Lovage & Nettle Refresher
A couple of less common cocktail ingredients create this lovely Lovage & Nettle Refresher cocktail. Lovage is a hardy herb in my Northwest garden, with a distinctive celery flavor. It looks like a giant celery, and I mean giant. Mine is as tall as I am by the end of the summer. An added bonus are the lovage seeds you can harvest for other culinary uses. Nettles are abundant here in the early spring, and share a bunch of healthful properties. As much as I like the idea of foraging, I have way too many childhood memories of living in the ...
Mango Green Tea Mixer
I'm a big tea drinker - black, green, herbal, hot or cold. This Mango Green Tea Mixer cocktail combines my favorite green tea of the moment, with some interesting liquor, and fresh mango fruit. I used Shochu, a liquor I first tasted in Japan, as well as a beautiful plum liqueur I fell in love with during a visit to Taiwan. I lug bottles of booze home from vacations for my souvenirs. And on international layovers, you'll find me admiring the new-to-me bottles of liquor in the duty free shops. The Mango Green Tea Mixer is filled with mix and ...
Blood Orange Chili Margarita
Sweet heat, bright citrus, and tequila that has spent some time in wooden barrels makes up this Blood Orange Chili Margarita. Such sensational color too. Blood oranges, a nice reposado tequila and your favorite chili pepper sauce do all the work. Here's how:
Blood Orange Margarita
2 ounces reposado tequila
1/2 ounce Cointreau
4 ounces freshly squeezed blood orange juice (regular orange juice is also fine and dandy)
1/4 ounce freshly squeezed lime juice
couple good dashes of chili pepper sauce
pinch of salt
Shake with ice and strain into your serving glass. Serve with ice cubes and a pretty slice of orange.
Tipsy Olives Variation
Who says the olive in your martini has to be green? Not me. These kalamata olives are my newest Tipsy Olives Variation. A delectable cocktail garnish, or for nibbling during your happy hour. Dry vermouth, garlic, fresh rosemary and thyme sprigs, whole black peppercorns and a big pinch of red chili flakes give these Tipsy Olives plenty of zip.
My original Tipsy Olives. Here's the easy recipe, which works with a wide variety of olives. Have some fun shaking up your olive world.
Tipsy Olives
green pitted olives (or your favorite variety)
a sprig or two of fresh rosemary
a sprig of fresh thyme
a peeled ...
Sugar Cube Magic
The only thing nicer than a glass of bubbly to drink, is adding more bubbles with some Sugar Cube Magic. It's a wonderful idea I picked up via my Pinterest addiction. A sugar cube, soaked in bitters, is added to a glass of chilled bubbly, and a small explosion of tiny bubbles starts rising from the sugar cube. At the same time, creating a brilliant champagne cocktail. Sugar Cube Magic even works in a glass of sparkling water. My inspiration came from Carey Nershi of Reclaiming Provence.
I simplified the process by adding 5-6 drops of bitters (homemade Rhubarb Bitters) to ...
Carrot Turmeric Tonic
Drink to your health with this Carrot Turmeric Tonic. With or without the shot of vodka, it is a splendid, savory drink. Sort of like a Bloody Mary with carrots, instead of tomato. The addition of turmeric adds a blast of spice, and shares its' curative, and healthful properties. Turmeric is packed with nutrients, has anti-inflammatory, anti-oxidant, anti-viral, and many other qualities. It is even a natural liver detoxifier. The black pepper in this Carrot Turmeric Tonic helps your body absorb the turmeric, as well as add to the bounty of flavors.
I used powdered turmeric, but I prefer the taste ...
Kumquat, Pineapple & Lemon Balm Water
This healthy, herbal water celebrates the end of winter, and welcomes spring. Kumquats are fun citrus fruits to feature as a flavorful garnish. I cheated and used frozen pineapple. My lemon balm plant is sending up its' new growth, and won't suffer an early harvest. To say the least, it is a robust plant. A four inch pot at the beginning of the growing season will be a beast by the end of the summer. Besides lemon balm's lively lemon flavor, it is a trouble-free plant to grow, and has numerous medicinal qualities. Lemon balm has calming, antiviral, and antiseptic ...
