Tag

happy hour

Cherry Vanilla Vodka Cola Cocktail

written by Ali

I’m going for my favorite very simple cocktail, a Vanilla Stoli and Coke, and giving it a twist to make it a cherry vanilla vodka cola cocktail. Before we get into why this is one of my favorite drinks, let’s start with why I’m twisting it up. First off, there’s a high probability we may be moving soon, though I’m not ready to share with the world where or why. Tune in next week to find out more. So, that said, I’ve been trying to work on using up what we have in our fridge and pantry. I have some gorgeous naturally preserved cherries that I bought back when I was working on the recipe for the Almond Brownie Martini. In the interest of using up at least some of these before it’s time to do a final fridge clean up, I thought it might be fun to do a riff on a Vanilla Stoli and Coke with a cherry flare to make a cherry vanilla vodka cola cocktail. However, rather than using Coke, I thought I’d go with my favorite natural brand of soda – Blue Sky and integrate their Cola into my drink. It’s a little hazardous for me to be drinking this after 5 p.m. in the first place, as any caffeine after about 3 p.m. can really wreck my ability to go to sleep at a reasonable time. As such, this is a weekend only drink.

So – why Vanilla Stoli and Coke or Cola? Cocktails, wine and coffee were three things that I just didn’t have much exposure to until I was a young adult. I suppose that’s pretty reasonable, but I was also the only student in my senior class who hadn’t ever been drunk in high school – or at least, I was the only one who was willing to admit I was that kind of a home body in front of my peers. High school and I did not mix well. But I digress. When I was finally old enough to pursue any and all of those vices on my own, I had no idea what I liked. As a result, I kind of followed along or took a best guess about what might sound good. It’s how I ended up drinking mochas forever, when in reality, I actually prefer Americanos. I ended up in a rut of cheap white zinfandel and really sweet Rieslings before I realized that I really prefer deep dark red wines, like Shiraz and Tempranillo. The first time I had a cocktail, it was a whiskey sour, because that’s what my ex drank. As it turns out, I really like whiskey sours, as long as the sour mix is all natural (in other words, from a lemon and some sugar – not from a scary looking bottle that probably doesn’t include anything natural or real). At some point or another, I got tired of whiskey sours and went out on a limb for a Vanilla Stoli and Coke (I’m sure someone recommended it to me). I really enjoyed it and stayed with it forever. And by forever, I mean through most of my twenties until I went to the Marshall Islands and met a friend who introduced me to gin and tonics. At that point, I switched my allegiance and drank G&Ts for two years. I just might be a creature of habit.

Fortunately, for me (and for my blog readers, too), I’ve branched out a bit since. There’s only so much you can do with a G&T for a happy hour post, and I’m pretty sure I’ve exhausted most of the possibilities already.

A cherry vanilla vodka cola cocktail would be a great addition to a summer barbecue. It’s a fizzy and slightly sweet drink and perfect for lounging on the deck as well. I know that’s what I’ll be doing this weekend (provided the sun decides to peek out behind all the clouds). Cheers!

Yum

Cherry Vanilla Vodka Cola Cocktail

Ingredients

2 ounces Vanilla Stoli Vodka
½ ounce cherry syrup from maraschino cherries or similar
Cola or Coke to top
Cherries to garnish

Instructions

Combine the vodka and cherry syrup in a glass. Add ice. Top off with cola or coke. Garnish with cherries and enjoy! Serves 1

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March 31, 2017 0 comment

Beverages Travel

Five Great Wineries in the Umpqua Valley

written by Ali

This week’s Friday happy hour post is a bit different from my normal cocktail post. This week, I’d like to introduce you to my favorite wine region in all of Oregon – the Umpqua Valley. When people think about Oregon’s wine scene, they most often think of the vineyards and wine makers in the Willamette Valley and those in Hood River. The Willamette Valley is known for its amazing Pinot Noir grapes, which are, without a doubt amazing.

However, if you are looking for a different wine tasting experience in Oregon, I encourage you to check out the Umpqua Valley. This region is in Southern Oregon and is easily accessible along the I-5 corridor. It’s about three hours south of Portland and easy to get to via either the Portland International Airport (which is swoon worthy in and of itself in terms of all the great shopping and food that’s in the airport, including the local wines that you can buy to take home with you) or the Eugene International Airport, which is about an hour and a half north of the Umpqua Valley region. The Eugene International Airport is absolutely adorable – very small, but very easy to get to and from. The nearest town to the Umpqua Valley is Roseburg. It’s a cute town with some great restaurants and a really nice Holiday Inn Express. Trust me, relaxing in the hot tub there with the view of the Umpqua River after a long day of wine tasting is a great way to end the day.

The Umpqua Valley has over twenty-five wineries. While I’ve not been to all of them, I’ve definitely toured my share. In no particular order, here are my five favorites.

Brandborg Winery

Brandborg is an easy to find winery off of Highway 138 in Elkton, Oregon. Elkton is a lovely tiny town – it’s got just a few shop on its main street, with spectacular views of the Umpqua River. Brandborg itself has lovely wines – great pinot noirs, in particular. The Love Puppets Pinot Noir is one of my favorites, though I also have room in my wine loving heart for the Ferris Wheel Estate Pinot Noir. Brandborg has a gorgeous tasting room and the folks there are so generous with their time and knowledge when you are tasting.

MarshAnne Landing

MarshAnne Landing is in Oakland, Oregon, easily accessible off of I-5. There distinctive logo includes a flying saucer because they want anyone, even space visitors, to have a great wine experience with their wines. My all time favorite here is the Red Planet red blend, though I adore the Cote du Umpqua, too. But really, all their wines are awesome. The tasting experience at MarshAnne is also lovely – great tasting room, friendly people. If you are lucky enough to be in the Umpqua Valley region in the spring and summer, MarshAnne also holds concerts both in the tasting room and on their patio.

MarshAnne Landing’s Pinot Noir. Bought this one from DC Farmer’s Co-Op in Roseburg (seriously). The Farmer’s Co-Op has a great selection of regional wines.

Pyrenees

One of the best parts about Pyrenees is a tasting room that opens up onto the Umpqua River. This vineyard is in a quiet spot in Myrtle Creek, a town about twenty minutes outside of Roseburg. If you are looking for a place to take a picnic and taste wines, Pyrenees is the place to go. They are open only by appointment in the winter, so this is definitely a place to call ahead and make sure they are open when you plan to go.

Abacela

The last two on my list are two of the larger wineries in this region. Both produce spectacular wine. I’ll start with Abacela. Abacela has a spectacular tasting room – it’s spacious and light and such a great place to cozy up, especially in the winter, and taste a full flight of wines. Abacela is also pretty easy to find in many larger liquor stores and wine shops, so if you can’t travel to the Umpqua Valley but want to try out a bottle from this region, look for Abacela. Again, as with other wineries on this list, all of the wines are worth tasting. My hands down favorite from Abacela is their Viognier. It’s a light, crisp white wine that’s perfect for summer months paired with grilled foods. Their Albarino (another white wine) is pretty awesome, too. I particularly love really intense bold red wines and Abacela delivers on these with their Tempranillo, Dolcetto, and Garnacha wines.

Abacela’s Albarino, purchased at PDX while I was on the way to New Orleans for a conference.

Abacela’s Vintner’s Blend #14 – bought as a special Thanksgiving treat.

Henry Estate Winery

Henry Estate Winery has a long history in the Umpqua Valley. They started producing wine in this region in the 1970s and are one of the most respected wineries in the Umpqua Valley. They have a lovely tasting room, and if you have a chance to go to an open house on a Thanksgiving or Memorial Day weekend, Henry’s is a must stop destination. Henry’s red wines are great, but my absolute favorite from this winery is the Veraison, which is a perfectly dry rose wine that pairs well with fish and chicken dishes, as well a variety of cheeses. If you are looking for a pinot noir, Henry’s has some great options here as well. Oh – and the chocolate wine truffles they sell in their gift shop are so good.

Henry’s Pinot Gris – this was was purchased at the grocery store in Bandon, Oregon. I love my Umpqua Valley wines!

Henry’s Estate all decked out for the holidays.

Eight years ago, hubby and my first wine tour in the Umpqua Valley. This is a photo of us in Henry Estate’s vineyard right around Thanksgiving.

So there you have it – five outstanding wineries in the Umpqua Valley region. The Umpqua Valley region has over twenty-five wineries to explore – if you want to check out some of the others or want to learn more about events in the region, check out http://www.umpquavalleywineries.org/wineries/

This post is linked to Saucy Saturdays #89. For more great recipes, check out the hosts’ sites:

Take Two Tapas, La Petit Chef, Mid-Life Croissant and The Flavor Bender

March 24, 2017 1 comment

Beverages

The Storm Cocktail

written by Ali

The Storm Cocktail is my homage to X-Men, which is the focus of this month’s Fandom Foodies. So here’s the long story of how I came to be inspired this month to make The Storm Cocktail. First off, this cocktail is inspired by the X-Men character, Storm. So you might wonder, why Storm? (Ok, you might not wonder, but I’m going to tell you anyway, which is where the long story comes into it).

Many years ago, I lived in Colorado. I actually grew up in Lakewood, Colorado, but spent a lot of time as a young adult in Denver (going to college, working, hanging out). One of my favorite places to go was Café Euphrates. I’m pretty sure that Café Euphrates was on Pearl Street, so it wasn’t too far away from my alma mater, the University of Denver. I’d go there to hang out with my ex and one of his friends. The place served the best hummus I’ve ever had and absolutely lovely coffee. I was still in my mocha phase, so I know that I drank probably several hundred mint mochas at Café Euphrates. But my absolute favorite part of going here was the X-Men Arcade game that was in the back corner.

Prior to Café Euphrates, I’d never played much in the way of arcade video games. I played some Pac Man and loved some really rudimentary computer games. However, growing up, there was no Nintendo, no Atari – none of that. I don’t think I was actually all that interested, which was probably a big part of why this never entered into my life. But for some reason, I loved X-Men. And I always, always, played Storm. If you’ve ever listened to the song “This Tornado Loves You” by Neko Case, you’ll get it. I’ve always taken some pride in a stormy personality. Storm was, by my estimation, powerful and perfect. If I had a super mutant power, I’d want hers.

I can’t remember the last time I went to Café Euphrates. I grew up, moved far away, moved closer and then moved further away again. I didn’t think much about this place and time at all, except as I started to think about what I would do for X-Men for Fandom Foodies and it all came back in a beautiful rush. I’m ok being my older self, but I have a lot of fondness for that young woman, who was optimistic but moody, reserved but with lots of big dreams. I think that time period might have been the first time in my life when I started to really appreciate my nerdy side and stopped trying so hard to fit in with everyone else.

So the storm cocktail is my homage to my favorite arcade hero. I haven’t gotten much into the X-Men movies (though I do think Hale Berry rocks in the role). I do think every time I drink this cocktail this summer, I’ll think about that younger self and smile.

Yum

The Storm Cocktail

Ingredients

2 ounces white rum
2 ounces coconut milk
2 ounces pineapple juice
1 ounce blue curacao

Instructions

Combine all ingredients in a cocktail shaker with ice and shake. Strain into cocktail glass with more ice. Enjoy!

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This post is linked up to March’s Fandom Foodies hosted by Heather at Food ‘n Flix. Check out the Fandom Foodies page for a schedule of all the great inspiration for this year!

March 17, 2017 2 comments

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

Dirty Lemon Martini

written by Ali

I’ve had martinis on my mind lately, which explains this Dirty Lemon Martini. I’ve found a new podcast that I absolutely love called Martinis and Murder. The best part is that every episode starts with a martini recipe, which I guess makes the fact that the rest of the podcast is all about true crime a little easier to swallow. The hosts, Daryn Carp and John Thrasher, are very funny and very engaging. It helps, too, that their producer Matt is a shadowy figure in the background, making up martinis and making the occasional snarky remark that only the hosts can hear. I don’t usually read or watch true crime stories, which is strange, given that my preferred reading genre is mysteries. It’s one thing for it to be made up, I suppose, then for it to be something that happened in real life. This podcast is the exception for me, as it reminds me quite a bit of the podcast, Serial.

But enough about true crime podcasts. Back to the Dirty Lemon Martini. I love a good dirty martini. I’ve been known to make them with any olive brine I have on hand, including that from kalamata olives. There’s something so lovely about the brininess of the olives and the sharpness of the vodka and Vermouth. My favorite variation on this theme is a dirty martini with the brine of preserved lemons. Oh my goodness – this is the perfect way to end out a week. Preserved lemons infuse the brine with a hint of lemon. I use juniper berries and peppercorns in my preserved lemons, so there’s a hint of these spices as well.

This martini is so easy to make – all it takes is some good vodka, a dry Vermouth, and the brine from some preserved lemons. This is yet another good reason to have salt preserved citrus on hand, because when Friday comes around, who wouldn’t want to curl up with Netflix and a Dirty Lemon Martini?

Cheers!

Yum

Dirty Lemon Martini

Ingredients

3 ounces vodka
1 ounce Dry Vermouth
1/2 - 1 ounce brine from preserved lemons

Instructions

Combine all ingredients in a cocktail shaker with ice and shake. Strain into a chilled martini glass.
Serves 1
Enjoy!

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March 3, 2017 3 comments

Beverages

Almond Brownie Martini

written by Ali

This week’s happy hour post is all about how to have dessert in a glass with this almond brownie martini. I had multiple days of travel this week, not to mention a project or two that made me feel like I was living the movie Groundhog Day. So oh, yeah, the velvety chocolate bliss of Godiva Chocolate Liqueur was definitely in order. And drinking dessert before dinner – that was in order, too.

My almond brownie martini takes a few ingredients, including Godiva Chocolate Liqueur, Stoli Vanilla Vodka, Crème de Cacao, and Amaretto. And cherries, too. If you are like me and planning out your Friday happy hour early on in the week, you might just realize you’re missing a key ingredient, say, like the Godiva Chocolate Liqueur. What to do? Go to Drizly! Drizly is an amazing service that lets you browse for wine, beer, and liquor online and then order – and then it shows up at your door a couple of days later. How awesome is that? Plus, one of my biggest problems with shopping (and this is pretty much true with anything from alcohol to clothes) is feeling pressured to make a decision while I’m browsing in a store. Drizly completely takes away that pressure – I can browse online as long as I want and order when I’m ready to order. You can definitely find the ingredients for this martini at Drizly, including the Godiva Chocolate Liqueur along with the Stoli Vanilla Vodka (and a lot of other great vodkas, too!).

I couldn’t resist doing a fancy rim on my martini. I used melted white chocolate and chopped up dark chocolate chunks to achieve the yummiest rim I’ve ever had on a martini. A quicker and just as yummy rim for this cocktail is a bit of super fine sugar and a bit of cocoa powder. So perfect to sip on one of these after a long work week.

Yum

Almond Brownie Martini

Ingredients

2 ounces Godiva chocolate liqueur
1 1/2 ounces creme de cacao
1 ounce Stoli vanilla vodka
1 ounce Amaretto
Fresh or preserved cherries

For chocolate rim

1/3 cup white chocolate chips
1/4 cup chocolate chunks, roughly chopped

Instructions

To make the chocolate rim, melt the white chocolate chips in a small saucepan over low heat, stirring frequently. On a separate plate, place the chopped chocolate chunks. Spread the white chocolate on a plate or in a small bowl. Roll the rim of your martini glass in the white chocolate. Dip the white chocolate into the chopped chocolate chunks. Freeze the martini glass and rim for about 10-15 minutes to set the rim.
To make the Almond Brownie Martini, combine the Godiva chocolate liqueur, creme de cacao, Stoli vanilla vodka, and amaretto in a cocktail shaker with ice. Shake and strain into your prepared martini glass and enjoy!
Serves 1 - but can easily be doubled...or tripled..or quadrupled to serve more.

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Disclosure: This post contains sponsored content brought to you by Drizly. As always, all opinions expressed in this post are 100% my own.

February 24, 2017 8 comments

Beverages

Grapefruit Rosé Kiss

written by Ali

A Grapefruit Rosé Kiss is a great cocktail for National Drink Wine Day, which just happens to fall on February 18th this year. The point of National Drink Wine Day is to spread the love and health benefits of drinking wine (at least, this is what the official website says). I don’t really need an official day to drink wine, but I will take this opportunity to share one of my favorite wine based cocktails with you.

A grapefruit rosé kiss combines some of my favorite things: a good dry rosé wine, grapefruit juice, and grapefruit bitters. This also gets just a little love from rosemary grapefruit bitter sugar cubes.

I first drank rosé at Piccolo’s in Denver. Piccolo’s was (is) an odd little fusion Italian/Mexican restaurant near the University of Denver. I had absolutely no clue what kind of wine to order, so randomly chose Beringer’s White Zinfandel. I don’t recall if it was a recommendation by the waitress or a shot in the dark on my part, but I liked it. It was sweet and it was wine and it made me feel very grown up. It became my wine for a number of years. I didn’t branch out much until my first trip to Portland, Oregon, where I encountered a sweet Riesling for the first time.

My wine tastes have definitely changed throughout the years. I now much prefer a robust red and don’t drink much sweet wine. I love Sauvignon Blanc, particularly in the summer time. I’ve been wine tasting in Oregon and Washington a dozen times and definitely like a range of wines. It’s been ages since I’ve had Beringer’s White Zinfandel. Still, I have the occasional nostalgic hankering for a rosé. I tend to go for those that are fairly dry. I really like La Ferme Julien from Trader Joe’s, which is what I used in this cocktail. And yes, I did sweeten it up a bit. Not sorry about that at all.

I’ll definitely be enjoying one of these grapefruit rosé kiss cocktails for National Wine Day tomorrow.

Yum

Grapefruit Rosé Kiss

Ingredients

Grapefruit Bitter Rosemary Sugar Cubes

2 cups superfine sugar (superfine sugar and caster sugar are one and the same).
1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh rosemary
2 tablespoon grapefruit bitters

Grapefruit Rose Kiss

1 grapefruit bitter rosemary sugar cube
2 drops grapefruit bitters
Juice from half a grapefruit
Rosé wine, chilled

Instructions

For the sugar cubes

Combine the sugar, rosemary and grapefruit bitters. Spread in a plastic container or plastic molds. If you are using a plastic container, score the sugar cubes into the desired size as this will make them easier to separate once dry. Leave uncovered, overnight. Once the cubes are dry, break them into cube sized pieces and store at room temperature in a covered container.

For the cocktail

Put a sugar cube in the bottom of a wine glass. Add the grapefruit juice and the bitters. Top with chilled rosé wine. Enjoy!
Makes one cocktail, but can easily be doubled (or tripled, or quadrupled).

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February 17, 2017 2 comments

Beverages

Mandarin Mojitos

written by Ali

Mandarin mojitos are my anecdote for the gloomy, depressing weather that we’ve had all season long here in my neck of the PNW woods. I understand that Portland has the distinction of being the most winter fatigued city in the US this year. I know that I’m certainly fatigued by the constant threat of ice and snow. It’s been so bad in the Columbia Gorge region that Hood River County’s Sheriff made veiled threats against Punxsutawney Phil’s life if he insisted on seeing his shadow. Yes – I know – only in Oregon. Still, I think that sheriff could have used one of my mandarin mojitos. It might have made him feel a bit sunnier when Phil did inevitably scurry away from his shadow and doomed us to six more weeks of winter.

Fortunately, citrus is in season. I love mandarin oranges and am always too tempted to buy large bags of them from Trader Joe’s where they languish in the cupboard because I forget to take them with me to snack on throughout the day. I’m trying to be better about that, and also decided I might as well use the stragglers in a cocktail. Thus, the mandarin mojito was born. I sort of resent having to buy mint from the grocery store, but it’s definitely worth it to mix up a pitcher of mandarin mojitos. You can sip and pretend it’s summer time that way. They are also great for when you just gave the blonde dog a bath the day before and then she goes out and tramps through the mud – just saying.

You might also pin the recipe and hold onto it for the first barbecue of spring, or the first sunny day, or the first day it’s warm enough to wear sandals. You can tell that these are all firsts I’m definitely longing for right now.

Yum

Mandarin Mojitos

Ingredients

1/4 cup sugar
5 - 6 sprigs of mint
4 limes, quartered
4 mandarin oranges, quartered
1 cup white rum
12 ounces club soda

Instructions

In a pitcher, layer the sugar and mint and muddle. Add the limes and mandarin oranges and muddle some more - try to get as much juice mixed into the mint and sugar as you can. Add the rum and top with club soda. Serve over ice with a sprig of mint and a quarter of the lime and a quarter of the mandarin orange.
Serves 4 - 5. Enjoy!

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February 10, 2017 0 comment

Beverages

Grapefruit Whiskey Sour with Star Anise

written by Ali

A grapefruit whiskey sour with star anise is a lovely way to start the month of February. After all, it can be a bit gloomy this time of year anyway, so why not indulge in something light and citrus-y? Whiskey sours were my first cocktail drink – I can’t recall exactly why it was that I liked them, other than they were a pretty straight forward cocktail to order at a restaurant or a bar. This was many years ago – well before – well, before Google, for one. I’m pretty sure I would order them because my ex liked them (talk about being original). Had I had Google, I might have discovered gin and tonics much earlier, or the glorious Sazarec or Negronis…but I digress. I loved the whiskey sour as much as I loved Beringer’s White Zinfandel and as much as I loved mochas. (Right – didn’t know what to order for wine, so stayed with the cheap pink stuff. Didn’t know what to order for espresso drinks, so stayed with what my friend, Laura, ordered – sense a pattern here?).

But back to the grapefruit whiskey sour with star anise. I’ve definitely branched out in my tastes for cocktails, wine and coffee. Every now and then, though, I like to go back to a classic. In this case, the sour comes from grapefruit juice and a hint of sweet comes through in the brown sugar anise simple syrup. If you are adventurous, try a bit of the simple syrup in a shot of whiskey – it tastes like root beer and will get you singing Bruce Springsteen’s “I’m on Fire” in the kitchen at the top of your lungs in no time. Wait – is that just me?

Star anise has become my new spice obsession. I love the lovely little seed pods and they smell so good! They are a great compliment to the whiskey and grapefruit in this cocktail.

Yum

Grapefruit Whiskey Sour with Star Anise

Ingredients

Grapefruit Whiskey Sour with Star Anise

1 ounce whiskey or bourbon
juice from one grapefruit
1/2 ounce star anise infused brown sugar simple syrup

Star Anise Infused Brown Sugar Simple Syrup

1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup water
3 star anise pods

Instructions

Combine all the ingredients for the cocktail and stir. Serve on the rocks over ice.

Star Anise Infused Brown Sugar Simple Syrup

Combine all the ingredients in a small saucepan and bring to a simmer. Once all the sugar is dissolved, pour into a small jar and set aside to cool. Once cool, refrigerate. Let the star anise infuse overnight for the strongest flavor.

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February 3, 2017 0 comment

Beverages

Blood Orange Martini

written by Ali

This Friday’s Happy Hour post continues my obsession with blood oranges in the form of a blood orange martini. Would you believe that I’m really almost at the end of doing all my blood orange recipes after I got the box of oranges from my friend in Arizona? I have blood oranges preserved in various ways. I have blood orange bitters infusing through next week. And I have a bag of frozen blood orange juice, which I’ve been using as ice cubes for cocktails, including for this blood orange martini.

I have a tendency to go way overboard with produce. I’ve had years where I’ve ended up going to a u-pick farm and coming home with thirty pounds of cucumbers or sixty pounds of tomatoes. My first year of u-pick, I picked just about every fruit that was available, and we had frozen berries and jams and pickles to last us nearly two years. I’ve been a bit more moderate this last year. I canned thirty pounds of tomatoes into spaghetti sauce. I didn’t bother with pickles, because we still have some. The good thing about being moderate is that by the time the blood oranges came into my life, I wasn’t overly exhausted from preserving all summer long.

One of the best things I did with the oranges was to make blood orangecello. I used the same basic technique I used for my limoncello. I used a veggie peeler to peel five blood oranges. When you do this, use just the outer peel, not the pith. I steeped the peels in vodka for four days in a quart jar (peels + enough vodka to fill the jar). I made a simple syrup of 3 1/2 cups water and 2 1/2 cups sugar. I strained out the peels from the vodka, combined it with the simple syrup and let that sit overnight. The infused vodka and simple syrup go in jars and get refrigerated and that’s that. The blood orangecello did not have an especially red hue to it – it looks like the limoncello. The taste, however, is akin to a good triple sec. It’s really lovely and especially lovely in this blood orange martini.

If you don’t have the time to make the blood orangecello, triple sec or cointreau will also work in this recipe.

The cubes there in the front are frozen blood orange juice. I used these when I made the blood orange martini, defrosting about four to get the juice. I also used these to chill the martini a bit more after I’d made it. The juice melts and doesn’t water down the cocktail.

Yum

Blood Orange Martini

Ingredients

2 ounces gin
1 ounce blood orangecello or triple sec or cointreau
juice from one blood orange

Instructions

Combine all ingredients in a cocktail shaker with ice or with blood orange ice cubes. Shake. Strain into a cocktail glass and enjoy! Serves 1

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https://fixmealittlelunch.com/blood-orange-martini/

January 27, 2017 0 comment

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