Captain McDowell, the commander of the Canterbury, has his own office. His sanctum, amid the huge blackness of space. And in that office, he has a wall of shelves filled with little glass cats. His pets. Even Holden doesn’t know why he has them. Perhaps the previous XO did… but regardless, McDowell isn’t telling.

Our first #ExpanseCocktails recipe with limoncello! We’d forgotten how tasty it is. When mixed with water or ice, it turns cloudy and translucent, like some of McDowell’s delicate porcelain companions. Now, we’ll be happily sipping it as a digestif like we’re on the Amalfi Coast!

The green chartreuse is partly because one of the cats is green, but it also adds a little bit of complex flavor that goes well with McDowell’s truly odd response to Holden. Let your freak flag fly, McDowell! You don’t have to explain your crystalline collection to anyone.

We tested several gins for this drink, settling firmly on @thebotanistgin. It’s got the right amount of bright, herbal flavor to play perfectly with the other ingredients. Also, as an Islay dry gin, we thought it was on-brand for someone named McDowell.

Happy April Fool’s Day!

Instructions:

Pour all ingredients into a cocktail shaker with ice and shake until very cold. Strain into a chilled Nick & Nora glass and garnish with a dried lemon slice. Enjoy your drink privately, refusing to answer any questions about it.