The Lush Chef

I had come home from a long day working at Bean & Thyme at the Santa Monica Farmer's Market and had a bounty of plums in tow from trading with the farmers.  I really needed to take a load off my feet and have a cocktail after a long and "fruitful" morning.  Last summer, The Year In Food had posted a beautiful recipe for a Plum Tarragon Smash and I had been waiting for the right time to make it.  The licorice and mint-like flavor of the tarragon nicely pairs with the sweet tartness of the plums.  For those who aren't big whiskey drinkers, the fruit, herbs and soda water really lighten this drink up.  I made a few modifications to the original recipe — I generally like to put two ounces of liquor in my cocktails and I then included more plum and soda water to balance it out.

Plum Tarragon Smash
Ingredients:

• 1 small plum, quartered
• Juice from 1/4 lime
• Leaves from one sprig of tarragon
• 3/4 oz simple syrup
• 2 oz whiskey
• 1 1/2 oz club soda

- Add the plum, lime juice, tarragon leaves and simple syrup into a mixing glass and muddle.
- Add the whiskey and a few ice cubes and shake.
- Pour into a chilled glass and top with club soda.