The Ghost of the Espresso Martini
Espresso martinis are having a moment right now. I get it, mixing your uppers and your downers sounds like a perfectly safe decision. Well, at the very least, it’s a bit classier than a vodka redbull (#judgementfreezone). This drink is not an espresso martini, but it does have the essence of one. Or if you’re a bartender who’s sick of the OG, this stirred drink can conjure fantasies of no longer shaking up martinis all night.
Manda Lavanda
Happy National Margarita Day! As if you needed an excuse to drink a margarita on Taco Tuesday... but if you are looking for a reason, here is a smoky, floral margarita that is definitely not your classic option. First, it brings in a floral-forward gin. I know this may upset some of the margarita purists out there, but it's certainly not the first cocktail to bring these two spirits together. Those floral notes are rounded out with Bitter Bianco, a less bitter, more floral, and much less red Campari. The touch of citrus here plays well with the Cointreau and keeps the juniper in check as a nice subtle background note.
Roasted Carrot Soup
This is an original recipe that brings together a lot of deep, earthy flavors for a rich, warming soup that is perfect for a cold day. Roasting the carrots completely transforms the ingredient and brings those sweet, complex caramelized notes. The earthiness is really accentuated with the dukkah— a Middle Eastern blend of herbs, spices, and nuts (hazelnut, in this case).
135 Reasons
One of my favorite things about gin (there are many) is just how diverse the category is, especially with the semi-recent revival of more localized gins showcasing the essence--nay, terroir-- of the area. The more gins I try, the more I appreciate their diversity, as well as the importance of pairing the best gin for the job at hand.
Green With Envy
Happy Valentine’s Day! I’m sure your feed is filled with Red, Cliches, and references to fat, matchmaking little angels. This post goes out to anyone not feeling all the Love…or maybe even feeling a bit jealous of all the warm fuzzies Hallmark would make you believe you should be feeling. [Full disclosure: I am a Big Softie and I happily married to my forever Valentine🥰].
The Double Doink
In football, the infamous Double Doink refers to a (partially blocked) missed field goal attempt by the Chicago Bears that tragically hit the goal post twice before bouncing out. This hilarious event resonates with me today because of the way that this drink played out. Since this post is for the Super Bowl I was very excited to use my football ice mold. I wanted to make the ice football-colored, so I came up with a (surprise) overly complicated recipe that would impart lovely flavors and color.
Get A Move On
I don’t like waste. Old fruit? Shrub. Stale bread? Croutons. Several cans of prune juice about to expire (#parenthood)? Sounds like a syrup-itunity to me. The best part is that the syrup is, like, really good— raisiny, rich, a little funky. I can only assume it’s great for my digestive health, too.
Do You Yuzu?
I realized that vodka has been noticeably absent from my feed for awhile. I have nothing against vodka, and its neutral canvas is quite useful for infusions, etc. But it’s also great for cocktails where the main flavor might get bullied by other spirits. In the case of this drink, I wanted to go for a really clean, refreshing cocktail that allowed the star flavor, yuzu, to shine.
Bubbles and Brew
January is (finally) over, so for some of you that means a return to imbibing; for many, it never stopped. But others may choose not to drink for a variety of reasons, regardless of the month, so it is important to have some good mocktail options. Needless to say, I was excited when @drinkjoyus offered to send me a bottle of their alcohol-removed sparkling wine to try.
Diamond in the Rough
Seriously though, I love that scene in Aladdin where the Giant Sand Tiger rumbles on after he gets rudely woken up for nefarious reasons—almost as much as I love these gorgeous glasses from @thewinesavant that I got for Christmas. I wanted to stir up something dark and handsome to show these bad boys off, so here we are. And it’s February so love and diamonds and stuff❤️