A Downton Abbey-Inspired Cocktail of the Week: An Earl Grey Gin Cocktail

Hear ye, hear ye...that program that we colonists have grown to love return for a fourth season tonight.  How will Lady Mary cope as a single mother...with only a household of servants to help out?  What cause will Matthew's grieving mother take up next?  Which outfit will Cora wear to dinner? In just a few hours, we'll know...

Such an auspicious occasion cries out for a dignified oh-so-English tipple.  When I think of British beverages, two leap to mind.  Early Grey tea...my breakfast cup most mornings. (Two lumps and milk, please.)  And gin.  But none of that cucumber-infused boutique stuff.  Dry London gin. My favorite is Bombay Sapphire...there's a picture of Queen Victoria on the label.  Can't be much more authentic than that.

This cocktail, inspired by several I found online, combines the two.  Serve it in your best cocktail class-a 1920's style coupe if you have it.  After a couple of these, you'll be throwing off bon mots that would make the Dowager Countess envious.

Earl Grey Gin Cocktail
Makes one cocktail.

In saucepan, heat 1 cup sugar and 1 cup water over medium heat until the sugar dissolves.  Remove from the heat and add two Early Grey tea bags.  Or even better, 1 tablespoon of loose Earl Grey tea in a tea ball.  Let cool completely and strain into a small jar or bottle.  This is the Earl Grey simple syrup the recipe calls for.

2 ounces London dry gin
1/2 ounce freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 ounce Earl Grey simple syrup

Combine all ingredients in an ice-filled shaker.  Shake until well-combined and the outside of the shaker is frosty.  Strain into a cocktail glass.  Garnish with witty repartee and a disdain for the working class.    

Cocktail of the Week: Rose Sangria

If you're like me, when you think of sangria, you think of a warm summer evening on the patio. Probably not a beverage for the chill of winter. But you forget this is a special week. It's Super Bowl time. And if you're having a party, a pitcher of sangria is a perfect option for your non-beer drinking guests. Here's a nice recipe I ran across.

Rose Sangria
Serves 4-6. (You can easily double it for your big shindig.)

2 (750 ml) bottles rose wine
1/2 cup Spanish brandy (You can omit this, but it DOES add a nice boozy kick.)
1/2 cup orange liqueur
Juice of 1 orange
1/2 cup superfine sugar
1/2 cup sliced fresh strawberries (frozen work just fine)
1/2 orange, cut in thin slices and then cut in half
1/2 lemon, cut in thin slices and then cut in half
1/2 plum, pitted, and sliced into thin wedges (couldn't find one in my grocery during winter so left it out.)
1/2 peach, pitted and sliced into thin wedges (I substituted a small bag of frozen peach slices)
1 (10 ounce) bottle club soda, chilled

Combine first five ingredients in a pitcher and stir until the sugar is dissolved.  Add the fruit and stir well to combine.

Refrigerate until well-chilled, about two hours.

Right before serving, stir in the club soda.  Serve in large wineglasses over ice.

Cocktail of the Week: The Paloma

It's that time of year when citrus fruits are plentiful.  Especially the gorgeous glorious ruby red grapefruit that comes from South Texas.  It's even been featured in our produce share. I've eaten it halved with a sprinkling of sugar (gilding the lily, dontcha know?) and incorporated it into salads, but it also is a star in this refreshing cocktail.


The Paloma
Makes one cocktail.

Combine 2 ounces freshly-squeezed grapefruit juice, 1 tablespoon freshly-squeezed lime juice and 1 teaspoon sugar in a cocktail shaker and stir until the sugar is dissolved.  Stir in 2 ounces tequila.  (For a smokier drink, substitute mescal for some or all of the tequila.)  Pour into an ice-filled glass with a salted rim. Top off with club soda.

Salud!

Cocktail(s) of the Week: Downton Abbey Cocktails

I was quite conflicted last night.  What to watch on TV? Downton Abbey...which we waited it seems like forever for.  The Good Wife...my Sunday night date with the incredibly talented Juliana Margulies.  Or the once-a-year drunkfest that is The Golden Globes?

I ended up with the Golden Globes...couldn't miss Tina Fey, Amy Poehler and hopefully a gaffe or two.

But I multi-tasked and had this delicious cocktail inspired by Lady Sibyl I found on theKitchn.com. It's a mix of gin, St. Germain, and bubbly and as the author said, just like the character, it's "sweet, lovely, and stronger than you'd expect."

Next week I will be back to Masterpiece live.  And plan to kick back with either the Lady Edith (grapefruit juice and sloe gin) or the Lady Mary (with Lillet Blanc and basil).

Cheers!

Cocktail of the Week: Tequila Cucumber Mint Cooler

I more and more am drawn to cocktails that are salads in a glass.  I love the trend that includes cucumber in the glass.  Here it partners with the heat of mint, the smoothness of elderflower liqueur and the bite of ginger beer for a drink that is sippable all the day long during your Labor Day weekend festivities.

Tequila Cucumber Mint Cooler
Makes one cocktail.

1 1/2 ounces silver tequila
1/4 ounce St. Germain elderflower liqueur
3/4 ounces freshly squeezed lime juice
5 very thin slices cucumber
2 mint sprigs
3 ounces ginger beer
Angostura bitters

Place tequila, St. Germain, lime juice, cucumber and mint in a shaker.  Add ice and shake briefly.  Pour into a collins glass and top with the ginger beer.  Add a dash of Angostura bitters to top things off.

Coctail of the Week: Pegu Club Cocktail

After a long break, I'm back blogging on this August Saturday evening.  I think that calls for a cocktail, and a semi-tropical one like this fits the bill perfectly.  Try it and see what you think...cheers!

Pegu Club Cocktail
Makes one cocktail.

2 ounces gin
3/4 ounce freshly squeezed lime juice
3/4 ounce orange curacao
1 dash orange bitters
1 dash Angostura bitters

Cocktail of the Week: Kona Swizzle

This time of year I always crave a trip to the tropics...it would still be hot, but at least I'd be on the beach with a cocktail by my side.  But since Hawaii or Tahiti aren't in the cards, I'll have to settle for the cocktail.

Get your swizzle sticks ready...this one simply screams for an umbrella garnish.

Kona Swizzle
Makes one cocktail.

4 tablespoons spiced rum
1 1/2 tablespoons orgeat syrup (almond syrup...Monin makes a great one.)
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
1 teaspoon simple syrup (or 1 sugar cube)
2 mint sprigs

Gently muddle all ingredients in a shaker.  Pour into a collins glass filled with crushed ice. Top with 2 dashes Peychaud's bitters and 1 dash Angostura bitters.  Garnish with a couple of mint sprigs.

Cocktail of the Week: Tequila-Mint Smash

Cool and refreshing.  That's all I look for in a drink during these dog days of summer.  And if it's high-octane enough that I can sit an nurse it and not have to expend energy to mix another, all the better.  This one fits the bill nicely.


Tequila-Mint Smash
Makes one cocktail.

1 1/2 ounces añejo tequila
1/2 ounce Grand Marnier
3/4 ounce agave syrup
6-8 fresh mint leaves
4 lemon wedges


Combine all ingredients in a shaker with ice.  Shake vigorously and strain into a rocks glass filled with crushed ice.  Garnish with a mint sprig and enjoy.

Cocktail of the Week: A Simple Margarita with Simply Limeade

Everyone has their favorite margarita recipe.  (Mine actually involves a drive to Gloria's and the ordering of a Cointreau meltdown or two.) I posted one that I found in a fun little cookbook recently as a matter of fact.

Here's a formula for those evenings you simply don't want to try too hard.  I love the "Simply" brand of products...lemonade, raspberry lemonade and limeade.  I put the limeade to use in this simple, but tasty 'rita.

Simply Limeade Margarita
Makes 2 cocktails.

4 ounces Simply Limeade
2 ounces tequila
1 ounce triple sec
Juice of one lime (optional, but adds a nice tang)
Splash of mescal (optional, but do it if you have it...I have grown quite fond of the smokiness it brings to the cocktail party.)

MIx all ingredients together in an ice-filled cocktail shaker and strain into two ice-filled glasses with salted rims.

Salud.

Housemade Sweet-and-Sour Mix

If you follow this silly little blog, you know I believe in using quality ingredients in my cooking.  I believe the same thing about cocktails.  Not only good-quality spirits (which, by the way, doesn't always mean the most expensive) but fresh juices and herbs and mixes.  Here's a perfect example. 

Don't use that nasty neon green stuff that you can buy at stores that they call sweet and sour mix.  It's nastily sweet and reminds me of antifreeze.  Instead, mix up a batch of this and keep it in the fridge.  Your next margarita will thank me.

Housemade Sweet-and-Sour Mix
Makes 2 cups.

1/2 cup simple syrup
3/4 cup fresh lime juice
3/4 cup fresh lemon juice
1/4 cup water

Mix all ingredients together and store in a jar or bottle in the refrigerator for up to two weeks.

Mocktail of the Week: Angostura Bitters Restorer

Even the most dedicated cocktail drinkers among us take time off for our livers every now and then.  But we still  need something refreshing at the end of the day...here's the recipe that hits ths spot.

Angostura Bitters Restorer
Makes 1 drink.

2 ounces club soda
2 ounces tonic water
2 ounces Sprite or 7-Up
6 dashes Angostura bitters
Lemon wedge




Combine in a highball glass and add ice.  Squeeze the lemon wedge into the glass and serve immediately.

Cocktail of the Week: Tangerine Mint Margarita

Not sure where you live, but here in Dallas it's already in the 90's and humid.  Summer is here.  Ugh.

So it's time for refreshing cocktails to get us through to October (seriously) when it will be comfortable again.  Here's a citrusy drink inspired by one from chefs Mary Sue Millken and Susan Feniger.










Tangerine Mint Margarita
Makes one cocktail.

2 ounces freshly-squeezed tangerine juice (orange juice also works fine)
1/2 teaspoon grated tangerine zest
1 ounce fresh lime juice
5 fresh mint leaves
2 ounces reposado tequila

In a cocktail shaker, combine juices, zest and mint leaves.  Muddle together.  Add tequila to the shaker and fill shaker with ice.  Shake thoroughly and strain into an ice-filled rocks glass.  Garnish with a mint sprig and twist of tangerine peel.

Cocktail of the Week: Pepino's Revenge

These days, cocktails can seem like salads in a glass.  Herbs, cucumbers, jalapenos, and fruit all get muddled up with spirits and served with a vegetable garden of garnishes.  And I'm all for it...perhaps those veggies are offsetting some of the alcohol's effect on my liver.

According to Food & Wine magazine, this cocktail comes from a London restaurant run by the esteemed Wolfgang Puck.





Pepino's Revenge
Makes one cocktail.

In a cocktail shaker, muddle four 1/2-inch-thick cucumber slices with 2 large basil leaves.  (Or if you're prepared like I am, a couple sprigs of lime basil.)  Add 1 1/2 ounces silver tequila, 1/2 ounce lime juice, 1/2 ounce simple syrup and ice.  Shake well.  Strain into an ice-filled glass.  Garnish with basil leaves and thin cucumber slices.

Cocktail of the Week: Cinco de Mayo Margarita

Not too long ago, I posted a great recipe for a smoky margarita that is fantastico.  But there's no reason to get fancy for Cinco de Mayo.  So here's a back-to-basics recipe for that Mexican cocktail that many of you will imbibe on tomorrow.

Margarita
Makes one cocktail.

2 ounces silver tequila
2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lime juice
1 tablespoon agave nectar (or simple syrup)

Stir ingredients together and pour into an ice-filled, salt-rimmed glass.

Salud!

A Blood Orange Duo

I am an impulse shopper at the grocery store.  Luckily, I'm not tempted by candy bars or trash magazine at the checkout.  No, I get drawn in my a great piece of fish or some beautiful produce.  So it wasn't necessarily a surprise when I ended up with several gorgeous blood oranges in my shopping bag.  A couple of days later, I had to figure out what to do with them.  I ended up with these two concoctions: a vinaigrette that is delicious over butterlettuce and avocado and a cocktail that is bright and refreshing.
Blood Orange Vinaigrette

Stir together 2 tablespoons of blood orange juice, 1 tablespoon white wine vinegar and a pinch each of garlic pepper and salt.  While whisking, stir in 6 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil in a steadt stream until emulsified.

Blood Orange Cocktail

In an ice-filled cocktail shaker combine 1 teaspoon grated ginger, 1 1/2 ounces vodka, 1/2 ounce Grand Marnier (or other orange liqueur) and 1 ounce blood orange juice.  Shake vigorously and strain into a cocktail glass.  Garnish with a slice of blood orange.

Cocktail of the Week: Cointreau Cooler

About a month ago, I went to a mixology class sponsored by Cointreau.  It's already a staple of our bar cabinet, so I was interested to learn new things to do with it.  They showed us a pretty yummy margarita (although this recipe is my current go-to), and this refreshing sipper.  Reminiscent of a Pimm's Cup, it's the perfect things for the patio on these wonderful spring days we're already having.  As a matter of fact, I'm going to mix one right now...






Cointreau Cooler
Makes one cocktail.

In a cocktail shaker, muddle together a strawberry that you've cored and halved, two cucumber slices and a sprig of mint.  Add ice, 2 ounces Cointreau and 3/4 ounce freshly squeezed lemon juice.  Strain into an ice-filled Collins glass and top with club soda.  Garnish with more strawberry, cucumber and mint if you'd like.

Cheers!

Cocktail of the Week: Mescal Margarita

We all have our margarita tricks.  Sticky sweet sweet-and-sour mix.  Limeade.  Light beer and Diet Sprite.  (That last one is my sister-in-law, I swear.)

But I loved running across this one in a book entitled Antojitos. Buy it already if you don't have it. Lots of yummy recipes.  Including this one for a perfect margarita made even perfecter (Is that a word?) by the addition of smoky mescal.








Zihua Margarita
Makes one cocktail.

1 1/2 slices lime
2 tablespoons kosher salt
2 ounces sour mix (recipe below)
2 ounces tequila (preferably reposado)
2 tablespoons Cointreau or triple sec
1 tablespoon freshly-squeezed orange juice
1 tablespoon mescal

Rub the rim of a cocktail glass with the lime and dip into the salt. (Please...you know what to do.)

In an ice-filled cocktail shaker, combine the remaining ingredients and shake. 

Strain into the prepared cocktail glass and enjoy.

Raspberry-Rose Collins

Like many of you out there, we'll be popping the bubbly open tonight.  But if you want to start with something a little higher-octane, here's something perfectly appropriate.  The raspberries don't add a lot of flavor, but they make the drink a lovely pink hue.






Raspberry-Rose Collins
Makes two cocktails.

3 ounces gin
1 ounce simple syrup (Ginger- or rosemary-infused would be nice.)
1 ounce lemon juice
6 raspberries, plus more for garnish
Soda water

Place raspberries in a cocktail shaker, and muddle gently. Add gin, simple syrup, and lemon juice.  Top with ice and shake.  Strain into two ice-filled Collins glasses and top with soda water.  Garnish with additional raspberries.

Cocktail of the Week: American Flyer

I tried this one the other night as we sipped Champagne on New Years Eve. I thought I would mix things up a little (literally), pulled out The Ultimate Bar Book and experimented.  This sipper was delicious.  Like a fizzy Daiquiri in a flute.

American Flyer
Makes one cocktail.

1 1/2 ounce white rum
1/2 ounce fresh lime juice
1/2 teaspoon sugar
3-5 ounces chilled sparkling wine

Shake all the ingredients except the bubbly with ice.  Strain into a chilled champagne flute and slowly top with the sparkling wine.

Cocktail of the Week: Cranberry-Walnut Martini

This is the PERFECT after-dinner drink for Christmas Eve or Christmas night.  Sweet and nutty (just like me), it's sure to go great with whatever dessert you're serving.  Or it could be dessert itself. 

Don't skip the rosemary/cranberry garnish.  It makes it even more festive.

So...as you're doing your final shopping tomorrow, hit the liquor store and buy some Nocello.  You already have vodka, right?

Cranberry-Walnut Martini
Makes one cocktail.

2 1/2 ounces vodka, preferably Ketel One

2 ounces walnut liqueur, preferably Nocello
3 fresh cranberries
1 sprig rosemary
1 walnut half, toasted

Combine the vodka and walnut liqueur in a cocktail shaker with ice. Shake well and strain into a chilled martini glass.

Thread the cranberries onto the rosemary sprig and place in the glass. Garnish with the walnut.