Kent Westmoreland created this Gimlet variation after reading about the Beverly Country Club in “Mafia Kingfish.” The Beverly was an illegal casino on River Road, just beyond the Orleans Parish line, that operated from 1955-1962. Its owners included local mafia boss Carlos Marcello and New York mobster Meyer Lansky. In the 1970s, the building became a dinner theater, then burned to the ground in 1983 under mysterious circumstances. It is now an Ochsner parking lot. Before the pandemic, Kent was head bartender at the Windsor Court where he served the drink for an Ochsner cocktail party. The hosts were so tickled by the story that they researched The Beverly and posted stories about it at the event for guests’ edification. Kent will soon take the helm of the bar at Alon Shaya’s new Miss River restaurant at the Four Seasons Hotel. Stop by and sample The Beverly for a taste of New Orleans’ colorful past.
- Swap the gin for vodka or tequila.
- Double straining keeps out the cucumber pulp and ice shards.
- Other uses for Lime Cordial: replace the lime in a Pisco Sour or Margarita; replace the orange juice in a Mimosa.
The Beverly
2 ounces Hendrick’s gin
1 ounce lime cordial (recipe below)
1 thick cucumber wedge (Wedge is preferred over slice as it allows more flavor when muddling)
4 dashes Fee Brothers rhubarb bitters
Garnish: Poker chip sized cucumber slice
1. Muddle cucumber wedge and bitters in a mixing tin.
2. Add gin, lime cordial and ice to tin, then shake long and hard.
3. Double strain into a refrigerated coupe. Float cucumber slice in the cocktail.
Lime Cordial Recipe
8 ounces sugar
8 ounces hot water
1½ ounces fresh lime juice
1½ ounces freshly grated lime peel
1 ounce citric acid
1. Combine all of the ingredients in a blender. Blend on medium speed for 30 seconds.
2. Strain with a fine strainer. Bottle and refrigerate.
