Mixology Monday: Ginger Slush

It's no secret that I'm a fan of anything flavored with ginger. I simply can't get enough of the stuff. That's why this summer cocktail Bon Appetit magazine is so delicious. It doesn't have a name, but it can best be described as a frozen, boozy, peach ginger slushy.

Here's what you'll need (serves 2):

• 2 cups of ice
• 3 cups of sliced, peeled peaches
• 2 tbsp. finely grated ginger
• 6 oz. bourbon
• 3 oz. simple syrup 
• 2 oz. fresh lemon juice

Mix together in a blender until a slush forms.

Mixology Monday: Bulleit Bourbon Lemonade

Happy Monday, everyone! I hope you all had a fantastic weekend. It was a low-key couple of days for us. We took a trip to the petting zoo and the grocery store and lounged around in the sun the rest of the time. (Yes, Seattle is actually sunny and warm... for about 4 months out of the year, anyway.)

Last night I decided to experiment with leftovers from our Memorial Day barbeque. I took some Bulleit bourbon and combined it with some other yummy things and the result was absolutely worthy of a Mixology Monday share. Enjoy!

Bulleit Bourbon Lemonade

2 oz. Bulleit bourbon
1 oz. Cointreau
4 oz. lemonade
2 oz. of ginger ale (or ginger beer if you prefer a bite!)

Combine ingredients in shaker with ice. Shake for 30 seconds. Strain into a lowball glass filled with ice. Add floater of ginger ale or ginger beer on top to taste.

Mixology Monday: Basil Blush Cocktail

Summer is just around the corner which means rosé wines will start popping up on menus all over the place. Personally, I drink rosé wine no matter what time of the year, but it's typically reserved for warmer weather. In preparation for upcoming warm days and nights, here's a fun little cocktail to keep in mind for yourself or for entertaining.

You will need:

• 2-3 fresh basil leaves
• 1 lemon wedge
• 1 oz. citrus vodka
• 5 oz. rosé wine
• Simple syrup to taste
• Ice cubes

Muddle basil and lemon in a glass. Fill glass with ice then add wine and vodka. Use a swizzle stick to stir, adding the simple syrup as needed. For added flair, garnish with a lemon wedge or a basil leaf...or both!

(Hat tip: She Knows)

Mixology Monday: The Violet & Gold

The hubby and I were lucky enough to enjoy a romantic sushi dinner the other night while the boys stayed at home with their grandparents. It was wonderful! I ordered a cocktail called Violet & Gold and it was so unexpectedly yummy that I've tried to replicate it at home.

Here's how I think it's made:

• 2 oz. bourbon (Bulleit is best, I think)
• 1 oz. Creme de Violette
• 1 Tbsp. lavender-infused honey*
• Lemon twist

Place all ingredients except for the lemon twist into a shaker with ice. Shake for 30 seconds. Strain into a cocktail glass. Drop in the lemon twist and gently swirl. Add remaining ice.

*In place of lavender honey (it's hard to find in your average grocery store), a simple syrup works just as well. Add equal parts water and white sugar to a sauce pot on medium heat - 1/4 cup each should do it. Bring to a boil, remove from heat, add fresh lavender, and let stand for a minute. Then strain mixture over a jar or bowl to remove lavender bits.

Mixology Monday: The Blarney Stone

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

In previous years, I would've been lined up at the pub by now with my friends and family, eagerly waiting to celebrate together. (Because nothing says "togetherness" like having a pint at 8am, right?)

Well, that sort of fun and chaos is not on the docket this year for me, I'm afraid. But if you're among the young and carefree who will be happily imbibing today with the masses, why not try something other than a Guinness? How about a Blarney Stone? It's a blend of Irish whiskey, lime juice and ginger beer. Sounds good, doesn't it?

The Blarney Stone:

2 oz. Irish whiskey
1 oz. lime juice
Ginger beer
Lime twist (a strip of the lime rind)

Add the whiskey and lime juice in a shaker. Shake for 15-30 seconds. Strain into a glass, top with a float of ginger beer, and garnish with the lime twist.

Mixology Monday: Key Lime Delight

Here's a fun dessert-inspired cocktail that's sure to please anyone with a sweet tooth. It's called Key Lime Delight and it contains a whipped cream vodka that appears to be quickly gaining popularity among the lady folk. Cheers to Mondays!

Photo courtesy of Smirnoff.com

Key Lime Delight:

1.5 oz. Smirnoff Whipped Cream vodka
0.75 oz simple syrup
3 dashes of orange bitters
A squeeze or two from a fresh lime
Ginger ale

Mix the first four ingredients in a shaker with ice. Shake for 30 seconds. Strain into a glass and top with a float of ginger ale.

Mixology Monday: Kahlua Candy Bar

I've had a major sweet tooth lately so this edition of Mixology Monday sounds especially delicious. This tasty beverage is called a Kahlua Candy Bar and here's what's in it:

1 oz. Kahlua liqueur
1 oz. heavy cream
1/2 oz. creme de cacao
1/2 oz. Frangelico hazelnut liqueur

Mixology Monday: The Truffle

With Seattle winning the Super Bowl (yay!),  it seems fitting to feature a coffee-flavored drink in this edition of Mixology Monday. This one comes from Cosmopolitan magazine from a few years back, and features Frangelico, vodka, and espresso. Smooth, but sweet, with just enough caffeine to wake you up. Cheers!

The Truffle:

1 oz. Frangelico
1. oz Vodka
3/4 oz. cold espresso

Mixology Monday: Sage Brown Derby

Hello all! I hope you had a fantastic weekend and you're ready to start your week off with a bang. But if you're not, I may have just the thing you need. Now that I've got the mommy thing mostly under more control, I'm bringing back Mixology Mondays. Hooray!

So if you have a case of the Mondays, today's little pick-me-up may be just what you need to relax, recharge, and get your creative juices pumping tonight. It's called a Sage Brown Derby, it features grapefruit juice, and it's fabulous. There's just something about the scent of citrus this time of year that gets me out of my January blues and into better spirits.

Sage Brown Derby (courtesy of this month's Bon Appetite magazine)

2 oz. rye whiskey
1 oz. Ruby Red grapefruit juice
1/2 oz. lime juice
1/4 oz. agave or simple syrup
2 dashes of bitters

Combine in a shaker with ice. Shake for 30 seconds. Strain into a glass. Squeeze one sage leaf between your hands until your palms become fragrant. Float atop your cocktail and enjoy!

Mixology Monday: Fizzing Lifting Drinks

Girli Chef has this fun recipe for making carbonated drinks inspired by the book Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. The recipe itself is simple enough (sugar, water, club soda and a blood orange), but what makes this drink so fun is that you can make it with any squeezable fruit (oranges, lemons, limes, pineapples, cherries, etc.) and you can add a little alcohol for added fun. I'd suggest flavored vodka or light rum. It looks so refreshing!

Happy New Year!

Happy 2013 everyone!

We'll be staying home and doing what we usually do on New Year's Day: building puzzles in our pajamas and sharing snacks and cocktails. This year, this ginger champagne cocktail from Martha Stewart is on our to-do list. Doesn't it sound delicious?  How will you be celebrating the first day of the new year?

Ginger Sparkler

2 teaspoons of peeled, finely grated ginger
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup of water
1 bottle of Prosecco or Champagne

In a small saucepan, boil the ginger, sugar and 1/4 cup of water until syrupy (or for 2 minutes). Pour contents through a sieve over a small bowl. Discard solids.

Pour 1 tablespoon of syrup into a glass and fill with champagne. Gently stir then serve. Cheers!

Mixology Monday: Berry & Pear Christmas Cocktail

Happy Monday! If you're reading this, the hubby and I are in St. Louis for the rest of the week visiting his family. I'll be taking a little blogging break until we return. In the meantime, here's some inspiration for making a festive Christmas cocktail (hat tip: She Knows). Cheers and Merry Christmas!

Berry & Pear Martini

3 oz. pear vodka
1.5 oz cranberry juice
1.5 oz blackberry brandy
Juice of 1/2 a lemon
Simple syrup to taste
Sliced pear for garnish

The Berry and Pear Christmas Cocktail from She Knows. 

Mixology Monday: White Chocolate Eggnog Cocktail

It's Monday, which I generally dislike, and I got laid off from my job.  I've been laid off from work before, but somehow having it happen during the holidays makes it worse. Still, I'm optimistic that a new, amazing opportunity will come along soon. It helps that I get several weeks of severance pay as well. For that, I feel blessed!

To mark my unemployment, the hubby and I will be having a cozy, romantic dinner at home tonight and given my love for eggnog, I thought I might try a new cocktail recipe to go along with it. Doesn't this White Chocolate Eggnog drink from Day Dreamer Desserts look delicious?  They had me at eggnog, but the white chocolate liqueur makes it doubly drool-worthy. Yum!

Mixology Monday: Cranberry Cocktail

Happy Monday, readers! I'm back after a week of celebrations that included my 31st birthday,  Thanksgiving (I'm still stuffed!) and a few impromptu gatherings with neighbors and friends.  Needless to say, I'm filled with a lot of holiday cheer going into a Monday. That's gotta be a good thing, right?

So let's get back to it, shall we?  If you love cranberry, you'll love this cocktail from Meyers Styles. You can adjust the quantities as needed, but here's a good place to start:

• 2 oz. vodka
• 1 oz. peach schnapps
• 3 oz. Cranberry juice
• A dash of fresh lime juice
• Fresh mint or cranberries for garnish 

Mixology Monday: Cider, Cinnamon, and Whiskey

Good morning, readers! Hope you all had a fantastic weekend. We were quite lazy yesterday.  We slept in, watched a bad movie, caught up on laundry. It was just what I needed to recharge my batteries in preparation for this week.

While relaxing on Saturday, I made a drink that my dad mixed for me a few weeks ago at his housewarming party.  The drink has a horrible, NSFW name so I'll leave that out of this post, but if you like hard cider, cinnamon and whiskey, you'll love this one. It's 3/4 cup of hard apple cider and a shot of cinnamon-flavored whiskey. Easy enough, right? The result is something that resembles a small glass of pilsner, but it packs a spicy punch.

Cheers!

Photo courtesy of Tastefully Julie

Mixology Monday: The Normandy

Happy Monday everyone! After taking a blogging break last week, I'm feeling recharged and ready to get back into the swing of things.

If you like brandy, you'll love today's Mixology Monday.  Enter The Normandy cocktail, made with Calvados, fresh apples, cranberries, sugar and lemon juice.  Can you get any closer to a perfect autumn pick-me-up?

Cheers!

Mixology Monday: Rum Tea

After several weeks of sunshine and heat, it's finally starting to feel like fall here in Seattle. With the cool, rainy weather in the evenings, I've been craving hot tea to help keep me warm.  That's why this rum tea cocktail looks so appealing.  It's an inviting blend of black tea, spiced rum, creme de cacao and honey.  Looks delicious, doesn't it?

Mixology Monday: Mellow Melon Margaritas

After cleaning the house like a mad woman this weekend, I rewarded myself with some downtime, a good book, and a nice stiff drink. It's been awfully hot in Seattle lately so I was looking for something light and refreshing to quench my thirst. Lots of cocktails fit the bill, but I finally settled on a watermelon margarita.

Holy smokes! My margaritas will never again taste the same. The obvious perk for me with this drink was the watermelon, but combined with agave nectar and a little lime, this drink is to die for. It's a delicious little slice of summer.

If you like watermelon, take some time out and enjoy this one before the fall rolls around. You won't be disappointed.

A professional photo courtesy of the HGTV blog. 

...and my finished product. Close enough!

Mixology Monday

I had the pleasure of going to a Fiona Apple concert last week with my friend Sonya. We had some time to kill before the show so we stopped into a cute little Mexican restaurant called The Saint.  

Although most of their drinks feature tequila,  I went off the beaten path and ordered the Old and Nutty. It's made with Old Crow Bourbon, fresh ginger, orange bitters and a healthy sprinkling of nutmeg...and it tastes like heaven. I love that it doesn't have anything too out of the ordinary in it so it can be recreated at home. 

Cheers! 

Mixology Monday: Stout Floats

After working in the yard the other day, I was craving a nice, cold beer. I also wanted something sweet.  Solution? A beer float! I've seen them in restaurants and in magazines lately and they look delicious. The most popular version seems to be combining a stout with salted caramel or vanilla bean ice cream.  There isn't a standard recipe to follow since everyone prefers a different level of sweetness, but if you have ice cream and beer floating around (pun intended), mix 'em together and see what happens. Cheers!