Recipe // Heather’s Southside

There are some drinks so tethered to a specific place & time that sipping one can feel deeply nostalgic. Drinking a Southside will forever remind me of San Francisco in 2008, snagging a last-minute table with friends at the late, great Brick for drinks & truffled macaroni & cheese. We asked the bartender to make us a round of off-menu Southsides, which I think we described as gin gimlets except with lemon and mint? Which was so obnoxious, because there were plenty of excellent cocktails on Brick’s menu, but we were adorable and in our 20’s when such behavior is frequently excused.

The drink we were brought was *delicious* and indeed some version of a Southside, though when we got the bill we saw that Brick had named our custom beverage a “Southsiiiiide” with extra i’s for comedic effect. (It worked. We laughed our heads off.)

And so, for your spring & summer sipping consideration, I present a faithful representation of that original Southside as recreated by my husband, Larsen, the one bartender I will get to boss around with impunity forever. This Southside is a refreshing & imminently sippable lemon/mint/gimlet hybrid, topped with Top Chico for a subtle fizz. It’s the perfect way to kick off a casual bbq with friends or enjoy while playing a round of dominoes or just enjoy while sitting on the terrace in the sunshine. You might find yourself planting a pot of mint in the garden just so you always have some on hand when the mood for a Southside strikes

HEATHER’S SOUTHSIDE

Serves 1

• 5 mint leaves, plus extra mint for garnish 

• 1 ounce freshly-squeezed lemon juice

• 2 ounces gin

• 3/4 simple syrup

• Topo Chico, for topping off

Place mint leaves and lemon juice in bottom of a cocktail shaker & muddle them together. Then add gin and simple syrup to the shaker. Shake until chilled and then double strain into an old-fashioned glass (we like Half Past Seven Home’s “Starry Night” glasses) filled with ice. Top with a splash of Topo Chico & garnish with mint.