Shake over ice. Double strain into chilled cocktail glass. Squeeze lemon zest over cocktail. Slide lemon peel (zest side down) around rim of cocktail glass.
*Cinnamon Syrup: Steep 1/2 broken Ceylon Cinnamon Sticks in a warm mixture of 1:1 Simple Syrup.
Drink Inspiration
I love Hot Toddy and Buttered Rum weather, though this cocktail shows that not all winter cocktails must be warm to be in holiday theme. This is a fairly simple post-autumnal gin cocktail appropriate for sipping by a warm fire. The only extra effort is the cinnamon syrup which can be made in advance and saved for up to 10 days in the refrigerator. The cocktail is a good blend of crisp citrus, warm spices, and sweet fruit. No. 209 Gin is an excellent "modern" gin, that while retaining classic gin sensibilities, also branches out with zesty, citrus overtones of bergamot, and spice notes of coriander, cassia, light cardamom, and juniper. The gin is distilled 5 times at San Franciso's Pier 50, resulting in a remarkably smooth, mixable spirit that plays well with others.
