HONEYED SASKATOON CHERRY GIMLET

After what has undoubtedly been the longest month of my life, I know one thing for sure… I need a stiff drink! Who’s with me?! Each March, I eagerly await Spring Equinox and typically celebrate its arrival with the publication of a fresh, seasonally inspired cocktail — but March 2020’s events really threw my editorial calendar for a loop. Although this recipe is publishing a bit later than I had originally intended, I can assure you it’s been tested to perfection — in fact, there was rarely an evening that passed this month when I didn’t find myself shaking up a Honeyed Saskatoon Cherry Gimlet (if you follow along with my Instagram Stories, you can attest to this!). This cocktail highlights Eau Claire Distillery’s recently re-released Saskatoon Honey Gin — and I’ve teamed up with them give away a full sized bottle (along with a few other goodies!) to one of my Canadian friends to help lift your spirits and keep your home bars stocked!

Gin lovers, I’m thrilled to share my Honeyed Saskatoon Cherry Gimlet recipe with you today — a refreshingly spirited, 4 ingredient spring cocktail inspired by doing the best you can with what you have, where you are. The best part? If you have a well-stocked bar, you likely already have all of the ingredients on hand (and if not, I’ve included links to where you can purchase them to help support local businesses during this challenging time)! This simple but perfectly balanced craft cocktail combines Saskatoon Honey Gin with Honey Simple Syrup, cherry bitters and freshly squeezed lime juice shaken over ice — and can be prepared with ease by home bar beginners and skilled mixologists alike. Bring the cocktail bar to the comfort of your own home this spring with my Honeyed Saskatoon Cherry Gimlet — a quintessentially Albertan twist on a classic gin cocktail! Cheers, friends — and best of luck to those entering the giveaway!

HONEYED SASKATOON CHERRY GIMLET

Have you ever had a gimlet? This classic gin cocktail is praised by purists — typically containing 2 parts gin, 1 part lime juice and a shot of simple syrup shaken over ice and strained into a chilled coupe glass.

Gin is undoubtedly my favourite spirit, but gimlets weren’t a cocktail I enjoyed often — until the release of Eau Claire’s Saskatoon Honey Gin, that is! You see, I tend to favour complexity and nuance in my COCKTAILS — getting creative and coming up with inventive ingredient combinations as I hone my mixology skills as a great is a  passion of mine.

That said, sometimes simple really is best — and as soon as I tasted Eau Claire’s spring-inspired gin, I knew I wanted to highlight in a way that allowed the unique botanicals of two of my favourite Albertan ingredients, saskatoon berries and honey, to shine!

This spring, Eau Claire re-relased their wildly popular Saskatoon Honey Gin with a naturally pinker hue — and I’m so glad they did, because I’ve been rationing last year’s bottle like a crazy woman (we’re down to our last drops!). In fact, it flew off the shelves last spring before I could publish a cocktail with it.

Longtime readers will know I’m head over heels for everything Eau Claire creates — but this Saskatoon Honey Gin is truly one of their finest libations. It’s a British-style sloe gin, rather than the classic London dry style of their decorated Parlour Gin (which happened to be my favourite gin in all the land — until Saskatoon Honey came along!) that lends itself beautifully to refreshing spring cocktails.

Eau Claire Distillery’s Saskatoon Honey Gin is smooth, sweet and floral with just a kiss of tartness — it tastes like they bottled the Alberta prairies! My Honeyed Saskatoon Cherry Gimlet highlights this naturally pink gin with just a handful of simple, locally inspired ingredients — including freshly squeezed lime juice, Honey Simple Syrup (made from Alberta honey) and a splash of Fee Brothers Cherry Bitters (a staple in our home bar) and an elegant saskatoon berry garnish.

You see, saskatoons, cherries and roses are all from the Rosaceae family — and the cherry bitters work beautifully to lend a complimentary fruit-forward essence to this ethereal cocktail when fresh cherries aren’t yet available. Are you ready to shake one up?

Ingredients

Yield: 1 cocktail

FOR THE HONEYED SASKATOON CHERRY GIMLET

• 8 ice cubes
• 2 oz Saskatoon Honey Gin
• 1 oz freshly squeezed lime juice
• 0.75 oz Honey Simple Syrup (recipe to follow)
• 5 dashes Fee Brothers Cherry Bitters
• Optional: 3 saskatoon berries (for colour)

Optional Garnish
• Saskatoon berries
• Edible flowers (I used roses — the petals are edible!)

FOR THE HONEY SIMPLE SYRUP

• 1 cup water
• 1 cup honey

Instructions

1. Chill your coupe glass.
2. Start by making Honey Simple Syrup. In a saucepan over medium / high heat, combine 1 cup water with 1 cup honey. Stir boiling mixture constantly for 10 minutes. Remove from heat and allow to cool for 30 minutes. Add simple syrup to an airtight container — this recipe makes enough for many cocktails and will keep refrigerated for up to 3 weeks.

3. Optional: If you have saskatoon berries, now’s the time to use them! I defrosted a handful our frozen reserves for this recipe and they worked perfectly to add a dreamy, natural pink hue to this gimlet — which would otherwise be a soft lime green. If you have saskatoons, add a few to the bottom of your cocktail shaker and gently muddle them with a twisting motion to release an extra dose of antioxidants and infuse your cockatil with gorgeous colour!
4. Build your Honeyed Saskatoon Cherry Gimlet in a cocktail shaker by adding 8 ice cubes, Saskatoon Honey Gin, Honey Simple Syrup, Cherry Bitters and freshly squeezed lime juice.

5. Shake vigorously, until cocktail shaker becomes frosty.
6. Strain contents into your chilled coupe glass.

7. Garnish with saskatoon berries and / or edible flowers.
8. Cheers!

5 from 3 votes

Print

HONEYED SASKATOON CHERRY GIMLET

Prep Time

15 mins

Cook Time

30 mins

 

My Honeyed Saskatoon Cherry Gimlet is refreshingly spirited, 4 ingredient spring cocktail inspired by doing the best you can with what you have, where you are. The best part? If you have a well-stocked bar, you likely already have all of the ingredients on hand! This simple but perfectly balanced craft cocktail combines Saskatoon Honey Gin with Honey Simple Syrup, cherry bitters and freshly squeezed lime juice shaken over ice — and can be prepared with ease by home bar beginners and skilled mixologists alike. Bring the cocktail bar to the comfort of your own home this spring with my Honeyed Saskatoon Cherry Gimlet — a quintessentially Albertan twist on a classic gin cocktail!

Course: Drinks

Servings: 1

Author: Justine

Ingredients

FOR THE HONEYED SASKATOON CHERRY GIMLET

• 8 ice cubes
• 2 oz Saskatoon Honey Gin
• 1 oz freshly squeezed lime juice
• 0.75 oz Honey Simple Syrup recipe to follow
• 5 dashes Cherry Bitters
• Optional: 3 saskatoon berries for colour

Optional Garnish

• Saskatoon berries
• Edible flowers I used roses -- the petals are edible!

FOR THE HONEY SIMPLE SYRUP

• 1 cup water
• 1 cup honey

Instructions

1. Chill your coupe glass.
2. Start by making Honey Simple Syrup. In a saucepan over medium / high heat, combine 1 cup water with 1 cup honey. Stir boiling mixture constantly for 10 minutes. Remove from heat and allow to cool for 30 minutes. Add simple syrup to an airtight container — this recipe makes enough for many cocktails and will keep refrigerated for up to 3 weeks.

3. Optional: If you have saskatoon berries, now's the time to use them! I defrosted a handful our frozen reserves for this recipe and they worked perfectly to add a dreamy, natural pink hue to this gimlet -- which would otherwise be a soft lime green. If you have saskatoons, add a few to the bottom of your cocktail shaker and gently muddle them with a twisting motion to release an extra dose of antioxidants and infuse your cockatil with gorgeous colour!

4. Build your Honeyed Saskatoon Cherry Gimlet in a cocktail shaker by adding 8 ice cubes, Saskatoon Honey Gin, Honey Simple Syrup, Cherry Bitters and freshly squeezed lime juice.

5. Shake vigorously, until cocktail shaker becomes frosty.
6. Strain contents into your chilled coupe glass.
7. Garnish with saskatoon berries and / or edible flowers.
8. Cheers!

{NOW CLOSED} EAU CLAIRE DISTILLERY HONEY SASKATOON GIN + ORIGINAL TONIC GIVEAWAY!

It’s Saskatoon Honey Gin giveaway time! Eau Claire and I really wanted to do something to help lift your spirits during this challenging time and I’m so thrilled to partner with them on another giveaway. I want everyone to be able to shake up a simple, spring inspired, craft cocktails at home — and now you have the opportunity to do just that!

So, what’s up for grabs? This time, we’re giving away a full sized bottle of Eau Claire’s Saskatoon Honey Gin, plus a case of their artisanal Original Tonic!

To enter to win one (1) bottle of Saskatoon Honey Gin plus one (1) case of Original tonic, valued at $65.99:

• Follow JustineCelina on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter and Pinterest
• Follow Eau Claire Distillery on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter 
• Leave a comment below telling me about your drink of choice this month!

Bonus entry for Instagram users:

• Head over to this post and follow the instructions!

Contest open to Canadian residents of British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Ontario, Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island and Labrador until April 7th, 2020 at 11:59pm MST. Must be of legal drinking age to enter.
Good luck!

MORE SPRING INSPIRED, FRUIT FORWARD COCKTAILS

Rose Infused Cherry Gin Fizz

Spring Equinox Kiwi Elderflower Smash

Coastal Orange Blossom Gin Cocktail

Japanese Lilac Gin Lemonade

Blueberry Lemon and Cucumber Gin Mojitos

Saskatoon lovers, check out my 4 Healthy Saskatoon Berry Recipes + Where to Pick Saskatoons In Alberta post! 

Thanks for stopping by for a Honeyed Saskatoon Cherry Gimlet, friends! As always, I hope this recipe inspires you to get creative in your home bar and mix yourself up a delicious cocktail. There’s never been a better time to brush up on your mixology skills and dust off your finest stemware, or enjoy that special bottle you’ve been saving for a rainy day! Recent events have definitely hit our home bar hard — and I’m always grateful for the opportunity to team up with Eau Claire to help keep yours stocked. Additionally, Eau Claire now offers free Calgary delivery on orders over $50 — an ideal option for those looking for a contactless alcohol delivery services if you find your supply dwindling!

As always, if you try my Honeyed Saskatoon Cherry Gimlet leave me a comment below, or tag me on Instagram, Twitter or Facebook! You can also use the hashtag #justinecelinarecipes in your recreations on social media so I can find them — I love it when you tag me so I can see what you mix up! I also have a Pinterest board dedicated to better-for-you cocktail options with clean ingredients. Cheers, everyone — and best of luck if you’re entering the giveaway!

Disclaimer: Thank you to my friends at Eau Claire Distillery for providing the Saskatoon Honey Gin I used in this recipe and for facilitating this giveaway. JustineCelina uses affiliate and referral links, which allow me to receive a small commission when you make a purchase through one of my links. Thank you for supporting the brands and businesses that support JustineCelina.com!