I took Aesthete’s advice. And shouldn’t we all, without equivocation, on any number of matters.
Long time readers of Easy and Elegant Life will know of my reverence for Sara and Gerald Murphy. Indeed, their way of life continues to inspire Mrs. E. and me on an almost daily basis.
I’d forgotten my love of mixing a cocktail. At issue is the ease with which a dry martini comes together after decades of practice. Further, I don’t like sweet drinks (the occasional margarita is the exception.) And that limits the cocktail canon. Gerald Murphy invented his own. And in the spirit of mixing the juice of a few flowers to produce a palatable libation, I juiced a lemon, poured some Simply Orange (I was out of Clementines which had been juiced for smoothies this week), added some fresh lemon mint from the garden and a dash of orange bitters.
Herewith: The Easy and Elegant Life tribute to Gerald Murphy’s “Juice of a Few Flowers”
The Murphy Cocktail (serves 2)
In the bottom of a silver shaker shred two stalks of fresh mint leaves (about twenty very small ones)
Pour in a jigger of gin. Let steep for five minutes. All good things to he who waits.
Add a generous amount of cracked ice to the shaker.
Add a fast four count pour of orange juice.
Add the juice of one lemon.
Add 5 dashes or so of orange bitters.
Shake until the shaker becomes too cold to handle.
Pour into cocktail glasses and garnish with a sprig of fresh mint.
(PS you may add a shot of any fresh fruit juice which is on hand. Like making a smoothie, fresh juice is a quintessential ingredient for success. That and lime or lemon…)
I just finished “Everybody” and this cocktail came up a number of times. Is it fabulous???
Mmmm sounds just delish and I do love a refreshing summer cocktail…
P-D and Karena it is a lovely drink. The NYT recipe calls for simple syrup to cut the tartness, but I don’t think it at all necessary. If you used fresh tangerine juice, that should od it.
I had originally dismissed Gerald Murphy as the typically idle rich who marinate in their ennui while not really contributing much to the world. I was flat out wrong and was proven so as I read more about Murphy. He could have been a major,major force in the contemporary art world methings. His stuff is brilliant.
Hoorah ADG, he is a man whose story is worth knowing.
Delicious. And artistic too.
adult liquid refreshments, that are pleasing to the palate.Thank you!