After the mad rush of the holiday season, early January’s winter days, at least in the Northern Rockies , stand in stark contrast to the busy six or seven weeks that flew by before, offering a welcome, if not damned cold respite.
Around our camp this is when fly tying season moves into the damned serious business mode, replenishing stock favorites, experimenting a bit with new flies and cranking out necessary volume to refill empty boxes.
It’s soup and chili season in the kitchen and for some reason classic adult beverages and favorite local brews just seem to fit the mood and weather of the day.
Here’s a time honored classic that fits the bill nicely – the Classic Gibson; you’ll need pickled cocktail onions if they’re not in your stash year round.
2 ounces gin
1/2 ounce blanc vermouth
1/2 ounce dry vermouth
1/4 ounce onion pickling liquid
3 cups ice
Garnish with a pickled onion
Stir the gin, blanc and dry vermouth, pickling liquid and the ice in a largish measuring glass or stirring glass for one minute (don’t skimp here, you’re rounding out the flavors).
Strain into a martini glass and garnish with a pickled onion.
Enjoy.
