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Natalie

8 Cocktails for National Rum Day

August 16, 2017 by Natalie 1 Comment

Rum is delicious and by far my favorite spirit. Not just because I have a sweet tooth, but because it is such a versatile category. It is made in so many different countries, which means depending on where it’s from will dictate what it tastes like. For National Rum Day I wanted to go over a brief history of the spirit, characteristics, and of course how it can be used in cocktails.


Brief History

Rum is a spirit distilled from the fermented juice of sugarcane, sugarcane syrup, sugarcane molasses, or other sugarcane by-products. Sugarcane was introduced to the New World by European explorers starting with Christopher Columbus, and the invention of rum — or at least the fermented “wash” it’s distilled from — is thought to have occurred by accident. Basically, the molasses, which had been considered a useless waste product of the sugar refining process, was observed expelling bubbles when left to mingle with the warm, humid tropical air. Sugar manufacturers rightly identified this phenomenon as fermentation: wild, airborne yeasts were getting at the sugar content left in the molasses and releasing carbon dioxide. They knew that with those bubbles came alcohol, too, and it wasn’t long before fermented molasses became the basis for a distilled spirit, which we now know as rum.

Rum is distilled at less than 95% alcohol by volume (190 proof) and bottled at no less than 40% alcohol by volume (80 proof), maybe except for some flavored ones which are less. The legal definition of rum tends to vary from country to country, so establishing a strict definition that applies to all rum from everywhere is impossible. What’s consistent, though, is that rum is always made from molasses, sugarcane juice, or other cane by-products. Factors that influence rum style is source of sugar, yeast type, length of fermantation, type of still, type of barrel, time in barrel, and strength of rum at distillation or bottling.


Rum Styles

  • White/Light/Silver: Light bodied, crisp, and subtle in flavor, these rums are highly mixable. They marry very well with fruit flavors, so they’re excellent for daiquiris and piña coladas. A common misconception about white rum is that it’s unaged. White rum is aged in oak barrels for a short period of time to smooth out the flavors; it’s then charcoal filtered to remove color.
  • Gold: Medium bodied and a little stronger in flavor than light rums, gold rums are aged in oak barrels. Like light rums, they mix well into fruity cocktails.
  • Dark/Black: Full-bodied, with rich caramel flavors, these rums are usually pot-stilled and aged for long periods. Used in tiki preparations such as the Mai Tai, the best of these rums are also sippable on their own, neat or on ice.
  • Rhum agricole: Full-bodied rums, made from sugarcane juice instead of molasses. As with molasses-based rum, agricoles range the color spectrum, from white to gold to dark. Agricoles are often funky and have floral and vegetal aromas and flavors.
  • Cachaça: This is called the rum of Brazil. The major difference between cachaça and common rum is in the juice. Most rum is distilled from sugarcane juice that has been processed into molasses, which has a higher sugar content. This makes cachaça have a more grassy, herbaceous flavor than its relative.

Other types are Navy Rum which is the kind formerly given to members of the British Navy. It’s usually proofed at 50% ABV or higher. Overproof rums refer to those with an ABV over standard value, usually 60% ABV (120 proof) or higher.

I’ve rounded up some of my favorite cocktails that I have created to get you inspired to drink rum on this most special holiday! 😉

Pineapple Old Fashioned– Plantation pineapple rum, campari, allspice, and macadamia nut orgeat.

Frozen Passionfruit Daiquiri– White rum, Jamaican rum, lime juice, honey, passionfruit syrup, and tiki bitters.

Frozen Caribbean Coffee– Jamaican Rum, coffee liqueur, coconut, cold brew, and coffee gelato.

Piña Colada Popsicles– Coconut milk, coconut cream, dark rum, pineapple juice, and lime zest.

Coconut Guava Daiquiri– Dark rum, lime juice, coconut milk, simple syrup, and fresh guava.

Boozy Matcha Latte– White Rum, almond milk, matcha, orgeat, and coconut whipped cream.

Dark ‘N Stormy Popsicles– Gosling’s rum, ginger beer, fresh ginger syrup, lime juice, and lime wheels.

Mango Mai Tai– Jamaican Rum, curaçao, orgeat, lime juice, and fresh mango.

I hope you all get to enjoy your National Rum Day. What will you be doing today to celebrate? Is there a rum cocktail that’s your favorite? Let me know in the comments below. Happy sipping! xo

Filed Under: Cocktails, History, Recipes, Rum Tagged With: National Rum Day, rum, rum cocktails

Hibiscus Gin-Gin Mule

August 14, 2017 by Natalie 2 Comments

With all the recipe developing for menus and blog posts, my refrigerator becomes a graveyard for fruit, herbs and miscellaneous syrups. I try my best to eat and repurpose most of it for cooking, smoothie bowls, or other recipes throughout the week but sometimes there’s a little waste. I’m implementing a new rule that if I make it, I have to use it! I made syrups for posts on A Beautiful Mess and Palm Springs Style last week and was wondering what my next cocktail would be on my own blog. Fresh ginger and hibiscus, does that work? You bet it does!

One of the first cocktails that came to mind was one that I learned when I worked behind the bar at Flatiron Lounge, the Gin-Gin Mule. It was created by Audrey Saunders of Pegu Club in 2000 and was a milestone drink of the 21st-century cocktail renaissance. It has inspired countless spin-offs and heavily influenced the use of fresh ginger and homemade ingredients in cocktails. It’s a drink that I still find myself making for people at Dutch Kills when they request a bartenders choice, “I’ll have something with gin that’s refreshing”, I pretty much immediately make a Gin-Gin Mule.

This cocktail is essentially a fusion of two classics, the Mojito (rum, lime, sugar, mint) and a Gin Buck (gin, lime, fresh ginger, soda). I’ve replaced the call for simple syrup in this recipe with hibiscus syrup. You can find out how to make ginger syrup here and my hibiscus syrup here.


Hibiscus Gin-Gin Mule, serves 1

2 oz. Gin

1 oz. Lime Juice

1/2 oz. Hibiscus Syrup

1/2 oz. Ginger Syrup

Mint

Club Soda

Add lime juice, hibiscus syrup, ginger syrup, and mint to your shaker and muddle. Lightly tapping the mint is sufficient. When muddling a good rule to follow in the words of Sasha Petraske is “bruise don’t abuse”. Add gin, ice, and then shake. Strain into a highball glass over ice and top with club soda. Garnish with a mint sprig and ginger candy.

I’ve always loved this cocktail but the hibiscus syrup adds a tart, fruity, and floral element that makes this drink even more perfect for summer (if that’s even possible). The sweet floral element of the hibiscus blends perfectly with the spiciness of the ginger and freshness of the mint. More than 10 years later and this cocktail is so good it still influences how I develop cocktails. Some of the most delicious drinks are so perfect just because they’re simple. Less IS more. What’s your favorite modern classic? Do you ever put your own spin on it? Tell me about it in the comments below.

Filed Under: Classic Cocktails, Cocktails, Fizzy, Gin, Spicy, Summer Cocktails Tagged With: audrey saunders, buck, fizzy, gin, gin-gin mule, ginger, hibiscus, mint, mule, pegu club, summer cocktails

Sunday Kind of Love

August 13, 2017 by Natalie 2 Comments

Happy Sunday! I hope these blooms brighten up your day. I did some flower arranging yesterday for a collaboration I’m doing with Bloomia, so stay tuned. Making bouquets is much harder than you think. Florists have earned so much more of my respect!

What a crazy week it has been and today I am most definitely giving myself a much deserved day off. I’ve been working a lot lately and honestly, I’ve been pretty stressed and spread a little thin. Between regular bar work, a consulting project, keeping up with the blog and social clients, my plate is very full at the moment. There is never a dull moment and who wants to be bored anyways? How do you guys unwind/relax? Do you have good tips on combating burn out? Send them my way! One day I will have this whole life/work balance thing figured out.

  • I’m sure you’ve seen by now that Arsenic Lace has been nominated for Best Drinks Blog by SAVEUR Magazine for their Blog Awards. You have until September 6th to vote as many times as you want so I’m going to be reminding you A LOT to place your votes. I’m up against a lot of really great talent, some I’m happy to call friends, so no matter what happens I’m honored to be a finalist. Head here to place your vote.

  • Wide Open Eats featured me and 15 of my drinks on their lifestyle section and said my Instagram is the happiest thing they’ve seen! “The Florida-meets-Palm-Springs flair of Arsenic Lace’s cocktails will inspire you to imbibe beachside or build a backyard tiki bar yourself.” I stumbled upon this while searching for another article I was featured in and it was quite a happy find! It feels nice to know that others find joy in the content I’m putting out there. This is exactly why I started doing this in the first place. Check it out here.

  • Did you see my delicious Mango Mai Tai go up on A Beautiful Mess this week? There’s an orgeat how-to as well which is a crucial syrup for making tiki drinks at home. Go read fun facts about the history of the Mai Tai and maybe try to make my summertime version for yourself! Recipe here.

  • Yesterday my Hibiscus Frosé was on Palm Springs Style. I’m so happy with the way this recipe turned out. I’ve been trying to figure out an easy way to make frosé at home that didn’t require freezing it in a sheet pan or adding ice to blend and I finally figured it out. The hibiscus syrup really took this drink to the next level by adding floral, tart, fruity notes that complimented the wine – plus the color is stunning!

That’s all for this Sunday. Hope you’re all relaxing with something frosty and boozy in hand. Did you make anything tasty this weekend? Let me know in the comments below. Cheers everyone. xo

Filed Under: Sunday Love Tagged With: a beautiful mess, cocktails, flowers, frosé, mai tai, palm springs style, recipes, SAVEUR Blog Awards, sunday, sunday love, tiki, wide open eats

Arsenic Lace | SAVEUR Blog Awards Finalist

August 9, 2017 by Natalie Leave a Comment

I’m beyond excited to announce to you all that I am a finalist in the 8th Annual SAVEUR Blog Awards! From a pool of 30,000 submissions, my blog was selected as a top six contender in the Best Drinks Coverage category. I’ve known for about a week now and had to keep it a secret which was really hard! Obviously, I wanted to tell everyone! A BIG thank you to everyone that took the time to nominate me, I can’t tell you how much it means.

When I started on this journey about 14 months ago I wasn’t really sure where I was going. I knew that I had a wealth of knowledge learned over many years of being a professional bartender, and I wanted to use that to help educate others in a fun and inspiring way. I needed to start somewhere, so I just did and I haven’t stopped since. I have been recipe developing and consulting on menus for years but bringing those skills to an online platform has helped me expand in many ways I hadn’t ever imagined. Although the hustle is real sometimes, I get to do many things that I truly love on an everyday basis and I am very thankful for that. I also get to connect with others that share the same passions and interests as myself and that keeps me very inspired and motivated. The love and support from the blogging/Instagram community is unlike anything I have ever experienced. What would I do without all of you?

For those of you that have taken the time to support me, I hope that I can one day raise a glass with you or return the favor. There are so many things I want to accomplish from here, like writing a book, launching a line of bar tools, and opening my own bar someday. I know that every day I’m working towards those dreams.

Today voting goes live and I still need your help to win. From 8/9-9/6 you can vote for me as often as you’d like. Each category will have two winners. The finalist with the most votes will be named Readers’ Choice winner and a team of SAVEUR editors will also select an equally weighted Editors’ Choice winner. Winners will be announced on 10/2 in Charleston, South Carolina and online. Being in the top six next to so many other talented bloggers is truly an honor, especially because I’ve been doing it for such a short period of time. Thank you for this chance and I promise to keep creating the content and cocktails that you love here on Arsenic-Lace.

You can vote for me here! I apologize in advance for posting about voting for me every day for the next month. 😉

Cheers everyone! It’s hump day so don’t forget to make yourself a cocktail! xo

Filed Under: Big News Tagged With: SAVEUR Blog Awards

Sunday Kind of Love

August 6, 2017 by Natalie Leave a Comment

Happy Sunday everyone! What a crazy week it’s been and I’m so glad for my favorite day to finally be here. I do have a little work to do today, even though I said Sunday was off limits. The best thing about work? I get to drink frośe afterwards, so I guess it could be worse!

  • I hit 10K on Instagram this week!!! I can’t tell you enough how much I appreciate everyones support. It’s been a wild ride building my blog over the last 14 months and I can’t wait to see where it goes from here. The community over on Instagram and the whole blog world overall is just so supportive, and I’m so thankful for everyone I’ve met and gotten to work with. Thanks to all my readers that take the time to like, comment, read one of my posts, or send an encouraging word my way. You all make this possible and I promise to keep building this and creating content and cocktails that you love. I’m relaunching the website soon, I have a lot of fun things in the works, PLUS I have a very big announcement to make this week, so stay tuned!

  • My Hamilton Park Swizzle was on Imbibe this week. This was a cocktail I developed for the menu when I worked at Lani Kai back in 2010. It has mango tea infused applejack, palo cortada sherry, pineapple syrup, lime juice, and falernum in it. It was one of my first cocktails that got published and the first that got press. It was the centerfold in Imbibe Magazine for the Summer of Tiki issue in July/August 2011. It’s named after a park where I’m from in Jersey City and my first variation on a Queens Park Swizzle. Since then I’ve done a Van Vorst Park Swizzle, a Lincoln Park Swizzle and an Arlington Park Swizzle. I’m trying to cover all the parks here because if you haven’t noticed I’m very Jersey City, NJ PROUD!

  • I got some floating shelves installed in the bathroom this week and I’m in love! The bathroom is so small, and the sad part is it’s larger than my last one, lol. The upsides are the skylight, which means I never have to turn on a light (unless it’s night) and it’s perfect for putting on makeup, and the clawfoot tub. Theres a pedestal sink, which is pretty, but theres absolutely no storage and no medicine cabinet. I have some baskets under the tub, a little shelving unit under the sink and these shelves will act as my open medicine cabinet. It’s fun to display all my pretty skincare. AND since there’s light, I can have a plant. 😉

  • CB2 came out with this table and I’m dying. I don’t have a coffee table in the livingroom because it’s a little narrow. I keep bargaining with myself, asking if I move the couch a few inches backwards can there be enough room for this table? I kind of can’t live without it. How can a Palm Springs inspired livingroom exist without a gold pineapple table? Maybe I should buy it to just “see how it feels” in the room. What do you think? Please say YES!

  • Amara Living named my first Sunday Kind of Love post one of the top 25 interior design posts of July because of my bedroom progress (and the wallpaper isn’t even up). I know I’m a drinks focused blog sharing the occassional home photo, but can I expand into lifestyle and interior? I would love to! I did go to school for interior and exhibition design afterall. We shall see. Maybe just more photos of me drinking in my home.

  • Did you see my Dark ‘n Stormy popsicles go up on A Beautiful Mess? They are my favorite poptails I have EVER made. Super citrusy, bright, spicy, boozy and refreshing. Perfect for the summer. I think I like them even better than the original drink. I’m not sorry.

Hope you’re all enjoying your weekend. What have you been up to? Let me know in the comments below. I love hearing from you. Thanks again for all your support. Love you! xo

Filed Under: Sunday Love Tagged With: bathroom, bedroom, CB2, cocktails, Home Decor, instagram, interior design, storage solutions, sunday, sunday love

Boozy Matcha Latte

August 3, 2017 by Natalie Leave a Comment

I love matcha A LOT! Last year I made a matcha piña colada and that kind of sparked my obsession with this green powdered goodness. Matcha smoothie bowls, matcha lattes, matcha soft serve, matcha ice cream, matcha brownies…okay you get it! After indulging in an iced latte last week I had an epiphany – this would be really good with rum in it. I often think that though. We can agree that basically everything would taste better with a little rum in it. Period. Okay, I also have a large obsession with rum as you might have noticed. Moral of the story: Do what you love.

I’ve been trying to eat cleaner but I guess drinking cleaner might be counter productive. You can still of course indulge and make smarter choices that are less impactful on your body, mind, and your whole next day. I struggle with really bad hangovers so I try not to push my limits anymore. You’d expect because of my blog and my profession that I’m a BIG drinker. In fact, I pride myself on moderation, and above all things, drinking and serving responsibly. I love to incorporate healthy elements into cocktails by always using the freshest ingredients and using things like teas, ginger, turmeric, etc. All of these things are good for you and of course make you feel a bit less guilty about having another. Check out this article about healthy(ish) cocktails on Supercall where my Yellow Line cocktail is mentioned.


Boozy Matcha Latte, serves 1

2 oz. white rum (I used Plantation)

1 cup milk of your choice ( I used Almond)

2 Tsp. matcha

1 Tbsp. orgeat

ice

float of coconut cream

Add the rum, milk, orgeat, and matcha to your cocktail shaker, add ice and shake. Strain into a highball glass over ice and top with whipped coconut cream.

To make the coconut cream: refrigerate your can of coconut cream for a few hours or over night. When you open the can, drain the liquid and then scoop out the solid cream. You can add sugar if you’d like to sweeten it but I left it as is. I actually over whipped mine by accident, so don’t “whip it good”. 😉

Matcha is high in antioxidants, calming, boosts memory and concentration, increases energy levels, burns calories, detoxifies the body and strengthens your immune system. As if you needed more reasons, the other great thing about this matcha latte recipe is you can, by all means, leave the booze out. If you decide to use a plant based milk this recipe is 100% Vegan. I loved the addition of orgeat as a sweetener to enhance the almond flavor of this drink. If you’re not familiar with orgeat, it is an almond syrup made from almond milk. I enjoyed how this boozy interpretation of a latte came out and it would be great as a brunch cocktail, dessert cocktail or if you’re just in the mood for something sweet. The coconut whipped cream is easy and I actually prefer to use it over real heavy whipped cream because the flavor is amazing! I hope you get to try this at home and if you do, chime in on the comments below. I love you a matcha for reading this post. Until next time. xo

Filed Under: Cocktails, Healthy Cocktails, Rum, Sweet Tagged With: green tea, healthy, healthy cocktails, matcha, matcha latte, rum, vegan

Sunday Kind of Love

July 30, 2017 by Natalie Leave a Comment

Happy Sunday! Hope you all had a good week. I had sort of a stressful week, but I took it easy yesterday and enjoyed a much needed day off. I also unplugged and stayed off the internet. It was easier than you think, I promise!

  • Not sure how many of you have dogs, but I have a special pup that you are probably familiar with from me posting photos of him here, on IG, or in my stories. He’s a Chinese Crested named David Bowie and he is my whole heart. To make a long story short we tried to eliminate the crate this past week in hopes of having a cage-free pup and it went as bad as one can imagine. It included puke on the pink couch and many days of me trying to get the stain out of the cushion. A few anxiety attacks later, lots of blotting and stain remover and the couch is back to new. Phew!

  • It was National Tequila Day on Monday so I hope you got to enjoy one of the drinks I posted! 

  • I got a chrome manicure finally. My nail salon just got the powders in and I was super excited to try it out. Aren’t they pretty? It reminds me of rose gold.

  • I found this AWESOME wall hanging at Home Goods. I couldn’t believe it! I needed something to brighten up the staircase. I’m thinking of sprucing up the hallway/staircase this fall. Maybe some wallpaper, a landing area to hang coats, a bench for shoes/purses, a mirror, and I really want to paint the stairs. They get dirty pretty easily and I’d like to paint them in a higher gloss so that they’re easier to clean. Can’t decide if I want to paint the whole staircase, do ombre, the tops of each stair or wallpaper each step. Also painting a “runner” could look really cool. I started a Pinterest board that you can check out here. I’m really digging the idea of doing teal. It’s bright enough to be colorful but dark enough to hide dirt. What are your thoughts?

  • I think I decided on a kitchen table. After measuring and being very realistic with myself (I think I’m growing up) I think it’s best to go with the Modern Expandable Table from West Elm. The table is only 30″ deep and expands from 39″ to 55″ which isn’t obtrusive into the surrounding areas. I really wanted a round table but I think going with a rectangle is a better choice for the shape of the room. I can always have a round table in my breakfast nook in the next house. One day I will have a proper dining room! This gives me the ability to have a small table for everyday use and a long table for when I have company.

I’m thinking about starting another column about bartending technique (shaking, stirring, building rounds, batching, ice, dilution). The more I share about how it’s done behind the bar and what I’ve learned over the years, the more informed you will be while you’re making drinks at home. Thoughts or anything you’d like me to include?

Lots of recipes coming soon and some home projects this week. I will have lots to post next Sunday! Are you doing anything fun today? I’m heading to Sussex County again for my Mom’s birthday. I think we might thrift on the way. One can only hope! Cheers everyone. xo

 

Filed Under: Sunday Love Tagged With: at home, Home Decor, sunday, sunday love

6 Cocktails to Celebrate National Tequila Day

July 24, 2017 by Natalie 2 Comments

Happy National Tequila Day! I decided to celebrate with rounding up my favorite tequila cocktails on the blog and sharing some facts about the spirit itself. I’m sure you know that tequila is a spirit made from agave. Just like french wine or spirits, it can only be made in a specific region; the Mexican state of Jalisco and surrounding areas. That area is perfect for growing the agave plant because the soil is mostly volcanic. The agave plant has sharp thorns, long thick leaves, and takes between 8-12 years to reach maturity before it can be harvested. After the plant is harvested, it is peeled, roasted, crushed, and the juice is fermented and distilled. Tequila is usually made from 100% agave and distilled twice.

There are four main tequila categories:

  • Blanco – also called silver, plata or platinum, is aged for less than two months and is clear.
  • Reposado – aged between two and 12 months and is golden-colored.
  • Añejo – aged between one and three years and is a whisky-like brown.
  • Extra-añejo – a new category introduced by the Tequila Regulatory Council in 2006, is aged more than three years. Tequila is typically aged in used bourbon casks.

And

  • Mezcal – this is the cousin of tequila, which is also made from agave in a different region of Mexico. Tequila is made in the Jalisco region and only from blue Weber agave, while mezcal is made in Oaxaca. Legally it can be made anywhere though and can be made from different types of agave. The other difference is that the agave is slow roasted in pits with hot rocks which gives mezcal its signature smokiness.

Fun Fact: Contrary to popular belief agave is not a cactus. It is in the asparagales botanical family which makes it a relative to the Yucca Plant or the Joshua Tree. Okay, now I’m done being a crazy plant lady.

You can drink tequila many ways. As a shot, served neat or on the rocks, or in cocktails (MY favorite). Here are some of my favorite recipes that I have created to help you celebrate National Tequila Day.

Prickly Pear Margarita – Blanco Tequila, fresh juice of lime and grapefruit, cinnamon, fresh prickly pear, and pink himalayan salt.

The Country Village – Reposado Tequila, fig infused sweet vermouth, Licor 43, and chocolate bitters.

Frozen Watermelon Margarita– Blanco Tequila, fresh lime juice, agave, fresh watermelon, and smoked sea salt.

Sunny Side Up Fizz– Reposado Tequila, coffee liqueur, cinnamon, whole egg, soda, and cayenne pepper.

Avocado Margarita – Blanco Tequila, fresh lime juice, agave, fresh avocado, hot sauce, and salt & chili pepper.

Mezcal Paloma – Mezcal, fresh juices of lime and grapefruit, agave, soda, and sea salt.

I hope you find some time today to enjoy your favorite tequila cocktail. What’s your go-to tequila drink to make at home? If you decide to make one of the cocktails above, don’t forget to chime in on the comments and let me know how it turns out.

Cheers and Happy National Tequila Day! xo

Filed Under: Cocktails, History, Recipes, Tequila Tagged With: agave, mezcal, national tequila day, tequila

Sunday Kind of Love

July 23, 2017 by Natalie Leave a Comment

Photo shot by Kyle Smith Born | ARSENIC-LACE.COM

Photo shot by Kyle Smith Born | ARSENIC-LACE.COM

It’s my favorite day again and I hope you all had a good week. I’m spending the day with my Mom in Sussex County, NJ. It’s really nice to get out of the city, breathe the fresh air and maybe do a little thrifting. I still haven’t decided on a kitchen table so before I purchase something new, I’m going to try my luck at thrift stores and on Craigslist for a few more weeks. I have some time before the holidays arrive when I will be inviting more company over. It’s way too hot in here right now to have people over anyway.

Speaking of how warm it is, I am newly addicted to smoothie bowls. I went out and bought my weight in fresh fruit and froze it to have a weeks worth of ice cold, smoothie goodness. Here are a few I made this week. I was thinking, should I post the recipes? Is non-boozy frozen breakfast treats something my readers are interested in? We all need breakfast, right?

  • This is the Matcha Green Smoothie Bowl I made with matcha, kale, bananas, pineapple, almond butter, and coconut milk. Topped with almonds, coconut, raspberries, and chia seeds.

  • This is the Blackberry Banana Smoothie Bowl with maca, banana, blueberries, blackberries, almond butter, chia seeds, and almond milk. Topped with kiwi, buckwheat, bee pollen, and coconut.

  • I think I’m only consuming cold, frozen things until the summer is over. Which brings me to these Dark & Stormy Popsicles I photographed yesterday for a post going up on A Beautiful Mess. Stay tuned for the recipe to those!

  • I really want this print from Kailo Chic because all signs DO point to cocktails. At least in my life they do. Don’t you love it?

  • All signs point to this Coconut Guava Daiquiri that I made a few weeks back. Wednesday was National Daiquiri Day and that’s reason enough to celebrate for me.

  • Also in this household we celebrate Sangria Saturdays. I’d like to start linking to posts I contribute to on other sites more frequently, that way you can follow my recipes no matter where they are. Sometimes I fall behind on updating my own site because I’m creating content for others. Don’t fret because there are plenty of drinks to go around! This is my Sparkling Hibiscus Sangria on A Beautiful Mess.

Cheers everyone! I hope you have a wonderful Sunday. Heads up: It’s National Tequila Day tomorrow! 😉

xo Natalie

Filed Under: Sunday Love Tagged With: at home, sunday, sunday love, weekend

Cucumber Lemongrass Gin and Tonics

July 21, 2017 by Natalie Leave a Comment

I’ve been really wanting to do a gin and tonic recipe ever since I came back from Spain and for some reason, I just haven’t gotten around to it. A Spanish-style gin and tonic are usually made with a premium gin and the best quality tonic water, combined with your choice of bitters and various herbs, vegetables and fruits. I had some lemongrass syrup leftover from my national piña colada day post and I thought this would be the perfect time to make one. Gin and tonics are supposed to be crisp, dry, herbal and refreshing which makes them thirst quenchingly perfect for the very hot weather in Spain and the current summer temperature we’re experiencing here in NYC (or wherever you might be). The lemongrass syrup is super easy to make (you can find the recipe here) and when combined with gin, cucumber, Meyer lemon juice, and bitter lemon fever tree tonic water creates an effortless drink that is fragrant and full of flavor.


Cucumber Lemongrass Gin and Tonic

2 oz. Botanist Gin

3/4 oz. Meyer Lemon Juice

3/4 oz. Lemongrass Syrup

4 Cucumber Slices

Bitter Lemon Fever Tree Tonic Water

Cucumber ribbon and lemon wheel for garnish

Add cucumber, lemon juice, and syrup to a tin and lightly muddle. Add gin and then fill with ice and give a quick shake.

Strain into desired glassware, top with tonic water and garnish with cucumber ribbon and lemon wheel.

The Botanist is a highly distinctive, complex, floral gin which mixes perfectly with the fragrance of the lemon grass syrup, and citrusy herbal freshness of the tonic water. The sweet Meyer lemon juice evens out the slight bitterness from the quinine in the tonic as well. This drink was clean, bright, wonderfully balanced and very easy to put together. They’re also very easy to drink, so be careful! After witnessing how serious they take their ‘gintonics’ in Spain, I have a new found love and appreciation for this cocktail. Do you ever experiment with different types of gin and tonics at home? Is there a favorite tonic you like to make them with? Special herbs, fruit, or bitters you like to include? I’d love to hear about it in the comments below.

I’m finally editing the hundreds of photos I took on my trip to Madrid, Jerez, Cadiz, and Seville, Spain. So stay tuned for that blog post very soon. I have so much to say about brandy, sherry, and the wonderful trip I took to the Cardenal Mendoza distillery and winery.

Cheers everyone and happy weekend!

 

Filed Under: Classic Cocktails, Cocktails, Gin, Recipes, Summer Cocktails Tagged With: cucumber, gin and tonic, gin cocktails, lemongrass, Spain

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My name is Natalie Jacob and I'm a bartender, author and beverage + creative consultant drinking, honky tonkin and making a home in Nashville, TN. Learn more ->

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