Sometimes there’s reason to celebrate. The changing of seasons - summer surrendering its thick aired, brighter days to the fresher, lighter days of autumn. Exciting life events – feeling deeply happy and with so very much to look forward to. Days full of opportunity, travel and life – the smaller parts, the larger parts, the more complex and the very simple. The good. Or, just because it’s Friday. Or any day, really. And then there’s the time to celebrate autumns beautiful fruit, currently gracing farmers markets and the like with its seasonal warm tones and welcomed strange shapes. Autumn fruit is by far my favourite. Persimmons and waiting for them to ripen to their silky cotton texture, will forever remind me of my Grandma. Quince and guava make me think of jam as they sit all odd and exotic looking. But by far my favourite and most celebrated this time of year, is the pomegranate. They will forever remind me of walking the streets of Istanbul with my dear friend Sarah, watching the fruit being pressed at road side market stalls and walking away with a tall cup full of pure pinkish-red juice to last the afternoon.

Sometimes, celebrations call for a cocktail. Preferably made with gin. And preferably made with my favourite – pomegranate juice.

I recently treated myself to a locally brewed bottle of gin from (another of my favourites) a St. Augustine restaurant and distillery called The Ice Plant. I was also recently introduced to the delicious new Jack Rudy holiday tonic made with elderflower extract, harvested in Kentucky and bottled up to carry us beyond the summer seasons bloom. I couldn’t think of a more perfectly paired flavor to combine in a cocktail made specifically to farewell the summer and welcome in the fall. Hello autumn. You are very much worth celebrating.

pomegranate elderflower + gin cocktail

yields: 1 serving

25 ml gin
25 ml Jack Rudy elderflower tonic
50 ml freshly pressed pomegranate juice
25 ml freshly squeezed seasonal citrus (not a lot of citrus is in season during the autumn. I used two little meyer lemons that had fallen and ripened early from my own tree. Key limes and eustis limes are also currently in season which would taste wonderful too if you can get your hands on some)

Pour all ingredients into a shaker. Shake over crushed ice. Strain and pour into a martini glass. Garnish with a rubbed rosemary stem. Enjoy.

Happy Friday.

*no one paid me to advertise these little beauties. I just really like them and wanted to share them with you.