Struck down with Covid (again) recently, the kind folks at Garden Street Gin Club sent me their April 2024 box filled with goodies including a gin by North Queensland distillery Tans Lines and some tasty dried mango. Inspired to make a curative style of cocktail, I settled on that modern classic the Penicillin by Sam Ross…but make it “gin” and “tropical”. This one’s all the better to soothe the dreaded “spicy cough” or simply to sip whenever refreshment seems medically necessary. 

After Sun cocktail

60ml Tan Lines Distilling ‘Tan Lines’ gin

25ml freshly squeezed lemon juice

30ml honey-ginger syrup

15ml Brookie’s ‘Byron Slow Passion’ gin

Garden Street Gin Club dehydrated mango, to garnish

crushed ice

Add the Tan Lines gin, lemon juice and syrup to a shaker with ice, and shake until well-chilled. Strain into a rocks glass over freshly crushed ice. Top with the Brookie’s Slow Passion gin. Garnish with a piece of dried mango.

To make honey-ginger syrup:

Add 1/2 cup honey, 3 tablespoons thinly sliced ginger and 1/2 cup water to a small saucepan over high heat and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to just simmering for 10 minutes. Place in the refrigerator to steep overnight. Strain through a clean cloth. If you can, choose a honey made by bees that live near the Australian tropics (e.g. Hum Honey from the Sunshine Coast).