Basil & Lemon Cocktail

It is summer here in San Francisco and I finally purchased these beautiful coupes that I've had my eye on for a while, so a nice refreshing cocktail was a necessary addition to my Saturday afternoon.  I made this cocktail up, although it likely exists out there somewhere.  I always play with different additions and proportions, so feel free to do the same.  Below is (approximately) what I used.

Basil & Lemon Cocktail

1 1/2 ounces vodka

1 ounce St. Germain

juice of 1/2 lemon (or more if you prefer)

3-4 basil leaves

Add the lemon juice and basil leaves to a cocktail shaker; muddle.  Fill with ice and add the vodka and St. Germain. Shake very well. Strain into a cocktail glass. Garnish with basil & enjoy!

Optional: if you want to top the cocktail off with something else, consider using a splash of soda water, ginger beer, champagne, or a light, crisp white wine.

The Recoil

A friend at work told me about this cocktail and as she was telling me the ingredients my mouth started watering.  I made it that night and it was even better than I imagined.  It's perfectly sweet (not too sweet) and very refreshing.  The spicy ginger beer adds a perfect touch to the light and refreshing lime and St. Germain.  I definitely recommend you try this one!  

1 1/2 ounces bourbon (I used Bulleit)

1/2 ounce St. Germain

1/2 ounce fresh lime juice

Ginger Beer (I recommend Fever Tree)

Fill a cocktail shaker with ice and add the first 3 ingredients – shake very well.  Strain into a glass filled with ice and top with ginger beer.  Garnish with a lime and enjoy!

Ginger + Lemon

Lemon and ginger make such a great duo.  They can be savory or sweet - add them to your morning juice for a refreshing and healthy kick, bake them up in a delicious dessert, or try them in your next cocktail.  Here are some lemon-ginger recipes to try:

frosted ginger cookies

ginger snap + ricotta lemon ice cream sandwich 

meyer lemon ginger scones

ginger lemonade

lemon ginger cookies

ginger doughnuts

lemon ginger cheesecake

pimm's cup cocktail

lemon ginger frozen yogurt

Clementine Limoncello Champagne Cocktail

8 oz Champagne, chilled

1 ripe pomegranate (for juice, about 3 oz)

5 oz clementine juice, freshly pressed

1 1/2 tablespoons Limoncello

2 tablespoons lemon juice, freshly pressed

2 tablespoons cane sugar (or simple syrup to taste)

Combine clementine juice, pomegranate juice, lemon juice and limoncello. 

 Add champagne and sugar cane (or simple syrup) and mix. 

 Serve immediately. 

*note: this cocktail would also be delicious with vodka or gin in addition to, or instead of champagne (although measurements may need to be altered)

Cheers!

via

Rosemary No. 3

Ingredients

1 egg white

1 sprig rosemary, plus more for garnish

1 thin slice blood orange

1 tablespoon lemon juice

1/2 teaspoon superfine sugar

juice of 1 blood orange (regular orange will work too)

2 ounces Aperol or Campari

2 ounces gin

1 ounce sweet vermouth

Whisk the egg white in a bowl until very it turns very foamy and opaque.  Muddle the rosemary, blood orange, lemon juice and sugar in a cocktail shaker.  Add crushed ice with the rest of the ingredients; cover and shake vigorously.  Strain into a cocktail glass and garnish with rosemary.

Cheers!

via

Paloma

Paloma Cocktail

kosher salt

1/4 cup fresh grapefruit juice

1 tablespoon fresh lime juice

1 teaspoon sugar

1/4 cup mezcal or tequila

1/4 cup club soda

Rub half of rim of a highball glass with a grapefruit wedge; dip rim of glass in salt  

Combine 1/4 cup fresh grapefruit juice, 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice, and 1 teaspoon sugar in glass; stir

Mix in 1/4 cup mezcal or tequila; add ice and top off with 1/4 cup club soda

Garnish with grapefruit wedge and enjoy!

Cheers!

via

Sparkling Ginger Cocktail

Sparkling Ginger

3/4 cup water

1/2 cup sliced fresh ginger (2 ounces)

3/4 cup sugar, divided

1 tablespoon finely chopped crystallized ginger

2 lemon wedges

2 (750-ml) bottles chilled Prosecco

Simmer water, fresh ginger, and 1/2 cup sugar in a small saucepan, uncovered, for 10 minutes. 

Remove from heat and let steep 15 minutes. 

Strain syrup through a sieve into a bowl, discarding solids and chill until cold.

Finely grind crystallized ginger with remaining 1/4 cup sugar in a blender or food processor, then spread on a small plate.

Run lemon wedges around rims of glasses, then dip rims into ginger sugar. 

Put 1 tablespoon syrup into each glass and top off with Prosecco.

Cheers!

via

Cheers to 2013!

Wishing you a very happy & healthy new year!

Orange-Cranberry Gin & Tonic

One of my favorite cocktails is a gin & tonic.  While I love a classic one, I have no problem making it festive for the holidays.  This recipe looks delicious (and pretty!) and will sure to be a hit at any holiday party.  

Orange-Cranberry Gin & Tonic

1 (2-inch) orange rind strip

1 tablespoon fresh cranberries

1 teaspoon sugar

1 cup ice cubes

3 tablespoons gin

1 tablespoon fresh orange juice

1/4 cup tonic water

Muddle orange rind strip, fresh cranberries, and sugar in a cocktail shaker.  Add ice, gin, and fresh orange juice.  Cover & shake vigorously until thoroughly chilled.  Pour into a glass, top with tonic water & enjoy!

*frozen cranberries, thawed, can be substituted

recipe via 

French 75

French 75

3 ounces gin

3 ounces fresh lemon juice

4 teaspoons superfine granulated sugar

1 1/2 cups ice cubes

1 cup chilled champagne

In a cocktail shaker, combine gin, lemon juice, sugar and ice cubes and shake to chill.  Strain cocktails into 2 wineglasses and top off with champagne.  Garnish with a lemon twist & enjoy!

*Alternately, you can substitute simple syrup for the sugar and/or serve drinks over ice in highball glasses

recipe via 

Moscow Mule

A Moscow Mule is one of the most delicious vodka drinks around.  If you haven't had one, I suggest you make one now to celebrate the weekend!

Moscow Mule

Ingredients

Ice

1/4 cup vodka

1 tablespoon fresh lime juice

1/2 cup chilled ginger beer

1 lime wedge

Directions

Fill glass with ice.  Add vodka and lime juice, then ginger beer.  Stir to mix.  Garnish with lime wedge and enjoy.  

Cheers!

image via 

Amaretto-Cranberry Kiss

Ingredients

2 cups cranberry juice cocktail

1 cup vodka

1/2 cup amaretto

3 tablespoons fresh orange juice

ice

clementines, peeled & separated into segments

Mix cranberry juice, vodka, amaretto, and orange juice in a pitcher.  Cover and chill until ready to use (This can be prepared 1 day ahead).  Fill cocktail shaker with ice.  Pour in 1 cup of vodka mixture; cover and shake vigorously.  Strain into 2 martini glasses.  Repeat with fresh ice and remaining mixture. Garnish with clementine slice and enjoy.  Cheers!

via 

Fall Classic Cocktail

Ingredients

1/2 cup sugar

15 sprigs thyme

2 tablespoons apple brandy

2 tablespoons bourbon

2 tablespoons fresh apple cider

1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

1 dash of Angostura bitters

dried or fresh apple slice

Bring sugar and 1/2 cup water to a boil in a small saucepan over medium heat, stirring to dissolve the sugar.  Remove pan from heat; add thyme sprigs and let syrup cool completely.  Discard thyme sprigs.  (Leftover thyme simple syrup will keep indefinitely in the refrigerator.)  Fill a cocktail shaker with ice; add 1 tablespoon thyme simple syrup, and the rest of the ingredients.  Shake vigorously and strain into a chilled martini glass.  Garnish with apple slice and enjoy.  

Cheers!

via 

Eastside Cocktail

Over the weekend, I tried The Eastside at Tavern in Brentwood.  I was eyeing a gimlet, but wanted gin (specifically Hendricks) so the bartender suggested this.  Because Hendricks is infused with cucumber, the addition of muddled cucumber with mint was excellent.  It was absolutely delicious and I will definitely order it again!

Ingredients

2 ounces gin (I prefer Hendricks)

1 ounce fresh lime juice

3/4 ounce simple syrup

muddled cucumber & mint

cucumber slice

Directions

Add several mint leaves and cucumber slices to a cocktail shaker along with the lime and simple syrup. Muddle together for several seconds.  Add the gin and fill with ice.  Shake vigorously and strain into a chilled coupe or martini glass and garnish with a cucumber slice.  

Cheers!

recipe via

Earthy

olive bouquet | dress | calligraphy | cocktail

Elderflower & Mint Daiquiri

Elderflower & Mint Daiquiri

makes 1

sprig of mint

60 ml light rum

20 ml belvoir elderflower cordial

25 ml freshly squeezed lime juice

Fill cocktail shaker with ice and all ingredients.  Shake vigorously and pour straight up into a glass.

Garnish with lime and mint.  Enjoy!

recipe via

Happy Hour | Caipiroska

Ingredients:

1 lime, cut into 6 wedges

1 tablespoon sugar

1/4 cup vodka

Preparation:

Using a muddler or the handle of a wooden spoon, lightly crush lime and sugar in a 16 oz. mixing glass or cocktail shaker to release lime juice (press limes just firmly enough to release juice but not bitter oil from the peel).  Stir until sugar dissolves.  Add vodka.  

Fill an Old Fashioned glass halfway with crushed ice.  Pour vodka mixture over ice, then pour entire mixture, including ice, back into mixing class to gently mix drink.  Return to Old Fashioned glass.  Enjoy!

via bon appetit 

Agave Margarita

Ingredients:

Kosher salt

2 lime slices or wedges

1/4 cup tequila blanco

2 tablespoons agave syrup

2 tablespoons fresh lime juice

Recipe:

1. Pour some kosher salt into a small dish.  Rub 1 lime slice over half the rim of an Old Fashioned glass.  Dip the rim into salt.

2. Combine tequila, agave syrup, and juice in a cocktail shaker; fill with ice and shake well.

3. Strain into prepared glass and garnish with lime slice.  

Enjoy!

recipe via 

Gin Cocktails ::

California Collins

8 fresh lemon verbena leaves or one 1 1/2 inch piece of lemongrass, tender inner white bulb only, crushed

ice

2 ounces gin

2 ounces unfiltered apple juice

1 ounce club soda

In a collins glass, gently muddle the lemon verbena leaves or lemongrass bulb. Add ice and the gin and apple juice; stir well. If using lemongrass, discard the bulb. Stir in the club soda.

Ginger Rodgers

6 to 8 mint leaves, plus 1 mint sprig for garnish

2/3 ounce ginger-pepper syrup

crushed ice

1 1/2 ounces gin

3/4 ounce fresh lemon juice

2 ounces ginger ale

1 lemon wheel for garnish

1. In a collins glass, muddle the mint leaves with the Ginger-Pepper Syrup. Add crushed ice, then add the gin and lemon juice. Spin a swizzle stick or bar spoon between your hands to mix the drink. Stir in the ginger ale, then garnish with the mint sprig and lemon wheel.
2. 
   

Jasmine Gin Fizz

2 ounces Jasmine Gin

1 ounce fresh lemon juice

2 teaspoons honey mixed with 2 teaspoons warm water

1 large egg white

ice

1 ounce chilled club soda

jasmine flowers or thin lemon wedges for garnish

In a cocktail shaker, combine the 2 ounces of Jasmine Gin with the lemon juice, honey syrup and egg white and shake well. Add ice and shake again. Pour through a fine strainer into a chilled fizz glass, stir in the club soda and garnish with jasmine flowers or skewered lemon wedges.

Parsley Gin Julep

8 parsley leaves

3/4 ounce fresh lime juice

3/4 ounce simple syrup

ice cubes, plus crushed ice

1 1/2 ounces gin

1 ounce chilled club soda

1 lime wheel

1. In a cocktail shaker, muddle the parsley with the lime juice and Simple Syrup. Add ice cubes and the gin and shake well. Strain into a crushed ice–filled collins glass. Stir in the club soda and garnish with the lime wheel.

Recipes via Food & Wine

Inspired by :: Grapefruit

dress | bouquet | flower runner | invites | cake | fruit + flowers | signature cocktail