Pearls adorn the necks and wrists of classy ladies around the world.  One evening two classy ladies (Ms. Wulf Cocktail Den and our friend Sonia), one fine gentleman (our friend Joel, who is Sonia's husband), and I (definitely not a lady and occasionally a gentleman) went into the Den to create a new gin based cocktail.  After experimenting with various gins, fruits, vegetables, and bitters, the Reston Pearl is the result of our very fun efforts.

2 ounces gin (we used the Botanist)
.5 ounces honey syrup
4-5 small cucumber chunks
2 dashes Lem-Marrakech bitters from Bittered Sling

Muddle the cucumber and gin at the bottom of a shaker, add ice and the other ingredients, stir with the subtle strength of a pearl diver, and strain into a chilled glass.

You're probably wondering about the name.  Seems pretty random, doesn't it?  You'd be correct, except Sonia and Joel live in Reston, Virginia, and "Pearl" was Sonia's nickname when she was a girl.  

The gin and cucumber give the Reston Pearl a crisp taste, the honey syrup adds a little sweetness, and the bitters bring in a hint of tartness. Although the muddling process is the same as with a Mint Julep, you can use a little more force with cucumber than you would with mint.   The honey syrup isn't hard to make, and if you have any left over you can use it in a Cool Summer Breeze or A Thief In The Night.  If you can't get the specific bitters from Bittered Sling, another citrus flavor, e.g. orange, will work well.

So when will the Reston Pearl adorn your taste buds?

If you're a child of the 1980s like me, you'll probably like the Netflix series Stranger Things. You'll definitely appreciate period details such as the floppy disk.  I thought about the show as Ms. Wulf Cocktail Den and I recently savored cocktails at the Floppy Disk Repair Company in Austin.  Courtesy of Chris, who remembered us when he worked and we drank at a different watering hole, we imbibed a number of cocktails.  The Racketeer is spectacular, especially if you think you're a Whiskey Queen, and other standouts included unusual libations such as the Royal Bermuda Yacht Club and familiar ones like the Vieux Carre.

The atmosphere is funky (in a good way).  You can get high quality cocktails in a beer and a shot environment. A quick word of advice -- you can't just walk in.  Even though the fake speakeasy trend peaked awhile ago, the Floppy Disk Repair Company insists you message it beforehand, and then you get clues for the passcode.  It doesn't take much effort (just 24 hours advance planning) and the cocktails are worth it.

Like the speakers in Spinal Tap and one of the main characters in Stranger Things, the Floppy Disk Repair Company goes to 11.