Scratch Lemonade: A cocktail from the garden

Our garden never fully recovered from that crazy spring we had, but if your crops are looking better than mine, how about celebrating with an in-season cocktail?

Ever since mojitos came into my life—with their minty goodness—I have had a hard time ordering any drink without some sort of herb or other produce in it. At Rain Lounge , in downtown Spokane, I always go for a Scratch Lemonade, which contains basil and slices of jalapeno. Yes, it’s spicy.

I once asked the bartender there to make it with cilantro instead of basil and it was delicious in a different way.

Connie Naccarato, who owns Rain and the adjacent Scratch Restaurant with Jason Rex, was kind enough to share their recipe for a Scratch Lemonade with me today. It’s a crime that I don’t have a photo to accompany this post, but I’m a bit under the weather and I’m not sure booze would go over well inside my tummy. Then again, a few slices of jalapeno might be just what the doctor ordered.

Scratch Lemonade
Recipe courtesy of Scratch Restaurant & Rain Lounge, 1007 W. First Ave., Spokane
(509) 456-5656
www.scratchspokane.com

3 big sprigs of fresh basil, chopped
3 thin slices of jalapeno
Place the first two ingredients in a cocktail shaker.
Add:
A six-count of Grey Goose Citron vodka (that means you count to six as you pour the vodka into the shaker)
A splash of fresh-squeezed lemon juice
A four-count of simple syrup (so this time you count to four as you pour)
Shake vigorously. Serve over ice, and then garnish with a lemon slice and basil leaves

Homework assignment: make yourself one of these, snap a photo of yourself enjoying it in the garden, then send that shot to me (megan.cooley@comcast.net) so I can post it here and live vicariously through you.