Tag: lemon

Cocktail of the Week: Little Word

2014-07-26 19.15.00

This weekend was the hottest one so far here in Davis, with temperatures reaching 104° F. So, I really didn’t want to do anything but lie around in a kiddie pool full of ice… But, life doesn’t always give us what we want! I had to make a cocktail for the blog and do a bunch of other chores and errands, etc., etc. I knew I wanted the cocktail to be simple and cold though. Something like a nice ice, cold lemonade. Something like the Little Word.

the ingredients
The ingredients

Little Word

  • 2 oz. vodka
  • 3/4 oz. lemon juice
  • 1/2 oz. St. Germain
  • 1/2 oz simple syrup

Shake all ingredients with ice. Strain into a chilled glass. garnish with lemon slice.

2014-07-26 19.15.42

Perfect. Just perfect. Sweet lemon with notes of elderflower when it first hits the tongue with a pleasant alcohol finish as it washes down the throat. Cool, crisp, subtle. Plus, this drink is incredibly simple to make and takes almost no time at all. I could see this becoming the cocktail of Summer 2014.

Cocktail of the Week: Peach, Ginger, and Bourbon Frozen Cocktail


2014-07-06 18.58.09

Fourth of July weekend was a scorcher! We decided to ditch the central valley and head someplace cooler: Santa Cruz. Where, I might add, we had a great time relaxing, enjoying the beach, running trails, watching the illegal fireworks, etc., etc. It was great! To cap it all off we picked up some fresh fruit and ginger and whipped up this frozen cocktail. I was a little leery about mixing peaches and ginger at first, but…

The ingredients, sans ginger
The ingredients, sans ginger

Peach, Ginger, and Bourbon Frozen Cocktail

  • 3/4 cup frozen peaches
  • 1/2 tbsp. finely grated peeled ginger
  • 2 oz. bourbon
  • 1 oz. simple syrup
  • 1/2 oz fresh lemon juice
  • 1/2 cup ice

Place all ingredients into a blender and pulse. Stop when the texture looks too thick when poured into a Collins glass. Garnish with rosemary sprig if desired.

2014-07-06 18.58.36

I’m glad I took the plunge and made this! Ginger and Peach work great together, the garnish complements the drink nicely as well. I’m thinking next time I make it I’ll squeeze some rosemary oil into the drink. Cool, crisp, clean. This was the perfect way to cool down after a hot 4th of July weekend.

Cocktail of the Week: Bourbon Sweet Tea

2014-06-29 18.39.37

Well, here it is July in California’s Central Valley and it is starting to get hot. Today it got up to 100° F, tomorrow it’s supposed to get up to 104° F?! What are you supposed to drink in that kind of weather? What could possibly be appropriate? Iced Tea wouldn’t be a bad idea, even better if it’s sweet tea. Sweet Tea, while being delicious, isn’t a cocktail though…

Until you add bourbon to it.

2014-06-29 15.27.29
The ingredients

Bourbon Sweet Tea
(makes 1 pitcher)

  • 3 cups of black tea
  • 1/2 cup sugar
  • 1 lemon, sliced
  • 1 lime, sliced
  • 1 orange, sliced
  • 1 cup bourbon

Add sugar to tea. Put tea on stove and heat, stirring, until the sugar is dissolved. Let tea cool for a few minutes. While tea is cooling add, lime, lemon, orange, and bourbon to a large pitcher. Pour tea into pitcher. Chill. Serve in small glasses with a lemon wheel for garnish.

2014-06-29 18.39.16

This was a lot like drinking candy. Delicious citrus flavored sweet tea and with a little hint of bourbon on the way down. In the future, I’d pour the tea into chilled glasses or serve it on ice to really get it cold. This was so refreshing on a hot, California summer evening.

Cocktail of the Week: French 75

2014-06-07 18.38.32

 

You know what’s better than a Tom Collins? A Tom Collins with Champagne in it! We’ve had a bottle of the bubbly sitting in our fridge for awhile and I decided I wanted to do something with it. Something other than a Bellini. Friends had a few recommendations. The French 75 ended up winning.

The ingredients
The ingredients

French 75

  • 1 oz. gin
  • 1 oz. fresh lemon juice
  • 1/2 oz. simple syrup
  • champagne (around 2 oz.)

Add gin, lemon juice, and syrup to shaker filled with ice. Shake. Strain ingredients into a Collins glass filled with cracked ice. Top with champagne. I has some frozen raspberries so I tossed a few of those on as a garnish.

2014-06-07 18.38.13

Doesn’t look like much, does it? That’s okay though because it taste’s great. D and I took these out on the back porch last evening and sipped them as the sunset. The French 75 was the perfect treatment for the 97 degree weather. After drinking this I don’t know if I can ever go back to a regular ol’ Tom Collins.

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