Author: Joe Watters.

Vernal: of, relating to, or occurring in the spring. My birthday is two days before the Vernal Equinox. And the whole St. Patrick's Day thing is the day before that. So for that triple occasion, I wanted a cocktail that evoked spring in a fresh way, and welcomed the return of green and warmth. And it turns out to be reminiscent of the Spring Green classic Crayola color. This cocktail combines the flavors of fresh dill with cucumber and lemon, so it can ride right into summer.

See the full recipe for Vernal on BarNotes

Ingredients:

• dill infused vodka
• Thatcher's cucumber liqueur
• lemon juice
• simple syrup
• fresh dill
• dill sprig for garnish

Preparation:

Combine vodka, cucumber liqueur, lemon juice and simple syrup in a mixing glass 2/3 filled with ice. Add the dill. Cover and shake well. Fine strain (important, to catch the dill leaves) into a cocktail glass. Garnish with the dill leaf sprig.

Dill-infused Vodka

• vodka
• fresh dill

Combine vodka and dill in a 2 cup jar or other container. Seal jar and leave to infuse for 12 hours. Strain vodka into another container. Vodka should have a pale green color to it.