Last night I went to a party at James, a lovely little restaurant in the Italian Market section of Philadelphia. It was in celebration of the fact that the chef and co-owner James Burke had been named one of Food & Wine Magazine's Best New Chefs for 2008. It was a far swankier event than I am accustomed to attending, but ended up being lots of fun (even though I forgot to change out of my flip flops before I left the house and so spent some time feeling embarrassed about my flat, plastic shoes).
One of the hits of the evening was a signature drink (essentially a fancified gin and tonic) that they whipped up for the evening, called Hendrick's and Honeydew. Made with fresh honeydew and garnished with a sprig of thyme and a bit of the melon, it was refreshing and lovely, perfect for a swampy summer evening. Check out the recipe after the jump.
Hendrick's & Honeydew
7 medium honeydew melon balls
1 1/2 ounces gin, preferably Hendrick's
ice
1 ounce chilled tonic water
1 thyme sprig
In a cocktail shaker, muddle 4 of the honeydew balls with the gin. Add ice and shake well. Strain into an ice-filled rocks glass and stir in the chilled tonic water. Garnish with the remaining 3 honeydew balls and the thyme sprig.
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