Ingredients:
- 4 1/2 oz tequila
- 1 1/2 oz triple sec
- 1/2 c. Apple Butter
- 1/2 c. Apple Cider
- 3/4-1 c. ice
- 1/4 c. Brown sugar and 1/2 t. cinnamon mixed together to rim the margarita glass
In a pint Mason jar:
8 oz beer (they used Dos Equis at Tapas Adela…so that is what I would use. Use gluten free beer to make it gluten free!)
4 oz spicy V8 (or more to taste)
Juice of 1 lime
1-2 dashes of Worcestershire sauce (for gf, check the label!)
1 dash of soy sauce (or gluten-free tamari, to keep it gf)
1 dash of hot sauce
salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
Mix all of the ingredients together in a shaker and serve in a large glass (Tapas Adela uses a tall Pilsner glass) with ice and garnish with a lime wedge.
- About 1 ½” – 2” Absolute Peppar in bottom of jar
- Juice of ½ a lime
- 3-4 shakes Worcestershire sauce
- Mound of horseradish on end of fork
- 3 - 4 shakes celery bitters (optional, but awesome!)
- Bunch a hefty shakes of
Old Bay
Stir, then add:
- Spicy V-8 to 2” or so below rim
- Ice cubes
Stir again and top with a couple more shakes of celery bitters and a good squeeze of a lime wedge. Enjoy. Repeat.
If desired, rim glass with Old Bay or Old Bay
Michelada
4 oz spicy V8 (or more to taste)
Juice of 1 lime
1-2 dashes of Worcestershire sauce (for gf, check the label!)
1 dash of soy sauce (or gluten-free tamari, to keep it gf)
1 dash of hot sauce
salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
Mix all of the ingredients together in a shaker and serve in a large glass (Tapas Adela uses a tall Pilsner glass) with ice and garnish with a lime wedge.
Espresso Martini
- 2 oz. Kahlua or other coffee liqueur
- 2 oz. vanilla vodka
- 2 oz. strong cold coffee (I used leftover cinnamon Pecan Praline!)
- 1/2 c. heavy whipping cream
- 1 t. sugar
- splash (or two) hazelnut liqueur
- cinnamon
In a chilled tin, mix the Kahlua, vodka and coffee and pour into a chilled martini glass.
Wipe out the tin and add the cream, sugar and hazelnut liqueur. Shake vigorously until the cream is nice and thick. Pour the cream gently down the side of the glass so it floats across the surface of the martini. Dust with cinnamon and enjoy!
Homemade Kahlua
Combine brown sugar, white sugar and water in medium sauce pan. Bring to boil stirring constantly until all the sugar is completely dissolved. Lower heat and simmer 5 minutes. Add coffee and dissolve completely. Cool thoroughly.
Once the coffee mixture is complete cooled, add vodka and vanilla.
Using a funnel, pour this delicious liquid into containers bottles and let mellow for at least one week....the longer the better.
Enjoy - makes really nice Christmas presents, but save some for yourself!!!!
Homemade Kahlua
- 1-1/2 cups light brown sugar (do not use dark brown sugar)
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1/4 cup instant coffee (or use instant espresso powder!)
- 2 cups of water
- 3 cups vodka
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
Combine brown sugar, white sugar and water in medium sauce pan. Bring to boil stirring constantly until all the sugar is completely dissolved. Lower heat and simmer 5 minutes. Add coffee and dissolve completely. Cool thoroughly.
Once the coffee mixture is complete cooled, add vodka and vanilla.
Using a funnel, pour this delicious liquid into containers bottles and let mellow for at least one week....the longer the better.
Enjoy - makes really nice Christmas presents, but save some for yourself!!!!
NOTE: I recommend using a much larger pot and at least tripling the recipe!
Very thinly peel the orange rind from each orange, being careful not to get any of the white pith on the rind. Using a paper towel, blot the orange rind well. Put the peel in a 4 cup screw top glass jar, add 2 cups of the vodka and close the jar. Store in a cool dark place for 2 days.
Remove peel from jar, add sugar, shake until sugar dissolves. Add remaining 1 cup of vodka. stir until it is well blended and is clear. Close jar, store in a dark cool place 1 week to age.
Very thinly peel the orange rind from each orange, being careful not to get any of the white pith on the rind. Using a paper towel, blot the orange rind well. Put the peel in a 4 cup screw top glass jar, add 2 cups of the vodka and close the jar. Store in a cool dark place for 2 days.
Before proceeding with the rest of the recipe, combine water and sugar in a deep pot. Boil the sugar and water mixture 3-5 minutes until sugar is totally dissolved, being careful that it doesn't boil over. Remove from heat and cool completely.
When the simple syrup is completely cool, remove orange peel from the jar of vodka. Pour cooled syrup into jar with the vodka, add vanilla beans, cap the jar again and set to age for another week in a dark, cool spot - I used the fridge for this step. At the end of the aging process, use a funnel to pour the liqueur into bottles and remove the vanilla beans.
Pretty bottles of this would make a wonderful Christmas gift for friends along with a recipe for the cocktail in the pic! And....here's the recipe for the Creamsicle Cocktail:
In a cocktail tin, muddle the liqueur and the first orange wedge until well juiced. Add crushed ice to the tin, add a little half & half and squeeze all the juice into the tin from the second orange wedge. Put the top on the tin and shake well!
Pour the drink, including the ice, into a glass, top with club soda and gently stir. Garnish with a wheel of orange to make it pretty!
Donna's Orange Liqueur
- 3 Naval Oranges
- 3 cups Vodka
- 1 1/2 cups superfine granulated sugar
Very thinly peel the orange rind from each orange, being careful not to get any of the white pith on the rind. Using a paper towel, blot the orange rind well. Put the peel in a 4 cup screw top glass jar, add 2 cups of the vodka and close the jar. Store in a cool dark place for 2 days.
Remove peel from jar, add sugar, shake until sugar dissolves. Add remaining 1 cup of vodka. stir until it is well blended and is clear. Close jar, store in a dark cool place 1 week to age.
Orange Vanilla Liqueur
- 3 Naval Oranges
- 3 cups Vodka
- 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
- 1 1/2 cups water
- 2 vanilla beans - split, seeds removed for another purpose
Very thinly peel the orange rind from each orange, being careful not to get any of the white pith on the rind. Using a paper towel, blot the orange rind well. Put the peel in a 4 cup screw top glass jar, add 2 cups of the vodka and close the jar. Store in a cool dark place for 2 days.
Before proceeding with the rest of the recipe, combine water and sugar in a deep pot. Boil the sugar and water mixture 3-5 minutes until sugar is totally dissolved, being careful that it doesn't boil over. Remove from heat and cool completely.
When the simple syrup is completely cool, remove orange peel from the jar of vodka. Pour cooled syrup into jar with the vodka, add vanilla beans, cap the jar again and set to age for another week in a dark, cool spot - I used the fridge for this step. At the end of the aging process, use a funnel to pour the liqueur into bottles and remove the vanilla beans.
Pretty bottles of this would make a wonderful Christmas gift for friends along with a recipe for the cocktail in the pic! And....here's the recipe for the Creamsicle Cocktail:
Creamsicle Cocktail
- 1 1/2 oz. orange vanilla liqueur
- 1 large orange wedge, with peel
- crushed ice
- half and half
- 2nd large orange wedge
- club soda
In a cocktail tin, muddle the liqueur and the first orange wedge until well juiced. Add crushed ice to the tin, add a little half & half and squeeze all the juice into the tin from the second orange wedge. Put the top on the tin and shake well!
Pour the drink, including the ice, into a glass, top with club soda and gently stir. Garnish with a wheel of orange to make it pretty!
Italian Bloody Mary
- 1/2 lemon -- juiced
- 1 shot basil-infused vodka (I infuse my own with basil from the garden in the summer), healthier shot if you wish (and I wish)
- dash granulated garlic (smoother than fresh - no bite)
- dash Italian seasoning
- 1 basil leaf -- fresh
- V-8® vegetable juice -- Hot and spicy kind
- buttermilk -- a splash
- ice
In a pint Mason jar:
Muddle the lemon juice, fresh basil leaf, granulated garlic and Italian seasoning until the basil is bruised.
Add a shot (or more to taste) of basil-infused vodka (if you don't have the infused vodka, use regular vodka and muddle an extra fresh basil leaf or two into the mixture).
Add ice, fill glass almost to top with V-8 and finish off with just a splash of buttermilk. And, yes, the buttermilk MAKES this drink!!
Add a shot (or more to taste) of basil-infused vodka (if you don't have the infused vodka, use regular vodka and muddle an extra fresh basil leaf or two into the mixture).
Add ice, fill glass almost to top with V-8 and finish off with just a splash of buttermilk. And, yes, the buttermilk MAKES this drink!!
Garnish with a wheel of lemon, a basil leaf and a pepperoni slice.
Satsuma Tangerine, Pomegranate, OR-G Bellini
- 2 T. pomegranate seeds - do you know they're actually called arils? Yep.
- juice of 1 tangerine
- shot of OR-G liqueur - Mango, Persimmon, Papaya, Lime infused into French vodka - amazing!
- Champagne, Pro-seco or Asti - we used Asti Spumante, chilled
In a champagne glass - we
didn't have one, so use whatever glass you have on hand, muddle the
seeds (arils) in the bottom of the glass, add the tangerine juice and
OR-G (don't you love the name?!). Stir gently, stop off with your
bubbly of choice.
Variation: To make the classic Moscow Mule version, use regular vodka instead of the chocolate variety and garnish with a pretty sprig of mint.
Ingredients:
Tools:
Step one:
Separate the skittles according to flavor, you will need 70 of each flavor of Skittles. (Or you could go to one of those candy stores in the mall and buy enough of each color you want to make - no separating!)
Step two:
Place the separated Skittles into the empty water bottles. The lemon in one bottle, lime in another bottle…and so on.You get how this works.
Step Three:
Step Four:
Shake the bottles some…you will see the vodka start to get some of the color from the candy now. Let these bottles sit for a few hours until the candy is totally melted. (I let the bottles sit over night…and I shook them a bit any time I walked by them to help with the process. Does that count as exercise with shake weights?)
Step Five:
You will notice that the vodka may have a bit of a white film on top…it is the wax coating on the candy - we'll strain it off later so don't sweat it.
Step Six:
Take 2 paper towels or coffee filters and place them over a bowl or the mason jars that you will store your vodka in. Now pour the vodka through the paper towels/coffee filters (strain each flavor separately into separate jars using new filters/paper towels for each color...duh). This gets rid of the white film!
Step Seven:
If you didn’t strain the infused vodka into the storage jars, pour each flavor into those jars now. Place the lids on the jars and refrigerate.
Step Eight:
ENJOY! This vodka is great just cold from the fridge (Skittles shots anyone?) or mix and experiment with some fun drinks. All of the flavors are great with Sprite!
Cilantro simple syrup: Combine 1 cup sugar and 1 cup water in a small pot. Bring to a boil and simmer until it's clear - just a minute or two. Remove from heat, add a handful of fresh cilantro and let the syrup cool. Bottle and use.
In a cocktail tin, muddle the lemon and cucumber with the simple syrup until well pulverized. Add the vodka and fill almost to the top with ice. Cap the shaker and shake until the tin is frosted. Strain into a Collins glass and serve with a slice of cucumber and a slice of lemon. Enjoy.
In a cocktail tin, muddle the lime, mint leaves and strawberries with the simple syrup until well pulverized. Add the rumand fill almost to the top with ice. Cap the shaker and shake until the tin is frosted. Strain into a Collins glass, top with club soda and serve with a a strawberry and a sprig of mint. Enjoy.
NOTE: To make simple syrup, combine 1 c. sugar with 1 c. water in a small saucepan. Bring to boil while stirring, reduce heat and simmer until sugar is totally dissolved. Add whatever you're adding to flavor the syrup and let it cool to room temp. Strain into a bottle with a cap and store in the fridge.
For black pepper simple syrup, use 1 T. (or more) of the pepper, crushed.
For fennel simple syrup, use the fronds (more or less, to taste) from 1 bulb of fennel.
In a small container, mix the cocoa powder and sugar. Sprinkle this on a small plate, dip the rim of a martini glass in extra cold coffee and rim the glass with the cocoa/sugar mixture.
In
a mixing tin, mix the RumChata, Kahlua and coffee. Add ice almost to
the top, cap tightly and shake until the tin is frosty and cold. Strain
into the prepared martini glass and sprinkle with some of the
cocoa/sugar mixture to garnish. Serve.
Chocolate Mule
In a cocktail shaker:
- 2 shots 360 Double chocolate vodka
- juice of half a lime
Fill
the tin 3/4 of the way with ice, put on the top and shake until the tin
is icy cold. Strain the liquid into a chilled copper mug for the
classic presentation or a chilled tall glass. Add fresh ice and fill
the mug or glass with
- good Jamaican ginger beer
Variation: To make the classic Moscow Mule version, use regular vodka instead of the chocolate variety and garnish with a pretty sprig of mint.
Skittles Infused Vodka
Ingredients:
- 1 Pound bag of skittles
- 1 Large bottle of vodka
Tools:
- 5 empty water bottles
- Lots of paper towels or coffee filters
- Funnel
- 5 glass jars or glass bottles with lids (I used mason jars)
Step one:
Separate the skittles according to flavor, you will need 70 of each flavor of Skittles. (Or you could go to one of those candy stores in the mall and buy enough of each color you want to make - no separating!)
Step two:
Place the separated Skittles into the empty water bottles. The lemon in one bottle, lime in another bottle…and so on.You get how this works.
Step Three:
Pour
8 oz of vodka into each of the water bottles over the skittles. It is
best to use a funnel so that you don’t spill any vodka (yes, this
advice comes from experience haha). Screw the caps on the bottles.
Step Four:
Shake the bottles some…you will see the vodka start to get some of the color from the candy now. Let these bottles sit for a few hours until the candy is totally melted. (I let the bottles sit over night…and I shook them a bit any time I walked by them to help with the process. Does that count as exercise with shake weights?)
Step Five:
You will notice that the vodka may have a bit of a white film on top…it is the wax coating on the candy - we'll strain it off later so don't sweat it.
Step Six:
Take 2 paper towels or coffee filters and place them over a bowl or the mason jars that you will store your vodka in. Now pour the vodka through the paper towels/coffee filters (strain each flavor separately into separate jars using new filters/paper towels for each color...duh). This gets rid of the white film!
Step Seven:
If you didn’t strain the infused vodka into the storage jars, pour each flavor into those jars now. Place the lids on the jars and refrigerate.
Step Eight:
ENJOY! This vodka is great just cold from the fridge (Skittles shots anyone?) or mix and experiment with some fun drinks. All of the flavors are great with Sprite!
Cucumber Jalapeno Cilantro Margarita
- 3 slices English cucumber (seedless)
- 2 slices jalapeno (can't take the heat? Leave this out.)
- 3/4 ounce cilantro simple syrup (see recipe below)
- 1 1/2 ounces silver tequila
- 3/4 ounce Cointreau
- ice
Muddle cucumber, jalapeno and simple
syrup in the bottom of a cocktail tin. Add tequila and Cointreau. Add
ice 3/4 of the way up the tin. Top the tin with the mixing glass and
shake until the tin is frosty.
Strain into a salt-rimmed glass or without salt if you prefer. Garnish with a cucumber slice and a slice of jalapeno and enjoy.Cilantro simple syrup: Combine 1 cup sugar and 1 cup water in a small pot. Bring to a boil and simmer until it's clear - just a minute or two. Remove from heat, add a handful of fresh cilantro and let the syrup cool. Bottle and use.
Cucumber Fennel Lemondrop
- 2 oz. vodka
- 3/4 oz. fennel simple syrup (see recipe below)
- 1/4 of a lemon cut into wedges
- 2" piece of English cucumber cut into dice (leave the peel on if you're using an English or seedless cucumber - the ones that come shrink-wrapped because they aren't waxed. If you're using a regular cucumber, peel it so you don't get wax in your cocktail!)
- ice
In a cocktail tin, muddle the lemon and cucumber with the simple syrup until well pulverized. Add the vodka and fill almost to the top with ice. Cap the shaker and shake until the tin is frosted. Strain into a Collins glass and serve with a slice of cucumber and a slice of lemon. Enjoy.
Strawberry Black Pepper Mojito
- 3 fresh strawberries, sliced
- 1/4 of a lime, cut into wedges
- 10 fresh mint leaves
- 3/4 oz. black pepper simple syrup
- your favorite rum
- club soda
- ice
In a cocktail tin, muddle the lime, mint leaves and strawberries with the simple syrup until well pulverized. Add the rumand fill almost to the top with ice. Cap the shaker and shake until the tin is frosted. Strain into a Collins glass, top with club soda and serve with a a strawberry and a sprig of mint. Enjoy.
NOTE: To make simple syrup, combine 1 c. sugar with 1 c. water in a small saucepan. Bring to boil while stirring, reduce heat and simmer until sugar is totally dissolved. Add whatever you're adding to flavor the syrup and let it cool to room temp. Strain into a bottle with a cap and store in the fridge.
For black pepper simple syrup, use 1 T. (or more) of the pepper, crushed.
For fennel simple syrup, use the fronds (more or less, to taste) from 1 bulb of fennel.
Coffee Rum-tini
- 4 oz. RumChata
- 2 oz. Kahlua
- 2 oz. cold coffee, plus extra for wetting the rim of the glass (I used leftover pumpkin spice from the morning)
- ice
- 1 t. unsweetened cocoa powder
- 2 T. granulated sugar
In a small container, mix the cocoa powder and sugar. Sprinkle this on a small plate, dip the rim of a martini glass in extra cold coffee and rim the glass with the cocoa/sugar mixture.
Gin Fling
- 2 oz. Bluecoat Gin
- 3/4 stalk of celery, sliced
- 1/4 lime, cut into half again
- a few tiny mint leaves or 1 larger mint leaf
- 3/4 oz. fennel simple syrup or plain simple syrup
- juice of 1/2 lime
- ice
In a cocktail tin, put in the celery,
lime, mint and simple syrup and muddle well. Add gin, juice of 1/2 a
lime and fill tin 3/4 of the way with ice. Cap and shake until tin is
frosted and very cold. Strain into a martini glass or glass of your
choice and garnish with a sprig of celery leaves and a lime wheel.
Enjoy!
Cinco D'erby
Makes 2
- a big handful of mint leaves, reserve 2 pretty stems with pretty tops
- 3 oz. simple syrup
- 6 oz. silver tequila
- 2 limes, juiced
- 4 thin slices of jalapeno
- club soda
Muddle
mint leaves and jalapeno slices in the bottom of a cocktail shaker with
the simple syrup. Add tequila and lime juice; add ice nearly to the top
of the tin, cap tightly and shake until the tin is nicely frosted.
Add crushed ice to 2 tall glasses, strain the cocktail into the glasses and top with club soda. Stir gently.
Garnish
each glass with a stemmed mint sprig. Oh....before you tuck that sprig
into the glass, lay the sprig on one hand, slap the sprig with your
other hand. This is called spanking the mint. Kind of naughty, yes?
And fun. The purpose to to release the mint fragrance!
If
you like your drink a little sweeter, add more syrup. If you like it
tarter, add more lime. If you like it spicier, add more jalapeno. If
you...you get the idea...adjust it to YOUR preference!
Vodka: A week before you want to serve this, make the grilled peach vodka. Grill 4 1/2 pounds of peaches that have been split in half, stones removed. In a LARGE glass container, place the peaches and vodka, cover the container and let sit for several days in a cool, dark place. Stir once or twice a day, gently. Strain into glass bottles and store until needed. You can made this in smaller batches instead of one big one.
Basil simple syrup: In a large saucepan, mix together 3 cups sugar and 3 cups water, stir over high heat to dissolve and bring to a boil. Add 3-4 cups of loosely packed basil leaves and turn off heat immediately. Cool. Then pour into a clean glass bottle.
Tea: Bring a gallon of water to a boil. Turn off heat and add 16 Salada British Blend (find it in your grocery store) tea bags. After 5 minutes, remove the tea bags, but DO NOT squeeze them. Cool tea.
Now you're read to make the cocktail! Finally.
In a punch bowl, combine the tea, vodka (yes, all of it!), basil simple syrup, lemon juice and stir. That's it. Serve over ice.
To make this pretty, what I did was: I froze 6 clean, fresh peaches and floated them (to keep the punch cool instead of an ice ring - the ice ring would have melted and diluted the cocktail!) and a few clean, whole, fresh basil leaves to make it pretty. Just by looking you know what's in it! Peach and basil.
Don't want to make enough for an army? Here's the recipe for a single serving.
In the glass of a shaker, mix vodka, basil simple syrup, juice of half a lemon. Add ice 3/4 of the way up & add tea to within 1" of the top of the glass. Cap and shake until tin is frosty.
Pour contents into a Mason jar and garnish with a basil sprig. Enjoy!
Preakness Vodka Lemon Stick
- 2 oz. vodka
- 1 large, juicy lemon
- 2 oz. simple syrup
- 6 drops Fee Brothers Old Fashion Aromatic Bitters (or Angostura)
- 3 King Leo soft peppermint sticks (check Amazon for availability), crush 2 finely, leave the other whole for garnish*
- lemon slice for garnish
- ice
Squeeze the lemon into a cocktail shaker, add the vodka, simple syrup and Bitters.
Rub a cut lemon on the rim of a martini glass; dip rim into the crushed peppermint, covering the rim completely.
Strain
the cocktail into the rimmed glass, garnish with a lemon slice, insert
the peppermint stick into the glass and suck the cocktail through the
peppermint stick. It may take a couple of sucks to start the flow, but
the wait and anticipation is part of the experience! If you don't have
the patience, just sip around the peppermint-ed rim...same effect!
*Soft
peppermint sticks are a touchy breed. Too soft and the peppermint
stick simply melts into the lemon, too hard and there is no way, no
matter how hard you suck, that you are going to get any juice through
that thing. You'll strain your cheeks first! King Leo makes the
perfect stick. It isn't easy to find in stock, so when you spot it on
Amazon, BUY IT THEN! Even put your name on the list to be notified when
they're available. I do....and I just got my summer order!
In a cocktail shaker, combine everything but the UV. Add ice 3/4 of the way up the tin, cap the tin and shake until the outside of the tin is ice cold - even until it frosts if your arms hold up. Pour into a tall glass and pour the UV over the top. Sip and enjoy.
Electric Lemonade
- 1 1/2 oz. vodka
- 1 oz. Triple Sec
- 1 oz. lemonade
- 1 oz. simple syrup
- 1/2 lemon, juiced
- ice
- 1 oz UV Blue, raspberry flavored vodka
In a cocktail shaker, combine everything but the UV. Add ice 3/4 of the way up the tin, cap the tin and shake until the outside of the tin is ice cold - even until it frosts if your arms hold up. Pour into a tall glass and pour the UV over the top. Sip and enjoy.
Negroni
- 3/4 oz. Tanqueray gin
- 3/4 oz. Campari
- 1 oz. sweet vermouth
- quarter sized piece of lemon peel
- 1/2 an orange wheel
Grilled Peach Vodka Basil Sweet Tea
Serves 48-60
- 3 liters vodka, grilled peach infused vodka - see below (I used Clique vodka - if you can find it by you, buy it! VERY good vodka at a very good price!)
- 1 gallon tea, brewed - see below
- 3 cups basil simple syrup - see below
- 24 lemons, juiced
Vodka: A week before you want to serve this, make the grilled peach vodka. Grill 4 1/2 pounds of peaches that have been split in half, stones removed. In a LARGE glass container, place the peaches and vodka, cover the container and let sit for several days in a cool, dark place. Stir once or twice a day, gently. Strain into glass bottles and store until needed. You can made this in smaller batches instead of one big one.
Basil simple syrup: In a large saucepan, mix together 3 cups sugar and 3 cups water, stir over high heat to dissolve and bring to a boil. Add 3-4 cups of loosely packed basil leaves and turn off heat immediately. Cool. Then pour into a clean glass bottle.
Tea: Bring a gallon of water to a boil. Turn off heat and add 16 Salada British Blend (find it in your grocery store) tea bags. After 5 minutes, remove the tea bags, but DO NOT squeeze them. Cool tea.
Now you're read to make the cocktail! Finally.
In a punch bowl, combine the tea, vodka (yes, all of it!), basil simple syrup, lemon juice and stir. That's it. Serve over ice.
To make this pretty, what I did was: I froze 6 clean, fresh peaches and floated them (to keep the punch cool instead of an ice ring - the ice ring would have melted and diluted the cocktail!) and a few clean, whole, fresh basil leaves to make it pretty. Just by looking you know what's in it! Peach and basil.
Don't want to make enough for an army? Here's the recipe for a single serving.
Grilled Peach Vodka Basil Sweet Tea
Serves 1
- 2 1/2 ounces grilled peach vodka (again, find Clique vodka!)
- 2 ounces basil simple syrup
- 1/2 lemon
- tea, double strength (as above)
- basil, fresh, a nice sprig
- ice
In the glass of a shaker, mix vodka, basil simple syrup, juice of half a lemon. Add ice 3/4 of the way up & add tea to within 1" of the top of the glass. Cap and shake until tin is frosty.
Pour contents into a Mason jar and garnish with a basil sprig. Enjoy!
Blueberry Basil Gin Schpritz
Serves 1
- 2 ounces gin - whatever YOUR favorite is!
- 3 ounces basil simple syrup (see my Grilled Peach Vodka Basil Cocktail for this recipe)
- 1/2 lime , juiced
- 12 blueberries
- ice
- club soda or tonic
In
the glass of a cocktail shaker, muddle lime juice and blueberries; add
simple syrup and gin. Add ice 3/4 of the way up the tin of the shaker
and pour the liquid over. Cap tightly and shake until the tin is
frosted over. Strain into a collins glass, add ice and add just a touch
of soda. Garnish with a slice of lime and a few blueberries.
Matcha Green Dragon Vodka Martini
- 1 teaspoon matcha
- 1 ounce hot water
- 2 ounces St. Germain
- 1 ounce Buddha's Hand Infused Vodka
- 1/2 lemon, juiced
- 1/2 ounce ginger simple syrup
Completely dissolve the matcha in the hot water using a small whisk. Add to the tin of a cocktail shaker.
Add the rest of the ingredients to the shaker, fill 3/4 up with ice. Cap tightly and shake until the tin frosts.
Strain into a martini glass and garnish with a slice of starfruit.
*Green cardamom simple syrup: (I buy green cardamom pods at Penzey's in the Strip District.) In a small pot, combine 1 cup water and 1 cup sugar. Bring to a boil, stirring until the sugar is dissolved. Stir in 1/4 cup green cardamom pods, remove from the heat and let sit until cool. Strain into a container with a lid. Add a teaspoon of vodka to help keep the syrup longer. Store in the fridge.
P.S. The photo isn't very good so I'll take another tonight when I enjoy another Firebolt. Sigh...the sacrifices. :)
Avocado Firebolt
- 1/8 avocado, nice and ripe
- 1-3 slices jalapeno chile pepper, more or less, depending on how hot you like it! (you know I used 3...maybe more)
- 1/2 lime, juiced
- 1 1/2 ounces vodka, 360 Double Chocolate Vodka!
- 1 ounce simple syrup, green cardamom kind*
- club soda, a splash
In
a cocktail shaker, muddle the avocado and jalapeno very well. Add lime
juice, vodka & simple syrup. Add ice 3/4 of the way up, cap
tightly and shake until the tin is frosted and very cold.
Using
a cocktail strainer, strain the liquid from the tin into the glass of
the shaker. Using a small mesh strainer, strain the liquid again into
an ice-filled glass and top with a splash or two of soda. Garnish and
serve!*Green cardamom simple syrup: (I buy green cardamom pods at Penzey's in the Strip District.) In a small pot, combine 1 cup water and 1 cup sugar. Bring to a boil, stirring until the sugar is dissolved. Stir in 1/4 cup green cardamom pods, remove from the heat and let sit until cool. Strain into a container with a lid. Add a teaspoon of vodka to help keep the syrup longer. Store in the fridge.
P.S. The photo isn't very good so I'll take another tonight when I enjoy another Firebolt. Sigh...the sacrifices. :)
Glasgow in the Summer Time
Ingredients:
Pineapple
juice, blackberry shrub (Whole Foods in East Liberty carries shrubs in
the beverage section), mint, Angostura bitters, seltzer (Colin used
Pittsburgh Seltzer in those gorgeous bottles), Penn 1681 Vodka
Preparation:
Lightly muddle 6
mint leaves in 1/4 oz. of rich demerara syrup (or simple syrup). Add 2
parts pineapple juice (1-1/2 oz), 2 parts vodka (or water or a
mocktail), 1 part blackberry shrub (3/4 oz.) and 5 dashes of Angostura
bitters.
Shake vigorously for 10 seconds. Strain, add ice, top with seltzer and garnish with a healthy mint stalk.
In a cocktail shaker, add RumChata, tequila, pumpkin butter, cream, simple syrup and shake until pumpkin butter is mixed in thoroughly. Add ice 3/4 of the way up shaker, cap tightly and shake until the tin is cold and frosted.
Strain into a cocktail glass or martini glass that has been rimmed with crushed chocolate cookies or gingersnaps. Dust with pumpkin pie spice.
In a martini pitcher, place 2 large, beautiful cubes of ice. Measure in the gin, vermouth and the dash of bitters. Stir 60 smooth turns gently around the pitcher.
Strain into a chilled martini glass and twist the lemon above the glass, forcing out the oils. Rub the rim with the yellow side, if you wish. Cheers!
Vanilla Bean Tequila Pumpkin Pie Cocktail
- 3 ounces RumChata
- 1 ounce vanilla-infused tequila blanco
- 1 teaspoon pumpkin butter (1heaping barspoon full)
- 1/2 ounce heavy cream
- 1/2 ounce simple syrup, cinnamon
- ice cubes
In a cocktail shaker, add RumChata, tequila, pumpkin butter, cream, simple syrup and shake until pumpkin butter is mixed in thoroughly. Add ice 3/4 of the way up shaker, cap tightly and shake until the tin is cold and frosted.
Strain into a cocktail glass or martini glass that has been rimmed with crushed chocolate cookies or gingersnaps. Dust with pumpkin pie spice.
The Perfect Martini
- 1 1/2 ounces London Gin - Bobby used Martin Miller's London Dry Gin
- 1 1/2 ounces Dolin Vermouth
- 1 dash Bittermens orange bitters
- a wide strip of lemon zest, no white
In a martini pitcher, place 2 large, beautiful cubes of ice. Measure in the gin, vermouth and the dash of bitters. Stir 60 smooth turns gently around the pitcher.
Strain into a chilled martini glass and twist the lemon above the glass, forcing out the oils. Rub the rim with the yellow side, if you wish. Cheers!
Roasted Pumpkin, Apple & Cranberry Sangria with Dark Spiced Rum (aka Kraken)
- 1 pumpkin, 5-6" high fresh pie pumpkin
- 1/2 cup fresh cranberries
- 2 tablespoons dark brown sugar
- 2 bottles white wine, pinot grigio
- 2 apples, quartered, cored and diced LEAVE PEEL ON!
- 2 cinnamon sticks
- 1/2 cup dark rum, Kraken 's my fave for this
- 4 tablespoons crystallized ginger, sliced
- 10 whole cloves
- 2 tablespoons dark brown sugar
A
few days to a week before you want to serve the sangria, peel the
pumpkin with a veggie peeler, cut off the top and scoop out all the
seeds and stringy stuff. (Do what you want with the seeds.)
Cut
the pumpkin flesh into pieces and scatter on a baking sheet. Scatter
the cranberries around the pumpkin and sprinkle 2 T. brown sugar over
all.
Roast
at 325 covered for about 40 minutes. Uncover and roast another 30
minutes. Stir and roast until golden & soft, but not mush. Cool.
Pour
wine into one large or two smaller containers large enough to hold the
wine and the rest of the ingredients. I used 2 large plastic bottles
with lids. If using 2 containers, pour 1 bottle of wine into each
container and scoop half the pumpkin and half the cranberries into each
container. Be sure to scrape half the liquid in the bottom of the pan
into each bottle...don't waste the yumminess! (If you're using a large
container, put everything into that.)
Add 1 cinnamon stick to each container. Refrigerate for a few days until it's time to serve.
The
morning you're serving the sangria, strain the liquid into a large
pitcher. Separate out the roasted cranberries and add to liquid, too.
Discard the pumpkin.
Add
2 diced apples, the rum, cloves, 2 T. dark brown sugar, 4 T. sliced
crystallized ginger and the Kraken or other dark rum. Let sit at room
temp until ready to serve.
Pour into glasses being sure to get some of the apple and cranberries in each glass. Enjoy!
Snap the candy canes so they fit through the opening of the bottles and put 20 in each bottle.
Using a funnel, pour vodka into the bottle up to where the neck narrows at the shoulders of the bottle. Cork the bottle, turn upside down and move it around a little to dislodge the candy from the bottom and set on a kitchen counter or someplace else out of the way. That's it essentially. When you pass the bottles occasionally, check to see if the candy is dissolved and turn them upside down to agitate and help dissolve the candy.
If you want to get all fancy (I did), you can put plastic sleeves on the neck and shrink them down to seal so they look all pretty. It's easy. Ask at the wine supply store.
You don't have to stop the fancy-ness there, you can get bottle labels to print out on the computer and really make them do them up! Just ask the wine peeps at the store - they'll be happy to sell you anything and everything you can imagine to make the prettiest gifts this side of the North Pole.
Add vodka, Creme de Cacao and simple syrup to a cocktail shaker. Add ice 3/4 of the way up the tin. Cap tightly and shake until the tin frosts over and is very cold.
Strain into a martini glass (if you wish, you can crush candy canes and rim the glass with them ahead of time - fancy!), add a splash or so of soda or seltzer and float the cream over the surface of the liquid in the glass. Garnish with a mini candy cane.
(Makes a cocktail to fill a 24 oz. copper mug. Scale back the recipe for a smaller mug or glass or have leftovers to seconds!)
In a cocktail shaker:
Fill the tin 3/4 of the way with ice, put on the top and shake until the tin is icy cold. Strain the liquid into a chilled copper mug for the classic presentation or into a chilled tall glass. Add fresh ice and top off the drink with gingerale.
Stir gently and garnish with a sugared jalapeno when I get the recipe to you! Otherwise, garnish as I did above with a lime wheel and a jalapeno slice.
NOTE: If jalapeno simple syrup is too spicy for you, use plain simple syrup.
First, make the sugared chopped peanuts as in the cupcake recipe above. Dip the rim of a martini glass or coupe in Bailey's and then in the chopped sugared peanuts. Set aside.
In a cocktail shaker 3/4 filled with ice, add the Bailey's, vodka and heavy cream. Cap securely and shake vigorously until the outside of the tin is frosted. Strain into the prepared glass and serve.
Fill a tin 3/4 of the way with ice. Add bourbon, ginger liqueur, syrup and the juice of 1/2 a lemon. Cap, shake until the tin is frosted and strain into a Mason jar filled 3/4 of the way with ice. Top with a splash of soda.
Place the rosemary on the palm of your hand slap sharply with your other hand to release the fragrant oils. Garnish and enjoy!
Syrup:
In a pan, bring 1 cup honey and 1 cup water to a boil. Reduce heat, add 3-4 sprigs of fresh rosemary and stir. Remove from heat and let cool. Take out the rosemary and store the syrup in a covered container in the fridge.
Makes 1
In a cocktail shaker, muddle the cucumber pieces and the juice well. Add gin & tonic syrup, add ice 3/4 of the way up the tin, cap tightly and shake briefly. Strain into an ice filled glass of your choice.
Remove a strip of orange peel from a blood orange with a wide swivel blade veggie peeler. Remove a strip of cucumber with a knife. Rub the flesh side of the cucumber around the rim of the glass and insert decoratively into the edge of the glass.
Twist the orange strip skin side toward the cocktail over the liquid, letting the orange oil fall into the glass. Rub the skin side of the orange peel around the rim of the glass and insert it into the glass alongside the cucumber strip. Add a splash of soda water to the top, stir gently and enjoy.
NOTE: I first had Jack Rudy tonic syrup at Bad Decisions in Baltimore...where else?! I bought mine through Fab.com, but you can get it through Amazon, too. You can definitely buy it at Jack Rudy Cocktail Company! Probably through other places as well. No blood oranges? Pfffttt! Use regular oranges or even tangerines. Hmmmm...that sounds great!
Makes 1
Gently stir gin, Campari and sweet vermouth in a mixing glass with ice. Strain into a cocktail glass and garnish with orange peel. If desired, serve over ice.
Makes 1
Gently stir gin, sloe gin and ginger liqueur in a mixing glass with ice. Strain into a cocktail glass and garnish with candied ginger. If desired, serve over ice.
Makes 1
In a cocktail tin, add gin, sloe gin, vermouth and aloe juice. Add ice 3/4 of the way up the tin. Cap tightly and shake until the tin is frosted on the outside.
Strain into an ice filled cocktail glass, add just a splash of seltzer, give it just a gentle stir to keep the in the effervescence and garnish with lemon peel.
Cheers!
Add ice to a glass, pour the gin over the ice and add the bottle of bitter lemon. Give it just a squeeze of lime and stir ever so gently. Serve with a garnish of lime.
Start by toasting the dried chile in a dry skillet (I love cast iron for this) over medium heat. When it smells warm and toasty, cover with water, bring to a boil, lower heat immediately and simmer until it is soft and pliable. Remove and cool.
In a large glass bowl, add all of the above ingredients along with the toasted and softened guajillo pepper pieces. Stir and refrigerate overnight, covered.
The next day, remove the solids from the liquids with a large slotted spoon or spider and squeeze all the liquid from the solids letting the liquid fall back into the bowl. Once all the solids have been removed you have Bloody Mary or Bloody Maria base! Transfer to a glass or plastic pitcher and refrigerate until cocktail time.
Assembly: In a pint glass or Mason jar, pour 1 1/2-2 ounces of mezcal, tequila or vodka - whichever you prefer (I like smoky mezcal in a Bloody Maria). Add the Bloody Mary base 2/3 of the way of the glass, add ice to the top and garnish with fresh lime. Stir gently. Enjoy.
Put everything into a cocktail shaker. Cap and shake vigorously until the shaker frosts up.
Pour over ice into a double old fashioned glass, garnish with a lime wheel and serve! You could even do a cute little umbrella...have fun with it!
Put everything into a large pitcher, stir.
Pour into a double old fashioned glass with lots of ice, garnish with a lime wheel and serve! You could even do a cute little umbrella...have fun with it!
Hibiscus Simple Syrup: Bring 1 cup sugar and 1 cup water to a boil in a small pot. Once it comes to a boil, add a BIG handful of dried hibiscus flowers (I get them at Reyna's in the Strip District in the back in a bulk bin) and remove from the heat. Let the solution cool completely and strain into a small glass or plastic bottle. Store in the fridge. Keeps for several weeks. Try using it in other beverages like lemonade or iced tea. YUM!
Maize Margaritas
In a shaker, mix the tequila, Cointreau, fresh lime juice and corn milk. Add ice to 3/4 of the way up the tin. Cap, shake until the tin is frosted and strain into a Lime Salt rimmed glass. Garnish with a lime wheel or strip of lime peel and serve.
Corn Milk Syrup: 5 ears corn, sugar.
Cut the kernels off the cobs and put into a blender. Process until the corn is completely liquified. Pour into a large bowl lined with a single layer of cheesecloth. Gather the corners and edges of the cheesecloth keeping all the corn inside and twist being sure the liquid falls into the bowl. Continue twisting and squeezing until ALL the liquid is expelled from the solids. Discard the solids (or use for soup!). Measure the liquid corn then measure an equal amount of granulated sugar. Mix the sugar into the liquid corn and stir until dissolved. There's your Corn Milk Syrup!
Lime Salt: On a small plate, stir together the salt and lime zest. Add more salt if you want the mixture saltier instead of lime-ier. I dipped the rim of my glass into corn milk before salting the rim.
In a cocktail shaker, add coconut juice, rum, lime juice, simple syrup and vanilla. Add ice 3/4 of the way up the shaker. Cap tightly, shake vigorously until the tin frosts, strain into a coupe or martini glass, garnish with a slice of lime and serve. Refreshing!
NOTE: If there are coconut flakes stuck at the bottom of the tin? Fish them out and add them to the cocktail. They are sweet and delicious and MUST be consumed!
In a tin, muddle the plum, lime juice and tonic syrup until well mashed to release all the color and flavor. Add gin and plum wine.
Fill the tin 3/4's of the way up with ice and cap tightly. Shake well and double strain into a coupe or other glass. Garnish with a piece of plum or lime wheel and serve.
In a tall glass filled 3/4 of the way with ice, stir together everything but the seltzer or club soda. When it's well combined, add a splash or two of soda or seltzer, give a gentle stir and garnish. Serve with a straw.
Muddle the tomatoes and sugar until well incorporated. Cover securely. Let sit for 4 hours. Stir or shake and add the vinegar. Stir well, cover and let stand for at least 12 hours and up to 2 days. Strain out the solids with a fine mesh sieve, pour the liquid into a clean jar or bottle and refrigerate at least 5 days to mellow. After that, it's ready to use in cocktails, sodas or whatever your heart desires.
Check out more shrub recipes online and enjoy! OR...look for a shrub class at Legume or Butterjoint and get there!
In a cocktail tin, add Hendrick's, fennel simple syrup and the juice of a nice wedge of lemon. Add ice 3/4 of the way up the tin, cap tightly and shake vigorously until the tin is frosted.
Strain into a coupe or favorite glass and garnish with the lemon strip and fennel frond. Cheers!
In a small pot, bring water and sugar to a boil and stir until the sugar is completely dissolved. Add the fennel fronds and stir down into the syrup. Remove from heat and let sit until the mixture is cool.
Pour the cooled syrup through a strainer into a jar or bottle and refrigerate. Keeps 1-2 weeks in the fridge. Try it in iced tea or in an iced glass of soda or seltzer with a little lemon. Yum!
Don's Mix: 1/2 cup water, 1/2 cup sugar, 2 cinnamon sticks - slightly crushed, 1 cup fresh squeezed grapefruit juice.
In a small saucepan, mix sugar and water, add cinnamon sticks and bring to a boil. Lower heat and simmer for 15 minutes. Remove from heat and let cool. Strain out cinnamon sticks. When the syrup is cool, add grapefruit juice. Store in a covered jar or bottle. Keeps 1-2 weeks stored in the fridge.
Scoop the pulp from one passion fruit half into a tin, set the other half aside. Add sugar, green cardamom pods and lime wedge and muddle until the pods are crushed and the lime is mush.
Add the blood orange juice, stir and strain into another tin and add ice 3/4's of the way up. Cap, shake and strain again into 2 glasses. Top with ginger beer, scoop the seeds and pulp from the other passion fruit half and divide between the glasses, garnish with a blood orange wheel.
Happy Valentine's Day!
Makes enough for 4 large or 8 small cocktails
Mix all but the club soda in a small pitcher. Add lots of ice to a glass, pour the cocktail over and top with seltzer. Cheers!
Cinnamon syrup: In a small pot, bring 1/2 C water and 1/2 C demerara sugar to a boil and stir until dissolved. Add 3 cinnamon sticks to the hot liquid and let cool. Remove all but 1 cinnamon stick and pour the cooled liquid and remaining cinnamon stick into a Mason jar, cap and refrigerate. Keeps 1-2 weeks.
Serves 1
Candy Cane Vodka
- 1 - 1.75 liter bottle of vodka (that's the big one with the handle or equivalent)
- 40 mini candy canes
- 2 wine bottles (I get mine at the wine making store along with corks and plastic sleeves that shrink and make them look all pretty)
Snap the candy canes so they fit through the opening of the bottles and put 20 in each bottle.
Using a funnel, pour vodka into the bottle up to where the neck narrows at the shoulders of the bottle. Cork the bottle, turn upside down and move it around a little to dislodge the candy from the bottom and set on a kitchen counter or someplace else out of the way. That's it essentially. When you pass the bottles occasionally, check to see if the candy is dissolved and turn them upside down to agitate and help dissolve the candy.
If you want to get all fancy (I did), you can put plastic sleeves on the neck and shrink them down to seal so they look all pretty. It's easy. Ask at the wine supply store.
You don't have to stop the fancy-ness there, you can get bottle labels to print out on the computer and really make them do them up! Just ask the wine peeps at the store - they'll be happy to sell you anything and everything you can imagine to make the prettiest gifts this side of the North Pole.
Christmas-y Candy Cane-tinis
- 2 1/2 oz. Candy Cane Vodka (yep! The stuff YOU made!)
- 2 1/2 oz. White Creme de Cacao
- 1/2 oz. simple syrup or agave syrup
- 1 oz. heavy cream
- splash of club soda or seltzer
- mini candy cane for garnish
Add vodka, Creme de Cacao and simple syrup to a cocktail shaker. Add ice 3/4 of the way up the tin. Cap tightly and shake until the tin frosts over and is very cold.
Strain into a martini glass (if you wish, you can crush candy canes and rim the glass with them ahead of time - fancy!), add a splash or so of soda or seltzer and float the cream over the surface of the liquid in the glass. Garnish with a mini candy cane.
Tapachula Mule
(Makes a cocktail to fill a 24 oz. copper mug. Scale back the recipe for a smaller mug or glass or have leftovers to seconds!)
In a cocktail shaker:
- 2 slices of fresh ginger, approx. the size of a nickel
- 3 oz vodka
- juice of 1 lime (1/4 c. approx.)
- 1 oz. jalapeno simple syrup
- gingerale
Fill the tin 3/4 of the way with ice, put on the top and shake until the tin is icy cold. Strain the liquid into a chilled copper mug for the classic presentation or into a chilled tall glass. Add fresh ice and top off the drink with gingerale.
Stir gently and garnish with a sugared jalapeno when I get the recipe to you! Otherwise, garnish as I did above with a lime wheel and a jalapeno slice.
NOTE: If jalapeno simple syrup is too spicy for you, use plain simple syrup.
White Hot and Chocolate...In A Mug
Serves 2 (it's Valentine's Day after all)
- 4 ounces white chocolate chips, Nestles for easy meltability
- 2 cups milk
- 1 cup heavy cream, or half & half
- pinch salt
- 3 ounces Godiva White Chocolate Liqueur
- 2 ounces Fire Water Cinnamon Schnapps, more or less to your liking
In
a heavy medium saucepan over medium heat, melt the chips in half of the
milk. Whisk until smooth and gradually add the rest of the milk and
the cream. Add just a pinch of salt.
Once the hot chocolate is simmering - do NOT boil - remove from heat.
Stir
in the Godiva and Fire Water well. Pour into mugs and top with
marshmallows, shaved white chocolate or whipped cream. What the heck,
it's Valentine's Day. Do them ALL!
Peanutty Irishman Cocktail
- 2 oz. Bailey's Irish Cream - Caramel
- 1 oz. Nutliquor Peanut Butter Vodka - or another nut liquor or nut liqueur
- 1 oz. heavy cream
- 1/4 cup salted peanuts
- 2 tablespoons sugar
First, make the sugared chopped peanuts as in the cupcake recipe above. Dip the rim of a martini glass or coupe in Bailey's and then in the chopped sugared peanuts. Set aside.
In a cocktail shaker 3/4 filled with ice, add the Bailey's, vodka and heavy cream. Cap securely and shake vigorously until the outside of the tin is frosted. Strain into the prepared glass and serve.
Bourbon HumZinger
- 2 ounces bourbon, Buffalo Trace
- 1 ounce Canton ginger liqueur
- 1 ounce simple Sugar Syrup, Orange Blossom Honey Rosemary syrup, see recipe below
- 1/2 lemon, juiced
- soda water, splash
- fresh rosemary sprig
Fill a tin 3/4 of the way with ice. Add bourbon, ginger liqueur, syrup and the juice of 1/2 a lemon. Cap, shake until the tin is frosted and strain into a Mason jar filled 3/4 of the way with ice. Top with a splash of soda.
Place the rosemary on the palm of your hand slap sharply with your other hand to release the fragrant oils. Garnish and enjoy!
Syrup:
In a pan, bring 1 cup honey and 1 cup water to a boil. Reduce heat, add 3-4 sprigs of fresh rosemary and stir. Remove from heat and let cool. Take out the rosemary and store the syrup in a covered container in the fridge.
Cucumber Blood Orange Gin & Tonic
Makes 1
- 1/4 cup English cucumber, cut into 1/2" pieces - skin on
- 1/2 orange, blood orange, juiced
- 2 ounces gin, Blue Coat or other less juniper-y gin
- 3/4 ounce Jack Rudy Small Batch Tonic syrup (if you can't find it or want your cocktail NOW - who can blame you - just use a little more than a splash of tonic water instead of the Jack Rudy and soda water...no problem!)
- soda water
In a cocktail shaker, muddle the cucumber pieces and the juice well. Add gin & tonic syrup, add ice 3/4 of the way up the tin, cap tightly and shake briefly. Strain into an ice filled glass of your choice.
Remove a strip of orange peel from a blood orange with a wide swivel blade veggie peeler. Remove a strip of cucumber with a knife. Rub the flesh side of the cucumber around the rim of the glass and insert decoratively into the edge of the glass.
Twist the orange strip skin side toward the cocktail over the liquid, letting the orange oil fall into the glass. Rub the skin side of the orange peel around the rim of the glass and insert it into the glass alongside the cucumber strip. Add a splash of soda water to the top, stir gently and enjoy.
NOTE: I first had Jack Rudy tonic syrup at Bad Decisions in Baltimore...where else?! I bought mine through Fab.com, but you can get it through Amazon, too. You can definitely buy it at Jack Rudy Cocktail Company! Probably through other places as well. No blood oranges? Pfffttt! Use regular oranges or even tangerines. Hmmmm...that sounds great!
The Classic Negroni
Makes 1
- 1 oz. gin
- 1 oz. Campari
- 1 oz. Sweet Vermouth
- a swath of orange peel
Gently stir gin, Campari and sweet vermouth in a mixing glass with ice. Strain into a cocktail glass and garnish with orange peel. If desired, serve over ice.
GinGinGinger
Makes 1
- 1 oz. gin (I used Bluecoat)
- 1 oz. Plymouth Sloe Gin
- 1 oz. Canton Ginger Liqueur
- a large slice of candied ginger (or smaller pieces on a cocktail skewer)
Gently stir gin, sloe gin and ginger liqueur in a mixing glass with ice. Strain into a cocktail glass and garnish with candied ginger. If desired, serve over ice.
Aloe and Sloe
Makes 1
- 1 oz. gin (I used Bluecoat)
- 1 oz. Plymouth Sloe Gin
- 1 oz. sweet vermouth
- 1/2 oz. sweetened aloe juice
- barest splash of seltzer
- a long ribbon of lemon peel
In a cocktail tin, add gin, sloe gin, vermouth and aloe juice. Add ice 3/4 of the way up the tin. Cap tightly and shake until the tin is frosted on the outside.
Strain into an ice filled cocktail glass, add just a splash of seltzer, give it just a gentle stir to keep the in the effervescence and garnish with lemon peel.
Cheers!
Hendricks Gin and Bitter Lemon
- 2 ounces gin - use your very own favorite gin
- 1 bottle Fever Tree Bitter Lemon
- ice
- just a squeeze of lime
Add ice to a glass, pour the gin over the ice and add the bottle of bitter lemon. Give it just a squeeze of lime and stir ever so gently. Serve with a garnish of lime.
Bloody Marias - Verde-Style
- 2 T. wheat free Tamari - or soy sauce if gluten isn't an issue for you
- 2 ribs celery - sliced thinly across
- 2 garlic cloves - smashed, left whole
- 1 large jalapeno - sliced thinly
- 2 t. mesquite smoked salt
- 2 t. cumin
- a handful of cilantro leaves
- a large dried guajillo pepper - broken into large pieces (you can find these in the Mexican section of Giant Eagle or (more fun!) Reyna's in the Strip District)
- the juice of 1 lime
- the juice of 1 lemon
- a bottle of high fiber V-8 - I think it gives a better mouthfeel and substance to the mix
Start by toasting the dried chile in a dry skillet (I love cast iron for this) over medium heat. When it smells warm and toasty, cover with water, bring to a boil, lower heat immediately and simmer until it is soft and pliable. Remove and cool.
In a large glass bowl, add all of the above ingredients along with the toasted and softened guajillo pepper pieces. Stir and refrigerate overnight, covered.
The next day, remove the solids from the liquids with a large slotted spoon or spider and squeeze all the liquid from the solids letting the liquid fall back into the bowl. Once all the solids have been removed you have Bloody Mary or Bloody Maria base! Transfer to a glass or plastic pitcher and refrigerate until cocktail time.
Assembly: In a pint glass or Mason jar, pour 1 1/2-2 ounces of mezcal, tequila or vodka - whichever you prefer (I like smoky mezcal in a Bloody Maria). Add the Bloody Mary base 2/3 of the way of the glass, add ice to the top and garnish with fresh lime. Stir gently. Enjoy.
Mango Hibiscus Daiquiris - for 1
- 3 fluid ounces Parrot Bay Mango rum - ONLY use Parrot Bay...it isn't too sweet. Trust me on this one, the others DO NOT work at all (or you can do your own mango/rum infusion which is very good and fresh, but when you want it NOW, Parrot Bay is faster!)
- 1 1/2 fluid ounces fresh-squeezed lime juice - do NOT use that bottled crap
- 1/2 ounce hibiscus simple syrup, homemade (see recipe below)
- 1/4 ounce Canton Ginger Liqueur
Put everything into a cocktail shaker. Cap and shake vigorously until the shaker frosts up.
Pour over ice into a double old fashioned glass, garnish with a lime wheel and serve! You could even do a cute little umbrella...have fun with it!
Mango Hibiscus Daiquiris - by the pitcher
- 3 cups Parrot Bay Mango rum - ONLY use Parrot Bay...it isn't too sweet. Trust me on this one, the others DO NOT work at all (or you can do your own mango/rum infusion which is very good and fresh, but when you want it NOW, Parrot Bay is faster!)
- 1 1/2 cups fresh-squeezed lime juice - do NOT use that bottled crap
- 1/2 cup hibiscus simple syrup, homemade (see recipe below)
- 1/4 cup Canton Ginger Liqueur
Put everything into a large pitcher, stir.
Pour into a double old fashioned glass with lots of ice, garnish with a lime wheel and serve! You could even do a cute little umbrella...have fun with it!
Hibiscus Simple Syrup: Bring 1 cup sugar and 1 cup water to a boil in a small pot. Once it comes to a boil, add a BIG handful of dried hibiscus flowers (I get them at Reyna's in the Strip District in the back in a bulk bin) and remove from the heat. Let the solution cool completely and strain into a small glass or plastic bottle. Store in the fridge. Keeps for several weeks. Try using it in other beverages like lemonade or iced tea. YUM!
Maize Margaritas
- 2 ounces tequila, gold
- 1 ounce Cointreau
- 1 ounce fresh lime juice
- 2 ounces corn milk syrup (see recipe below)
- lime, zested and juiced, set zest aside on small plate
- 2 tablespoons kosher salt, or more to taste
In a shaker, mix the tequila, Cointreau, fresh lime juice and corn milk. Add ice to 3/4 of the way up the tin. Cap, shake until the tin is frosted and strain into a Lime Salt rimmed glass. Garnish with a lime wheel or strip of lime peel and serve.
Corn Milk Syrup: 5 ears corn, sugar.
Cut the kernels off the cobs and put into a blender. Process until the corn is completely liquified. Pour into a large bowl lined with a single layer of cheesecloth. Gather the corners and edges of the cheesecloth keeping all the corn inside and twist being sure the liquid falls into the bowl. Continue twisting and squeezing until ALL the liquid is expelled from the solids. Discard the solids (or use for soup!). Measure the liquid corn then measure an equal amount of granulated sugar. Mix the sugar into the liquid corn and stir until dissolved. There's your Corn Milk Syrup!
Lime Salt: On a small plate, stir together the salt and lime zest. Add more salt if you want the mixture saltier instead of lime-ier. I dipped the rim of my glass into corn milk before salting the rim.
Tahitian Coconut Rum-tini
- 4 ounces Mira Azul Coconut Juice - WITH gorgeous flakes of coconut suspended in the juice (got this at Wegmann's. Why oh WHY isn't there a Wegman's in Pittsburgh?!)
- 3 ounces Don Q Crystal rum (yum rhymes with rum for a reason...just sayin')
- 1 ounce fresh lime juice
- 1/2 ounce simple syrup
- 1 drop Tahitian vanilla
In a cocktail shaker, add coconut juice, rum, lime juice, simple syrup and vanilla. Add ice 3/4 of the way up the shaker. Cap tightly, shake vigorously until the tin frosts, strain into a coupe or martini glass, garnish with a slice of lime and serve. Refreshing!
NOTE: If there are coconut flakes stuck at the bottom of the tin? Fish them out and add them to the cocktail. They are sweet and delicious and MUST be consumed!
Plum Good Gin & Tonic
- 1 prune plum, pitted and cut in half
- 2 oz. gin (I used Bluecoat - made here in Pennsylvania!)
- 1/2 oz. Jack Rudy Tonic Syrup (check online to order!)
- 1 fresh lime, juiced (about 1 oz.)
- 1/2 oz. Japanese Plum Wine - also known as Gekkeikan
- 9 drops Bittermen's Burlesque bitters (optional)
- splash seltzer or soda water
In a tin, muddle the plum, lime juice and tonic syrup until well mashed to release all the color and flavor. Add gin and plum wine.
Fill the tin 3/4's of the way up with ice and cap tightly. Shake well and double strain into a coupe or other glass. Garnish with a piece of plum or lime wheel and serve.
Brunch Time Tomato Shrub Spritzer
- 2 ounces tomato or tomato basil shrub - more or less to your own liking
- 2 ounces vodka
- a few drops of Tabasco - more or less to taste (more for me, please!)
- a splash or 2 of seltzer or club soda
- ice
In a tall glass filled 3/4 of the way with ice, stir together everything but the seltzer or club soda. When it's well combined, add a splash or two of soda or seltzer, give a gentle stir and garnish. Serve with a straw.
Tomato Shrub
- 8 ounces coarsely chopped very ripe tomatoes
- 8 ounces sugar
- 8 ounces organic vinegar - cider vinegar works nicely, but you can vary this according to your tastes...rice wine vinegar or champagne vinegar would work beautifully
- (optional) a couple of fresh basil leaves torn and mixed in with the tomatoes at the beginning
Muddle the tomatoes and sugar until well incorporated. Cover securely. Let sit for 4 hours. Stir or shake and add the vinegar. Stir well, cover and let stand for at least 12 hours and up to 2 days. Strain out the solids with a fine mesh sieve, pour the liquid into a clean jar or bottle and refrigerate at least 5 days to mellow. After that, it's ready to use in cocktails, sodas or whatever your heart desires.
Check out more shrub recipes online and enjoy! OR...look for a shrub class at Legume or Butterjoint and get there!
Fennel, Lemon & Hendrick's
- 2 ounces Hendrick's
- 1/2 ounce fennel simple syrup (see recipe below)
- a nice wedge of lemon
- a strip of fresh lemon zest for garnish
- a small fennel frond for garnish, too
In a cocktail tin, add Hendrick's, fennel simple syrup and the juice of a nice wedge of lemon. Add ice 3/4 of the way up the tin, cap tightly and shake vigorously until the tin is frosted.
Strain into a coupe or favorite glass and garnish with the lemon strip and fennel frond. Cheers!
Fennel Simple Syrup
- 1 cup sugar
- 1 cup water
- 3/4 - 1 cup fresh fennel fronds from a bulb of fennel
In a small pot, bring water and sugar to a boil and stir until the sugar is completely dissolved. Add the fennel fronds and stir down into the syrup. Remove from heat and let sit until the mixture is cool.
Pour the cooled syrup through a strainer into a jar or bottle and refrigerate. Keeps 1-2 weeks in the fridge. Try it in iced tea or in an iced glass of soda or seltzer with a little lemon. Yum!
Red Stag Cinnamon Reindeer
- 2 oz. Red Stag by Jim Beam Spiced With Cinnamon bourbon
- juice of 1/2 a lime
- about 10 fresh rosemary leaves
- 6.8 oz. bottle Fever Tree ginger beer (or other GOOD brand)
- a fresh rosemary sprig and a tall cinnamon stick for garnish
Red Stag Hardcore Cider Reindeer
- 2 oz. Red Stag by Jim Beam Hardcore Cider bourbon
- juice of 1/2 a lime
- about 10 fresh rosemary leaves
- 6.8 oz. bottle Fever Tree ginger beer (or other GOOD brand)
- a fresh rosemary sprig and an apple slice for garnish (be sure to rub some lime juice on the cut surface of the apple to keep it from browning!)
Summer State Of Mind
- 1 1/2 oz. Zaya rum
- 1 1/2 oz. Mt. Gay rum
- 1 oz. Don's Mix - see recipe below
- 1/4 oz. fresh lime juice
- 1/4 oz. fresh Meyer lemon juice
- 1/2 oz. pineapple juice
- 6-8 drops Bittermens Elemakule Tiki Bitters (tropical flavors of cinnamon, allspice and other island spices) - optional
- crushed ice
Don's Mix: 1/2 cup water, 1/2 cup sugar, 2 cinnamon sticks - slightly crushed, 1 cup fresh squeezed grapefruit juice.
In a small saucepan, mix sugar and water, add cinnamon sticks and bring to a boil. Lower heat and simmer for 15 minutes. Remove from heat and let cool. Strain out cinnamon sticks. When the syrup is cool, add grapefruit juice. Store in a covered jar or bottle. Keeps 1-2 weeks stored in the fridge.
Passion Fruit Blood Orange Ginger Fizz
- 1 passion fruit, cut in half lengthwise - found mine at Whole Foods
- 1 blood orange, juiced - about 1/4 c. - yep, Whole Foods again! Have another one handy for the garnish
- 2 green cardamom pods, I get mine at Penzey's in the Strip or if you don't live near a Penzey's, you can order from them online
- 1/8 lime
- 1/2 t. superfine sugar
- 2 oz. Hendricks gin
- ginger beer - I used Fever Tree
Scoop the pulp from one passion fruit half into a tin, set the other half aside. Add sugar, green cardamom pods and lime wedge and muddle until the pods are crushed and the lime is mush.
Add the blood orange juice, stir and strain into another tin and add ice 3/4's of the way up. Cap, shake and strain again into 2 glasses. Top with ginger beer, scoop the seeds and pulp from the other passion fruit half and divide between the glasses, garnish with a blood orange wheel.
Happy Valentine's Day!
It's A Bird!
- 3 oz. cinnamon simple syrup (see note below for recipe)
- 12 oz. Mount Gay rum
- 6 oz. Hum
- 12 oz. pineapple juice
- 4 oz. fresh lime juice
- seltzer or club soda
Cinnamon syrup: In a small pot, bring 1/2 C water and 1/2 C demerara sugar to a boil and stir until dissolved. Add 3 cinnamon sticks to the hot liquid and let cool. Remove all but 1 cinnamon stick and pour the cooled liquid and remaining cinnamon stick into a Mason jar, cap and refrigerate. Keeps 1-2 weeks.
Hot Pepper Horseradish Garlic Black Peppercorn Lemon Dill Vodka
For Bloody Marys
- 750 ml bottle of vodka - use your fave....with this much ooph being added, you won't be tasting the vodka anyway!
- 6 strips of fresh horseradish root, peeled - use your wide harp-style veggie peeler and cut strips about 3" wide and 4" long
- 4 zesty dill pickle spears - your favorite brand
- 2 dozen black peppercorns
- 1 long pepper, cut in half lengthwise from the bottom almost to the top - leave the halves connected below the stem
- 2 red serranos, cut the same as above
- 1 large green jalapeno, cut the same as above
- 4 large garlic cloves, peeled and smashed with the flat side of a knife
- 3 strips of lemon peel - NO white pith at all - each about 3" long and 1" wide
Into a jar with a lid large enough to hold everything, add all the solids to the jar and top off with the bottle of vodka. Try to submerge the everything as best you can.
Refrigerate the jar, agitating once a day, for a week. The color will become a beautifully rich yellow and pack quite a punch! Decant the infused vodka by pouring the contents through a large strainer over a bowl with a pouring spout. Press the veggies against the strainer to get out all that precious vodka!
Pour the liquid into a pretty bottle, cap and refrigerate.
The Bloody
- 3 oz. of the vodka infusion
- 8 oz. Original V8 (I use low sodium V8 and add my own salt)
- Kosher salt to taste
In a 16 oz. glass, combine all the ingredients, add ice to top, stir gently and enjoy!
NOTE: I kept the Bloody Mary recipe simple - why muddy the pure flavors of the vodka infusion when I'd gone to such lengths to perfect it? You can add whatever floats your boat and makes your very own Bloody Mary the best you've ever had, JUST the way YOU like it. Worchestershire? Go for it. More lemon or even lime? Why not? Anchovies? Let those little fishies swim in a sea of vodka and tomato! Make it YOUR way!
One Sweet, Hot B*tch
- 2 cucumber wheels - save 1 for garnish
- 2 fresh jalapeno wheels - save 1 for garnish
- 3 oz. Bluecoat Gin (made right here in Pennsylvania!)
- 2 oz. Zesty Bread & Butter pickle juice (Vlasic!)
- splash of tonic (I use Fever Tree)
- ice
- 1 pickle slice for garnish, too
In a cocktail tin, muddle the cucumber wheel and jalapeno wheel. Add gin and pickle juice, then fill the tin 3/4 of the way with ice. Shake vigorously until the tin frosts and strain into a martini glass. Garnish with the cucumber, pickle and jalapeno wheels. Enjoy!
Millie's Concord Grape Gin & Tonic Float
Serves 1
- 1 1/2 oz. Bluecoat gin
- 2 nice big scoops of Millie's Homemade Concord Grape Sorbet (or another brand if you can't get your hands on Millie's - I bet blackberry would be pretty amazing, too!)
- Fever Tree Naturally Light Indian Tonic Water (or regular, not light) - enough to fill the glass
In a nice tall glass, add the gin and a little tonic. Mix. Add hefty scoops of sorbet and pour enough tonic to fill the glass. Gently stir and serve with a straw. (I love my metal spoon straws...dual purpose!)
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