After a wretched bout of sickness that kept me home last Thursday, I awoke Friday feeling nearly human. I opened the door to head for work and found that the mailman had delivered my copy of Esquire Drinks right to my very feet! Naturally, I was heading out of town that night—far, far away from my bar—so I had to make do with mooning over the book all weekend. I read the introduction. I perused the indices and looked up strange and interesting new drinks—Emerald, Esquire, Dulchin. I laughed out loud at David Wondrich’s sardonic wit.

And the whole time, I just wanted to get home and make with his recipes, already!

Naturally, as soon as I returned home I hit the pages for something light and refreshing to revive me after a long drive. I settled upon the Florodora, snuggled into the highballs section, and was immediately charmed by its pink-hued promise. Ah, la vie en rose.

2 oz London dry gin
½ oz lime juice
½ oz raspberry syrup

Build ingredients over ice in a Collins glass; top with ginger ale.

This was precisely what I wanted and precisely what Wondrich billed: a sweetish, cold and refreshing drink. I actually used ginger beer instead of ginger ale, a change that I enjoyed very much. The sharpness of the ginger mellowed out the sweetness of the raspberry syrup (1/2 oz doesn’t sound like much until you’re pouring it), and this drink came out just as charming as the story that accompanies it—but for that, you’ll have to buy the book.