If you are making a cocktail called The Gift Shop, by Thomas Waugh from Death & Co New York City, you know it's gonna be good! It starts with the muddling of fresh cucumber wheels, releasing both flavour and aromas. Then there is the large amount of rum, and the less voluminous pour of amaro Cardamaro. Finally there's a sweet and sour mix of lime and sugar and a nonchalant dash of bitters.
3 cucumber wheels
2 oz white rum
0,5 oz Cardamaro
0,75 oz lime juice
0,75 oz simple syrup
1 dash Angostura bitters
Muddle the cucumber wheels in a shaker and pour over all other ingredients. Shake with fresh ice and strain into rocks glasses.
So why is it called The Gift Shop? Well no clues are given in the book so we can only speculate. Could it be a metaphor for the feeling of entering a gift shop? Excitement, happiness and high expectations?
Anyway, it's a delicious cocktail, the combination of rum and Cardamaro is so delicate and it creates a very elegant drink.
