Special Edition: Kiwi Gin Fizz

Many years ago, when I was an art teacher, I had the very best student who quickly became a friend. She was super motivated to make art, was a Buddhist, and lived in a beautiful house in the East Bay hills surrounded by an incredible garden. I often left her house loaded down with bags of lemons and persimmons. Kiwis were picked and then lived in a dark room off the garage for a mysterious ripening period. I wasn’t gifted many kiwis, but they always seemed very special.

When I came home with kiwis from the store the other day, I thought about her and wondered if I could use them to make something tasty. It took an afternoon and 6 attempts, but I think this is worthy.

Kiwi Gin Fizz

1 half of a kiwi, peeled and sliced
1 thin slice ginger
1 teaspoon honey
1 1/2 oz gin
soda water

Put the kiwi, ginger, honey, and gin in your cocktail shaker and muddle until the kiwi is pretty much liquified. Add ice to your shaker (maybe 5 cubes, not too many, as this drink is thick and doesn’t strain easily) and shake vigorously. Pour into a small glass, top with a splash of soda water.

Notes:

Honey is hard to use in cocktails since it freezes up and gets lumpy. If you muddle with the other ingredients before adding ice, it works. Don’t substitute simple syrup unless you want an inferior drink.

Go easy on the ginger. A little bit boosted the kiwi without overwhelming it.

I used Beehive Distilling’s Jack Rabbit Gin, which is really lovely in this drink. I can’t get Barr Hill Gin in Utah, but I suspect it would be dreamy here. Honey + kiwi + ginger = magic.