Gin & Tonic Floats with Roasted Cherry Sorbet
A jammy scoop of cherry sorbet takes your summer G&T to the next level!
Equipment
- Ice Cream Maker
- Blender or Food Processor
- Highball Glasses, 2
Ingredients
Gin & Tonic
- 4 oz gin, well chilled
- 1 oz fresh lime juice
- 8-12 oz tonic water, well chilled
- 1 cup Roasted Cherry Sorbet or sorbet of your choice
- 2 lime wheels for garnish
Roasted Cherry Sorbet
- 2 lbs fresh cherries, pitted and stemmed (tart or sweet is fine)
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 pinch kosher salt
- 3/4 cup water
- 1-2 Tbsp fresh lime juice
Instructions
Make the Sorbet:
- Move one of the oven racks to the middle of the oven and preheat to 400°F.
- In a 9" x 13" baking dish, mix the pitted cherries with the sugar and salt. Roast the cherries for 30-35 minutes until bubbly. Mix in the water and roast for another 10 minutes. Remove from oven and allow to cool to room temperature.
- Puree the cooled cherries and liquid in a blender or food processor. Add the lime juice to taste. You can add more than is called for if that's your preference.
- Not a necessary step but if you're after a super smooth sorbet, push the puree through a sieve to sift out any errant bits of cherry skin. Be sure to push the solids firmly to extract every bit of cherry goodness. You should end up with about 4 cups of puree.
- Allow the puree to chill in the refrigerator until quite cold, 2 hours at minimum. Process it through your ice cream maker, following manufacturer instructions. I use a Kitchen Aid ice cream maker attachment so I have to freeze it for a minimum of 16 hours before processing.
- Transfer soft sorbet to a freezer safe container (a quart size deli container is perfect for this recipe) and freeze until firm, at least 4 hours.
Assemble the Floats
- Add 2 oz of gin and 1/2 oz of lime juice to each highball glass.
- Add 1/4 - 1/2 cup sorbet to each glass.
- Slowly fill with tonic water, trying not to overflow the glass--but it's kind of fun and not a big deal if you do. ;-)
- You'll notice the sorbet will immediately start to melt into the liquid, turning the drink into a glorious shade of cherry red. Garnish with lime wheels and enjoy immediately!