Tag

gin and tonic

Fennel Gin and Tonic

written by Ali

Fennel gin and tonic is a light, anise flavored cocktail. All it takes is a few ingredients: gin, tonic, fennel, and lime. Gin and tonics are my absolute favorite cocktail – I have many a happy memory of gin and tonics during the two years I lived overseas. Since then, I’ve come to enjoy a variety of different gins, including several made here in Oregon.

I’ve also experimented quite a bit with various herbs and spices in my gin and tonic. In this case, slices of fennel are muddled with lime and then ice, gin and tonic are added. The fennel adds an herbaceous touch to the drink.

Yum

Fennel Gin and Tonic

Ingredients

Two or three slices of fennel bulb
2 ounces gin
½ lime
Tonic water
Ice

Instructions

Muddle the fennel slices and lime in a cocktail glass. Add ice, gin, and tonic. Serves 1. Enjoy!

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August 25, 2017 0 comment

Beverages

Lilac Infused Spanish Gin and Tonic

written by Ali

This lilac infused Spanish gin and tonic is the first cocktail I’ve created in our new home. One of my favorite things about living in a place that’s a little bit more remote and has lots of gorgeous natural resources is the ability to do some backyard or neighborhood foraging. Ok – I confess, I have a pair of clippers in my car and just might have wandered around the place where I work to trim off a few fir sprouts to infuse recently. I waited until everyone was mostly gone for the day. It’s usually much easier when what I’m looking to forage is in my own backyard, like the lilacs I used for this lilac infused Spanish gin and tonic. We are really, really lucky that we have a beautifully landscaped yard at the house we are renting. The rhododendrons are absolutely going crazy and they are so colorful. We also have lilacs blooming.

Lilacs are an edible flower. I’ve seen them all decked out in sugar for cakes, but have also read they can be used to infuse spirits, like gin or vodka. I’ve got lilacs, so I didn’t want to waste this brief window of opportunity to try it out, so cut a couple of sprigs and infused away. I was pleasantly surprised by the end result. The gin becomes very floral, but not overwhelmingly so. In fact, I thought it gained a hint of vanilla flavor, which was lovely.

I kept this drink very simple: infused gin, a few strips of Meyer lemon peel, and about six juniper berries, all topped off with ice and tonic water. It was a perfect quick cocktail for a hectic week. This is also super easy to make, as the lilacs only need to infuse overnight (anything longer and I think they’d become too strong).

Yum

Lilac Infused Spanish Gin and Tonic

Ingredients

1/3 cup lilac flowers, gently washed and separated
6 ounces gin
6 juniper berries
several strips of peel from a Meyer lemon
Tonic water

Instructions

Combine the gin and lilac blossoms in a jar and cover. Refrigerate over night. Strain the gin before using.
Combine 2 ounces of the lilac infused gin, the juniper berries, and the Meyer lemon peel in a cocktail glass. Add ice and top with tonic water. Enjoy!

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Sometimes, I get help. Daisy kept trying to drag off my lilac spray.

May 26, 2017 0 comment

Beverages

Creating the Perfect Spanish Gin and Tonic

written by Ali

Can we all do a collective sigh of relief that it’s Friday and there’s time for creating the perfect Spanish Gin and Tonic? My week started off with snow. That’s right – snow, again, in Oregon, in March. I usually spend one or two days each month around the Oregon capital in Salem, and I’ve been waiting and waiting for the daffodils around the capital mall to open. I’d been so hopeful that they’d be blooming already, but no – they look as discouraged by the weather as I’ve been. Instead, I had to tromp through the slush and snow to get to the office I work at when I’m in Salem, getting my feet wet and my shoes muddy. Not to mention, it was also snowing in Portland as I was getting ready to leave on Monday morning. Giant flakes of snow kept attacking me and the dog when I went out with her before I left. Not fun.

It’s no wonder I’ve been increasingly leaning toward drinking white wine and making fruity, happy, summer cocktails. I figure if I spend enough time pretending it’s summer, it will get here faster, right? Yeah – so far, no luck. I guess in the meantime, I will stay inside where it’s warm and dry, curl up on the couch and snuggle with Daisy (our dog). I’ll also make up a Spanish G&T or two.

The great thing about creating a perfect Spanish Gin and Tonic (as compared to a regular gin and tonic), is that you can use all sorts of pretty aromatics in it. I like the variety rather than having to dig around in the fridge each time to see if I have a stray lime hanging around. For this particular G&T, I used a combination of satsuma mandarin orange peel, cardamom seed pods, juniper seed pods, and whole peppercorns. I also through in a dash of grapefruit bitters, which are my new most favorite item in my liquor cabinet. You can mix up the aromatics: fresh herbs are wonderful in a Spanish G&T – I love throwing in fresh rosemary, but lemon thyme works well, too, as would regular thyme, various types of mint, and so on. You can also use citrus peel or citrus segments. I’ve used blood orange ice cubes before, as well. Really, this is the most versatile cocktail in my repertoire of cocktails.

So, make one of these up with what you have on hand and enjoy the warm weather (if you are living in a state where there is warm weather right now) or enjoy watching it rain or snow.

Yum

Creating the Perfect Spanish Gin and Tonic

Ingredients

2 ounces gin
tonic water
2 drops grapefruit bitters
Various aromatics

Instructions

Combine the gin, grapefruit, and aromatics in a glass. Top with tonic water. Enjoy!

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March 10, 2017 2 comments

Beverages

Kiwi Berry Gin and Tonic

written by Ali

Several weeks ago, I noticed that the local markets were selling kiwi berries, which just look like miniaturized kiwi fruit. Usually, I’m quick to try a new fruit, but I’d purchased some gooseberries early in the season and then let them linger in the fridge until they were unusable. I was hesitant to jump on the kiwi berry bandwagon until I knew what I could actually do with them.

But if you linger too long…I finally bought one little pint of fruit and fell instantly in love. It turns out that kiwi berries can be eaten as is – skin and all. They really are just little kiwis, with a slightly sweeter taste. They were so lovely, I went back to the store the next day to get more (because they also looked very photogenic, but I ate/used all of them before I got a good photo for the blog) and they were all gone. I searched around town and couldn’t find any more.

Fortunately, I’d split about half the berries and infused them in some gin, which means I do get to enjoy the kiwi berry season for a little longer than they are available. If you can’t find kiwi berries in your market, you can definitely use regular kiwis for this recipe. The kiwi infuses a slightly sweet tart tone to the gin.

If you live in a mild climate, you can grow your own kiwi berries. I think I see a garden project coming on for next year. In the meantime, I’m going to sit back and enjoy a kiwi berry infused gin and tonic.

The front picture is the kiwi berry infused gin. The back picture is fig infused brandy – I’m sure you’ll be seeing a cocktail inspired by this in October. I love this photo, as it seems a bit mad-scientist-about-to-go-awry.

Kiwi Berry Gin and Tonic
Serves 1

2 ounces kiwi berry infused gin (recipe below)
1/2 lime
tonic water
1 kiwi to garnish (or a few kiwi berries)

Pour the lime juice and infused gin over ice cubes in a cocktail glass. Add the tonic water and stir. Garnish with kiwi slices or kiwi berries. Enjoy!

Kiwi Berry Infused Gin
5 to 7 kiwi berries, sliced in half (or 1 kiwi, peeled and sliced)
Gin to cover the berries or kiwi slices

In a pint jar or similar container with a lid, cover the kiwi berries or kiwi with gin. Refrigerate for at least a week. When the flavor is to your liking, strain the fruit out using cheesecloth or a fine mesh strainer. Refrigerate and enjoy!

September 30, 2016 2 comments