Eye Candy Cocktail

By
Colleen Graham
Photo of Colleen Graham
Colleen Graham
Freelance writer and cocktail book author Colleen Graham is a seasoned mixologist who loves sharing her knowledge of spirits and passion for preparing drinks.
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Updated on 04/14/23
Eye Candy Cocktail

The Spruce Eats / S&C Design Studios

Prep: 3 mins
Cook: 0 mins
Total: 3 mins
Serving: 1 serving
Yield: 1 cocktail

The eye candy cocktail offers amazing layers of flavor, from ginger to mint, against a dry gin background. It's wonderfully refreshing and makes a fantastic summer beverage. The recipe was created at Touché Miami (a restaurant formerly located in downtown Miami) and it is definitely a fantastic drink to enjoy with dinner.

Bombay Dry Gin is a more traditional London dry version of Bombay Sapphire and forms the base of the eye candy. It's spectacular when highlighted with the sweet elderflower taste of St. Germain, but the drink doesn't stop there. You'll also enjoy how the spice of fresh gingerroot plays against the cooling taste of mint. And despite the ingredient list, it mixes up very quickly.

Ingredients

Steps to Make It

  1. Gather the ingredients.

  2. In a cocktail shaker, muddle the ginger, leaves from 1 sprig of mint, and simple syrup.

  3. Add the liquors and juice and fill with ice. Shake well.

  4. Strain into an old-fashioned glass filled with fresh ice.

  5. Add a splash of club soda.

  6. Garnish with the remaining sprig of mint. Serve and enjoy.

Tips

  • Though the recipe recommends Bombay, any London dry or juniper-forward gin will work just fine in this cocktail. You will find it best with a premium gin, though, so don't be too cheap at the liquor store.
  • With all the fresh ingredients, be sure to use fresh-squeezed lemon juice, too. The average lemon yields 1 3/4 ounces, so you'll have more than enough for a few drinks.
  • Simple syrup is easy to make at home and it's much more economical to DIY it than buy premade syrup. You'll use it all the time in cocktails and all you need is sugar and water, so there's really no excuse not to make it.
  • When you bring mint home (or cut it from your garden), place the stems in a vase of water to keep it fresh. It's a simple trick and doubles as a fragrant bouquet in the kitchen.
  • For the ginger, you'll find it best to cut slices that about 1/8-inch thick. This will give you enough flesh to muddle and produce a nice amount of extracted juice.

Recipe Variations

  • If either your mint or ginger is starting to go bad, preserve the flavor and incorporate them into a simple syrup, then use that to make the cocktail. Ginger simple syrup requires about 1 cup of the sliced root; mint syrup is best with about 1/2 cup of fresh leaves. You could even combine the two ingredients for a ginger-mint syrup.
  • Any light soda will work just as well as club soda in the eye candy recipe. Consider using ginger ale or any citrus soda and add more than a splash if you want it more effervescent.

How Strong Is an Eye Candy Cocktail?

The eye candy is a nice, casual sipper with an alcohol content that's average for this style of drink. When mixed up with the recommended brands, it should come out to around 20 percent ABV (40 proof), or about double the average glass of wine.

Nutrition Facts (per serving)
301 Calories
1g Fat
42g Carbs
3g Protein
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 1
Amount per serving
Calories 301
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 1g 2%
Saturated Fat 0g 2%
Cholesterol 0mg 0%
Sodium 22mg 1%
Total Carbohydrate 42g 15%
Dietary Fiber 3g 11%
Total Sugars 16g
Protein 3g
Vitamin C 13mg 67%
Calcium 28mg 2%
Iron 1mg 6%
Potassium 637mg 14%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)