Pickley Gin & Tonic

This quirky cocktail (with the dizzy picture) was inspired by the fact that I had a bunch of dill and cucumbers around (they will appear again in my Borscht post coming this weekend).   Dill and cucumber is such a great combination when it comes to eating, I wanted to find a way to make it work in a cocktail  Gin seemed like the perfect match for both cucumber and dill so I just made a simple gin and tonic and added some muddled cucumber and dill.  The result was a refreshing gin and tonic that tasted a tad like pickles, one of my favorite foods.  I am obviously obsessed with green/herb cocktails lately, but they are so perfect this time of year!  I promise next week I will make something brown or fruity...For now, enjoy this cocktail that tastes as green as at it looks.

Pickley Gin & Tonic

Ingredients
1 small persian (also called armenian) cucumber, peeled and halved
1 tablespoon chopped dill, plus 1 sprig of dill for garnish
1/2 cup gin
1/2 cup tonic (or as much as you want to fill your glass)

Directions:

1. Take half of cucumber and cut in into small cubes.
2. Combine the cucumber cubes and dill in a cocktail shaker and muddle with a muddler or a spoon.
3. Add the gin, let sit for 15 to 30 minutes. Longer if you have the time or are so included.
4. Put some ice in a glass.
5. Stir the gin mixture and pour over the ice.
6. Top with tonic and garnish with a cucumber spear and a sprig of dill.