Something summery

Tonight I came home from work and the weather was cool and breezy and lovely. I don't know about you but I am intensely looking forward to fall and even the slightest hint of a chill in the air makes me deliriously happy. We threw open all the windows and, suddenly, a gin-based drink sounded amazing. I couldn't understand why, until it dawned on me that the fragrance of nearby pine trees had drifted inside. My nose apparently likened the pine fragrance to juniper berries, which my brain interpreted to be a sly suggestion for a gin and tonic.

Unfortunately my brain's plan was thwarted because, although we have a very respectable amount of liquor on hand for non-cocktail drinkers, we are completely out of gin. I regrouped and played mixologist with what we did have on hand: passionfruit juice, sparkling water, limes, and a teeny splash of tequila.


(As a brief aside, have you ever tried Ceres juice? It's completely delicious, 100% juice that comes in amazing flavors like passionfruit and litchi. My favorite flavor is passionfruit and the best way to drink it is to add a splash to a glass of sparkling water.)

I am not a cocktail girl --the primary reason being that most are entirely too sweet and the secondary reason being that I am a notorious lightweight-- but I do love to make my own because I can go as light on the sweetness and alcohol as I like. That is, very light on the sugar, and usually light on the alcohol too. This concoction was decidedly summery, with its pale yellow hue and bright passionfruit flavor that so reminded me of Vietnam. Luckily, given Houston's climate, this is probably not the last appearance it will make this month!

Oh, and it was just fine with tequila. Nevertheless, my to-do list has one new item: Trip to Spec's for a fifth of Bombay Sapphire.