Every time I pick up a box or bag of Clementines at the market, the old gold-rush ballad “Oh My Darling Clementine” runs through my head. It’s a sad little song (Clementine drowns), but purchasing the Clementines is itself a happy moment, especially at this time of year when the fruit is wonderfully abundant.
A cross between a willowleaf mandarin orange and a sweet orange, Clementines are sweet, juicy
and less acidic than oranges, plus they are easy to peel and they can be effortlessly separated into 7 or 14 segments. Another of this fruit’s attributes is that segments of Clementine can be a delicious addition to a cocktail.
Personally, I find gin an excellent partner for Clementine’s refreshing, juicy flavors, especially dry gin with an herbaceous character. One such spirit is Forager Gin, from Maryland’s McClintock Distilling. I love this serious gin for its handsome packaging as well as its beautifully balanced flavors.
Said to represent the kind of wild plants one might discover in the Appalachian Mountains, Forager Gin offers savory impressions of juniper against a subtle undercurrent of earthy and floral elements. Most distinctive to my palate are the delicate suggestions of wild fennel and mint. And in “Oh My Darling,” the clementine’s delicate citrus flavors nicely reflect the gin’s own faint traces of citrus. (The cost for a bottle of Forager Gin is around $35, which is about average for a 750ml bottle of small batch, craft gin).
About 7 segments of Clementine
2 ounces Forager Gin
3-4 drops cherry bitters
2-3 ounces good quality ginger beer (such as Fever Tree)
Place the Clementine segments in a lowball or other cocktail glass. Add the gin and bitters and muddle lightly. Top with the ginger beer and add ice. Serve with a toothpick or even a small fork (such as an oyster fork) for retrieving the citrus.
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