The Perfect G&T

Years ago I swiped a G&T recipe from the NY Times which called for the muddling of lots of lime (5) skins, lots of gin (1 cup), a half liter of Tonic and handfuls (4) of ice.  Simple in the description...

But cutting the pith outta lime is not easy.  I discovered the beak knife does a pretty good job.  It's still a messy proposition but the pay off...

....isn't that great.   Maybe it was the 1.75 liter of gin for $9 I was using.  State Line Liquor (Liquor? I don't even know her!) has a private label for gin and while the label is as cool as all get out -- the gin itself is nothing to write home about. 

Still, this recession ain't over yet.  At least, not for me...So, nine buck gin it is.  Actually, this is the kind of gin you need for a Negroni --  The perfect cocktail for cheap gin but that's another story. 

It's not the time of year for a big Cabernet and a hot tub.  Nope, that ain't gonna cut it.  But a pitcher of this muddled G&T with a good friend in the pool or better, in a cold shower or maybe just between some cool linen sheets.  While it's still day light and you smell of Caswell Massey Lime soap...That's a perfect G&T.