Good news! Our school district has announced that they will be sending the kids back to school in April. Of course, they will only have spots for the children who said they wanted in-person learning in a random survey sent out before we switched schools. So, I have spent all of yesterday searching through emails trying to find a link to this survey, no luck, and most of this morning emailing various school officials trying to get a new link. Some times you just feel like you need a big old glass of Gin, or maybe that’s just me. Luckily for us all, with the addition of just one or two ingredients you can make that glass of gin into a socially acceptable, and stylish martini! While drinking a martini before ten in the morning might still get some looks, I propose that they’re just jealous. My Nana taught me how to make a Gin martini, and it really was just a room temperature glass of Beefeater with a drop of dry vermouth (that they did not refrigerate and was probably older than me) some ice, and a lemon twist, maybe. So when I found out that you could season a martini with vermouth (not just an unwanted necessity for social acceptance) and bitters, it was pretty world changing. The other day I felt like a wanted a martini, but make it feel like spring, so I added some lavender bitters to one of my favorite gins, and instead of dry vermouth, I added Lillet for just a hint of sweetness and a sublet fruit aspect. I’m not positive, but I think Nana would approve. Lavender Martini
2 1/2 oz. Highclere Castle gin *gifted 1/2 oz. Lillet blanc 2-3 dashes Scrappy Bitters lavender bitters *gifted Combine everything in a shaker with ice and shake until very chilled. Strain into a coupe. Cheers!
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I did it. I binge-watched Bridgerton, and it was good. I was a bit confused about how scandalous (Shonda!) people were saying it was, but the last period piece I watched was Harlots so... Anyway, I regret nothing, and it inspire this fancy edition of Cocktails and Clothes. The dress is from Sachin & Babi, and while its not exactly in the style of Bridgerton, I loved the high-low hem, pockets and pink and green floral pattern. Who says you can’t wear the dress even though you have absolutely nowhere to go? The French 75 is named after a gun, and I’m guessing it has something to do with how it hits you like heavy artillery. This classic champagne cocktail is bubbly and tart with just a hint of sweetness. It definitely goes down way too easyily, but don’t forget about that sneaky shot of gin in there. To that point, I actually don’t mind a little extra gin, just to remind me… French 75
1 oz. St. George Botanivore gin 1/2 oz. lemon juice 1/2 oz. simple syrup Top with Schramsberg Blanc de Blancs Combine gin, lemon juice and simple syrup in a champagne flute, top with champagne. Garnish with a lemon twist. Cheers! This daiquiri is based off of one of my favorite morning smoothie flavors, pineapple and matcha. If it tastes great without rum, it's definitely going to taste even better with it. This is a random flavor combo for me as I don’t particularly like pineapple or matcha by themselves, but together its amazing. You could make this with pineapple juice or canned pieces, but I used chunks of fresh pineapple and muddled them in the shaker. I combined the matcha with the simple syrup, but if you really like matcha and want a stronger flavor you could just toss some straight powder in. I used a funky white rum, but I’m tempted by the idea of a coconut rum in this cocktail, maybe next time… Pineapple Matcha Daiquiri
1 handful of pineapple pieces 1 oz. matcha syrup 1 oz. lime juice 2 oz. ten to one white rum Add pineapple pieces to a shaker and muddle. Add matcha syrup, white rum and ice to the shaker and shake until chilled and diluted. Strain into a cocktail glass over ice. Garnish with lime and pineapple. Matcha Syrup 1 part matcha tea 1 part sugar Combine sugar and hot tea and stir until dissolved. Cheers! It's starting to feel like spring here, so I guess the rain was fitting. I loved this outfit, the paper bag waist jeans from Mara Hoffman paired with this white ALC cropped blouse was shockingly comfortable. I love that this is essentially a white tee and jeans, familiar and casual while also feeling pulled together and special. But my favorite part of this outfit is the silk bandana from Ozma of California. I have to admit that the only Lemon Drop I’d had previously to making this one was from dive bars during university, and they were awful. I don’t know what I was expecting when I made this, but it couldn’t have been more different from the ones I’d had before. There really isn’t any reason why this cocktail shouldn’t be delicious, sour mix is the enemy of a well made cocktail. Every time I run into a classic cocktail that I had written off because it was made so badly made I really feel like this is a worth while endeavor. I'd love to hear from you about any classic cocktails, either because you love them or because you think they're awful. Lemon Drop ( adapted from liquor.com)
2 oz. vodka 1/2 oz. cointreau 1 oz. lemon juice 1 oz. rich simple syrup Garnish sugar rim Rub a lemon wedge around the rim of a martini glass and dip in sugar to coat. Combine all of the ingredients in a shaker with ice and shake until very cold and diluted. Strain into the prepared glass. Cheers! I came up with this cocktail while I was on vacation in Joshua tree late last year. Three whole days with out my children or husband, it was a dream, but I digress. For some reason this felt like the perfect pool-side beverage, and besides I had all of the ingredients. This is a pretty basic riff on a classic Paloma, I think I quite literally wanted to spice it up, and black pepper seemed the perfect accompaniment for the peppery tequila. One of my favorite parts of this drink is the low-key burn from the black pepper simple syrup. My other fave part is the Rimmer, so easy to make and incredibly tasty, just mix together the four ingredients until you like the ratios and you set! Black Pepper Paloma
2 oz. tequila blanco 2 oz. fresh grapefruit juice 1/2 oz. lime juice 1/2 oz. black pepper simple syrup Soda Rimmer Pink Himalayan salt Fresh cracked black pepper Sugar Grapefruit zest Combine all ingredients, except the soda, in a shaker with ice and shake until chilled and diluted. Rim a highball glass with the rimmer. Strain into glass and top with soda, give it a gentle stir and garnish with a slice of grapefruit. Black pepper simple syrup 2 tbsp. Sugar 2 tbsp. Water 1/2 tsp. Cracked black pepper Cheers! This dress! The color was so good that I had to give it a try even though it’s not something that I would have normally gone for. There’s no way I was going to be able to pull off a fully buttoned collar (I realize this sounds crazy and I should probably talk to someone about it), and I hate handkerchief hems lines. The fact is this Dress, from Solace London, is so beautiful in all of its asymmetrical and buttoned up glory, and no one was more surprised than me by how much I loved it. I guess what I’m trying to say is…people change, man. On to the cocktail, the Elder Fashioned from Difford’s Guide, is a twist on the perennial classic. Much like this beautiful dress, buttoned up on top, free flowing on bottom, it's the epitome of class and style. This riff on an Old Fashioned reminds me of spring with its floral notes, and is the perfect way to ease into warmer weather, or for the uninitiated, drinking bourbon based cocktails. Elder Fashioned (slightly modified from Difford’s Guide) 2 oz. bourbon whiskey 1/2 oz. St. Germain Elderflower liqueur 1/4 oz. rich simple syrup 2-3 dashes Angostura bitters ** glassware gifted by JoyJolt Add all ingredients to a mixing glass with ice and stir until chilled. Strain into an Old Fashioned glass and garnish with a twist of lemon. Cheers! Yay! It’s the first Home Bar Awards challenge of 2021, the perfect thing to take my mind off of when they are going to announce the 2020 finalist winner. February’s challenge is stirred Tiki drinks, and who doesn’t love a Tiki drink? Luckily, I just happened to have a Cherimoya going bad on my counter, and no idea what to do with it. If you don’t know what a Cherimoya is, also known as a custard apple, join the club. Turns out, it’s a South American fruit with soft pulpy flesh, and I think it tastes a bit like a pear/ kiwi mash up. Obviously, it would make a perfect syrup, and jumping off point for my Tiki drink. Once I had decided on using the Cherimoya syrup I decided that I needed a fun garnish and picked up some edible flowers. This was my inspiration to use floral liqueurs, in addition to the citrus juices and some funky rum. I’m not sure if its a requirement, but I also threw in some falernum and bitters just to circle back to the Tiki theme. I shelled half a lime and filled it with the edible flowers as the perfect garnish for my new beautiful hand sculpted copper Tiki mug. Be-stir My Heart
1 oz. Smith and Cross Jamaica Rum 1 oz. Kuleana Huihui white rum 1 oz. lime juice 1 oz. Cherimoya syrup 1 oz. blood orange juice 3/4 oz. St. Germain 1/4 oz. Creme de Violete 1/4 oz. Falernum 2-3 dashes Angostura Bitters Garnish with lime shell filled with edible flowers and lime leaves. Cherimoya syrup 1 part Cherimoya puree 1 part water 2 parts sugar Make simple syrup with the sugar and water and combine with the Cherimoya puree. Cheers! Despite the way my instagram looks, I don’t sit around all day drinking cocktails, though some times I wish I could. Physical fitness has become an important part of my day, and while I wouldn’t say that I love ‘working out’, I do like being active. As I’ve gotten older, with little kids, and especial since the start of the pandemic, keeping active has become even more relevant. But, how do you start working out regularly when you hate it? Well, I took some advice from my friend Andi. She recommends finding something you love and being consistent, and she’s an expert when it comes to fitness, and achieving huge goals. So, it makes sense that she recently launched a body-inclusive athletic wear brand called Athlethicc. For more inspiration and info about her coaching programs you can check out her insta @cartwheel_ac. Something else that I’ve been focusing on, is it what I eat. As a family we’ve really been cutting back on the amount of meat that we consume, but personally, I needed a way to add a few more fruits and veggies to my diet. I tried a few different options, but the thing that’s really stuck is Daily Harvest smoothies. They are delicious, made with whole ingredients that you can actually identify and come portioned and frozen to your door. It really couldn’t be easier, check out how I blend mine up. Morining Smoothie
1 mango + greens from Daily Harvest 10 oz. coconut water harmless harvest 1 scoop primal kitchen Vanilla Coconut Collagen fuel Toss everything in a blender and blend until smooth. Pour into a glass, I recommend a pint glass, and enjoy. Cheers! I’m not usually into Valentines Day, its overrated in my opinion. But, it is a pandemic and I'll take any excuse to do something different. So, I thought I would do a post… This hot pink, dare I say magenta, jump-suit is by Adam LIppes, and it’s got pockets! The shoes are Sam Edelman from about a thousand years ago, and the earrings are Elizabeth Cole. Will I be wearing this on valentines day?…no, will I wish I was?…. Also no. Would I wear this at any other time of year if I had somewhere fancy to be? You bet! Ok, maybe... The Clover Club is the most classic of classic cocktails. It's pretty, it's tasty, It checks all the boxes. I never make them at home because who has raspberry syrup just hanging around? Not this bitch, buuuuut, it turns out you can substitute for grenadine! I actually added a touch of St. Germain, because grenadine can be a bit flat, and I highly recommend it. Clover Club
2 oz. Gin 3/4 oz. lemon juice 1/2 oz. Grenadine (or use raspberry syrup and up it to 3/4 oz. without the st. germaine) 1/2 oz. st. Germaine 1egg white Combine all ingredients in a cocktail shaker with ice and shake until foamy and chilled. Strain into a cocktail glass and enjoy! Cheers! Have you heard about the polar vortex that is supposed to be hitting the entirety of the US this week? I think we’re going to miss the worst of it here in California, but I had brief dreams of snow. Despite the warnings or arctic chill headed everyones way I’ve been feeling some island vibes lately, maybe I just need a tropical vacation… So, when I saw some pineapple-guava fruit I had to pick it up. I had never tried pineapple-guava fruit before, but once I did I knew exactly what it needed. It is a slightly sweet fruit with an amazing aroma, and it is undeniably tropical, and what better to do with a fruit mash-up then a smash? Instead of a traditional gin smash I decided to go with rum and embrace the tropical flavors of the fruit. While you could totally make this without the fernet branca, I used it as a seasoning, similar to bitters in a tiki drink, to bring out the flavors of the fruit. You could probably juice the fruit and use it that way, but it looks like it oxidizes quickly and I’m not too sure what that does to the flavor. For ultimate freshness and in keeping with a smash, I muddled pieces in the tin. Despite the oxidation I highly recommend garnishing with a slice of pineapple-guava, because they smell fantastic. Pineapple Guava Smash
2 oz. Smith & Cross Jamaica Rum 3/4 oz. lemon juice 1/2 oz. simple syrup 1/4 oz. fernet branca 2 pineapple-guava quartered Place all ingredients into a shaking tin, muddle the pineapple-guava, add ice and shake until chilled. Strain into a cocktail glass over ice, and garnish with some sliced pineapple-guava. Cheers! |
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