Leftover Herb & Celery Gin Cocktail | David Burtka

In a small saucepan, combine the sugar and ¾ cup water and bring to a simmer over medium heat. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the sugar has dissolved, 4 to 5 minutes. Add the thyme bunch and sage leaves, using a spoon to press down on the herbs to make sure they are completely covered by the sugar syrup. Set aside at room temperature for 1 hour to let the flavors infuse.

Meanwhile, in a blender, combine the celery and the remaining ¾ cup water and puree until smooth, then strain through a fine-mesh sieve set over a medium bowl, using the back of a spoon or rubber spatula to push down on the celery pulp to extract as much juice as possible (you should end up with about 1 ½ cups celery juice). (The celery juice can be made the day before and stored in an airtight container in the fridge until ready to use.)

Rinse the strainer, set over a second medium bowl, and strain the cooled herb syrup, using the back of a spoon or rubber spatula to press down on the herbs to extract as much syrup as possible. Discard the herbs.

To assemble each cocktail, in a cocktail shaker, combine 2 tablespoons (1 ounce) herb syrup, 3 tablespoons (1 ½ ounces) gin, ¼ cup (2 ounces) celery juice, and 2 teaspoons lemon juice. Add enough ice to fill the cocktail shaker (about 4 cubes), cover tightly, and shake vigorously for a few seconds until the mixture is very cold.

Hold a mesh strainer over the top of the strainer on the shaker top and double-strain the cocktail in a lowball glass filled with crushed ice. Repeat for each cocktail. Add a splash of tonic water to each glass, garnish with a thyme sprig, and serve immediately. (Any leftover herb syrup can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 1 month.)