Watership Down

Jeremy Oertel, Donna | Brooklyn, New York

photo: Lizzie Munro

Named for the adventure story about an anthropomorphized pack of English rabbits, the Watership Down is New York bartender Jeremy Oertel’s ode to the classic novel of the same title. “Rabbits like grass and celery and the flavors make me think of fields and summer,” he says. This light, dry cocktail is a riff on one of Oertel’s favorites, the Loop Tonic, a staple of the tequila and mezcal bar Mayahuel. Oertel makes his version for the Brooklyn bar Donna with fresh ginger syrup and Brooklyn-made Dorothy Parker Gin.

Ingredients

Serving: 1

  • 1 1/2 ounces gin (preferably Dorothy Parker)
  • 1 1/2 ounces gin (preferably Dorothy Parker)
  • 1 ounce dry vermouth (preferably Dolin)
  • 1 ounce dry vermouth (preferably Dolin)
  • 3/4 ounce lime juice
  • 3/4 ounce lime juice
  • 1/2 ounce ginger syrup (2:1, sugar:ginger juice)
  • 1/2 ounce ginger syrup (2:1, sugar:ginger juice)
  • 1 dash Bittermen's Celery Shrub
  • 1 dash Bittermen's Celery Shrub
  • soda water
  • soda water

Garnish: celery stick

Directions
  1. Add gin, vermouth, ginger syrup and shrub to a cocktail shaker.
  2. Add ice and shake until chilled.
  3. Strain over ice into a Collins glass.
  4. Garnish with a celery stick.

Tagged: celery, Donna, dry vermouth, gin, ginger, Jeremy Oertel, Mayahuel

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