Victory to the Minors!

Happy Pride! For many in the United States June is a month-long celebration of love and self-acceptance. It's also a time to honor the history and rich culture of the queer community. The queer community still faces prejudices and discrimination still today, but society has come a long way since even a few decades ago. And it is because of the countless voices and efforts made by previous generations. Pride month is a time to honor their stories, celebrate how far we’ve come, and look towards the future. So in honor of this month we’ve chosen a film that does just that.

“Pride” tells the inspirational true story of the unlikely alliance between a group of lesbian and gay activists and a small town of Welsh miners. In the UK, the National Union of Mineworkers were on strike during the summer of 1984. Margaret Thatcher was in power, and her administration was shutting down mines (also known as pits), taking away many small communities' livelihoods. In London a group of gay and lesbian activists began to rally support for the miners and raise money on their behalf. They found one small village in Wales that would accept the money they raised, but it isn’t until they meet the activists that they realize they are a group of gays and lesbians.

Our cocktail, the Pits & Perverts, is a riff on the Coal Miner's Daughter. Traditionally a bourbon cocktail made with honey, ginger syrup, and a sprig of lavender. Instead we chose Drumshanbo Gunpowder Irish Gin as our base spirit. This gin has unique botanicals that give it a truly refreshing flavor. Cardamom, caraway seeds, angelica root, gunpowder tea, and lemon are just a few of the botanicals used in this slow distilled gin. Its light and citrusy flavor transform our cocktail into something we think the coal miners in Wales would truly appreciate. For the cocktail we combined the honey and ginger into one syrup to better capture the rich honey flavor and spicy ginger. We shook ours with dried lavender to enhance the floral notes, and used fresh lemon juice for a citrusy contrast. You can serve this drink up, or on the rocks.

Pits & Perverts

Cocktail Ingredients:

2 oz gin

.75 oz honey ginger syrup

.5 oz lemon juice

Dried lavender

Honey Ginger Syrup Ingredients:

1 cup honey

1 cup water

3-4 slices fresh ginger

Instructions:

1. For honey ginger syrup: In a saucepan combine all ingredients. Bring to a simmer and stir until honey is dissolved. Let simmer lightly for 5 minutes and shut off heat. Strain into a sealed container.

2. For the cocktail: In a shaker combine gin, syrup, lemon juice, and half a teaspoon of dried lavender. Add ice and shake for 15 seconds.

3. Double strain into a coupe and garnish with dried lavender.