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!
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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! Does this count as monochromatic? Whatever it is, I’m in love. I’m not sure when I first laid eyes on this amazing plaid (technically it’s a check, but work with me here) two-piece from Victoria Beckham, but I’ve been obsessed with it for while. It’s beautifully made with a thick and stretchy knitted material, and it was incredibly comfortable to wear. While this particular pattern might not be for everyone, I won’t lie the plaid is a bit intimidating, I think the idea of a patterned co-ord is something anyone can pull off. And at a time when I want to feel pulled together, but have also sworn off real pants, this is a real game changer. What pairs better with plaid-on-plaid than a belated Bobby Burns? I’ll just apologize to all the Scots now, I’m sorry I didn’t name the drink. While I was inspired by the recent passing of Burns Night, it turns out the Bobby Burns was most likely not named after the famed Scot. This is a very enjoyable scotch cocktail, slightly sweet and warming, perfect for sipping on a chilly evening or, as the Difford’s Guide suggests, while enjoying some haggis. Bobby Burns
1 oz. blended scotch (12yr is recommended) 1 oz. sweet vermouth 1/2 oz. Benedictine Lemon twist Combine all ingredients in a mixing glass with ice, stir until chilled. Strain into a cocktail glass and garnish with a twist of lemon. Cheers! Sorry, I couldn't resist the Austin Powers quote, for the record there isn't anything weird about the Dutch. This is my second, and last, submission to the Home Bar Awards finals, and I wanted to do something different. The concept was to make a drink that didn't look like a traditional amaro cocktail. While researching different types of bitters my ever helpful husband suggested Cloosterbitter, a herbal bitter from Holland. It has a beautiful green color, and is similar to Green Chartreuse. Since Cloosterbitter is so drinkable I thought I would stay true the classic Americano specs and pair it with a vermouth. With its mild licorice flavor, it has more of a mint and ginger kick, I wanted to pair it with something fresh, and since citrus juice is out I substituted with lime bitters and dry vermouth for a little acidity. The final result is a bright and herbal cocktail that is totally refreshing. Lekker-icano
1 1/2 oz. Cloosterbitter 1 1/2 oz. Dolin Dry Vermouth 2 dashes Scrappy’s lime bitters 2 oz. Topo Chico / club soda Crack several pieces of ice for your mixing glass. Combine all ingredients, except the club soda, in the mixing glass and store until chilled. Strain into a high ball glass filled with ice. Placing a bar spoon into the glass, pour the club soda down the shaft of the spoon dispersing it throughout the drink, give it a gentle stir. Garnish with a round of lime peel. Cheers! I have been having so much fun putting together new outfits, trying out styles and colors and generally playing dress up. I love a little retail therapy as much as the next person, but I’ve been making a big effort over the last few years to try and be more sustainable and ethical about my purchases. While there are a lot of ways to shop more sustainably, the best and most affordable way is to rewear the pieces that are already in my wardrobe. To that end I thought I would introduce you to one of the older pieces in my collection. This beautiful blue dress was purchased from on sale from Club Monaco well over ten years ago. I loved the color, fabric and low back, and honesty those are the things that have kept it around all these years later. The El Presidente, much like this dress, is an old favorite. It is a classic rum cocktail originally found in The Savoy Cocktail book. Like a lot classic cocktails that have seen the test of time it seems to have an unlimited number of different variations. I definitely went for one with a smaller amount of grenadine in it, but there's truly something for everyone where this drink is concerned. El Presidente (The Spruce Eats)
1 1/2 oz light rum 3/4 oz. orange curaçao 3/4 oz. dry vermouth Dash of grenadine Combine all of the ingredients in a mixing glass with one and stir until chilled. Strain into a coupe and garnish with a lemon twist. Cheers! This is my first submission for the Home Bar Awards finals! This is also my first year being in the finals, while I’m so excited, I am also just a little intimidated. Not only was this a huge challenge for me as far as drink creation, but I'm also competing against , in my opinion, some of the best accounts on IG. Good luck to all of the competitors, may the specs ever be in your favor. The basis for my Amor-icano is St. Agrestis Amaro, an American Amaro from Brooklyn, NY, it seemed like the perfect fit for a New York amaro bar. I wanted to stay true to the perfectly balanced sweet and bitter of an Americano, but with a different flavor profile. This spicy amaro brings to mind root-beer and cola, and I couldn’t resist combining it with cherry flavors. The resulting cocktail is refreshingly herbal with warm baking spices and red fruit, not too sweet and a clean bitter finish. Bitter is the new Black
3/4 oz. St. Agrestis Amaro 3/4 oz. Cherry Heering 3/4 oz. lillet blanc 3/4 oz. London dry gin Top with 2 oz. Topo Chico or club soda Crack a piece or two of ice for the bottom of your mixing glass, combine all of the ingredient except the seltzer, fill with ice and stir until chilled. Strain into a chilled highball glass filled with ice. Placing a bar spoon into the glass, pour soda down the spoons shaft, dispersing the carbonated water through the beverage, and give it a gentle stir.. Garnish with a bourbon cherry. Cheers! |
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