Liquid Inspiration

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…)