I'm finally ready

The time has finally come to start creating my own cocktails. Today, I made lavender syrup. Of course, I must try this in a home-crafted cocktail immediately! So here goes my first, though I am sure others before me have done it. 

My first thought was gin would be a good complement and created a recipe I am calling Lavender Mist after today's foggy weather here in GR.  However, the hubby is not a gin drinker, so I thought, "how about a Lavender Old Fashioned?" I'll save the Mist for another post. ;-)

It is simply delish! 1/2 oz lavendar syrup, 2 oz bourbon poured over a ice sphere, add a clementine and  Luxardo cherry for garnish. 

Lavender syrup is made by heating 1 cup sugar, 1 cup water, and 2 tablespons dried lavender until sugar is dissolved. Let steep for 15 minutes and strain into a container. Makes about 12 ounces. If you are in GR, you can pick lavender up at the Downtown Market.

To mix the bourbon and syrup together, I used one of my new-to-me cobalt blue glass stirrers bought on Etsy through a vintage shop. Can't seem to find glass ones anywhere else, and I have been searching!!

Great drink for a cool and foggy night by the fire before pizza and movie with the kiddos!

Let me know how you like it.

Cheers!

Prohibition Cocktail - In honor of the GRPM exhibit

Tomorrow, my hubby and I are attending a "Bootlegger's Ball" at the Grand Rapids Public Museum, so I thought it appropo that tonight's cocktail should be from the prohibition era. Currently, the GRPM has a prohibition exhibit, which we will be able to view as part of our evening. It is also 1920s dress, so I'm psyched as someone who loves to dress up, was a history teacher, and always had a fascination with the 20s.

Anyhow, tonight, it is the Tuxedo #2 or so it is called. A stiff gin martini drink, dressed up with Luxardo Maraschino liquer and orange bitters. I added a Luxardo maraschino cherry as well. Absolutely divine. 

Here it is in all it's glory, half drunk of course. Don't you just adore how that Luxardo cherry oozes at the bottom of my coupe?

Recipe:

2 oz gin (I prefer Bombay Sapphire or the more herbal tasting gins)

1/4 oz Luxardo Maraschino liquer

1/2 oz Dry Vermouth

2 dashes Orange bitters

Absinthe rinse

Vieux Carre

Totally, my latest new fave, especially for fall. I can't stop making these.

When I am in my cocktail mood, I always ask myself what do I have a taste for - white tequila, vodka, nah, bourbon. The Vieux Carre is equal parts bourbon, cognac, and sweet vermouth with a titch of Benedictine and dashes of Peychaux's and Angostura bitters. Love, love, love this for fall. The class recipe calls for 3/4 oz each, but I prefer using 1 oz each.

Not sweet, not bitter, not too dark or moody, but also not to bright and fresh tasting. It is elegant, timeless. Try it!

Cheers,

The Skinny Parisian Blonde

I call this Skinny because I used fat free half and half making this lovely libation only 184 calories. 

Such a great nod to the fall weather we are having in late August. Brrrr, in the 50s! Cinnamon gives this cocktail the smell and taste of pie, while the dark Jamaican rum warms the cheeks - no blush needed tonight. 

Recipe: 1 oz each dark rum, Cointreau, half and half (fat free 😉).

Aviator (revised)

Generally, the Aviator is a bit too dry for me. The balance of maraschino liquor against creme de violette is more bitter than sweet. So, tonight I reversed the proportions of the two-3/4 oz creme de violette and 1/2 oz maraschino liqueur. Still a dry and citrusy drink, but not quite so bitter, and more colorful too. That's a Luxardo cherry at the bottom. On my list, making brandies cherries. Sounds like a good winter activity to me!

The Barbados Swizzle!

Love this new one. Wonderful hot August day refreshment. Used Zaya rum for this cocktail, which I love alone on the rocks too. Got the recipe from Jennifer Fiedler's The Essential Bar Book that Tom gave me for Christmas. 

Sweet Heat

I was doing my regular run through at Home Goods when I came across Rokz Ginger Cardamom infusion. Yum, I thought, so I took it home, added Tito's vodka, letting it infuse in freezer for three days. Then I strained the ginger/cardamom mix out of the vodka, and voila! a tasty but sweet vodka emerged. The ginger is strong in flavor, which I love. For those that do not like ginger, this is not for you.

I knew that I would need a cocktail to make with my new creation, so I went online to the Rokz website which promised to have recipes for their infusions. I settled on their Sweet Heat.

It was definitely delicious and the lime juice takes the edge of the infused vodka. When I make it again tonight, I will be adding more vodka to it (at least a half ounce) as it was a bit weak for my tastes (my husband and guests agreed).

Since I didn't have the Rokz "sweet heat" sugar, I made my own from raw sugar, cayenne pepper and black pepper, wetting the rims of the glasses with Agave Nectar to coat.

Here are our neighbors being my guinea pigs for this new tipple to my repertoire! ;-) Thanks for being such great sports, and bringing that delectable smoked salmon chipotle dip, which added some heat of its own!