Pine Needle Juice

Yeah. Pine needle juice. And with a little rye whisky… a pine sap-arac.
On our recent U.S. National Forest expedition, Hot Knives broke a Golden Rule of camping and broke off a piece of nature to take with us. Relax, it was to make an emerald beverage. And we only snagged a small handful of the stuff.
Infused ever so faintly into a tart lemon-lime juice that’s more Whiskey Sour mix than lemonade, this uses the bitter medicinal notes of pine to make the whisky that much sweeter. The stuff’s fine hand-mixed and room temp if you’re still out in the pines. Or if you bring the loot back home, blended is better. Convenience.

2 limes
1 lemon
5 cups water
¼ quarter cup agave nectar
a handful of pine needles (about 30-40 needles)
1. Obtain one frond, or about a handful, of fresh pine needles fresh off the tree. Clean them: Make sure any dirt or pollen is wiped or washed off, cut off the nubby base of the pine frond. Using a sharp knife, cut off the lower quarter of each pine needle, like you would asparagus.
2. Store fresh pine needles submerged in water in a container with a lid (they stay good in the fridge for at least a week.
3. Roll the limes and lemonades on the counter with assertive hands. Slice the limes and lemon in half. Now juice ’em whichever way you can: you want about 1 cup of juice.
4. Combine the water and lemon-lime juice in a blender (or a tall container that can accommodate a handheld mixer). Add agave syrup while pulsing or blending. Taste after mixing for about 30 seconds. If its still too tart to your liking (we are sour) add another couple tablespoon of agave, honey or sugar.
5. Pick out the 30-40 best looking pine needles from the bunch, ones that are pure green with no brown, and let sit on the bottom of a sealable jar. Add the blended limeade and let chill for at least 3 hours.
6. Serve blended with 2/3 cup rye whisky, or stirred with a single shot.