The Gin­ger Rogers is the per­fect pool­side cock­tail. It’s refresh­ing and it’s easy to make. Not to men­tion mint, gin, gin­ger, and gin­ger ale are per­fect com­pli­ments. Ide­al­ly you’d want to use a collins glass for this cock­tail, but when you’re pool­side you’ll take what you can get.

This recipe was cre­at­ed at Port­land’s Zefiro in 1995 by Mar­co­v­al­do Dionysos. It gained its pop­u­lar­i­ty at Absinthe Brasserie and Bar in San Fran­cis­co where it was one of the most ordered drinks. It’s also the cock­tail that inspired the book The Art of the Bar.

Recipe

• 2 oz gin
• 1/2 oz fresh lime juice
• 1/2 oz gin­ger syrup
• 8 to 10 mint leaves
• Top with gin­ger ale
• Gar­nish with a lime wedge

Pick 8–10 mint leaves. Place in your hand and clap your hands togeth­er to wake up the mint. Place into cock­tail shak­er. Add 1/2 oz of gin­ger syrup and then give the mint a few taps with a mud­dler. Add the gin, lime juice, and ice to your shak­er. Shake well. Dou­ble strain into a collins glass filled with ice. Top with approx­i­mate­ly 1 oz of gin­ger ale. Gar­nish with a mint sprig and a lime wedge.

Recipe by Marcovaldo Dionysos