I must confess, the warm sunny spring weather we are having lately is making me a bit thirsty. As I sat outside on the porch a couple of days ago enjoying the sun on my pale winter face, the thought of a margarita crept into my head. Then yesterday at the store, I saw a mountain of beautiful Ruby Red grapefruits, and suddenly I had a plan, Grapefruit Margarita’s. Well the plan worked brilliantly. The tart yet sweet flavor of the grapefruit works perfectly with the lime to make an amazingly fresh, well-rounded drink. I can’t wait to stir up a pitcher of these for some friends, maybe it is time to plan a backyard barbecue. In the mean time, I probably better test a few more myself, just to make sure.

Print

Grapefruit Margarita

A citrus version of the classic margarita.

Course Cocktails

Prep Time 5 minutes minutes

Servings 1

Ingredients

• 2 ounces Jose Cuervo Silver Tequila
• ½ ounce Cointreau
• 2 ounces fresh grapefruit juice
• 1 ounce fresh lime juice

Instructions

• Salt the rim of a martini glass.
• Add all ingredients into a shaker half full of ice.
• Shake well and strain into glass.
• Garnish with fresh grapefruit and lime.

I hope everyone enjoys a wonderful holiday weekend.

Life is short, make some time to relax and enjoy!

I guess it was a couple of weeks ago while doing a bit of research on the history of the Oscars that I stumbled upon this delight, the Brown Derby, an interesting, slightly sweet bourbon drink with a surprisingly fresh citrus finish.

The Brown Derby became popular in the 1930’s in Hollywood, but not where you might guess.  The cocktail was actually created at a Tinsel Town hangout named the Vendome Club, a rival of the Brown Derby and a popular haunt of Douglas Fairbanks and Mary Pickford, as well as many other famous stars.

Print

Brown Derby

Refreshing bourbon martini with a citrus sweet kick

Course Cocktails

Cuisine American

Servings 1

Ingredients

• 2 ounces Bourbon
• 1 1/2 ounces fresh Ruby Red Grapefruit juice
• 3 /4 ounce Honey Syrup

Honey Syrup

• 1 part honey
• 1 part water

Instructions

Honey Syrup

• Simmer together in a sauce pan until almost boiling.
• Allow to cool before using.
• Store in an air tight container in the fridge for up to two weeks.

Mix

• Place all ingredients in a cocktail shaker over ice. Shake to mix, strain, and serve up in a chilled cocktail glass.

I hope everyone has a great weekend!

Life is short, get out and have some fun!

With the cool crisp feeling in the air, why not end the week with a drink that celebrates the approaching season? Developed in the kitchens of Williams Sonoma, this Apple Cidercar truly embodies the rich flavors of the harvest season, and is a perfect way to “fall” into the weekend.

This apple inspired cocktail made with brandy and citrus, is an autumnal spin on a classic drink known as a sidecar. A traditional sidecar is a mixture of cognac, Cointreau, and lemon, and was created either in London or Paris around the end of the first World War. The first recipes for the Sidecar appear in 1922 in MacElhone’s ‘Harry’s ABC of mixing cocktails’, and in Vermeire’s ‘Cocktails and how to mix them’, however there seems to be some conflicting stories about where the drink originated. A book published in 1948 by David A Embury lists the cocktail as one of the six basic drinks, and credits the invention to an American Army captain in Paris during World War I, and claims it was named after the motorcycle sidecar in which the captain was chauffeured to and from the little bistro where the drink was born.

Print

Apple Cidercar Cocktail

This apple inspired cocktail made with brandy and citrus, is an autumnal spin on a classic drink known as a sidecar

Course Cocktails

Prep Time 5 minutes minutes

Servings 4

Ingredients

• 5 oz apple cider concentrate¹
• 5 oz water
• 3 oz brandy
• 5 oz Cointreau
• 2 oz fresh lemon juice
• apple slice for garnish

Instructions

• In a cocktail shaker, stir together the apple cider concentrate and water.   
• Add the brandy, Cointreau and lemon juice.
• Fill the shaker with ice and shake well.
• Pour into sugar-rimmed cocktail glasses.

Notes

¹ Apple cider concentrate can be made by reducing apple juice over medium high heat by about seventy-five percent into a syrup.

Take some time to relax and enjoy this weekend.

Remember life is short, have some fun!

An exotic mix of flavors, the Singapore Sling is a drink like no other. Originally invented around 1915 at the Raffles Hotel in Singapore by a Hainanese-Chinese bartender by the name of Ngiam Tong Boon, in response to a British Colonial’s challenge for a tropical drink that was not only delectable, but befitting of the lovely women who frequented the establishment. The drinks popularity surged and before long, it became known as the “Commander’s” drink. In Hainanese dialect, the word “Commander” is known as “司令” (si ling) and its abbreviated pronunciation became ‘Sling’.

For some unknown reason the drink fell out of favor to the point that the recipe was nearly forgotten. In 1977  the nephew of Ngiam (who was following a family tradition of bartending at the Long Bar) revived the pineapple punch based on the recipe that his Uncle had taught him, and some notes that were written on a cocktail napkin and hidden away behind the bar for years.

Today the drink is more popular than ever, and has even been declared the National Drink of Singapore. No visit to Singapore would be complete without a trip to the Long Bar for a Sling and a wooden box of peanuts. I have myself have had the good fortune of enjoying several evenings relaxing under the fans in the Raffles, sipping on a Singapore Sling, smoking a Cuban cigar, and listening to a jazz trio.

Print

Singapore Sling

A refreshing tropical cocktail that will transport you to another world.

Course Cocktails

Prep Time 5 minutes minutes

Servings 1

Ingredients

• 1 ½ oz gin
• 4 oz pineapple juice
• 1/2 oz cherry herring
• 1/2 oz lime juice
• 1/4 oz Benedictine
• 1/4 oz Cointreau orange liqueur
• 1/3 oz grenadine syrup
• 1 dash Angostura bitters

Instructions

• Place all ingredients in a shaker and mix.
• Pour into a Collins glass filled with ice.
• Garnish with a cherry and slice of lemon.

Tall, cool, and refreshing, the Long Island Iced Tea is the impostor of drinks. Appearing as innocent as a Ladies’ Auxiliary beverage, this cocktail packs a punch.

The Long Island Tea arrived on the scene in the late 1970’s, and has thought to have been invented at the Oak Beach Inn on New York’s Long Island, however recent rumors place the drink to a much different place and time. There is discussion that the cocktail was actually created in the 1920’s during prohibition, a time when many drinks were disguised as non-alcoholic beverages. The new information claims that a community name Long Island in Kingsport, Tennessee to be the actual place of birth, and the name sake. I guess both stories make sense, and perhaps we will never be sure. One thing you can be certain about, is that this drink is a great way to end the week.

Print

Long Island Iced Tea

Tall, cool, and refreshing, the Long Island Iced Tea is the impostor of drinks. Appearing as innocent as a Ladies’ Auxiliary beverage, this cocktail packs a punch.

Course Cocktails

Prep Time 5 minutes minutes

Servings 1

Ingredients

• 1 part vodka
• 1 part tequila
• 1 part rum
• 1 part gin
• 1 part triple sec
• 1 1/2 parts sweet and sour mix
• 1 splash Coca-Cola®

Instructions

• Pour all ingredients in to a cocktail shaker.
• Stir to mix.
• Pour over ice and garnish with a wedge of lemon or lime, and enjoy!

Notes

Use this recipe to make a pitcher or a single glass.

The mellow flavor of cucumber and a kiss of mint make this martini the perfect way to wind down after the long week.

Print

Cucumber Martini

The mellow flavor of cucumber and a kiss of mint make this martini the perfect summer cocktail.

Course Cocktails

Prep Time 5 minutes minutes

Servings 1

Ingredients

• 2 oz. Vodka Grey Goose
• 1/4 oz. Lemon Juice
• 2 slices Cucumber
• 3 pieces Mint
• 1/2 oz. Simple Syrup

Instructions

• Muddle mint and a cucumber slice in a cocktail shaker.
• Add other ingredients and ice.
• Shake and strain into a chilled martini glass.
• Garnish with a slice of cucumber and a fresh mint sprig.