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Punch Drunk

December 26, 2014

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All of this cooking and baking calls for a little drinking? Does it not?

My mom found this awesome Bowery Punch recipe and I had to share… it’s seriously delicious!

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Bowery Punch

Serves 6

  • 1 tablespoon sugar
  • 8 oz club soda, divded
  • 6 oz gin
  • 2 oz Cappelletti or a bitter apertif (we used Aperol)
  • 2 oz fresh grapefruit juice (came out to half of a large grapefruit)
  • 2 oz lemon juice (juice of 1 lemon)
  • 4 dashes Peychaud’s bitters
  • Garnish: grapefruit wedge
  1. Muddle sugar and 4 oz club soda in a pitcher until sugar dissolves.
  2. Add the rest of the ingredients (except remaining club soda) and stir.
  3. Fill pitcher 3/4 of the way with ice and agressively stir for 20 seconds or so (the goal is to get the drink really cold).
  4.  Strain the punch into individual glasses with a king ice cube and garnish with grapefruit wedge.
  5. Top with club soda and enjoy!

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Sip

Old Fashioned

December 19, 2014

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My go-to drink for the past few months has been an Old Fashioned, so I was a little surprised to see I’ve never posted about it on the blog!  I know this is a classic, but it is a must have for your cocktail line-up this winter season.

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Old Fashioned 

  • 3 dashes Angostura Bitters
  • 1 tsp sugar
  • 1 orange wheel
  • 1 Maraschino cherry (I use Luxardo)
  • 1 splash club soda
  • 2 oz bourbon
  • Garnish: 1 orange wheel and 1 cherry
  1. Muddle bitters, sugar, fruit and soda in an old fashioned glass.
  2. Remove orange rind and add bourbon.
  3. Fill with ice and garnish with a fresh orange wedge and cherry.

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G&T with Finger Lime

December 12, 2014

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My CSA box just introduced me to the seriously intriguing “finger lime.” These little beauties are also appropriately named “caviar limes” because of the little beads they produce.  They can be used as a fun garnish on anything  you’d use lime juice in, and I love using them as a fun addition in cocktails (naturally).

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While a gin and tonic is not a revolutionary cocktail, when made with the following ingredients, it… well…. is.  So next time you want to be a G&T purist be sure to stock your bar cart with the following:

Gin & Tonic with Finger Lime

  • 3 oz Bloom Gin
  • 4 oz Fever Tree Tonic Water
  • Pearls from 1 Finger Lime (no idea of that’s the terminology… you get the point!)
  1. Fill a glass with ice and top with finger lime pearls, gin and tonic water.
  2. Gently stir and enjoy!

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** I was reading that making tonic water ice cubes is a great addition to perfecting this drink (definitely giving that a try this season!

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***Also, adding a squeeze of lime juice in lieu of finger lime is just as tasty!

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***During the summer season we love to use grapefruit wedges and edible flowers to spruce up our G&T’s (an idea we swooped from Coqueta). During the winter months when the citrus is harder to come by, I went with a Pomelo instead.

 

 

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Maple Bourbon Cider

December 5, 2014

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Most of you at this point, know my love of a “large batch” drink for entertaining.  While bar carts and DIY cocktail areas are really popular right now, I love a mess-free zone that requires minimal thinking.  This past Thanksgiving we greeted our guests with a drink that we could make right before their arrival (these amazing Maple Leaf Martinis) and then provided a Maple Bourbon Cider cocktail (similar composition) that could be made well in advance and had better staying power throughout the evening (didn’t require a cocktail shaker, club soda or anything too high maintenance).

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Maple Bourbon Cider

serves 4

  • 6 oz Bourbon
  • 4 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
  • 2 teaspoons pure maple syrup
  • 1 cup apple cider
  • cayenne pepper
  1. First decide on how many people/drinks you’d like to make and multiply accordingly.  For a group of 12, I multiplied the recipe by 6 (2 drinks per person).
  2. Measure out your bourbon into your beverage dispenser, cover and set aside.
  3. Measure out remaining liquid ingredients (lemon juice, maple syrup, apple cider) and mix in an airtight container (I recommend quart size mason jars). Store in the fridge until ready to use (I do this the morning of).
  4. Right before you guests arrive add apple cider mixture to bourbon and stir to combine.
  5. Service over large glasses of ice (or a large cube of ice) and sprinkle with cayenne pepper for an added kick (optional).

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Gin and (Pomegranate) Juice

November 21, 2014

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No food is prettier to me than a pomegranate, so when the season presents itself, I like to use them on EVERYTHING. Salads, main dishes, on crostinis, and of course… in cocktails.  Here is one of my favorite concoctions right now.

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Gin and (Pomegranate) Juice

  • 1.5 oz Pomegranate Juice
  • 1.5 oz Gin
  • Grapefruit Soda
  • Wedge of Lemon or Lime
  1. Add juice and gin to an ice filled low-ball glass.
  2. Stir and top with grapefruit soda.
  3. Add a squeeze of lime juice and stir until combined.
  4. Garnish with pomegranate seeds and enjoy!

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While I do love a cocktail that requires infused simple syrups, muddled herbs and super fun takes on classics – this easy (low mess) cocktail is great for entertaining this holiday season!

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