Tomatoes in a cocktail that is not a Bloody Mary? Yes, the Sungold Zinger from Range in San Francisco is a gin-based cocktail with elderflower liqueur and muddled cherry tomatoes in it. We hesitated a bit as vegetables in cocktails often has a tendency to overpower more delicate flavors, but at the same time the color that tomato juice adds excited us. So we bravely started to muddle those eight cherry tomatoes that were gonna be the base for our two cocktails. Interesting things start to happen when the gin, elderflower liqueur and lemon juice is poured on the pulpy mush, the strong tomato flavor changes and becomes more earthy and subtle. The small amount of elderflower shines through quite a lot and the sour lemon notes complements everything really nicely. And that orange color is so flattering to the cocktail isn’t it?

4 cherry tomatoes cut in halves

1 pinch salt

1,5 oz dry gin

0,5 oz elderflower liqueur

0,5 oz fresh lemon juice

Muddle the tomatoes and add all other ingredients. Shake. Strain. Pour.