In June, soon after we featured locally made Ice Glen Vodka from Berkshire Mountain Distillers in Hilary Deely’s Green Greyhound cocktail recipe, the New York Times published a tasting report of gins from small, young U.S. distilleries. Greylock Gin, from Berkshire Mountain Distillers, came out on top, rated #1 of the top ten tasted by the Times. While the enduring appeal of the classic summer gin cocktails – Tom Collins, Gimlet, Gin Fizz, or the simple Gin & Tonic – cannot be denied, we were hoping to toast this achievement with something new, a bit more timely, and a bit more locally oriented. We went to the source and asked Chris Weld, founder of Berkshire Mountain Distillers, for an of-the-moment, locavore gin cocktail recipe. Weld delivered with a fresh new cocktail called the Screen Door. It’s made with peak of the season peaches and Aperol, a ruby-hued, rhubarb-based aperitif similar to Campari (its corporate parent) but lower in alcohol. The result is a pretty orange drink that’s refreshing, with body and a fine balance of sweet and tart. (If you don’t strain the peach purée too much it seems practically virtuous, as if you’re drinking a smoothie.) Finished with Vinho Verde, it has a slight effervescence. The Screen Door happens to go exceptionally well with Alana Chernila’s Corn and Nectarine Salad with Basil, aka summer in bowl – so much so that we’ve nicknamed this cocktail “Summer in a Glass.” The fresh flavor can mask its high ratio of alcohol to fruit juice; it does pack a kick, so don’t let the Screen Door hit on you on the way out. Screen Door, courtesy of Chris Weld
1 ounce Greylock Gin 1 ounce Aperol ½ ounce fresh-squeezed lemon juice ½ ounce fresh peach purée (from 2-3 fresh, ripe, local peaches) 2 ounces Vinho Verde* Make the peach purée: cut peaches and remove pit; purée them in a blender. Strain through wide-gauge strainer. (This will produce enough purée for several cocktails.) Pour the first four ingredients into a shaker over ice. Shake, then strain into a rocks glass over ice. Top with the Vinho Verde, stir and serve. Can be doubled if you have a large shaker. *We used Casal Garcia Vinho Verde, available at Nejaime’s for about $7. You can spend more, but there’s no need to do so. — Bess Hochstein
