Devils Advocate

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This complex cocktail plays Devils Advocate many times over with rich cherry, molasses and coco found in Zacapa Centenario Rum, that slowly unfolds into hints of blackberry, blueberry – clove spice then lingers with a subtle nutty woodiness from Palo Cortado Sherry.

  • 1.5 oz Zacapa Centenario Rum
  • .5 oz Palo Cortado Sherry
  • .5 oz Cynar
  • .5 oz Spiced Blackberry Syrup
  • 2-3 dashs Weatherby’s Fig Fenugreek Bitters

Combine all ingredients into a beaker with ice. Stir well. Fine strain into a chilled rocks glass over ice. Garnish with blueberries or blackberries.

Spiced Blackberry Syrup

  • two cups (two baskets) blueberries
  • two cups (two baskets) blackberries
  • 1 cup brown sugar
  • 1/2 cup water
  • 1 cinnamon stick
  • 1 whole clove
  • 1 green cardamom pod

Combine all ingredients into a saucepan with a pinch of salt. Bring up to a boil and stir until all of the brown sugar has dissolved. Reduce heat to a simmer, stirring occasionally adding more water as needed. Once all of the fruit is very soft, about half an hour-turn off heat, cover saucepan and let cool. Once the syrup is cooled fine strain it into an airtight container.

Southern Afternoon

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Rule Number one on a southern afternoon, or any time after noon…

” Always stick around for one more drink. That’s when things happen. That’s when you find out everything you want to know.”

—  John Berendt, Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil

  • 1.5 oz Bulleit Bourbon
  • .5 oz Fresh squeezed grapefruit juice
  • 2 Fresh raspberries
  • Regan’s Orange Bitters

Muddle raspberries at the bottom of a shaker. Add Bulleit, grapefruit juice, bitters and ice. Shake well. Fine strain into a chilled coupe glass. Garnish with a grapefruit peel.

Au Natural

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The past few days have been full of errands. I have been running nonstop from one place to another. This afternoon, arms loaded with bags, I came in my front door, dropped everything and made this cocktail. An ‘Au Natural’ plum cooler with my favorite pisco. It was the perfect way to un-wind and catch my breath.

  • 2 oz Encanto Pisco
  • 3 oz Plum Syrup
  • 1 oz Fresh squeezed lemon juice
  • 1 oz Sage Brown Sugar Simple Syrup
  • Fever Tree Club Soda

Add all ingredients into a chilled rocks glass with ice. Bar spoon stir. Top with Fever Tree Club Soda, stir again. Garnish with a sprig of sage and a plum wedge.

Plum Syrup

  • 3 dark purple juicy plums
  • 1 cup of water

Cut plums into fourths. Add plums and water to a small saucepan. Bring the water up to a boil for two minutes, and then turn down to a simmer for ten minutes. Let cool. Fine strain solids out and syrup into an airtight container.

Brown Sugar Sage Simple Syrup

  • 3 tablespoons fresh washed chopped sage leaves
  • 1 cup organic brown sugar
  • 1 cup water

Combine all ingredients into a saucepan. Bring up to a boil. Turn down heat and let simmer for ten minutes. Let cool. Fine strain into an airtight container.

Eternal Optimist

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One of my best guy friends is very much in the public eye. I can’t tell you who he is but I guarantee he is on your television almost every night.  I have to laugh because when we go out for a cocktail, nothing makes him happier than vodka with cranberry juice. Here is this six-foot tall, muscular, extremely handsome man with a pink drink. Where as, I drink whisky, neat. Although, this is one pink drink I would throughly enjoy!

‘Eternal Optimist’ has subtle, fresh aromas of grapefruit on the nose which leads to juniper, vanilla, citrus and slightly bitter orange on the palate. It is brightened with raspberry bubbles that create a slightly sweet taste followed with a long lasting hint of ginger spice finishes this fizz off.

  • 1.25 oz Meyer Lemon-Clementine Infused Tanqueray
  • .75 oz Fresh squeezed lemon juice
  • .5 oz Citrus-Ginger Honey syrup
  • 10 raspberries
  • 3 oz Fever Tree club soda

Combine all ingredients in a shaker with ice. Fine strain into a chilled Collins glass. Top with club soda. Garnish with raspberries.

Citrus-Ginger Honey Syrup

  • 1 cup water
  • 1 cup Branches Citrus Blossom Honey
  • ¼ cup fresh peeled and sliced ginger root

Combine all ingredients in a saucepan. Bring up to a boil.  Turn down the heat and let syrup simmer for about ten minutes, stirring occasionally. Let cool. Fine strain into an airtight container.

Lemon-Clementine Infused Tanqueray

  • Rinds of 4 Meyer Lemons peeled as thin as possible
  • Rinds of 6 Clementine Orange peeled as thin as possible
  • 1 liter bottle of Tanquray Gin

Take the rind of four Meyer lemons and five Clementine oranges until you have approximately one cup of rinds.  Place in a liter on Tanqueray. Let sit for four days shaking at least once daily. Fine strain into an airtight container.

Fear or Desire

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I made these Peach Bulleit Juleps for a party I was hosting in Dallas. We were on the rooftop next to the pool and it was the perfect cocktail to beat the heat. The Julep’s certainly cooled everyone off, set them free and if there was any shyness or fear among my guests it quickly melted into desire.

  • 2 oz Bulleit Bourbon
  • 2 oz Grilled Peach Syrup
  • 3 to 5 Fresh mint leaves

In a Julep glass muddle mint leaves and Grilled Peach Syrup. Add Bulleit Bourbon, top with crushed ice. Stir well. Add a mint spring for a garnish

Grilled Peach Syrup

  • 5 Fresh Juicy Yellow Peaches
  • 3 tablespoons Savannah Bee Orange Blossom Honey
  • ½ teaspoon cinnamon

Cut five juicy ripe peaches in half and place them on a hot grill. Grill the peaches until the grill marks are almost black. This gives the peaches a slightly smoky taste. Scoop out inside of peach flesh with a spoon and place it in a saucepan. Add honey, a pinch of cinnamon and one-fourth cup of water. Let simmer for ten minutes adding water if necessary. When the consistency is such that the syrup coats the back of a spoon, turn the heat off, let cool and fine strain into an airtight container.

Strawberry Coquette

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Strawberry

The farmers market was full of fresh strawberries this past weekend. This cocktail with muddled strawberries paired with Bushmills Irish Honey and gorgeous, warm weather made me one happy girl!

  •  1.25 oz Bushmills Irish Honey
  • 3/4 oz Aperol
  • 1/2 oz Cocchi Vermouth di Torino
  • 2 fresh strawberries
  • 2 dashes Rhubarb bitters

Cut a strawberry into fourths and muddle it in a beaker and add the other ingredients and ice. Stir. Fine strain the cocktail from the mixing glass into the rocks glass over ice and garnish with a strawberry.

Why Yellow There…

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Encanto Pisco’s floral, citrus spice notes say “Yellow” to Beringer Moscato’s notes of honeysuckle, showcaseing sweet flavors of juicy stone fruit, honeydew melon, Fuji apple and ripe pears. St Germain and Meyer lemon highlight each base spirit. This little pisco sour is then laced with a daring medley of Earl Gray spice, wild blackberry and lavender syrup that wakes up your senses to something new, different, and full of intrigue,”Why Hello There…”

  • 1.5 oz Encanto Pisco
  • 3/4 oz St. Germain
  • 3/4 oz Beringer Moscato 2011
  • 3/4 oz Lavender, Earl Gray, Blackberry Syrup
  • 1 oz Meyer lemon Juice
  • 1 oz egg white

Pour Beringer Moscato into a chilled coupe glass. Combine the rest of the ingredients into a shaker. Shake the bejesus out of it. Add ice then shake again. Fine strain into Riedel Ouverture glass. Garnish with a twist of lemon.

Lavender, Earl Gray, Blackberry Honey Syrup

Steep two earl gray tea bags in two cups of boiling water for five minutes. Remove tea bags and place tea in a sauce pan. Add one cup blackberry honey. Turn on heat and let simmer for five minutes. Add one teaspoon dried lavender and let the liquid simmer for another five minutes. Fine strain syrup, let cool and place in an airtight container.

French Affair

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French Affair

Don’t be fooled this lively cocktail with cherry, berry, dried apple and ginger spiced toffee notes is a love affair all by itself.

  • 1.5 Bulleit Bourbon
  • 2 oz NV Cordon Brut Rosado
  • .5 oz Cherry Heering
  • .5 oz Ginger Citrus Blossom Syrup
  • 2 dashes Fee Brothers Cherry Bitters

Combine all ingredients in a shaker with ice. Shake well, fine strain into a chilled coupe glass. Garnish with brandied cherries.

Ginger Citrus Blossom Syrup

Combine all ingredients into a saucepan. Let simmer for ten minutes. Allow syrup to cool and fine strain it into an airtight container.

Citrus Meets Tropical Fruit

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Beyond Cozy

Now that it is officially Spring I have been craving citrus such as lemons sprinkled with a touch of salt, frozen mangos in vanilla ice cream, and juicy candied kumquats. The idea for this cocktail came from my cravings and let me assure you, it begins with the engagement of ‘Citrus Meets Tropical Fruit’.

A proper engagement starts with the proposal of Saint Germain’s citrus and topical fruit. The best man Don Julio Reposado steps up exuding lush pear and apple notes. Pampero Blanco as a bridesmaid brings soft hints of vanilla and toffee. The finishing touches are put into place with kumquat juice, mango, and fresh squeezed lemon, making this cocktail ready to celebrate.

  • 1 oz Don Julio Reposado
  • .75 Pampero Blanco Rum
  • .75 Saint Germain Elderflower Liquor
  • 2.5 oz Kumquat-Lemongrass Syrup
  • .5 oz Meyer lemon juice
  • kumquats, halved for garnish

Place all ingredients in a cocktail shaker with ice. Shake well, fine strain into a chilled rocks glass with ice. Garnish with kumquats.

Kumquat-Lemongrass Syrup

  • 2 stalks lemongrass
  • 3/4 cup kumquats, halved
  • 1 half a small mango puree about 1/3 cup
  • 2 cups water
  • 1/2 cup clover honey

Trim ends of lemongrass and chop it into one inch pieces. Place lemongrass in a pint glass and lightly muddle to release the juices. Cut kumquats in half. Squeeze the juice out of all of them and place them into a saucepan. Add all other ingredients, cover, bring to a boil and let simmer for half an hour. Let cool completely, fine strain into an airtight container.