Summer Gimlet Recipe: Van Down By The River

Recipe: Arbella , Chicago

Photo: Mistey Nguyen

June 25, 2021

For sweltering summers, the team at Arbella in Chicago devised this summer-ready gimlet recipe. “No one does refreshing better than Gulf Coast cities. We combined flavors from both sides of the Gulf Coast, hibiscus (Mexico) and peach tea (Georgia),” says beverage director Eric Trousdale.

Ingredients

1 oz. gin
3/4 oz. fresh lime juice
1/2 oz. hibiscus syrup
1/4 oz. peach tea sipping vinegar

Tools:shaker, strainer
Glass:coupe
Garnish:dehydrated citrus wheel

Preparation

Combine all of the ingredients in a shaker with ice and shake to chill. Strain into a coupe and garnish.

Peach Tea Sipping VinegarBring 1 cup of rice wine vinegar to a simmer on the stovetop. Add 1 1/2 cups of sugar, then stir until dissolved. Remove from heat and add 10 bags of peach tea, let steep for 8 minutes before removing the teabags.

Hibiscus SyrupCombine 1 cup of sugar with 1 cup of water on the stovetop. Simmer for 15 minutes. Turn off the heat, and add 1 cup of dried hibiscus flowers. Steep for 1 hour and strain into a glass bottle for future use.