Cucumber-Thyme Hendricks Martini

I was introduced to Hendricks Gin by my coworker and friend, Pete. It was love at first sip. Hendricks is a small batch gin from Scotland that has hints of cucumber and rose, which makes it the perfect match for cool, crisp cucumber. This is the perfect drink for a hot summer night. It is smooth and cool. If you tend to find martinis too strong, this is a good one to try because the cucumber water cuts it slightly to produce a very drinkable martini. Also, I love the fragrance of the fresh thyme. When you pick a sprig of fresh thyme, it has a great aroma that really compliments the cocktail. If you don't have fresh thyme, you can garnish with a thin slice of cucumber instead. These are dangerously delicious. Mark is the official bar tender of Corcoran Street Kitchen and he whipped these up for us. I think it is going to be come our official go-to cockail for emergency purposes. You better get enough to make a few batches because I bet you can't drink just one. Cucumber-Thyme Hendricks Martini (makes 2)
Ingredients:
1 small cucumber
1 Tbs. water
4 oz. Hendricks gin
1 oz. dry vermouth
2 sprigs thyme

1. Peel and chop the cucumber into 1 inch pieces and place in you blender (or your magic bullet).
2. Add 1 Tbs. water to help blend and blend well until the cucumber water is smooth.
3. To make the martini, fill a cocktail shaker (or a large plastic cup) with ice. Add the gin and vermouth and shake or stir vigorously. For reference, a standard shot glass is 1.5 oz. That is 2 and 2/3 shots of gin and 2/3 of a shot of vermouth.
4. Add 1/2 cup cucumber water and mix up again. Strain into waiting martini glasses and garnish with a sprig of thyme.
Drain.
Repeat as necessary.


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