Shrub Syrup Recipe
A sweet and sour cocktail mixer that is a concentrate of fruit, sugar and vinegar. Just like a simple syrup, it can be added to most liquors to add tartness and sweetness to a cocktail.
Mezcal Cocktail with St. Germain – Maximilian Affair Cocktail
The Maximilian Affair cocktail salutes Mexico and France by combining the tastes of smoky Mexican mezcal with the sweet floral French elderflower liqueur. It’s a surprising combination that works great together. Which is odd, considering that it was named for an historic event that took place in Mexico in the 1860’s which wasn’t so sweet. The Maximilian Affair involved an Austrian Archduke and an attempt by those meddling French to rule Mexico.
Zombie Cocktail, A Tiki Bar Classic
In the great pantheon of classic tiki bar cocktails, the Zombie has to be one of the best. The Zombie Cocktail is a blend of rums, citrus, pineapple and spice. Invented by Don the Beachcomber, or Donn Beach as he was legally known, in 1934, the Zombie helped to kick off the tiki cocktail craze.
The Corpse Reviver No. 2 – Halloween Cocktail
The Corpse Reviver No. 2 is the perfect Halloween cocktail. Or maybe, like it's original intent, it is the perfect AFTER-Halloween cocktail, when you need a bit of "the hair of the dog" to revive you. In fact, it used to be served as a "breakfast cocktail" to cure you after a night of debauchery.
Even though I said that I was putting my gin away until warm weather returns, this gin, Cointreau, Lillet Blanc and absinthe cocktail is really delicious AND has the creepy name to commemorate either Hallow's Eve or The Day of the Dead.
Muscadine cocktail – using wild grapes for a fall cocktail
If you live in the South, you have probably had your share of muscadines and scuppernongs, our native wild grape. They are fragrant, juicy and sweet. Like pears or apples, the muscadine signals Fall in the South. They are my inspiration this week for a Southern Fall Muscadine Cocktail.
The Mr. 404 cocktail
The Mr. 404 Cocktail combines the bittersweetness of the Aperol with the delicate flowery taste of the elderflower liqueur – St. Germain. Together, it has a pale orange color and a light, slightly sweet taste that reminds me of grapefruit juice.
Pimm’s Cup – a British cocktail for sunny days
In honor of Andy Murray finally winning the Wimbledon trophy for the Brits this week, I’m making the official cocktail of Wimbledon, the quintessential English summer cocktail – The Pimm’s Cup. The Pimm’s Cup is a classic English “fruit cup”… a cool, refreshing long drink made of Pimm’s No. 1 tonic and a lemony or gingery soda and slices of lemon, orange and cucumber.
Caipirinha – celebrating the World Cup with Brazil’s national drink
Similar to the mojito or the margarita, the caipirinha reigns supreme in Brazil. Like the margarita, the caipirinha is a lime sour - mixing spirits with sugar and lime juice. What sets it apart is the main ingredient - cachaça - a distilled spirit that is similar to rum.
Pegu Club Cocktail
Like many classic gin cocktails, the Pegu Club Cocktail has its origins in the British Colonial Empire. The cocktail was named after the original Pegu Club in Rangoon, Burma - part of the British Empire during Victorian times and now, independent present-day Myanmar.
The Blood and Sand cocktail, made with blood orange
The Blood and Sand cocktail is a throwback to the Prohibition-era days when Rudolph Valentino was one of the greatest stars of the Silver Screen. Named after "the Sheik"'s 1922 movie, this classic cocktail is one of the few that…
Tangerine Drop Martini
Mid-winter brings a more monotonous selection in the produce aisle but a bounteous variety in the citrus section. While the fresh berries and melons of summer have faded into memory, the market is piled high with oranges, grapefruits, lemons and…
Homemade Grenadine and an El Presidente Cocktail
I'm starting to see the fresh pomegranates back in the stores again this week. I do love cutting them open and popping out those garnet-colored seeds to eat. They stain your fingers bright pink, but I really don't care. They…