cocktails

This drink comes with its own irony. I had promised Stacee her own drink, and for a year I sipped here, and tasted there, and finally found one I wanted to make. It is based off a cocktail I tried in Tacoma called the coconut martini. And here’s what I have so far. It’s coming along…but there is still a little something missing…if you try it and have inspiration, please let me know…

• 1.5 oz lemon (or vanilla) vodka
• 0.5 oz coconut rum
• 1.5 oz coconut milk
• 1.0 oz pineapple juice

Drop a handful of ice cubes into a cocktail shaker. Pour all ingredients over the ice. Lid on. shake away. Pour into your glass. Well???

Ahhh, the memories of childhood. In a grown-up glass. This one uses both sides of the jigger.

• 1.5 oz vanilla vodka (the ‘big’ side of the jigger)
• 1 oz triple sec or cointreau (small side)
• 6 oz of orange juice (4 of the big side)
• ½ – 1 oz of half and half (1/2 -1 of the small side)

This recipe changed ingredient ratios wildly over the course of the evening we created it (yes, I mean you gym girls). This was the final result. Please feel free to continue the trial and error to your taste bud’s delight. Begin by dropping a handful of ice cubes into a cocktail shaker. Pour all ingredients over the ice. Lid on. shake away. Pour into your glass. Ahhhh….

This just might be my favorite new drink. The joy comes from the Esprit de June, which, sadly, is hard to find in my part of the Pacific Northwest. In a pinch, any elderberry liqueur will do (as will green grapes).

• 1 large part Esprit de June
• 1 small part lemon juice
• 1 small part simple syrup
• 2 basil leaves
• 5 red grapes
• seltzer

muddle grapes and basil leaves. Add in your liqueur, syrup and juice over ice. shake. pour. if you want a bit of bubbles, add seltzer.

An evening eating out at Mercato and then heading to talk (and taste!) with Molly Wizenberg of Orangette with Amanda, Kelli & Megan. What could be better? Here’s my version of what we drank that night.

• 1 large part rhubarb shrub (the ‘big’ side of the jigger)
• 1 large part vodka
• 1 small part ginger liqueur (the small side)
• 1 small part lime juice

For the rhubarb shrub, you’ll need 2 pounds of rhubarb (cut into 1/4 inch pieces), 1 c. white wine vinegar, 1 c. sugar. Combine the rhubarb, white wine vinegar, and sugar over medium high heat. Stir often & bring to a boil. Reduce heat and cook until rhubarb is broken down into strands – about 10 minutes. Remove from heat and pour into fine colander, with pan below for catching the juice. Allow juice to drip for about 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. Shrub juice can be jarred and stored in refrigerator for a few weeks.

Mix ingredients in a cocktail shaker with ice. pour into glass. add seltzer for a lighter note.

Need a drink for autumn? Something fun for the holidays? I introduce to you the Fresh Scratch.

• 12 oz. fresh or frozen cranberries
• 1 c. sugar
• 3/4 c. red wine vinegar
• an actual lemon (or zest & juice)

This drink involves making a ‘shrub’ which I learned about from Sunset mag., and adapted as follows:

On the stove, heat 2 cup of water (med heat is a fine setting).  Zest & juice your lemon. Add all of the above ingredients to the water. Stir often. When the sugar is dissolved, reduce the heat and cook until most cranberries have burst (5 -10 minutes). Strain the mixture, and press any excess juice from the berry pulp. Discard the pulp. This ‘shrub’ can now sit happily in your frig up to 3 months (thank you, vinegar!).
Now on to the drink.

• 1 part shrub
• 1 part vanilla vodka
• soda water

Drop a handful of ice cubes into a cocktail shaker. Pour all ingredients excluding the soda water over the ice. Lid on. shake away. Pour into your glass. Add as much (or little) fizz as you’d like. And if what you’d like is a pretty recipe-card print out of this one? You can find it here.

Why call it the Chandler? Because it is a cherry drink. Like Chandler Bing from Friends. Chandler Bing. Bing Cherries. Ok. The name might be a stretch. But it is my drink, and you are stuck with it. Although you can happily rename it and I will never be the wiser.

• 1 part cherry vodka
• ½ part grenadine
• 1 part sweet & sour syrup
• 3/4 part amaretto
• soda water

You know the drill: drop a handful of ice cubes into a cocktail shaker. Pour all ingredients excluding the soda water over the ice. Lid on. shake away. Pour into your glass. Add as much (or little) fizz as you’d like.

Sweet & sour syrup. Put a pot on the stove, heat 1 cup of water, dissolve 1 cup of sugar. Add ½ cup of lemon juice, ½ cup of lime juice. Remove from heat. Chill. Can be stored in the frig for a couple of weeks.

The ‘parts’ I refer to below really is up to you and your measuring device. A traditional jigger has two sides, one measures 1 oz., the other 1.5 oz. It all depends on how big a drink you want to make…

Dedicated to all my introvert friends. with whom I never gather in a group. We are best in pairs, aren’t we? a quiet drink, light in color, that will sneak up on you. And provide a lovely evening conversation.

• 1 large part raspberry vodka
• 1 small part lime juice
• 1 small part simple syrup

Mix over ice. Pour. Add tonic for sharp note, seltzer for a sweet one.

Simple syrup really is that. Simple. Put a pot on the stove, heat 1 cup of water, dissolve 1 cup of sugar. Remove from heat. Chill. Can be stored in the frig for a couple of weeks.

The ‘parts’ I refer to are up to you and your measuring device. A traditional jigger has two sides, one measures 1 oz., the other 1.5 oz. It all depends on how big a drink you want to make…