Today I made a recipe that I found in Death & Co’s book “Cocktail Codex” named the Crop Top. The cocktail was created by Devon Tarby and it’s a riff on The Last Word and a Sidecar. The Crop Top uses a similar formula with equal parts of all ingredients. Many of my favorite drinks are made this way. It’s easy to get right! In the Crop Top, gin meets Amaro Montenegro, grapefruit liqueur, and fresh lemon juice. There’s a nice balance of sweet, tart, and bitter. It’s served in a Nick & Nora glass without a garnish which shows off the liqueurs nicely. I think it tastes like spring. Enjoy!

Crop Top

Ingredients:

3/4 oz gin (I used Citadelle)

3/4 oz Amaro Montenegro

3/4 oz Giffard Crème de Pamplemousse

3/4 oz fresh lemon juice

Method:

Combine all ingredients in a shaker filled with ice. Shake until well chilled and double strain into a chilled Nick & Nora glass.

Spiced Blood Orange Shrub & Soda

Ingredients:

4 - blood oranges

1 - 1'“ piece of ginger, peeled and chopped

1 - 3'“ cinnamon stick, broken in a few pieces

6 whole cloves

1/2 cup sugar

1 cup water

1/4 cup apple cider vinegar

Club soda, for serving

Method:

To prepare shrub, peel the zest from 2 blood oranges. Combine the peeled and chopped ginger, cinnamon stick, cloves, sugar and blood orange zest with a cup of water in a saucepan over medium heat. Bring to a boil, stirring. Once the sugar is dissolved, reduce the heat and continue to cook until the mixture is reduced by half, about 15 minutes. Remove from heat and let cool for about 30 minutes. While the syrup is cooling, juice the blood oranges and strain, removing any pulp or seeds. Should be about one cup of juice.

Strain the syrup through a mesh strainer into a glass measuring cup. Add the vinegar and the blood orange juice to the syrup. Now you’ve got your shrub!

To make the mocktail: pour 3 tablespoons shrub into a collins glass filled with ice. Top with about 5 ounces of club soda. Garnish with a twist of blood orange zest, if desired. Cheers!

Recipe adapted slightly from Bon Appetit, November 23, 2021

I came across a recipe for a blood orange margarita last month and served it at a party. It’s a very easy drink to batch, as you can have a pitcher ready to go and then shake the drinks individually. It has the usual margarita components like tequila, lime, and Cointreau but adds in some complexity with blood orange juice, Campari, and a bit of simple syrup. It’s pretty tasty! My grandma said, “this doesn’t taste like a margarita- it tastes like a cocktail!” I mean, a margarita is a cocktail but I understand what she’s saying. It’s different than other margaritas. Plus, it’s absolutely gorgeous and would make a great holiday beverage. Cheers!

Blood Orange Margarita, adapted from a recipe found at liquor.com 2/3/14

Makes 4 cocktails

Ingredients:

6 oz silver tequila

3 oz Cointreau

1 oz Campari

3 oz blood orange juice

3 oz lime juice

1 oz simple syrup

slices of blood orange, as garnish

salt for glass rim, optional

Method:

Prepare glasses with salted rim, if desired, fill with ice and set aside.

In a pitcher, combine tequila, Cointreau, blood orange juice, lime juice, Campari, and simple syrup and stir. Pour mixture into an ice filled shaker and shake until well chilled. Strain into prepared cocktail glass. Garnish with slice of blood orange. Repeat for as many cocktails as you are making. Enjoy!

The “No Fixed Addresss” has established a permanent place in my seasonal cocktail repertoire. It has the crispness of cool air and the sweetness of autumn fruit that makes you want to sit outside with a blanket. It’s made with gin, pear brandy, lemon juice, and cinnamon syrup. The pear and cinnamon notes give it that cozy feel, while the gin and lemon juice brighten it. I think you could sub vodka here if you’re not a gin drinker with relative ease. (I still don’t understand why so many people think they don’t like gin!) This is an easy drink to batch if you’re hosting a group. You can just multiply the servings and have it ready to go in a pitcher. Definitely shake each cocktail separately before serving. As I tell my guests, I’ll shake the first drink and then you’re on your own! Cheers!

No Fixed Address

Ingredients:

1 oz dry gin

1 oz pear brandy

3/4 oz fresh lemon juice

3/4 oz cinnamon syrup (recipe below)

2 dashes orange bitters

rosemary sprig, for garnish

Method:

Combine gin, brandy, lemon juice, cinnamon syrup, and bitters in a shaker with ice. Shake until well chilled and strain into a cocktail glass. Garnish with a fresh rosemary sprig.

Cinnamon Syrup:

3/4 cup water

2 cinnamon sticks, broken up

1/2 cup granulated sugar

Combine the water and sugar on the stove over medium heat. Stir until the sugar is dissolved. Add cinnamon sticks and let sit for an hour. Strain into a mason jar. Syrup will keep in the fridge for 2 weeks.

I recently read a book that was set in London. The novel itself wasn’t spectacular but the characters were always drinking tea or in the evenings, gin & limes. I finally had to look up what they were referring to by gin & lime and of course, my search led me to the gimlet. The gimlet has been hanging out on my list of classic cocktails to make but I hadn’t gotten around to making one. It’s fun when inspiration hits! Traditionally, gimlets were made with Rose’s Sweetened Lime Juice and gin. There are a couple of back stories to how it might have gotten its name but the most told is that it was invented by Sir Thomas Gimlette, a British Royal Navy medical officer who offered it to his crew to prevent scurvy. (Esquire, April 24, 2020) While researching the various methods to make a gin gimlet, I noticed that some people replace the Rose’s cordial with fresh lime juice and simple syrup but others are firm that it’s not a true gimlet without lime cordial, specifically Rose’s. However, back when this drink was invented, they didn’t even use ice because they were on ships. Gin and Rose’s lime juice served at room temperature… yum! Yes, I think there are good reasons to update classic recipes! I decided to compromise and follow a recipe for a homemade lime cordial. After reading several comments and opinions, I landed on a recipe from Jeffrey Morgenthaler. Jeffrey Morgenthaler writes about staying true to the traditional gimlet and created a recipe for a lime cordial that captures the tartness of Rose’s and is very easy to make. Many recipes for cordials take hours of waiting time for the lime zest to infuse the syrup. His recipe is made in the blender and has the addition of citric acid so you can replace your Rose’s with a fresh cordial that will hold up in the fridge for months. I liked the idea of having the cordial at the ready so I can shake up a quick gimlet in the evening, which seems like a true nod to the classic drink.

One other note about gimlets; when they were first served, the ratio of cordial to gin was 1:1. I made one using this ratio and found it quite sweet, like many old cocktail recipes. Our modern palates have adjusted to enjoy more spirit forward cocktails so this allows some room for playing, Some people also add a splash of soda water to their gimlets which would be another way to cut the sweetness. I’d encourage you to try a few variations but I landed on a ratio that I think works well. Cheers!

Gin & Lime: a Gimlet

Ingredients:

2 1/2 oz London Dry Gin, such as Plymouth

1 oz Lime Cordial (recipe below)

lime wheel, as garnish

Method:

Combine gin and lime cordial in a shaker filled with ice. Shake until well chilled and strain into a cocktail glass. Garnish with lime wheel.

Lime Cordial: recipe by Jeffrey Morgenthaler

250 grams sugar (about 8 oz but he suggests weighing the sugar and it ends up being slightly more than a cup)

1 1/2 ounce lime zest

1 1/2 ounce lime juice

8 oz hot water

1 oz citric acid

Method: Combine ingredients in a blender. Blend on medium for 30 seconds. Strain mixture using a fine mesh strainer. Refrigerate.

I’ve had a rough few days and in my moments of stress, I turn to bubble baths, exercise, hot tea, and when cocktail hour rolls around, Negronis! Even better, I’ll combine the bubble bath with the Negroni! Have you ever taken a bubble bath while sipping on a Negroni? If not, you are missing out on an experience! It’s the ultimate treat yo’ self! With a Cedar Negroni, you can almost imagine yourself soaking in a hot spring in the forest. Tell me that doesn’t sound relaxing! I like this version served with a grapefruit peel because I think it brings out the flavor in the gin. Cheers!

Cedar Negroni

Ingredients:

1 oz Vikre Boreal Cedar Gin

1 oz Antica Vermouth

1 oz Campari

Grapefruit peel, as garnish

Method:

Combine gin, vermouth, and Campari in a mixing glass with ice. Stir until chilled and strain into a rocks glass with a large ice cube. Take the grapefruit peel, twist over the drink to express the zest, and drop in the glass.

To be honest, I haven’t been feeling particularly “peachy keen” this week. Living on the west coast, the many wild fires are heartbreaking and our summer skies are often filled with smoke. Covid continues to raise anxiety with new surges in cases and hospitalizations throughout the country. Just when we were starting to feel some relief, we’re reminded that we’re still very much in a pandemic. Sometimes the news can be overwhelming. That said, I strive to find a sense of calm and create joy where I can. I think Friday evening on the porch with a cocktail in hand is a good start, and why not make it Peachy Keen?

Peachy Keen

Ingredients:

1 oz peach syrup (recipe below)

1 oz fresh lemon juice

1 1/2 oz rye whiskey

1/2 oz Amaretto

2 dashes mole bitters

peach slice, as garnish

Method:

Combine peach syrup, rye, amaretto, lemon juice and bitters in a shaker filled with ice. Shake until well chilled and double strain into a cocktail glass filled with ice. Garnish with a fresh peach slice, if desired.

Peach Syrup

1/2 cup sugar

1 cup water

1 cup peach juice (purée 3 peaches in a blender and strain into a bowl with a fine mesh strainer)

Method: combine sugar and water in a saucepan over medium heat. Stir until sugar dissolves and remove from heat. Once cooled to room temperature, add peach juice. Stir to combine. Syrup can be stored in the refrigerator for 2 weeks.

Hibiscus Agua Fresca

Ingredients:

8 cups water

2 cups dried hibiscus flowers

1 cup sugar

pinch of salt

berries and/or mint sprig, as garnish

Method:

In a medium saucepan, bring 4 cups of water to a boil. Remove from heat and add 2 cups of dried hibiscus flowers, cover, and allow to steep for an hour. After an hour, strain tea into a pitcher. Add sugar, remaining 4 cups of water, and a pinch of salt. Stir and refrigerate for at least 2 hours, as it tastes best cold.

Once cold, pour into an ice filled glass and garnish with berries and a mint sprig.

Suze & Tonic

Ingredients:

1.5 ounces Suze

4 ounces tonic water

lemon or orange slices, as garnish

Method:

Fill a rocks glass with ice, add Suze and top with tonic water. Garnish with lemon or orange slices.

I’ve been playing around with sidecar recipes for the past year or two and always feel like I’m close to liking it but something is always off. Traditionally, a sidecar calls for a combination of cognac, orange liqueur, and lemon juice. Sometimes with a sugared rim and sometimes not. Some recipes add simple syrup and others don’t. It’s always about balancing the citrus with the sweetener, and like many classic cocktails, finding the correct balance is the secret. When I read about this drink, which was created by Laura Bellucci of New Orleans, apricot jam takes the place of the orange liqueur and that really piqued my interest. Would this be the secret balancer?

Now, do I expect that you’re going to make apricot jam before you make this cocktail? No! Will I share my jam recipe? Of course! It was pretty random that I happened to have a bunch of apricots on my counter and if I hadn’t, I would most definitely have bought jam! I will say, I’m into the jam in this cocktail! It offers just the right amount of sweetness that works really nicely with the cognac and the lemon juice. It also makes for an interesting sip. Texturally, it starts off feeling thick but it finishes really smooth. It is important that you double strain the cocktail so the drink isn’t too jammy in texture. You want the flavor of the apricot to come through but not the actual bits of fruit.

As we head into summer, I hope you find yourself inspired to let some of your days unfold by what presents itself. That’s one of the best things about summer produce and a trip to the farmers’ market. If you happen upon some apricots and/or some fresh jam, give this drink a try. Cheers!

A Sidecar Named Desire, recipe created by Laura Bellucci

Ingredients:

2 ounces Cognac

3 tablespoons top-quality apricot jam

1/2 ounce lemon juice

couple dashes Angostura bitters

lemon twist, as garnish

Method:

Combine cognac, jam, bitters, and lemon juice in a shaker filled with ice. Shake vigorously until well chilled. Double-strain into a chilled coupe glass. Garnish with lemon twist.

Apricot Jam:

Ingredients:

1 1/2 lbs apricots

1 1/2 cups sugar

1/4 cup water

1 tbs lemon juice

1/2 tsp amaretto

Method:

Cut the apricots in half and remove the pits. Combine the apricots with water in a saucepan and bring to simmer on medium heat. Cook until the apricots are tender and falling apart, stirring occasionally. Once the apricots are tender, add the sugar, lemon juice, and amaretto. Continue to cook until the mixture reaches 220 degrees F. Remove from heat, pour jam into two half-pint mason jars. Seal with lids and allow to cool at room temperature, then refrigerate.

On top of all that goodness, it’s almost summer. Summer lends itself to the feeling of savoring all that’s good. It’s a warm Tuesday evening; of course I’ll make a cocktail! I picked up a watermelon today and decided that was good inspiration for today’s beverage. I found a recipe on Food & Wine called “Sandia Smash” which was created by John Lermayer. It’s made with muddled watermelon, lime juice, St. Germain elderflower liqueur, agave nectar, and blanco tequila. It’s lovely and light. The watermelon I got wasn’t the most flavorful but it still comes through. Besides, you know what helps with that? Tequila! 😉 I really like the use of St. Germain, too. The floral notes combined with the watermelon round out the tequila and lime. I really want to call this drink “Watermelon Sugar” but I looked and that drink exists in several other forms- one of which I will be trying soon! Until then, I’ll savor this Sandia Smash and encourage you to do the same. Cheers!

Sandia Smash

Ingredients:

6 cubes of watermelon, 3 reserved for a skewered garnish

3/4 ounce lime juice

1/4 ounce agave nectar

1/2 ounce St. Germain elderflower liqueur

2 ounces blanco tequila

Method:

In a cocktail shaker, muddle 3 chunks of watermelon. Add lime juice, tequila, agave nectar, St. Germain, and ice. Shake until well chilled. Strain into an ice filled Collins glass and garnish with skewered watermelon.

The Slanted Door is a restaurant in San Francisco, featuring modern Vietnamese cuisine. Several years ago, my friend, Toyin, and I went there for dinner and had an amazing time. We ordered way too much food and probably too many cocktails! Restaurants with small plates are too tempting. We wanted to try everything! Their cocktail menu was one of the best I’ve come across and likewise, we wanted to try everything! At the end of the evening, we were giggling uncontrollably when Toyin seemed shocked that our bill was so expensive! It was totally worth it, as we still talk about that meal. As soon as I got home, I ordered the cookbook. The collection of cocktail recipes inspires me regularly and always brings me back to that fun evening in San Francisco.

The Ginger Limeade cocktail is made with vodka, ginger syrup, and fresh lime. The Slanted Door recipe calls for a 1/4 oz curaçao, such as Cointreau, but I felt it hid the ginger flavor. Curaçao is an orange flavored liqueur that acts as a sweetener in many cocktails. I decided to increase the amount of ginger syrup from 1/2 oz to 3/4 oz instead. The cocktail is definitely sweeter than my usual preference but it pairs really well with spicy Asian food. My husband is not a drinker and he had a few of these last week. If you’re looking for something less alcohol forward, this might be your drink! Cheers!

Ginger Limeade, adapted from The Slanted Door

Ingredients:

1 1/2 oz Hangar 1 kaffir lime vodka (I tried this with the specific vodka and also regular vodka- both fine!)

3/4 oz Ginger Syrup (See Below)

1 oz fresh lime juice

Candied ginger, for garnish

Lime Wheel, for garnish

Method:

Combine vodka, ginger syrup, and lime juice in a cocktail shaker with ice. Shake until well chilled and pour into an old-fashioned glass. Garnish with a piece of candied ginger and a lime wheel, using a toothpick to pin them together. Don't skip the garnish here- it makes the drink visually special!

Ginger Syrup:

2 cups sugar

3 cups water

1/2 cup agave nectar

1/4 pound fresh ginger, peeled, peel reserved

Combine all the ingredients except the ginger peel in large sauce pan over high heat. Bring to a boil, then turn down the heat and let simmer uncovered for 4-6 hours, until the ginger is tender. Add the peel and simmer for another 4 hours. Strain the syrup and let cool. Syrup can be refrigerated for up to 2 weeks.

Organic Dove, adapted slightly from Israel Díaz

Ingredients:

1 1/2 ounce tequila blanco

3/4 ounce fresh grapefruit juice

1/2 ounce fresh lime juice

1/2 ounce St. Germain Elderflower Liqueur

1/4 ounce simple syrup

3 basil leaves, 1 to be used as garnish

Method:

Combine ingredients in a shaker with ice. Shake until well chilled. Strain into a coupe glass and garnish with a basil leaf.

The first time I made the Romera and Julieta, I didn’t have hibiscus flowers on hand but did have raspberry hibiscus tea so I used that. It was good but a little too sweet. I decided to get some hibiscus flowers and try again. So yes, you’ll need hibiscus flowers but that’s far more affordable than when I tell you to pick up an $80 bottle of Green Chartreuse! What I love about this drink is that while it has some similarities to a margarita, it finishes really clean. It’s not too sour or sweet. Instead of cointreau or triple sec, you make a simple syrup with rosemary. It’s a beautiful beverage that would work wonderfully as a batch cocktail. Hope you enjoy!

Romero and Julieta, adapted from Danny Sanchez

Ingredients:

3 oz hibiscus iced tea (instructions below)

2 oz tequila (I used El Tesoro Reposado)

1 oz rosemary syrup (recipe below)

1/2 oz freshly squeezed lime juice

kosher salt, if desired

rosemary sprig, as garnish

Method:

If a salted rim is desired, use a q-tip and rub the rim of the glass with the rosemary simple syrup and then dip the glass in kosher salt. Set aside.

Combine hibiscus tea, tequila, rosemary syrup, and lime juice in a shaker with ice. Shake until well chilled and strain into prepared rocks glass filled with ice. Garnish with rosemary sprig.

Rosemary Simple Syrup:

Combine 1 cup water with 1 cup sugar in a small sauce pan. Heat mixture until the sugar is dissolved. Remove from heat and add a rosemary sprig. Allow to steep for an hour. Remove the rosemary and chill syrup.

Hibiscus Iced Tea:

1 oz hibiscus flowers

1 cup water

In a small sauce pan, bring hibiscus and water to a boil over high heat. Heat for 3 minutes and then let cool before straining.

Bloody Mary Mix (Serves 4) adapted from Kathy Casey

Ingredients:

17 ounces tomato juice

1 TBS freshly squeezed lemon juice

1 TBS worcestershire sauce

1 1/2 TBS balsamic vinegar

1 tsp prepared horseradish

1 tsp hot sauce, like tabasco

1/2 teaspoon celery salt

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Method:

In a glass pitcher, mix ingredients and stir well. Cover and refrigerate.

To make individual cocktails:

2 oz vodka

Bloody Mary Mix

Garnishments such as stuffed olives, pickled vegetables like asparagus or green beans, celery stick, skewered cherry tomatoes, and a lime or lemon wedge.

Method:

If a salted rim is desired, prepare rocks glass by rubbing the rim of the glass with a lime or lemon wedge. Dip the glass in kosher salt or a mixture of black pepper and celery salt.

For each cocktail, fill rocks glass with ice. Add 2 oz vodka. Fill the glass with the Bloody Mary mix and stir. Garnish as desired. I enjoy a few skewered olives or pickled asparagus.

If I had to choose my last cocktail, without question, it would be a Negroni. It’s such a simple combination of gin, Campari, and sweet vermouth but it delivers every time. It’s bitter and sweet. It’s herbal and citrusy. It can mirror the bite of a hard day and capture the joy of a good day. If I’m not sharing a new drink, you can bet that I’m drinking Negronis.

The Negroni originated in Florence, Italy in 1919. The most widely told story is that Count Camillo Negroni asked a bartender to make his favorite drink, the Americano, stronger by replacing the soda water with gin. With that substitution, a classic was born. Many people have riffed on the drink by changing the proportions but I prefer the standard 1:1:1 ratio, stirred with ice until cold and strained into a rocks glass with one large ice cube. When I’m out, I do enjoy the cocktail served up. It’s also a great cocktail to play with different gins. Bolder gins work best to stand up against the Campari. Some people add bitters but I don’t feel it’s necessary. A simple orange peel is my preferred garnish.

Cheers to better days ahead and to the things we take comfort in to get us there!

Negroni

Ingredients:

1 ounce Campari

1 ounce gin

1 ounce sweet vermouth, strongly recommend Carpano Antica

orange peel, as garnish

Method:

Combine Campari, vermouth, and gin in a mixing glass with ice. Stir until chilled and strain into a rocks glass with one large ice cube. Garnish with orange peel.

Margaritas can get a bad wrap because so many of them are made with crappy mixes. When you use fresh citrus, a margarita is one of the best cocktails out there. A few months ago, my mom found a great recipe from America’s Test Kitchen. The recipe calls for freshly squeezed lemon and lime juice, along with finely grated zest from each. I decided to make a variation of this using Meyer lemons. Meyer lemons are an amazing winter treat. They’re a little less acidic than regular lemons and also a little sweeter, which means you can use less sugar. The America’s Test Kitchen recipe involves making a mix by combining freshly grated zest and juice, sugar, and a pinch of salt. You let this mixture steep for at least 4 hours. After it steeps, you simply add tequila and triple sec. This is a great cocktail to make as a batch but I kept my citrus juice separate for individual servings. You know, because Covid: Margarita, party of one!

Margaritas have the ability to transport you. Between the bright citrus and the tequila, you can just about feel spring coming around! I’m so looking forward to outdoor happy hours again! In the meantime, let’s get happy with some Meyer lemons, shall we? Cheers!

Meyer Lemon & Lime Margarita, adapted from America’s Test Kitchen

Serves 4

Ingredients:

4 teaspoons finely grated lime zest

4 teaspoons finally grated Meyer lemon zest

1/2 cup lime juice

1/2 cup Meyer lemon juice

2 TBS sugar

Pinch of salt

1 cup tequila, preferably reposado

1 cup triple sec or cointreau

lime wheels, as garnish

Method:

To make citrus mix: combine citrus zest and juices, sugar, and salt in a 2 cup measuring cup. Cover and refrigerate for at least 4 hours and up to 24 hours.

For serving as a batch cocktail: strain juice into a pitcher. Add tequila and triple sec. Stir. Combine mixture in a cocktail shaker with ice. Shake until well chilled. Strain into ice filled rocks glasses. (You may have to do this a couple of times, depending on how many cocktails you’re making.) Garnish with lime wheels.

For individual servings: combine 2 ounces each of tequila, triple sec, and citrus juice into a cocktail shaker with ice. Shake until well chilled. Strain into an ice-filled rocks glass. Garnish with lime wheel.

Mezcaletti

Ingredients:

1 ounce mezcal

1 ounce Amaro Meletti

2 dashes bitters

Lemon Twist, as garnish

Method:

Pour the mezcal, Meletti, and bitters into a rocks glass over a large ice cube. Stir until well chilled. Garnish with a twist of lemon.

Blinker

Ingredients:

3 oz freshly squeezed grapefruit juice

2 oz rye whiskey

1 oz grenadine, preferably Jack Rudy

grapefruit wedge, as garnish

Method:

Combine grapefruit juice, whiskey, and grenadine in a shaker with ice. Shake until well chilled and strain into a chilled coupe glass. Garnish with a grapefruit wedge or twist.

Hatch Chile Pineapple Mule

Ingredients:

2 oz Hatch Chile Vodka (or another spicy vodka)

2 oz pineapple juice

1 oz fresh lime juice

ginger beer to top

lime wheel, as garnish

Method:

Combine vodka, pineapple juice and lime juice in a shaker with ice. Shake until cold and strain into a rocks glass filled with ice. Top with ginger beer and garnish with lime wheel.