Cocktail: Add gin, Minty Pea Syrup, lemon juice, and salt to a cocktail shaker. Fill 2/3 full with ice and shake until well chilled, about 10 seconds. Double-strain into a cocktail glass. Garnish with black pepper and serve.

Special equipment

Blender, fine-mesh strainer

Notes

If you'd prefer to use fresh mint in the minty pea syrup, substitute 1 cup packed fresh mint leaves for the mint tea and let steep 2 minutes. Strain and proceed, adding sugar as in Step 1.

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