The Captain Roberts: A Northern Lakes Gin & Tonic

Cocktail Ingredients:

• 1 1⁄2 ounces Hendrick’s Gin
• 1⁄2 ounce fresh lime juice
• 2 dashes juniper bitters (below)
• 1 lemon wheel
• 2 fresh juniper berries
• 1 lemon verbena
• Tonic water to top
• 2 edible flowers, such as nasturtium, to garnish

Juniper Bitters Ingredients:

• 2 tablespoons fresh juniper berries
• 2–4 inches rosemary branches
• 2–4 inches thyme branches
• 2 teaspoons black peppercorns
• 1 pint vodka
• 1⁄4 cup dried juniper berries

Juniper Bitters: Combine all ingredients, except dried juniper berries, in a pint glass jar with a lid. Store in a cool dark place for two weeks. After two weeks, strain the vodka, discard herbs, and then add the dried juniper berries for a double extract. After two weeks, strain again for cocktails. Cocktail: In a mixing glass, combine all ingredients, with the exception of the tonic water and stir with ice. Strain into an ice-filled highball glass, top glass with tonic water and garnish with edible flowers.