Modern Gin Recipes

by Dhee Chatlani

Difficulty Level: Medium

Fall is here and one always wonders “if a tree falls in the fall does it make a sound?” We may never know, but this cocktail sure isn’t quiet. The burst of blackberry and peach combined with our Spiced Rum, Modern Gin, and the addition of Chartreuse is a flavor punch your guests will love at your Thanksgiving Dinner!

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0.5 oz. Vitae Spirits Spiced Rum

0.5 oz Modern Gin

0.5 oz Chartreuse

3 oz Fall Tea Syrup*

0.5 oz Lime juice

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Fall Tea Syrup

8 Peaches diced

12 oz Blackberries

8 cups Sugar

2 sprigs Rosemary – Leaves only, no stems

6 sprigs Thyme (double amount if the sprigs are very thin)

4 sprigs Basil

In a container, add the Peaches, Blackberries, and Sugar. Leave together for 12-48 hours. Blend together the peach mixture along with the herbs until smooth puree forms. Strain the mixture through a metal sieve. There should not be many pieces of herbs left, the majority should be part of the puree.

Green Tea: 1 cups Water, 2 Green Tea Bags

Bring water to a boil. Steep tea bags for 15 minutes.

Syrup Batch:

3 parts Peach Blackberry Syrup

2 parts Green Tea

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1. Combine all ingredients into shaker with ice
2. Shake thoroughly
3. Strain into coupe glass and garnish with lime slice or a sprig of thyme

by Ian Glomski

Difficulty Level: Easy

This impressively blue cocktail is perfectly refreshing and has an ingredient that gives a nod to Ian’s microbiology background. Spirulina is a type of algae that is used in food supplements. It is rich in protein, vitamins, minerals, carotenoids, and antioxidants. Phycocyanin is the blue pigment derived from spirulina which gives the algae its dark blue color when it has been extracted. This blue pigment comes in the form of a powder and is dissolved into the cocktail to give it its vibrant smurf-like color. Science!

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0.5 oz Vitae Spits Old Tom Gin

0.5 oz. Vitae Spirits Orange Liqueur

0.5 oz Peach Schnapps

Blue Spirulina powder

Sicilian Lemon Soda

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1. Combine alcohol and a very tiny amount of Blue Spirulina powder (less than 1/4 tsp) in a shaker with ice

2. Shake well until powder is dissolved

3. Double strain into a coupe glass

4. Top of with Lemon soda

5. Garnish with lemon twist

by Dheeraj Chatlani

A  fluffy libation with a Japanese citron twist
Yuzu and lime form an unlikely match along with our orange liqueur. Reminiscent of a light cake on the turn of the season, the bitters and Modern Gin round the flavor.

Difficulty Level: Medium +

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1 oz. Vitae Spirits Modern Gin

0.5 oz. Vitae Spirits Orange Liqueur

.75 oz Yuzu simple syrup*

0.5 oz egg white

0.5 oz lime juice

4 dashes Embitterment Orange Bitters

4 dashes Embitterment Aromatic Bitters

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Yuzu Syrup

1 part yuzu marmalade to 4 parts heavy simple syrup.

Combine lemon peel and sugar and let sit for a few hours to create an oleo sacrum. While oleo sacrum is finishing, combine marmalade and water in a pot and bring to a rolling boil. Add oleo sacrum and stir until dissolved.

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1. Combine all ingredients in a shaker

2. Add 1 cup medium ice

3. Shake vigorously

4. Pour in a cocktail glass.

5. Garnish with an edible flower.

by TJ Drake

Difficulty Level: Easy+

Ever wonder what spring tastes like? I think we nailed it! This cocktail is light, refreshing, and perfect for the season. Grapefruit and gin always make a good combination and we’ve paired it with a fizzy, floral, soda, for a fun pop! Enjoy!

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1 oz Modern Gin

0.5 oz. Vitae Spirits Orange Liqueur

1 oz Grapefruit juice

0.5 oz Vanilla simple syrup

Top with Dry Sparkling Lavender Soda

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Vanilla Simple Syrup

1 cup sugar

2 cups water

1 whole vanilla bean

• Cut vanilla bean in half and scrape out center
• Bring sugar and water to a boil in a medium size sauce pan
• Add vanilla bean skin and innards and let simmer for 5-10 minutes
• Take off heat and let cool to room temp
• Strain and store in ball jar

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1. Combine all ingredients but soda in a shaker with ice.

2. Shake vigorously and pour in a collins glass

3. Fill with ice and top with lavender soda

by Ian Glomski

Difficulty Level: MEDIUM+

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1 oz. Vitae Spirits Modern Gin

0.5 oz. Vitae Spirits Orange Liqueur

0.5 oz. Cinnamon basil syrup

1 oz Grapefruit Juice

0.5 oz lemon juice

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Cinnamon basil syrup

Heat 1 cup of sugar and 0.5 cup water in pot until sugar is disolved, add 1 stick of cinnamon and bring to a boil. Turn off heat and set aside to cool Combine 0.5 cups water and basil seeds and let sit until seeds are glutinous. Stir seeds into sugar syrup until evenly dispersed

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1. Combine all ingredients in a shaker except basil syrup

2. Shake and strain into martini glass

3. Add basil seed simple to the cocktail, stir, serve

 by Kerrie Pierce

Difficulty Level: Medium

Dive into the holidays with a refreshing, light, pomegranate martini. This cocktail will send your mind into a beachy bliss.

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1 oz. Vitae Spirits Modern Gin 

1/2 oz Vitae Spirits Anisette

1 oz pomegranate juice

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1. Combine Ingredients in Shaker with ice
2. Shake vigorously
3. Strain into Coupe glass
4. Garnish with pomegranate seeds

Modified Classic Cocktail by Ian Glomski

The Eagle’s Dream can be found in Harry Craddock’s The Savoy Cocktail Book from 1930. The cocktail utilizes violet liqueur and egg white. The resultant drink is a pale blue sky with a white, foamy cloud.

Difficulty Level: Easy +

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1 oz. Vitae Spirits Modern Gin

0.5 oz. Violet Liqueur

0.5 oz. Egg White

2 tsp. Simple Syrup

1/2 Fresh Squeezed Lemon

Garnish with sprinkle of Violet powder

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1. Combine all ingredients in a shaker with ice 2. Shake and pour into coupe glass. 3. Garnish with dusting of Violet powder

by Kerrie Pierce

Difficulty Level: Medium

This savory cocktail was designed to resemble the flavors of a fantastic desert served in Paris, France. The light hint of anisette is a great accent to the savory flavors of the apricot and pistachio!

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1 oz. Vitae Spirits Modern Gin

0.5 oz. Vitae Spirits Anisette

1 oz. Apricot Nectar

3/4 oz Pistachio Orgeat

1/2 Lime

Garnish with Dried Apricot

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Pistachio Orgeat

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1. Combine all ingredients in a shaker

2. Add ice, Shake. 3. Strain into coupe glass. 4. Garnish with apricot slice

by Kerrie Pierce

There is no way to miss the beetific origin of this strikingly red cocktail. Earthy spice from the carrots and beets are a refreshing change of direction from fruity sweetness so often found in cocktails. Give it a try and get a good dose of your daily vitamins too!

Difficulty Level: Advanced

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1 oz. Vitae Spirits Modern Gin

0.5 oz. Vitae Spirits Orange Liqueur

1 oz. Carrot Gomme (see recipe above in 24 Carrot)

0.5 oz beet shrub (see recipe below)

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Beet Shrub

5 beets cut into chunks

1/2 cup apple cider vinegar

1/2 cup white vinegar

1 cup sugar

1 tsp peppercorns

1 tsp kosher salt

Add beets and vinegar to blender, blend until pureed. Press puree through a fine strainer (or cheesecloth) into a non-reactive bowl (you should have 2-3 cups of beet juice/vinegar mixture) add sugar, peppercorns, and kosher salt to the bowl. Cover and allow to steep for a day. Taste, if you want more pepper flavor, let sit another day. Strain one more time, bottle and refrigerate.

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1. Combine all ingredients in a shaker

2. Add 1 cup medium ice 3. Shake vigorously 4. Pour in a cocktail glass. 5. Garnish with an edible flower.

by Kerrie Pierce

Difficulty Level: Advanced

The Naughty or Nice Martini was developed by our Tasting Room Associate Kerrie Pierce for our Winter 2016 tasting room cocktail menu. A key component in this martini is the cranberry shrub.  A shrub is a flavored vinegar preparation that was popular in colonial America as a mixer for rum. Naughty or Nice’s color combination is perfect for the holiday season and its sweet and sour flavor profile makes it dangerously easy to go down.

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1.5 oz. Vitae Spirits Modern Gin

3/4 oz. cranberry shrub

3/4 oz. orange blossom simple syrup

rosemary sprig

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CRANBERRY SHRUB

1 large orange

1/2 cup sugar

2 cups cranberries

 1 cup apple cider vinegar

1. Produce orange sugar: Using a peeler remove orange zest in long strips and place in a bowl with sugar. Muddle orange zest with sugar, cover, and then let sit for a minimum of an hour. Remove zest from bowl and discard, while reserving the oily sugar. 2. Juice the orange and set it aside. 3. Add cranberries and vinegar to blender and blend until pureed. 4. Combine cranberry-vinegar mixture, orange juice, and orange sugar in a non-reactive container then allow to steep at room temperature for at least two days. 5. Strain off solids through a fine strainer or cheese cloth and retain the cranberry shrub liquid.

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ORANGE BLOSSOM SIMPLE SYRUP

1 3/4 cup water

1/4 cup orange blossom water

1 cup cane sugar

Combine all ingredients and bring to a low boil until sugar is dissolved. Let cool, bottle, then refrigerate.

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1. Combine gin, shrub, and simple syrup in a shaker, add ice, then shake. 2. Strain into a martini glass. 3. Garnish with a lemon twist and a sprig of rosemary.

by Kerrie Pierce

A trip to France in a glass! Our Orange Liqueur and Modern Gin pair with a blueberry shrub and a local wildflower honey simple. Topped with a twist of lime to add a little zip of citrus.

Difficulty Level: Medium

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1 oz. Vitae Spirits Orange Liqueur

0.5 oz. Vitae Spirits Modern Gin

0.5 oz. Wildflower Honey Simple

3/4 oz Blueberry Lavender Shrub

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Blueberry Lavender Shrub – Mix 16 oz of blueberries with 1 cup of sugar, mashing berries lightly and let sit for 48 hours. Place 2 tablespoons of dried lavender buds in 1 cup of apple cider vinegar and let sit for 48 hours. Strain lavender from vinegar, as well as the berries from the syrup. Mix syrup and vinegar together. Keep stored in fridge.

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Wildflower Honey Syrup – Bring to a boil 2 cups of water and 1 cup of honey. Turn of heat and let simmer till cooled

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1. Combine all ingredients in a shaker 2. Add 1 cup medium ice 3. Shake vigorously 4. Pour in a cocktail glass. 5. Garnish with Lemon twist and fresh lavender sprig

by TJ Drake

Difficulty Level: EASY

This mule was a member of our Autumn 2016 cocktail menu in the tasting room. At the end of a long summer growing season prolific beds of mint supply a welcomed freshness to the snappiness of Vernor’s Ginger Ale and the floral notes of Modern Gin.

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1.5 oz. Vitae Spirits Modern Gin

juice from 1/2 a lime

about 6 leaves fresh mint

~ 3 oz. Vernor’s Ginger Ale

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1. Muddle lime slices and mint in a mule mug (or rocks glass). 2. Add ice and gin. 3. Fill glass with ginger ale.

by Ian Glomski

Every year since Vitae Spirits’ inception we have taken part in Monticello’s Heritage Harvest Festival. In 2016 we have developed a cocktail for the opening night shebang using ingredients harvested straight from the slopes of Monticello’s mountain top gardens. It takes a little extra work to pull the  ingredients together, but you’ll find it worth it.

Difficulty Level: MEDIUM+

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1.5 oz. Vitae Spirits Modern Gin

0.5 oz. fresh lime juice

0.5 oz. Rhubarb syrup (see recipe below)

0.5 Fennel Flower syrup (see recipe below)

1 pinch (1/16 tsp.) ponzu sauce

1 smidgen (1/32 tsp.) almond extract

sparkling water

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SYRUPS

Rhubarb Syrup– bring to a boil and then simmer in a covered pot 1 cup sugar, 1/2 cup water, and 4 cups chopped rhubarb. Simmer for 30 minutes. While still warm, strain through a colander into a bowl. If your colander’s holes are too large and solids pass through, restrain after adding some cheese cloth to the colander to strain more finely. Let cool and store in refrigerator up to one month.

Fennel Flower Syrup- Harvest enough fennel flowers to fill 2 cups with just the seeds/flower heads while minimizing green stems. Bring 1 cup sugar and 1 cup water to a boil. Add the 2 cups of fennel flowers and simmer for 5 minutes. While still warm, strain through a colander into a bowl. If your colander’s holes are too large and solids pass through, restrain after adding some cheese cloth to the colander to strain more finely. Let cool and store in refrigerator up to one month.

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1. Combine all ingredients in a shaker 2. Add 1 cup medium ice 3. Shake and pour over ice in a tumbler glass. 4. Top off with sparkling water.

Another beaut posted in the This Doesn’t Suck vlog. This is a great cocktail that’s similar to a white negroni but with a completely different and accessible profile based on Modern Gin. Give this one a shot. You won’t be disappointed.

Difficulty Level: Easy

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1.5 oz. Vitae Spirits Modern Gin

0.5 oz, Suze Saveur d’Autrefois

0.5 oz. Cocchi Americano

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1. Stir all the ingredients with ice until well chilled.
2. Strain into a coupe.
3. Garnish with lemon peel if you like.
4. Enjoy!