Last night, as we were making some gazpacho for dinner, Meredith and I discussed what to do with the leftover tomato juice. Naturally, our first thought was to bring booze into the mix.

We’re currently vodka-less (well, we do have some Van Gogh Dutch Caramel and some Pinnacle Whipped Cream, but those would be pretty nasty with tomato juice), so I said “What about using some Hendrick’s Gin? It’s cucumber-y, which pairs nicely with the tomato, and we actually have it here.”

We didn’t really get much further with the discussion, because then it was time to eat the gazpacho.

But here I am today, trawling the depths of the internet looking for tasty drink recipes for you guys, and look what I found on Liqurious: Blood-less Bloody Mary’s!

My first thought was “wouldn’t it be more accurate to call them Plasma Mary’s?” Turns out that that’s exactly what Punk Domestics did. Smart cookies!

Plasma Mary

To make tomato water without going through the rigors of canning 100 pounds of tomatoes, simply blitz a few tomatoes in a food processor just enough to break them down, then strain through a few layers of cheesecloth.

2 oz tomato water
1 oz cucumber-infused vodka
1/4 oz (1-1/2 tsp) lemon juice
dash hot sauce
Spicy salted rim (see below)

For the rim, combine roughly equal portions of kosher salt, chili powder and ground cumin. (If you want a finer texture, use table salt or give the kosher salt a whir in a food processor for a second or two.) Dip the rim of the glass in water or vodka, lift directly out, hold the glass (still inverted) in the air for a couple seconds, then rest it into the spice mix.

Mix the remaining ingredients in a cocktail shaker with ice. Stir aggressively to chill. (Stirring gives it a thicker consistency and doesn’t introduce air bubbles into the cocktail.) Strain into the rimmed cocktail glass. Garnish with lemon wheel or cucumber round.

Ed. note: For instructions on making your own cucumber-infused vodka, click the link above. Alternatively, you could also probably find a ready-made cucumber vodka at finer liquor stores — but where’s the fun in that?

(Via Liqurious, by way of Punk Domestics)

You didn’t mis-read that headline: Hendrick’s Gin has rolled out a fully-customized 1961 Rover 80 model P4, appropriately named “The Cucumber Mobile”, for marketing purposes. So what does this sweet, delicious auto come outfitted with?

While the antiquity of the vehicle adds to the aura, the Hendrick’s Tonic dispensing bar showing a bottle of Hendrick’s, and two glasses present in the boot, provide the whacky quotient.

What’s more, the vehicle also comes with a vintage Victorian tent, vintage wooden skis, chairs, a table, suitcase, and picnic basket for those of you who prefer your G & T’s a bit more rough ‘n’ tumble in the great outdoors. Don’t worry, though, they still have you pragmatists covered; it also comes with back-up gas can for emergencies.

That said, one wonders if a liquor-themed vehicle maybe isn’t the best way to garner press—there seems to be potential for a backlash of some sort. I seem to remember a group of mothers who don’t take kindly to stuff like this.

Now, gin, even gin as yummy as Hendrick’s, is very much a love-it or hate-it spirit for most drinkers. If you guys could modify a car to dispense a beverage, what make & model would it be, and what would you be drinking from it? Let me know in the comments section below!

(Via AutoMotto.com, by way of Liqurious)