by Grant Shellhouse
This may sound like a surprising question to hear at a Laity Lodge opening-night reception. But it’s become an increasingly common refrain ever since we started experimenting with non-alcoholic mixed drinks.
The drinks are built around Seedlip—a non-alcoholic, distilled spirit made in England. Seedlip doesn’t try to mimic a liquor. Rather, it’s an ingredient of its own, crafted from natural botanicals: “herbs, spices, peel and barks.” They taste great and add an element of intrigue and whimsy to these early evening soirees.
When choosing a drink or two to make for a retreat, we think about what’s seasonal. Muddled blackberries with Turk’s cap flower garnishes bridge the transition from summer to fall. Margarita-inspired drinks for Texas summers. Pineapple jalapeño, sparkling grapefruit and citrus, and a classic lime and agave have all made appearances. Here’s the recipe for that last one—it’s like a complex limeade, best sipped in the dappled shade of a summer afternoon.
SEEDLIP “MARGARITA,” ON THE ROCKS
Yields one drink.
Ingredients
1.5oz Seedlip Grove; (Garden can play nice here too. Less citrusy, more herbaceous.)
½ oz agave syrup
½ oz fresh squeezed lime juice; It must be fresh squeezed. The difference is more than worth the time.
Cubed ice
Method
If you’d like to salt the rim, run a sliced lime along the edge of a glass tumbler. Roll the rim in salt. A little chili powder in there never hurts.
For smaller quantities, add all the ingredients to a cocktail shaker. Shake 30-40 times and strain into tumblers filled with fresh ice.
For larger quantities like we serve at the Lodge, mix everything except the ice in a pitcher in advance. Chill in the fridge for at least an hour, longer if possible, and pour over ice.
Garnish with a lime wheel.
