Sophie's Choice Cocktail by bookseller

I peeled about 6 oz. of fresh ginger, and threw it into the food processor with half a peeled cucumber, half a bunch of mint (I had more), and the heart of a stalk of lemongrass; processed till everything was very finely chopped. Dumped this slush into a small saucepan with 1/4 cup fresh lime juice, half a cup of brown sugar (ok, I used my much loved sugar sub, the brown version), and 6 tablespoons of honey (or, if you're me, 6 tablespoons of mint syrup, which is pretty much the sweetness and consistency of honey). Also half a tablespoon of whole black peppercorns, and a cup of water. I simmered everything for about 10 minutes, strained it, and am now boiling down the syrup to...syrup consistency.

It's pretty amazing. You smell the mint first, then you get a sweet-lime taste with a slight floral note from the cucumber, and then a real bite from the ginger and the pepper. According to the original recipe, it's supposed to be mixed in equal parts with whiskey, lime juice, and club soda, over ice. I'm thinking this is going to be pretty fabulous. I have no recollection of what the original cocktail was called, and in any case I did tweak it fairly substantially, so I reserve the right to name my version.

Ladies and gentlemen, I give you....the Sophie's Choice.