To my palate, fine gin is not best appreciated straight but in simple drinks where it is treated gently. Shaking dissipates some of gin’s more volatile aromas, even the juniper, so I prefer poured or stirred gin drinks, to better contain every last scent molecule. Dilution “opens up” the gin and lets the aromas blossom; chilling is important too, although storing gin in the freezer damages some of those fragile aromatics. Stirring with ice both chills and dilutes the spirit, bringing out its best qualities.

Bee’s Knees II

This drink was first concocted and named sometime in the Prohibition era, so it’s not a stretch to imagine that it might have been enjoyed in Los Poblanos’ earliest days, when La Quinta was the residence of Albert Simms and Ruth Hanna McCormick. This is my version—it’s less sweet than a classic Bee’s Knees, and it’s stirred rather than shaken to better preserve the gin’s delicate aromatic profile. 

Makes 1 drink

• 1/4 ounce (1/2 tablespoon) fresh lemon juice
• 1/4 ounce (1/2 tablespoon) floral honey, ideally local lavender honey
• 2 ounces Los Poblanos Lavender Gin
• 1 strip lemon peel 

Measure lemon juice and honey into a mixing glass and work them together with a bar spoon for about 20 seconds, until you have a uniform syrup. Measure in the gin, then fill the glass with ice. Stir gently and continuously for about 30 seconds. Strain into an ice-filled rocks glass. Twist the lemon peel over the drink to express the oils, then drop it in, and serve.

Spanish Gin and Tonic

The gin and tonic is one of the world’s most popular drinks, for good reason: slightly bitter, slightly sweet, effervescent tonic water perfectly balances good gin, along with a squeeze of lime. And like gin itself, tonic originated as a medicine: quinine (the bitter component in tonic water) was used to treat malaria in British colonial India, and limes were used as a source of vitamin C by British sailors, to prevent scurvy. Over the past couple of decades, Spain has come to embrace the “gintonic” and develop its own style, favoring a big balloon glass and numerous aromatic garnishes. Given New Mexico’s Spanish colonial history, Los Poblanos often looks to Spain—even modern Spain—for inspiration, so this is one of Campo’s favorite versions of the G&T.

Makes 1 drink

• 2 1/2 ounces chilled (not frozen) Los Poblanos Western Dry Gin
• Lime wedge
• 1 sprig rosemary
• 1 sprig lemon verbena
• A few pink peppercorns, lightly cracked
• 1 1/2–2 ounces chilled Fever Tree Mediterranean tonic water

Fill a large, chilled balloon-style wine glass three-quarters full with ice. Measure in the gin, squeeze the lime wedge over the drink, rim the glass with the spent lime wedge, and drop it in. Slap the rosemary and lemon verbena sprigs between your palms to release the oils, and drop them in. Drop in the peppercorns. Finally add the tonic, give the drink a gentle stir, and serve immediately. 

You can find a slightly more traditional Bee Knees and a handful of other cocktail recipes on the Los Poblanos blog.

Los Poblanos Gin Chicken Liver Crostini with Pickled Mulberries

Adapted from The Commonsense Kitchen and The Deep Springs Cookbook

In my role as event chef at Los Poblanos, I served these elegant crostini to accompany a mixed green farm salad for the 2023 Lavender Dinner at La Quinta. Even those averse to liver find them irresistible. Mulberry trees thrive across the property, but other berries, halved red grapes, peaches, or cut ripe pears all work equally well. You’ll want to make the pickled fruit and the pâté early in the day or the night before.

Serves about 6

PICKLE THE FRUIT

• Enough fresh mulberries to fill a pint jar
• 1/4 teaspoon whole black peppercorns
• 1/2 cup boiling water
• 3 tablespoons sugar
• 1 1/4 teaspoons kosher salt
• 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar

Wash the berries, drain well, and put in a pint jar. Combine the peppercorns, boiling water, sugar, salt, and vinegar, stirring to dissolve the sugar. Pour the vinegar mixture over the fruit, cap the jar, and let sit 1–2 hours, or overnight.

PREPARE THE CHICKEN LIVER PÂTÉ

• 4 ounces very fresh, organic free-range chicken livers, trimmed of all veins and fat, weighed after trimming
• 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 1 pinch salt, plus 3/4 teaspoon
• 3 tablespoons Los Poblanos Western Dry Gin
• A few twists of black pepper

In a medium skillet over a medium-high flame, sauté the livers in 1 tablespoon of the butter with a good pinch of salt, until brown on the outside and still a little pink on the inside, about 2 minutes. Remove from the flame and transfer the livers to the jar of a blender. Let the pan cool for a few seconds, then pour in the gin to deglaze, using a wooden spoon to scrape up the brown bits and letting them dissolve into the gin. Scrape every drop of gin into the blender with the livers, along with the remaining 5 tablespoons of butter, 3/4 teaspoon salt, and pepper. Blend until completely smooth. Transfer the pâté into a glass or china bowl, cover, and chill several hours or overnight. 

MAKE THE CROSTINI

• About 12 thin (2-inch) slices artisan bread
• Extra-virgin olive oil
• Salt and pepper

Brush the bread with olive oil, and bake at 325℉ degrees until golden and crisp, about 20 minutes—check often. While the crostini are still hot, drizzle with additional olive oil, and season with salt and pepper. 

To serve, bring the pâté to room temperature. Spread a generous schmear of pâté on each crostini, then top each one with a pickled mulberry.