Solar Eclipse Cocktails

Once in a lifetime, we all get to climb up on the roof, drink special cocktails invented just for that moment, wear dark glasses or welding masks and look at the sun being eclipsed by the moon while wearing tin foil hats, just in case...

... you mean that isn't how you spent Sunday's annular eclipse? Ah, well. The annular eclipse yesterday afternoon was very amazing indeed, and we felt some shenanigans were in order, so I mixed up an eclipse worthy cocktail and we climbed to the top of the stairs. The star of the cocktail was a dill-infused gin, which was nearly as brilliant as the sun itself. With the addition of the Basil Eau de Vie from St. George Spirits and Blade Gin, this is a cocktail fit not only for eclipse gazing, but also for summer sipping in the garden.

Eclipse Collins

1 oz dill-infused dry gin
1 oz Blade Gin
1/2 oz Basil Eau de Vie from St. George Spirits
1 oz fresh lemon juice
1 oz simple syrup (1-1)
soda water
Angostura bitters


Shake all ingredients except soda and bitters with cubed ice, and pour into tall collins or hurricane glass. Top with 3 oz soda, then fill to the top with crushed ice, leaving a mound heaping in the top of the glass. Splash ice mound with Angostura bitters, and garnish with lemon wheel and fresh dill. Serve with straw.

Cocktails in hand, shenanigans began. Me, with my safety hat, just in case:

A photo of the eclipse taken with aluminum foil over the lens:

A special kind of indirect sun gazing - the ukulele method:

The Hangar One Blimp came for a visit:

Nice afternoon for rooftop eclipse gazing with crazy space glasses and Paul McMillan:

And once again, the uke:

Needless to say, we had fun. Afterwards, dinner and more cocktails were in order, and since we already had the dill-infused gin on hand, Green Martinis were certainly the thing - dill-infused gin martinis with a handmade pickled quail egg garnish. Wild, unconventional, and certainly fitting for a historic solar day.
Cheers! I'll see YOU there!
-- Suzanne