Open daily for breakfast, lunch, and dinner, Shy Bird in Kendall Square is an all-day kind of place. Fittingly, its signature cocktail is an all-day kind of drink. Shy Lady bartenders mix an ounce-and-a-half of Hendrick’s Gin—enough to wet your whistle at dinner, but not enough to bowl you over at lunch—with lime juice, hibiscus syrup, and a splash of tonic water.

“The Shy Lady is floral, subtly sweet, and slightly effervescent,” says service manager Shaun Brideau. “Its beautiful, bright pink color is eye-catching and playful. Its simplicity [makes] it a great cocktail with food, especially rotisserie chicken.”

Hendrick’s, a gin known for both its cucumber and floral botanicals, is a natural match with Shy Bird’s house-made hibiscus syrup.

As opposed to a gin with a singular juniper flavor, says Brideau, “Hendrick’s brings complexity as its rose petal and cucumber notes complement the hibiscus and lime nicely.”

The combination of complex floral flavors and refreshing effervescence have made Shy Lady a hit, but its fan-favorite status is also tied to its relatively mellow alcohol content.

“We also love that the Shy Lady is low in alcohol, which makes it great in the early afternoon and late at night,” Brideau says. “It’s a fixture here at Shy Bird.”

Shy Lady
1½ ounces Hendrick’s Gin
¾ ounce lime juice
¾ ounce hibiscus syrup*
½ ounce tonic water

Add gin, lime juice, and hibiscus syrup to a shaker filled with ice and shake until chilled. Double strain into a coupe glass and top with tonic water.

*Hibiscus Syrup (yields 1 cup)
To make the syrup, Brideau uses dried hibiscus flowers, sold at Formaggio Kitchen and Whole Foods. In a pinch, you can use a hibiscus tea blend instead.

1 cup water
1 cup sugar
¾ cup dried hibiscus flowers (or hibiscus tea blend)

Combine all ingredients in a saucepan, bring to a boil, and stir. Turn off heat and allow mixture to steep for 45 minutes to an hour. Strain into a container, seal, and refrigerate. Keeps about 1 week