 This is my second and last submission to Home Bar Awards July challenge. This riff on a Tequila Sunrise takes a few more liberties than my first attempt. I was inspired in part by Big Heart Tea’s Sunshine Dust, a turmeric tea concentrate blended with ginger, lemon grass and peppercorn. I used the Sunshine Dust to make a simple syrup which layers beautifully with the watermelon juice. The slight spiciness of the sunshine syrup works well with the sweetness of the juice and a little acid solution helps add balance. I love tequila with watermelon and anything spicy and it was great to try something beside a hot pepper to create that pairing.  Hello Sunshine!
4 oz. fresh watermelon juice strained 2 oz. Tequila Blanco lightly infused with butterfly pea flower 5 ml. Citric Acid solution 1/2 oz. Sunshine dust simple syrup Add strained watermelon juice and acid solution to a highball glass filled with ice. Pour the Sunshine Dust simple syrup into the glass, it will sink to the bottom. Top with the butterfly pea flower infused tequila. Garnish with some watermelon slices and enjoy! Sunshine Dust simple syrup 1/2 tsp. Big Heart Tea’s Sunshine dust 1 1/2 tbsp. Sugar 1 tbsp. hot water Dissovle sugar and sunshine dust in hot water. Cheers!
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 Blame this outfit on my current TV obsessions, HBO’s Perry Mason and the CBC’s Frankie Drake Mysteries, both of which take place in the 20’s and 30’s. I love anything with a high waist, and these linen pants from Lou & Grey are perfect! Paired with this striped button-down from Madewell, this outfit has a menswear vibe that was so popular during that era. I love these slides, also from Madewell, and I had to add them for a little fun. Sticking to my 1930’s theme, I made a King’s Jubilee cocktail, which was created by Harry Craddock in 1935 to Celebrate the silver Jubilee of King George V. I made mine with a little more rum and lemon juice because I found the Maraschino liqueur a bit over powering in the. original spec. The Ten to One Rum is so delicate that this makes for a very smooth drink, and the end result is well balanced, not too sweet, not too spirit-forward. I think this could be a new favorite! Keep scrolling for the specs.  King’s Jubilee
1 1/2 oz. Ten to One Caribbean White Rum 1/2 oz. Luxardo Maraschino Liqueur 1/2 oz. Lemon juice Combine all of the ingredient in a cocktail shaker with ice until chilled and diluted. Pour into a chilled Nick and Nora glass and garnish with a Maraschino cherry. Cheers!  This is my first submission for Home Bar Awards July challenge, to create a riff on a Tequila Sunrise. This is less of a reinvention and more of a true riff, updating and tweaking the flavor pallet while maintaining the integrity of the classic. I love the look and simplicity of a traditional Tequila Sunrise, but it’s just too sweet and not balanced enough for me. With just a couple of little changes though, it’s a whole different vibe. First, let’s discuss the orange juice. Even fresh squeezed I found that it offered little acidity and a lot of sweetness. Though apparently quite the controversial move (google it) I highly recommend acid adjusting your fresh squeezed juice. I found the best way was to use a Citric acid solution and adjust the orange juice to taste. I desperately wanted to replace the grenadine with something a little more grown up, and Campari was the easy choice. Just to pull back in a classic element I infused the Campari with pomegranate. The Campari maintains the classic color scheme of the drink and works just as well as the grenadine syrup. In the end you get a cocktail that looks just like a classic Tequila Sunrise, but has a much more sophisticated flavor.  Tequila Afternoon
4 oz. fresh orange juice, acid adjusted (with Citric acid sol’n from Cocktail Codex) 2 oz. Blanco Tequila 1/2 oz. pomegranate infused Campari Pour orange juice and Tequila into a high ball glass filled with ice. Top with pomegranate infused Campari. Garnish with a crisp orange slice. Cheers!  I hate wearing black in the summer, and to weddings. I couldn’t really tell you why, chalk it up to a little bit of superstition, and I just don’t wear a lot of black. This dress though… Fair warning I’ve had it forever, I bought it from Banana Republic for an event when I was pregnant with my first baby (he’s six now). It’s flowy, silky and has pockets! The belt and the orange bracelet are Hermes, the wedges are Jimmy Choos. I think the belt and the wedges really help make this look a bit more casual. This is what I wish I was wearing while standing on a balcony, staring at a beautiful view, with a Tequila Sunrise in my hand, and a fabulous dinner reservation *sigh*. My husband may or not be invited… I’m not going to lie, the accessories for this outfit were inspired by the Tequila Sunrise, a cocktail that I’ve never had the pleasure of before. While I wouldn’t necessarily call it classy or sophisticated, this is a beautiful drink and I wouldn’t turn one down, especially if a beach and and actual sunset are involved. This version is true to the original specs, right down to the fresh OJ from oranges I picked off the tree. I think that this could be a great cocktail with a few tweaks, but you’re going to have to wait for that because its the Home Bar Awards challenge this month! Keep scrolling for the specs.  Tequila Sunrise (liquor.com)
2 oz. Blanco tequila 4 oz. fresh orange juice 1/2 oz. grenadine syrup Garnish with orange slice and cherry Combine tequila and orange juice into a highball glass filled with ice. Top with grenadine, its heavier than the tequila and orange juice and will sink creating the sunrise effect. Garnish and enjoy. Cheers!  This cocktail exists solely because I read one sentence in Death & Co.’s Cocktail Codex. Essentially what it said was; you can infuse egg whites through their porous shells! They suggested lavender, I had lavender… I had to try it. So, I stuck an egg into a container on a bed of lavender buds and put it into the fridge for a couple of days. What resulted was a cocktail inspired by lavender, and resulting in a culmination of fading elegance, haunting beauty and a touch of champagne, it's a whole ‘Grey Gardens’ vibe. This cocktail is a bit mad, as beautiful as it may have tuned out. I was worried that the lavender would be too sublet or too over powering, and completely unwilling to taste test the raw egg whites it was a bit of a gamble. I ended up using some pretty strong flavors in the actual cocktail. The Edith Grey tea used in the syrup is a lovely Earl Grey bended with rose petals and the Sipsmith Very Juniper Over Proofed London dry gin added another layer. The dryness of the Blanc de Blanc helps to smooth everything out, and mellow the intensity. Happily, when shaken together the egg whites lent a noticeable but not over powering lavender flavor.  Edie & Edith Gin Fizz
2 oz. Sipsmith VJOP London Dry gin 0.50 oz. Edith Grey simple syrup (see below) 0.75 oz. lemon juice 1 lavender infused egg white (see below) Schramsberg Blanc de Blanc Garnish glass with agave nectar stripe and Edith Grey tea. Combine all ingredients minus sparkling wine in a shaker with ice, shake until chilled (20-30 seconds) strain out ice. Dry shake at least 30 seconds, strain into chilled Nick and Nora glass. Top with sparkling wine. Edith Grey Simple Syrup Big Heart Tea Co. Edith Grey Tea Sugar using Big Heart Tea Co.’s Edith Grey tea. Combine a 1:1 ratio of hot tea to sugar, stir until clear. Lavender Infused Egg White 1 egg Place whole egg in shell in a small sealed contain on a bed of lavender buds, keep in fridge for at least two to three days. Cheers!  I’m on vacation! And, even though that means I’m social distancing in rural Northern Oregon, and not Ibiza, it’s still very nice to escape from my own house which I have barely left since April. Just because I can’t travel to a legendary Mediterranean holiday destination (I’m not bitter) doesn’t mean I can’t dress like I’m there. I’m really loving the matching/co-ord/set thing, it feels so easy, put together and perfect for going on holiday. While I haven’t found my perfect matching set yet, I thought this color-blocked look had just as much impact. This skirt is the Breathtaking Tiger Lily’s skirt from Modcloth. The top is the Linen Tide Back Cropped Tank from Lou&Grey. As far as I’m concerned, there is literally no better time than any time to drink a Negroni. Since I’m in Oregon, and there’s a pandemic on, I’ve had to be a little flexible with my cocktail ingredients. I remembered to bring the Campari, of course, but I definitely forgot the sweet vermouth. Luckily, I happened to have one of my favorite white ports on hand, and it's a pretty great substitute. Pour it, stir it with your (clean) god damn finger and enjoy it while looking at, talking to or doing something that you love.  Negroni Angelica
1 oz. Gin 1 oz. Campari 1 oz. Picchetti Mission Angelica white port Pour ingredients directly into a chilled rocks glass filled with ice, stir with finger. Cheers!  You may not know this but, I happen to be married to a whiskey connoisseur (a legend in his own mind I assure you). Even though I prefer gin, every now and then he manages to impress me with a bottle. This is definitely the case of his most recent find, St. George Spirit’s Baller Single Malt Whiskey. The first sip of was all I needed, and I should have known that the distillery that makes some of my favorite gin would make a killer Japanese style whiskey. This cocktail is entirely inspired by the flavors in the whiskey, which immediately brought to mind warm summer evenings around a campfire. If you’re looking for a summer whiskey this is it, its sweet and smokey with a floral note that must come from its finishing in Umeshu (plum liqueur casks). St. Germain is the perfect compliment transforming it into a lovely bright summer cocktail.  Midsummer Whiskey Sour
2 oz. St. George Baller Single Malt Whiskey 0.75 oz. fresh lemon juice 0.50 oz. St. Germain Combine ingredients in a mixing glass and stir until chilled. Pour into a low ball over fresh ice and garnish with fresh foraged flowers or a lemon twist if you’re not feeling like getting too fancy. Cheers!  I’ve been really into Bourbon cocktails lately, but a traditional Old Fashioned feels a little heavy for the warmer weather that we are lucky enough to be enjoying right now. For a summer bourbon cocktail I wanted to add some fresh, seasonal flavors. This Old Fashioned riff is refreshing enough for sipping on the back porch on a hot day. I love using Elijah Craig Bourbon for mixing in a cocktail, unlike some bourbons it can stand up with the other flavors. Instead of adding sugar or simple syrup to this drink I used the Cointreau to add some sweetness and orange flavor, while maintaining the mouth feel. The addition of the Dry Vermouth gives a herbaceous flavor and a helps create a smoother cocktail.  Not Another Old Fashioned
1.5 oz. Elijah Craig Bourbon 0.5 oz. Cointreau 0.5 oz. Dolin Dry Vermouth 2-3 dashes Fee Brothers Indian Orange Bitters Combine all ingredients in a mixing cup and stir until chilled and slightly diluted. Strain into a low ball glass over fresh ice. Garnish with a sprig of orange tree. Cheers!  Welcome to my first official Cocktails & Clothes post! First things first, let’s talk about this dress. I don’t usually go for florals, but I love how dark and moody this print is. In fact, this dress has a lot of things that you won’t see anywhere else in my closet, ruffles, weird arm bits, it should be a wardrobe malfunction waiting to happened. But, it’s not. It's great and swishy, and I totally forget that I’m covered in ruffles and flowers when I’m wearing it. Another huge bonus, this flowing floral dress is from one of my favorite sustainable brands Reformation. Paired with some strappy blush velvet sandals this is the perfect outfit to wear to a summer wedding (are people still doing those) or just lounging around your living room with a cocktail, staying home in style. This fantastic dress calls for an equally decadent cocktail. And what’s more decadent than opening a bottle of champagne just for yourself, in the middle of day when you're trapped in your house by a raging virus while you slowly lose your mind? It's so romantic... If there was a way you could make a glass of champagne any fancier it would be a Kir Royale. Traditionally made with Creme de Cassis, I have always made mine with Chambord for reasons unknown or forgotten. The Blanc de Blanc that I used is one of my favorite Champagnes (I know this is technically a sparkling wine, just give it to me) and the crisp, dry flavor is perfect in a Kir Royale. So put on a fancy dress, pop some bubbly, and let the kids watch tv for the rest of the afternoon, I highly recommend it. Keep scrolling for the specs!  Kir Royale (adapted from The Cocktail Codex)
1/2 oz. Chambord 5 1/2 oz. Schramsberg Blanc de Blanc Garnish with Lemon twist Pour Chambord into a champagne glass and fill with chilled dry champagne or sparkling wine. Add lemon twist to the glass. Cheers! |