Three Creative Holiday Cocktails Made With Levenswater Spring 34 Gin

*By Erin Nicole Davis*

Get ready for it: Back-to-back holiday festivities are about to begin. If you’re hosting a holiday soiree yourself, you want to make sure that your guests don’t leave for the next best option, and that your party will be remembered well into the New Year. That’s where creative cocktails come into play…

To start, opt for a spirit with a strong backstory as an instant conversation starter. This season, I’ve discovered the new Ontario-crafted Levenswater Spring 34 Gin; not only does it have a completely unique look, it has a unique, modern flavour that’s refreshingly unlike anything on the market. The small-batch, premium gin was perfected in Toronto and made locally in Niagara with 34 botanicals. The lightly rose-tinted gin (!) is inspired by the complexity of fine wine and offers a layered and sensory drinking experience. Toronto’s colourful Kensington Market also offered inspiration behind the spirit, and its bold flavours and variety of botanicals used represent the neighbourhood’s diversity.

This brand-new product won seven International awards in its first year of production – a major talking point – in addition to having an award-winning bottle design that’s as noteworthy as the gin is. The smooth gin is easy to sip on its own and also great mixed in a cocktail.

Grab yourself a bottle (or two) of Levenswater Spring 34 Gin and try these creative gin cocktails this holiday season. Your guests will thank you.

Starry Night Cocktail

Featured at The County General in Toronto

You’ll need:

1.5 ounces Levenswater Spring 34 Gin
1/2 ounce Dry Vermouth
1/2 ounces Elderflower Liqueur
1/2 ounces Fresh Lemon
Sprit of Strega
1 martini glass

Add all ingredients to shaker with crushed ice, strain & serve with thyme in chilled martini glass.

Levenswater’s Pink Negroni or The Pink Ink

Featured at The Wickson Social in Toronto

You’ll need:

2 ounces Levenswater Spring 34 Gin
1 ounce Lillet
1 ounce Campari
1⁄2 ounce lemon juice
1 whole orange slice (garnish)
Low-ball or martini glass

Combine ingredients with 2 cubes of ice in shaker and shake. Strain and serve in a low ball or martini glass.

Levenswater Gin & Tonic #1

Featured at The Oxley Public House in Toronto

You’ll need:

Pink Peppercorn Simple Syrup

1/2 cup of white sugar
1/2 cup distilled water
3 tablespoons pink peppercorns

Levenswater Gin & Tonic #1

4-5 Tonic water ice cubes
2 ounces of Levenswater Spring 34 Gin
1/2 ounce pink peppercorn simple syrup
1 ounce fresh squeezed pink grapefruit juice
Good quality tonic water
Grapefruit slices dipped in crushed pink peppercorns (garnish)

To make Pink Peppercorn simple syrup:

In a small saucepan, combine sugar, water and pink peppercorns. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer for 10 minutes. Remove from heat, allowing peppercorns to steep in liquid as it cools. Strain out pink peppercorns and reserve liquid. Store liquid in an airtight container, in fridge, until ready to use. Keeps up to four weeks.

To make Grapefruit Pink Peppercorn Gin & Tonic:

Fill a low-ball glass with 4-5 tonic water ice cubes, or plain ice cubes. Add gin, pink peppercorn simple syrup, and grapefruit juice to glass. Top with tonic water and stir gently to mix. Garnish with a grapefruit slice dipped in crushed pink peppercorns and serve.

Aside from the crowd-pleasing cocktails, when it comes to host and hostess gifts or the dad who has everything, Levenswater Spring 34 Gin makes for a talking point-filled gift that goes beyond the typical. The unique and elegant bottle has a freeform design that showcases the rose-colour of the gin, inviting the flow of light, colour, and reflection.

A huge thanks to Levenswater Gin for sponsoring this post. Levenswater Spring 34 Gin is available online at levenswater.com for $50 per bottle.