Gallagher Smash

Serves
makes one cocktail

MATT TAYLOR-GROSS

For this summer refresher, Eric Johnson of Sycamore Den in San Diego makes a syrup with ripe watermelon and sugar, then combines it with sherry, gin, and muddled lemon.

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Ingredients

For the Watermelon Syrup

1 cup granulated sugar
¹⁄₂ cup watermelon (about 4 oz.)

For the Cocktail

1 oz. dry Fino sherry
1 oz. gin
³⁄₄ oz. watermelon syrup
3 lemon wedges
Mint sprig, to garnish
Watermelon slice, to garnish

Instructions

Step 1

To make the syrup, combine sugar and watermelon in a small saucepan over medium-high heat; cook, stirring and breaking up the watermelon, until the sugar has dissolved, about 4 minutes. Strain and cool syrup.

Step 2

To make the cocktail, combine sherry, gin, syrup, and lemon wedges in a cocktail shaker and muddle; add ice and shake vigorously, then strain into a rocks glass filled with shaved ice. Garnish with a mint sprig and watermelon slice.

To make the syrup, combine sugar and watermelon in a small saucepan over medium-high heat; cook, stirring and breaking up the watermelon, until the sugar has dissolved, about 4 minutes. Strain and cool syrup.
To make the cocktail, combine sherry, gin, syrup, and lemon wedges in a cocktail shaker and muddle; add ice and shake vigorously, then strain into a rocks glass filled with shaved ice. Garnish with a mint sprig and watermelon slice.