We found the recipe for the Gibson McPickle among the vast array of cocktails concocted by visitors to Bruichladdich Distillery, where The Botanist Gin is produced. This drink was created by Ivan Urech, owner of Atelier Classic Bar in Thun, near Bern, Switzerland.
“I wanted to make a cocktail between a Gibson and a Pickle,” said Urech. “I infused the gin with wild garlic and sorrel, birch leaves, rosemary and thyme. Five more botanicals to add to the gin’s 22!”
The Botanist is known for the 22 botanicals used in the Gin that are foraged from Islay, Scotland. In total, the Gin used 31 botanicals. The full list is as follows: angelica root, apple mint, birch leaves, bog myrtle leaves, cassia bark, chamomile, cinnamon bark, coriander seed, creeping thistle flowers, elder flowers, gorse flowers, heather flowers, hawthorn flowers, juniper berries, lady’s bedstraw flowers, lemon balm, lemon peel, liquorice root, meadow sweet, orange peel, oris root, peppermint leaves, mugwort leaves, red clover flowers, tansy, thyme leaves, water mint leaves, white clover, wood sage leaves.
“I loved the jelly ear mushrooms so had to find a way to use them,” explained Urech. “I cooked them, added sugar and vinegar, and pickled onions to make my pickle juice.”
“From home, I also brought melon and elderflower hops. I made a quick infusion with them and it lifts the flavour.”
Urech also added, “We were in the woods and shore today and it was a real inspiration for me. I wanted to take all the ingredients from this island.”
“The drink looks like the wort in the whisky distillation process!”
Ingredients:
- 10ml pickle juice
- 10ml Tio Pepe
- 60ml infused Botanist Gin
Serve in a chilled glass that has been laced with Octomore. Strain and serve. Garnish with 4 cooked pickles. And voila delicious Gin cocktail.
While it might take a little extra preparation to infuse the Gin, the result is something truly unique and worth more than one tipple.