Friday Cocktails: Strawberry-Lillet Crush

On a hot, humid Tuesday I returned after a long work day in need of a cocktail and reached for Plymouth gin, a stand-by in my house. My usual warm weather drink is a gin and tonic, but a tray of plump strawberries I had recently purchased was calling to me from my fridge; with only a few weeks of summer left, I wanted to make something truly emblematic of the season. Luckily, the botanical balance in Plymouth plays well with all sorts of flavors without overwhelming them—I was sure it would work well with summer berries. A splash of Lillet Blanc, a quintessential summer beverage with delicate sweetness and overtones of fruit, complemented both. I muddled the strawberries with fresh mint and a bit of simple syrup, added the spirits, and a few shakes later I had a gorgeous, blush-colored cocktail to pour over crushed ice—the perfect refresher for a muggy August evening.