Recipe
Sonoma Sippin’
- 1.5oz gin (Benham’s)
- 1.5oz red wine
- .75oz spiced pear liqueur (St. George)
- .75oz lemon juice
- .75oz simple syrup (1:1)
Shake all ingredients with ice and strain into a glass filled with lots of fresh ice. Garnish with a lemon wheel (brulee’d if you fancy) and cinnamon stick.
About
Living in San Francisco, we’re pretty spoiled by all the amazing restaurants and bars, but we’re also just a short drive away from the beautiful California wine region. Before I moved to northern California, I really only knew of the famed Napa Valley. But alas, Sonoma Valley is like the less-popular-but-equally-amazing sister, and is actually my personal preferred destination for wine tasting these days. In addition to wine, they’re got a thriving craft beer scene (Pliny, anyone?), as well as a growing number of craft distilleries.
As mentioned in Benham’s Gin, this amazing gin hails from the Graton Distillery in Sonoma County, so what better than to combine it with some Sonoma-made wine for a tasty punch? Gin and red wine isn’t a super common combo, but I find the fruity-jammy depth of the wine really complements the herbal freshness of gin quite well. I paired this with lemon and pear to add more fruity goodness, and of course you can experiment with all sorts of different fruits.