Buzz
One of the best things about managing Skillet is the bonds I’ve built with the readers. Beyond the comment sections—which is a surprisingly calm space on the internet—kind readers often reach out via DMs or emails, sharing ideas, requests, and recipes.
One reader recently sent me the following, with the message “Thinking of you. ‘The Communist’ lol,” which is both a clever jab and a genuinely heartwarming gesture. (The origin of the name is unclear, but I’m clearly on board.)
As you can see, it’s a simple four-ingredient classic, but the mix of gin, cherry, and citrus offers a flexible base. I experimented by replacing the lemon with more orange, but it ended up tasting too bitter, so I swapped in a fizzy citrus soda to balance the sweet and sour. To recreate it, you'll need:
1 1/2 ounces gin
3/4 ounces cherry liqueur
Approximately 2 ounces of Squirt or another citrus soda
Shake the gin and liqueur together in a cocktail shaker filled with ice until it’s well-chilled. Strain into a coupe glass and top with soda.
