Gin

A Spring Classic: Sensation Cocktail

May 21, 2018 by Natalie Leave a Comment

A less known but delicious classic is the Sensation Cocktail. It’s a cousin of the more popular Aviation cocktail but replaces the Creme de Violette for mint. If I’m being honest, I tend to love the Sensation Cocktail more so. Creme de Violette can be a little too floral for my preference and the Sensation Cocktail is dry, more tart, and super refreshing! It first appeared in a book by Robert Vermeire in 1922, Cocktails: How to Mix Them, and the recipe is credited to James Berkelmans, Paris.

There has been so much going on behind the scenes that it’s been a struggle to update the blog over the last week or so. I have a ton in the works that I can’t wait to share with you soon. On top of a crazy workload, right after finishing the One Room Challenge, I jumped into repainting the kitchen and starting on the bathroom. These lemons you see as my backdrop is actually a new accent wall. As soon as I shoot it I’m going to do a kitchen tour post. Oh — I’m also fostering 4 adorable 4-week old kittens. Make sure to keep an eye on my Instagram stories, and starting today I’m officially using the hashtag #cocktailsandkittens. If you want to find out why keep reading. 😉

Sensation Cocktail, serves 1

2 oz. gin

3/4 oz. lemon juice

3/4 oz. maraschino liqueur

small handful of mint

mint sprig and lemon twist, for garnish

Add all ingredients to a cocktail shaker, fill completely with ice and shake. Strain into a coupe glass. Garnishing this drink with a brandied maraschino cherry is perfectly acceptable but I love to roll up a lemon twist and stick a mint sprig in it. It looks beautiful and adds so many aromatics. You can also double strain this drink if you don’t want mint in it. I prefer little mint floaters because I think it looks nice and adds texture but some people like a clean strain. To each their own!

I love making classics at home because, for the most part, they are fairly simple (3-4 ingredients). The Sensation Cocktail is one of my favorites to drink this time of year, especially on a warm day. It’s crisp, refreshing, and quenches my thirst immediately. Maraschino liqueur makes this drink sharp and dry. If you tend to like slightly sweeter drinks you can add 1/4 – 1/2 oz of simple syrup to this recipe to sweeten it up.

Okay, now it’s time to meet the kittens. Meet Elsie, Murray, Gertie, and Ethel! They were not cooperating very much on set so I will have to keep practicing. I had to hold them to get some shots of them. They. Are. So. Tiny.

A few years back I frequently fostered with a local rescue, Jersey Cats. For about 2 years my old apartment was a kitten hotel. I’d get kittens, keep them for a few weeks or months, they would get adopted, and then I’d get new kittens. My life was definitely full of sweet, cute, cuddly moments — but fostering is hard. It’s a lot of work and sometimes you get attached to cats. The number one question I always get about fostering is how do you not keep all the kittens? It’s REALLY HARD but I like to remind myself of the bigger picture. The more cats or animals I have the harder it is for me to help others. There will be more kittens, and they will all be cute. I just want to save the world one kitten at a time!

So why am I fostering again? I originally stopped when I adopted my Chinese Crested dog, David Bowie. Having a dog was much more work, my apartment was tiny, and it was just too much. After my cat Phil died in October there has been a void. Now that I have more space I thought it might be fun to start at it again and Jersey Cats needed a foster. So happy to help again!

I hope you guys like kittens because I’m hoping to include them in some of my posts until they find their forever homes. If you’re local please check out Jersey Cats to stay updated. I hope you enjoyed my silly kitten and cocktail photos and I hope you will try the Sensation Cocktail this Spring/Summer. As always, I would love to hear from you, so chime in on the comments below. Either about the cocktail or these sensational kittens! xo

Aloe Cucumber Cooler

April 10, 2018 by Natalie Leave a Comment

I’m so happy to be teaming up with Tadin Tea for this next post. Tea is something I’ve always incorporated into my recipe developing at home and behind the bar. This Aloe Cucumber Cooler is so refreshing and the perfect cocktail for the warm months ahead.

Usually, when I use tea in cocktails I gravitate towards the more floral and fruity teas. The selection of teas Tadin has available was so impressive. Tadin has been creating unique tea blends since 1982 that are all naturally good for you. Immediately I knew I wanted to use the aloe vera cactus tea in a cocktail. Drinking aloe has numerous health benefits such as extra hydration, aids in liver function, healthy skin, and digestion. I guess healthy cocktails are kind of my thing lately. 😉

Aloe Cucumber Cooler, serves 1

2 oz. Hendrick’s gin

1 oz. aloe vera juice

1/2 oz. lime juice

3/4 oz. tea syrup (using Tadin aloe vera with cactus tea)

cucumber slices and mint, for muddling

top with club soda

cucumber ribbons and mint sprigs for garnish

Making tea syrup is so easy and such a great way to add extra flavor to your drinks and simple syrup. First, brew the tea. I used 3 tea bags in 1 cup of boiling water. Let steep for 5 minutes and then discard the tea bags. While the tea is still hot, add the same amount of sugar to make a 1:1 tea simple syrup.

Regarding the aloe juice, I bought mine packaged. I wanted to juice it fresh but the day I was looking for it, of course, it was nowhere to be found. I’ve linked to the one I used above. If you can find that brand I suggest using it. It is 99.8% aloe. Make sure whatever aloe juice you’re buying has no added sugars, is made from 100% pure aloe, and is made from the inner gel fillet. So many of the aloe drinks on the market are flavored and have lots of additives and sugar.

Now you can build your cocktail. Add aloe vera juice, lime juice, tea syrup, cucumber, and mint to a cocktail shaker and muddle lightly. Next, add your gin then shake with ice and strain into a highball glass. Top with soda and garnish with a cucumber ribbon and mint sprig. To make cucumber ribbons I used a mandolin slicer.

This Aloe Cucumber Cooler turned out way better than I anticipated. It’s:

Cold

Refreshing

Fizzy

Earthy

Herbal

Hydrating

I was a little nervous how well the tea and actual aloe juice would work in a cocktail but the results are amazing. The tea is super herbal and earthy which goes so well with muddled mint and cucumber. Also, I decided to use Hendrick’s gin to add extra cucumber and floral notes to this drink. Feel free to use any gin or even vodka if that’s your preference. I will certainly be consuming a lot of these this Summer. Can we hydrate our livers and drink at the same time? I’m not sure but it’s worth a shot!

Also, make sure you head over to Instagram to enter the giveaway I’m hosting with Tadin Teas. One lucky winner will win Tadin Teas entire collection. That’s 33 different teas! I’d love to see you mix up your own Tadin Teas cocktails at home. Good luck everyone!

Blood Orange Negroni Tartlets

February 5, 2018 by Natalie Leave a Comment

Until February 14th everything will be Valentine’s Day themed because in my house we are not anti-Valentine’s Day! Any day about love, sweets, and pink is A-OK in my book. I’m celebrating this year with these Blood Orange Negroni Tartlets. Also, who doesn’t love a Negroni? Blood oranges? No. One.

I found an easy recipe for grapefruit tartlets on Pinterest from Sugar Coated Inspiration. So I adapted her recipe to make these Blood Orange Negroni Tartlets. These tarts are sweet, slightly tangy from the blood orange, bitter from the Campari, and have a natural dark pink hue from the Campari, sweet vermouth, and blood orange juice. Did I mention just a tad boozy too? You know much much I love taking my favorite classic cocktails and turning them into sweets!

Blood Orange Negroni Tartlets, makes 4 mini tarts

For the blood orange negroni curd:

1 1/2 cups blood orange juice

3/4 cup honey

3 tbsp. cornstarch

3 egg yolks, whisked

5 tbsp. butter

1 tbsp. gin

1 tbsp. sweet vermouth

1 tbsp. Campari

For the crust:

2 sleeves of your preferred cookie for making the crusts (I used Milk & Honey tea cookies from Trader Joe’s)

6 tbsp. butter, melted

Start by making the crust. Pulse the cookies in a food processor or blender until they are fine crumbs. Then add the melted butter and stir the mixture until it resembles wet sand. Press and pack the mixture tightly into the bottom and sides of four mini tart pans. Bake the crusts at 350°F for 10 minutes or until they are a golden brown.

As the crusts cool, make the blood orange curd. Whisk your egg yolks in a bowl and set aside. In a saucepan whisk together the honey, cornstarch, and blood orange juice on medium heat until the mixture is thickened and slightly bubbly. Very slowly, stream in half of the hot blood orange mixture into the whisked egg yolks, whisking quickly, to temper the eggs. Return the egg mixture to the saucepan and cook for two minutes, stirring constantly, until the curd thickens. Remove the blood orange curd from the heat and whisk in the butter, one tablespoon at a time, until melted. Add a tablespoon each of gin, sweet vermouth, and Campari and stir until incorporated.

Fill the tartlet crusts up to the top with warm blood orange negroni curd and chill in the fridge until set. Once set, garnish them with edible flowers. Enjoy your special Valentine’s Day treats!

These Blood Orange Negroni Tartlets exceeded my expectations. They are so delicious and on top of that were quite simple to make. I had never made curd before and it was such a breeze I can’t wait to experiment and make other flavors. The best part about the curd was there was some left over. You can make a larger batch of crust and use the rest of the curd to make two more tartlets or you can store it in a jar. I’ve been spreading my leftover blood orange negroni curd on toast and it is the best! I really hope you decide to make these because they are currently my favorite dessert to date. As always if you decide to please let me know how they turn out in the comments below. I can’t wait to make another batch of these! xo

Easy 3 Ingredient Cranberry Gimlet

December 1, 2017 by Natalie 1 Comment

The best part about Thanksgiving I think is the leftovers. Pilgrim sandwiches, tiny feasts, pie for breakfast, and post-holiday cocktails. For the third Thanksgiving in a row, I’ve made my Cranberry Harvest Punch and it’s always a hit! I had leftover cranberry spiced syrup so I made this Easy 3 Ingredient Cranberry Gimlet.

I love using cranberries in cooking, baking, and cocktails during the holiday season. Cranberries have such a short season that I usually freeze a few bags to last me the rest of the winter. After December it’s really hard to find fresh ones. You can consider this a warning. You’re welcome!

Cranberry Gimlet, serves 1

2 oz. gin
1 oz. lime juice
3/4 oz. spiced cranberry syrup (recipe here)

After making your syrup let it cool completely. Add all your ingredients to a cocktail shaker with ice and shake. Strain into your desired serving vessel. Usually, a gimlet is served up in a coupe glass but you can serve it on ice in a double rocks glass as well. I used these festive carnival punch glasses from my punch set. Garnish with fresh cranberries, rosemary, lime wheel, and a cinnamon stick. I’m a big fan of the elaborate garnish!

The cranberry syrup is super easy to make and tastes amazing! I love using it in replacement of simple syrup like I did here with this Easy 3 Ingredient Cranberry Gimlet. You can also use it in a daiquiri, tom collins, or any other classic cocktail that calls for simple syrup. This means the possibilities are endless! Also, if you have any leftover cranberry sauce please feel free to add a barspoon. I love adding jam or preserves to cocktails to add flavor and texture.

You can make this Easy 3 Ingredient Cranberry Gimlet to order or batch it if you’re having company. I love easy recipes that double as large format drinks for the holidays. Just multiply the recipe by the number of drinks you want to make and serve it in a punch bowl or pitcher with some ice. Easy peasy lime squeezy.

Rosemary Gin and Tonics with Infused Ice

November 20, 2017 by Natalie Leave a Comment

Hey there everyone! I’ve been working my little behind off and I’m getting ready to host my first Thanksgiving. Let’s talk about STRESSED. Luckily I’ve teamed up with Zevia to bring you some cocktail recipes with their non-alcoholic mixers. First up are these Rosemary Gin and Tonics with Infused Ice.

Zevia is a line of zero calorie, refreshing and delicious beverages. Zevia is sweetened with the plant-based sweetener stevia, which means no artificial sweeteners, and no sugar. It is also Non-GMO Project Verified, gluten-free, Kosher, vegan and free of caramel color. Zevias mixers are simple, delicious, and the perfect compliment to any cocktail. I wanted to make something that was no fuss because that equals no stress! These Rosemary Gin & Tonics with infused ice are the perfect answer to easy entertaining this Thanksgiving.

Rosemary Gin and Tonic

2 oz. rosemary infused gin

1 can of Zevia tonic water

rosemary and cranberry infused ice cubes

Infusing the gin is easy. Simply add your desired amount of gin to a container with a few sprigs of rosemary. Infuse for 1 hour or until the desired level of taste is achieved.

To make your ice cubes add cranberries and rosemary to a large ice cube tray and fill with filtered water. Freeze for 5-6 hours but overnight is always best.

To make your cocktail place your infused ice in a glass, pour the gin and then add Zevia tonic water.

I love using infused ice in drinks. It’s a really simple detail that will certainly wow your guests. The great part about infusing ice is that you can make a bunch ahead and simply pop them out of the freezer when needed. Same thing goes for infusing the gin. Infuse as much as you need in advance and you have a delicious 2 ingredient cocktail with the most beautiful garnish. Easy peasy. There’s so much to do when you’re entertaining so I hope these Rosemary Gin and Tonics with Infused Ice will take a little work out of making cocktails. Happy Thanksgiving everyone!

Elderflower Concord Grape Cocktail

October 13, 2017 by Natalie 1 Comment

Concord grapes are a true sign of fall. With thick, sour skins and a luscious, sweet interior, they’re harvested in September through late October. When I see them at the market I know exactly what I’m making — an Enzoni! If you’re not familiar with this drink it is a citrusy and fruity Negroni variation invented by Vincenzo Errico of Milk and Honey in NYC c. 2003. You can use any grape but my favorite is the Concord due to its rich flavor and vibrant hue. I’ve replaced the sugar with elderflower liqueur for a slightly more floral take for this Elderflower Concord Grape Cocktail….

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.

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!

Negroni Mini Cupcakes

June 8, 2017 by Natalie Leave a Comment

As Negroni Week continues, I thought I’d bring you another tasty treat. This time in cupcake form! I deconstructed the classic Negroni and made gin and sweet vermouth cupcakes with a Campari buttercream. I really have tons of fun thinking of ways I can turn cocktails into sweets and so far I’ve been pretty successful. They aren’t too complicated to make and if you’ve already been mixing up this cocktail at home, you’re halfway there with having all the ingredients. If you are anything like me, I usually have a full pantry, so I didn’t have to run out for much to whip these up just in time for hump day!…

Frozen Strawberry Negroni

June 4, 2017 by Natalie 2 Comments

The negroni is by far one of my favorite classic cocktails. It doesnt hurt that it's super easy to make as well (equal parts gin:sweet vermouth:campari). This coming week is Negroni Week, which is presented by Imbibe Magazine and Campari in efforts to raise money for charities around the world. There are so many variations on this drink but one that sticks out to me the most is by a co-worker of mine, and it's the bicycle thief. This is a collins spin on the negroni, excluding the vermouth and adding grapefruit, lemon, simple and topping it with club soda. It still fits the bill – bitter, sweet, and herbal. So I took it a step further and threw it in a blender. Because why not? I also added strawberries because they're in season which compliment the campari and gin perfectly.

Frozen Strawberry Negroni, serves 1

1 oz. Gin

1 oz. Campari

1 oz. Grapefruit Juice

1/2 oz. Lemon Juice

3/4 oz. Simple or Demerara Syrup

3 strawberries

Add all your ingredients to your blender pitcher, add ice, and blend on smoothie setting. Pour into desired glassware and garnish with an orange wedge and whole strawberry.

This strawberry negroni was really delicious and easy to make. I always wonder why people are so afraid of blenders? They totally take the work out of making cocktails. You can make yourself a negroni at home or your favorite variation but don’t forget to go out to your local bars and support them for Negroni Week! Participating bars donate a portion of their negroni sales to charity. The only thing better about drinking is drinking with a cause! You can find bars near you participating here. Happy Negroni Week everyone!