Summer cooler

Light, bright and cooling: that's what we look for in an adult beverage for a summer afternoon.

It was a summer afternoon in Mammoth Lakes, CA., when I had my first Eastern Retreat but it was hardly hot on Pokonobe's deck above Lake Mary. Actually we flatland-dwelling East Coasters were cold at the 8,000-foot Eastern Sierra mountain elevation.

Nonetheless, I opted for the Eastern Retreat, which is saying a lot, especially as my fingers took on a blueish tinge while holding the glass. it was that good, kind of like a California Pimm's Cup created by the mixologists at the local Shelter Distillery with their Gin the Third.

While I obtained the recipe for an individual serving, many thanks to my friend and fellow travel writer Susan Katzman who thought to ask for the party-sized proportions.

                        Eastern Retreat

Ingredients
Gin
Mint simple syrup
Lemon juice
Cucumber juice
Cucumber garnish



For one serving
1 1/2 oz Gin
1/2 oz. Cucumber juice
1/2 oz. Mint sauce
1 1/2 oz. Lemon juice

Mix together in a blender.
Serve over ice with a thin slice of cucumber.

For 50 servings (4 oz. liquid over ice in an 8 oz. glass)
Mix together:
3 bottles of Gin
1 bottle Mint syrup
1 bottle Lemon juice
2 bottles Cucumber juice

Garnish each serving with a thin slice of cucumber