Mocha Tequila →

I was first introduced to Patrón XO Coffee Liqueur while visiting friends on one of the Thousand Islands in the St. Lawrence River. It may have been the beautiful location, the conviviality of the evening, the great food, a few bottles of wine, or all of the above, but I fell in love with the delicious after-dinner drink. When I asked where I could buy it, my friends informed me that Patrón had discontinued making the liqueur, but they had a stash they kept for special occasions. Appreciative, but undeterred, I decided to make my own. After researching several recipes, I decided to make Mocha Tequila using a combination of pure cocoa powder, instant expresso coffee, simple syrup, and pure agave tequila. The results are delicious. Sip it, pour it over desserts, or add it to your favorite coffee martini. *Note: I recently heard Patrón is producing XO Coffee Liqueur again due to the overwhelming popular demand. Power to the People! However, if you like tequila and you’re someone who enjoys making liqueurs, give this recipe a try. I think you’ll be glad you did. Salud!

 MOCHA TEQUILA

Ingredients
· 375 ml. pure Agave Tequila (I used Hornitos)
· 1/2 tablespoon pure cocoa powder like Ghirardelli or Hershey’s
· 1/2 tablespoon Medaglia D’Oro instant espresso powder
· 100 ml. simple syrup made with demerara sugar (1:1 H2O)

 Preparation
1. Combine tequila, cocoa powder, and instant coffee in a sterilized glass container.
2. Let sit for 2 weeks to a month; filter and pour back into the aging container. In the aging container, combine the simple syrup with the tequila, stirring to combine.
3. Let sit for one or two weeks, check for sweetness and add 25 ml. of simple syrup if necessary. Let it sit for another week or two; if you see any sediment in the bottle, decant and strain carefully and then bottle and enjoy.

Raspberry Liqueur (Liquore al Lampone) →

During Prohibition, like many people in the Italian community where she lived, my grandmother made homemade liquors. When she passed on, I inherited a beautiful marquetry box with several flavoring agents she used to make her homemade spirits. When I was young, it was a tradition for my father and me to make wine every season…sweet grape wine, elderberry, or dandelion wines. Now, to keep the family tradition alive, each spring when local fruits come into season, I make a fresh batch of fruit liqueur in their honor. Salute Nonna e Papà! 

RASPBERRY LIQUEUR (LIQUORE AL LAMPONE)
Ingredients
· .75 liter- 100 proof vodka or Everclear grain alcohol (.75 liter = 3 cups)
·   2 cups fresh raspberries broken up or lightly mashed
·   ½ - 1 cup of simple syrup to taste (1:1 sugar to water)

Preparation:
Use a sterilized jar with a tight-fitting lid.
1. Break up or mash the raspberries and place them in a large, sterilized glass jar.
2.  Combine the fruit slurry with half the vodka and shake to mix well.
3.  Close the container and rest in a cool dark place for 3 weeks.
4.  After 3 weeks, strain the raspberry-vodka slurry through a fine sieve, pressing down to express as much juice as possible. Rinse the glass jar to remove any bits of fruit and pour the raspberry-vodka liquid back into the jar.
5.  Make the simple syrup by adding equal amounts of water and sugar; bring to a boil and stir until the sugar has dissolved. Cool to room temperature before using.
6.  Add the remaining vodka and ½ cup of simple syrup (see *Note); shake, seal, and rest for six weeks in a cool dark place.
7.  Strain the liqueur through a double layer of cheesecloth or a non-chlorinated paper coffee filter.
8.  Bottle, using sterilized bottles. Store the liqueur in a cool dark place. Serve chilled. 

*Note: when adding the simple syrup, start with a half cup and taste the liqueur for sweetness. If you want a sweeter liqueur, add an extra ¼ cup of simple syrup at a time until you reach your desired sweetness.

Strawberry Rhubarb Liqueur →

Two wonderful, complementary springtime flavors are sweet, juicy strawberries and tart rhubarb. Sweet and tangy strawberry rhubarb pie for dessert; sweet, tangy, savory strawberry rhubarb compote to accompany grilled meats; strawberry rhubarb jam for morning scones, and how about Strawberry Rhubarb Liqueur for an after-dinner treat? It’s easy to make, beautiful to look at, and delightful to taste with subtle notes of strawberry and rhubarb. The liqueur develops its flavor and complexity over time, so be patient. Your patience will be rewarded. Tchin, tchin!  

Strawberry Rhubarb Liqueur

Ingredients
· .75 liter- 100 proof vodka or Ever-Clear grain alcohol (= 3 cups)
· 1 cup rhubarb pulsed and broken up in a food processor or chopped
·  1 cup strawberries chopped or pulsed and broken up in a food processor.
·  ½ - 1 cup of simple syrup to taste (1:1 sugar to water) 

Preparation:
Use a sterilized jar with a tight-fitting lid.

1. Chop or pulse the rhubarb in a food processor until broken up; repeat with the strawberries and add to the sterilized jar.

2. Combine the fruit slurry with half the vodka and shake to mix well.

3. Close the container and rest in a cool dark place for 3 weeks.

4. Make the simple syrup by adding equal amounts of water and sugar; bring to a boil and stir until the sugar has dissolved. Cool to room temperature before using.

5. After 3 weeks, strain the slurry to remove the pieces of rhubarb and strawberry.

6. Add the remainder of the vodka and the simple syrup to taste; bottle, shake, seal, and rest for six weeks in a cool dark place.

7. Strain the liqueur through a double layer of cheesecloth, or a non-chlorinated paper coffee filter.

8. Bottle, using sterilized bottles. Store the liqueur in a cool dark place. Serve chilled.

Cara Cara Orange Liqueur →

The Cara Cara orange was discovered in Venezuela in 1976. A cousin to the Blood Orange, it is often mistaken as a cross between a grapefruit and a Navel orange. Cara Caras are medium-sized, seedless oranges with red to pink flesh and a pronounced sweet citrus flavor. While the Navel orange is sweet and a bit acidic, the Cara Cara has a more complex sweet, tart flavor with notes of cranberry, blackberry, raspberry, and rose. Not surprisingly this cross between a Washington Navel Orange and a Brazilian Bahia Navel Orange has become widely popular with cooks and chefs. When my wife surprised me with a bag of Cara Caras, the game was necessarily afoot. If you enjoy Limoncello or other homemade fruit liqueurs, you will love this Cara Cara Orange Liqueur. If you can’t find Cara Cara oranges, try Navel oranges, Blood Oranges, or Tangelos. Salute!

Cara Cara Orange Liqueur
Yield: about 4-5 wine bottles

INGREDIENTS
·  10 Cara Cara (or other) oranges: juice and zest
· 6 cups sugar
· 2 cups water
· 1.75 liters vodka (100 proof)

PREPARATION
1.  Sterilize a gallon glass jar with a tight lid by running it through the dishwasher or immersing it in boiling water for 10 minutes.
2.  With a vegetable peeler, remove the peel, not the bitter white pith, from the oranges. Cut the strips of zest into 2-3 inch pieces. Place the zest into the jar.
3.  Juice all the oranges to yield about 4 cups of liquid. Strain the juice through a fine strainer, pressing to remove the pulp and seeds.
4.  In a saucepan, bring the sugar and water to a boil. Add the juice to the sugar syrup in a steady stream, stirring continually. Bring the flavored syrup back to a boil, then pour into the jar.
5.  Allow the mixture to cool completely, then pour in the vodka. Shake the jar well to mix, cover tightly and store it in a cool dark place like the back corner of a closet or your basement. After one month, strain the liquid using multiple layers of cheesecloth. Pour the liqueur into sterilized bottles with caps or corks. It will be ready to sample then but will become even more flavorful after it ages for another month. Be patient and you will be rewarded! Salute!
6.  Serve chilled.

Adapted from a recipe by Cathy Barrow: https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/12370-cara-cara-citrus-liqueur

The Very Wet, Hot and Dirty Martini →

According to popular mixology lore, the modern Dry Martini (popularized by Ian Flemming’s James Bond series, or the drink of choice for a Wall Street business lunch in the television series Mad Men) began to replace the original version of the Martini sometime in the early 1900’s. Created first in Martinez, California in the late 1800’s, the original Martini pour was a 2:1 ratio of gin to dry vermouth. Sometime after the 1920’s, in response to more refined distilling processes, the proportion of gin to vermouth increased and the martini became “drier”. Today’s Dry Martini highlights the wide variety of refined gins that are available on the market and accordingly, the ratio of gin to vermouth has increased to 5 or 8:1 gin to dry vermouth, and among some Martini aficionados, simply opening a bottle of vermouth near your Martini provides the perfect balance of gin to vermouth. Not surprisingly, now the original Martini is called a Wet Martini. The Very Wet Hot and Dirty Martini is actually more a 50/50 Martini (1:1) that serves the purpose of a delicious aperitif highlighting the juniper and botanical notes of gin, balanced with an equal pour of a quality dry vermouth, made “dirty” with a few drops of savory brine of olives or capers and spicy heat from bottled peperoncini peppers, garnished with one or two olives of your choice to arouse the taste buds and prepare your guests for the meal to follow. Cheers!

Ingredients:
1 serving

après-martini

• 1.5 ounces good quality gin like Beefeater, Fords, Bombay Saphire, or Tanqueray

• 1.5 ounces good quality dry vermouth like Dolin, Noilly Pratt, Carpano

• 1-2 teaspoons olive or caper brine (to taste)

• 1 teaspoon brine from bottled peperoncini peppers

• 2-3 drops of fresh lemon juice

Method:
In a bartender shaker or tall glass, combine the ingredients with a few ice cubes. Stir to chill. You don’t have to shake it which will water down your wonderful Very Wet, Hot, and Dirty Martini. Garnish with Stuffed Queen Olives or a twist of lemon peel.

https://www.masterclass.com/articles/a-guide-to-martinis
https://www.diffordsguide.com/g/1121/martini/martini-history

Vieux Carré Cocktail →

New Orleans in a glass, the Vieux Carré is another classic cocktail from the “Big Easy” otherwise known as “The Paris of the South”. The name translates from French as “old square” referring to the original old town, now better known as the French Quarter. Comprised of Brandy and Benedictine from France, Sweet Vermouth from Italy, and American Rye Whiskey, the Vieux Carré embodies the Cajun/Creole spirit of New Orleans: sweet, smooth, bitter, and boozy. It goes down easy, straight up, or on the rocks. Benedictine, a key ingredient, is a complex French digestif liqueur made from herbs and warm spices with a sweetness contributed by honey. If you can’t find Benedictine, you can substitute Dom B & B which is a 60/40% blend of Benedictine and Brandy. The International Bar Association calls for 30 ml. each of Rye, Brandy, and Sweet Vermouth; a bar spoon of Benedictine, and 2 dashes of Peychaud Bitters, served chilled straight up. As with many traditional recipes chefs and bartenders create their own variations of the original recipe. This recipe is formulated for the home bartender using simple measures and adjusting the recipe to use more easily found and more useful to the home liquor cabinet Dom B & B instead of straight Dom Benedictine. If you are a perfectionist-traditionalist bartender go with the original IBA recipe, otherwise, the recipe here is an easy, excellent addition to your home cocktail repertoire. Santé!

Vieux Carré Cocktail
Serves one

Ingredients:
1 ounce Rye Whiskey
1 ounce Sweet Vermouth
3/4 ounce Brandy or Cognac
½ ounce Dom B & B
2 dashes Peychaud Bitters
1 dash Angostura Aromatic Bitters (optional)

Mix the ingredients with a few ice cubes. Stir to chill and strain into a bar glass or your choice; garnish with a maraschino cherry or a twist of lemon or orange peel and enjoy.

Lemonade →

I’ll say it again and again, I love anything lemon! Here’s an easy recipe for delicious homemade Lemonade.

Lemonade
Yield 1 ½ -2 quarts

INGREDIENTS
These are the basic proportions of lemon juice to water and sugar for classic lemonade. You can adjust these proportions to suit your own taste.

• 1 cup of lemon juice (about 8 to 10 large lemons)

• 1 cup granulated sugar

• 1 1/2 quarts water (6 cups)

PREPARATION

1. In a small saucepan over medium heat, make a simple syrup by mixing 1 cup of water and 1 cup of granulated sugar stirring until the sugar is dissolved. Remove from the heat and set aside.

2. While the simple syrup is cooling, cut the lemons in half; juice them with your juicer of choice and strain the juice.

3. Mix the juice with the remaining 5 cups of water and the simple syrup.

4. Adjust the sweetness/tartness to your own taste.

5. Chill in the fridge for an hour before serving.

Mojito →

You don’t have to be a professional bartender to make a good Mojito. After all, the drink originated in Cuba with agricultural field workers...probably those cutting sugar cane. Rumored to be a favorite of Ernest Hemingway, the Mojito is the perfect cool and refreshing summer drink...a glass filled with ice, lime juice, mint, sugar, and rum. Because the Cuban field workers probably used sugar cane juice, Mojito recipes frequently call for using simple syrup (1:1 granulated sugar and water). Since I don’t have access to sugar cane juice, I prefer to use finely ground raw sugar in place of simple syrup. If you don’t want to bother making simple syrup, finely ground raw sugar, or a simple syrup of raw sugar and water makes a good substitute for traditional simple syrup.

Another difference is the kind of mint to use. Cuban mint (Yerba buena) is the traditional mint used in Cuba, however, Spearmint is commonly substituted. You can also use Peppermint, but if you do, use less due to the intense flavor of the leaves. I used Peppermint from my garden for this recipe, so if you use Spearmint, or are lucky enough to have access to Yerba buena, you may want to add a few more leaves. A traditional Mojito is commonly served with crushed ice. In an effort to make this recipe more accessible without sacrificing flavor, I used ice cubes and stirred the final product lightly to chill before adding the garnish. Some bartenders prefer to “slap” the mint a few times between their palms to release the aromatic oils claiming you don’t have to worry about bits and pieces of muddled mint sticking between your teeth. Like any recipe, this drink recipe provides a starting point for you to develop the drink to your own tastes. Don’t be afraid to experiment and alter and make it your own! Salud!

Mojito
Makes 1 drink

INGREDIENTS

• 1 tablespoon finely ground raw sugar (Sugar in the Raw)

• 4 Peppermint leaves, plus more for garnish, or 6-8 Spearmint leaves.

• 2 ounces white rum

• 1/2 medium lime plus more juice to taste

• Club soda (for serving)

PREPARATION

1. In a bartender mixing glass (or Pyrex measuring cup), add the sugar, mint leaves, 1/2 lime, and muddle. If you don't have a muddler, squeeze the juice from the lime into your mixing cup with the mint and sugar. Throw in the squeezed lime and using the handle of a wooden spoon, press the lime into the mint and sugar. The idea is to release the aromatic oils from the mint leave and lime zest. Press the lime into the mint about four times to release the oils. If you muddle the mint too much your drink will be bitter.

2. Add the rum and swirl the glass around to mix the flavors and dissolve the sugar. Fill a tall glass (Tom Collins glass) 3/4 full with ice. Using a Hawthorne strainer or other fine strainer, strain the mint-lime-sugar-rum mixture over the ice. Add about two ounces of club soda and mix. (I like to use lime-flavored club soda.)

3. Taste, and add more lime juice if desired. Garnish with mint leave and a slice of lime.

Orange Whisper Cocktail →

Basically a 50/50 martini with a hint of orange. A refreshing alternative to the classic martini. Serve well chilled. Tchin! Tchin!

ORANGE WHISPER COCKTAIL
Yield 1 cocktail

INGREDIENTS

• 1 1/2 ounces Bombay gin

• 1 1/2 ounces Dolin Dry vermouth

• 3/4 ounce Dry Curaçao

• 2 dashes Orange Bitters

• Garnish: orange twist

  PREPARATION
  Add the ingredients to a shaker and stir or shake until well chilled. Strain into a coupe glass. Garnish with an orange twist. Enjoy!

Lemon Ginger Martini →

The inspiration for this drink comes from a recipe for a ginger kaffir lime granita. The combination of flavors sounded so appealing, I decided to make it into a refreshing summer drink. Tchin-tchin!

Lemon Ginger Martini
1 serving

Ingredients:
2 ounces vodka
1 ounce fresh lemon juice
1 ounce ginger kaffir lime simple syrup (recipe below)

Mix the ingredients with a cup of ice in a shaker. Shake well. Enjoy!

Ginger Kaffir Lime Simple Syrup
Yield 1 cup of simple syrup

• 1 scant cup of water

• 1 cup granulated sugar

• 6 fresh kaffir lime leaves (or 3 teaspoons of finely grated lime zest)

• 4 fresh mint leaves

• 1 ½ inch piece of fresh ginger, peeled, finely grated

Combine the water, sugar, kaffir lime leaves, mint, and ginger in a small saucepan over medium-high heat. Cook, stirring, for 5 minutes or until sugar dissolves. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer, without stirring, for 2 minutes. Cover and set aside for 30 minutes to steep and cool.

Strain through a fine-mesh strainer. Will keep refrigerated in a tightly closed glass bottle for 2 weeks.

Perfect Walnut Manhattan →

The Perfect Walnut Manhattan is proof that variety is the spice of life that makes our lives more enjoyable. A combination of bourbon or rye whiskey, walnut infused liqueur, sweet and dry vermouth, and a few drops of Angostura bitters produces a complex spirit forward drink that takes the traditional Manhattan cocktail down south to the land of black walnut trees and bourbon. The practice of making fruit, botanical, and nut infused liqueurs dates back to the dawn of mankind and probably came about accidentally when someone sipped some water with fermenting fruit in it and got a buzz on. After that the variations of fermented drinks were only limited by human curiosity and ingenuity. Italy has a particularly rich tradition of producing citrusy fruit liqueurs like Limoncello and Aperol, bitter botanical Amaros, and nut flavored liquors like Disaronno, Frangelico, Amaretto, and black walnut flavored Nocino. Walnut liqueur probably came to Italy during the time of the Roman occupation of the British Isles. The ancient Pict culture of north-eastern Scotland made a fermented drink of macerated walnuts they believed allowed them to commune with the spirits of the natural world. Over time, as the Picts were converted to Christianity, the practice of making walnut liqueur in the mid-summer when walnut trees were full of fruit became associated with the rituals of St. John’s Feast Day on June 24, not coincidentally the day when the Picts traditionally harvested their walnuts. Whether you’re a Christian or pagan, raise a glass to the ancient tradition of mixology in all its alchemical expressions. Cheers!

Perfect Walnut Manhattan
one serving
Ingredients

• 2 ounces of Bourbon or Rye whiskey of your choice

• 1 ounce Nocino (or Nocello if you can’t find Nocino)

• .5 ounce dry vermouth

• .5 ounce sweet vermouth

• 2 or 3 dashes of Angostura bitters

Add the ingredients to a few ice cubes in a mixing glass or shaker. Stir until well chilled and strain into a cocktail glass. Garnish with a walnut half or a brandied cherry

Sidecar →

Photo: c. foodblogchef 2021

Within cocktail culture, the classic recipes more often than not have a story about the origen of the drink. The classic Sidecar is no exception. Invented some time around World War 1, two bars (a French and an English) claim to have created the drink for a customer who arrived in the sidecar of a motorcycle. Another version refers to serving the drink in a coupe glass with the remains from the shaker served in a shot glass as the “sidecar” (kind of a sophisticated European version of the “Shot and a Beer”). The original recipe for the Sidecar called for equal parts cognac, Cointreau, and lemon juice (1:1:1). Today, depending on the recipe you’re looking at, the Sidecar calls for cognac or brandy, orange liqueur, and lemon juice. The proportions have also changed reducing the proportion of orange liqueur and lemon juice (2:1:1/2). I come down on the side of a slightly less acidic version with a more pronounced orange note (2:2:1/2). You should experiment and decide your proportions for your own Sidecar. Tchin! Tchin!

Sidecar Cocktail
1 drink and a “sidecar”

Ingredients:

• 1 ½ ounces cognac or brandy

• 1 ½ ounces orange liqueur (Cointreau, Gran Marinier, Triple Sec)

• ¾ ounce lemon juice.

• granulated sugar for the rim of the glass

Combine the first three ingredients in a shaker with ice. Shake and strain into a cocktail glass (eg. coupe or small martini glass) rimmed with sugar. If you opt for a more acidic version of the Sidecar, the sugared rim helps to balance each sip. You decide for yourself.

https://www.liquor.com/recipes/sidecar/
The Art of the Cocktail: Philip Collins, Chroniclebooks LLC; 1944

Drunk Uncle →

Think of this drink as a cousin of the classic Negroni...spirits forward with balanced sweet and bitter notes. Instead of gin, it calls for a light peaty Scotch from Islay; instead of Campari or Aperol for the bitter note, this drink uses Cynar amaro, a bitter-sweet Italian aperitif made with several herbs including artichoke. Instead of the sweet Vermouth used in a Negroni, the Drunk Uncle relies on a good quality Vermouth bianco. The result is a smoky, rich, bitter drink with a subtle sweet note. Enjoy this unusually satisfying drink on cool, chilly nights, but beware how many you sip lest you begin to behave like the ole sod the drink is named after. Slainte!

Drunk Uncle
Serves 1
Ingredients:
- 1 ¾ ounce peaty Islay Scotch (eg. Bowmore, Laphroaig)
- ¾ ounce Cynar
- ¾ ounce Vermouth bianco

Add the ingredients to a shaker or tall mixing glass along with some ice. Stir for a few moments to chill, but not dilute the spirits. Strain into a coup, or serve on the rocks with a grapefruit or orange twist.

Note: if you don’t like peaty Scotch, try a Speyside or blended Scotch.
https://www.liquor.com/recipes/drunk-uncle/

Americano →

Photo: c. foodblogchef 2021

AMERICANO
Yield: 1 drink

Ingredients:
1 ½ ounce Campari (sub Aperol for an “Aperol Americano”)
1 ½ ounce Sweet Vermouth
club soda
dash of Orange Bitters (optional)
orange twist

Preparation:
Fill a tall glass with ice, add the Campari and Vermouth, top with club soda, stir, and garnish with an orange twist.

First served in the mid-1800’s at Gaspare Campari’s bar in Milan, Italy, the Americano is said to be the older cousin of the Negroni. Built around equal parts Campari and Sweet Vermouth with club soda, this drink falls into the category of herbaceous, light drinks designed to whet the appetite called “aperitivo” in Italy, or “apéritif” in France. It is said “aperitivo culture”, the daily ritual of stopping at the local cafe after work to unwind and visit with friends over a mild drink and a snack before dinner, is as deeply ingrained in Italy as the Catholic Church and Soccer. If you are not fond of the bitterness of Campari, you can substitute an equivalent measure of Aperol and enjoy an Aperol Americano. Two bits of mixology pop-culture trivia: before Ian Flemming’s James Bond popularized martinis (“shaken not stirred”) and the “Vesper”, the “Americano” was his drink of choice first appearing in the book “Casino Royale” in 1953; secondly, it is thought the drink’s name became formalized during Prohibition when Americans flocked to Europe in search of good drinks and more relaxed European culture. Salute!

Lemongrass-Lemon Drop Cocktail →

Lemongrass is not just for cooking or flavoring teas! Here’s a slightly exotic version of the classic refreshing, citrusy “Lemon Drop Cocktail”. Replacing plain simple syrup with Lemongrass-infused simple syrup adds a subtle Asian herbal citrus note to the “Lemongrass-Lemon Drop Cocktail”. In my book, Limoncello is indispensable for full appreciation of either the Lemon Drop or the Lemongrass-Lemon Drop. Either way...Tchin Tchin!

Photo: c. foodblogchef 2021

Lemongrass-Lemon Drop Cocktail
Serves 1

Ingredients:

• 1-ounce Vodka

• 1-ounce Limoncello

• 1⁄2 ounce Triple sec

• 1-ounce Lemongrass simple syrup (or plain simple syrup for the classic Lemon Drop Cocktail)

• 1-ounce fresh lemon juice

Garnish: Sugar rim (optional) or lemon twist

Preparation:

Make the Lemongrass simple syrup:

1. Chop the lemongrass stalk into 1-inch pieces, and bruise using a mortar and pestle or rolling pin.

2. Place them in a pot with 1 cup of water and 1/4 cup of sugar. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for 2 minutes. Turn off the heat and let the syrup infuse for about 2 hours before using.

3. Strain the syrup, pressing down on the lemongrass stalks to extract maximum flavor. Chill until ready to use. Once the syrup is strained, it will keep in your fridge for a couple of weeks.

Assemble the cocktail:

1. Optional: coat the rim of a cocktail glass with sugar and set aside (do this a few minutes ahead of time so the sugar can dry and adhere well to the glass).

2. Add all the ingredients into a shaker with ice and shake.

3. Strain into a coup or small martini glass neat, or a cocktail glass over ice

*Note: Use a citrus-infused vodka for more citrusy depth. Homemade Limoncello, which should be in everyone’s freezer, is a good choice.

Adapted from: https://www.liquor.com/recipes/lemon-drop/#gs.9egdtl

Limoncello →

Close family friends brought this recipe back from Italy 50 years ago. Many homes in Italy keep a chilled bottle of homemade Limoncello in the fridge to serve as an after-dinner “digestivo”. It’s so easy to make, with a little patience you will never buy Limoncello from the store again. Salute! Note: waste-not, want-not. You can easily make delicious homemade Lemonade with the leftover peeled lemons.

Limoncello

Ingredients:

• 10 thick-skinned lemons

• 750 ml bottle 100 proof vodka

• 2 cups sugar

• 2 1/2 cups water

Steps:

1. Wash the lemons with hot water and a soft brush to remove any wax. Dry.

2. Carefully peel the lemons avoiding cutting into the bitter white pith. Alternatively, you can use a Microplane to zest the lemons. Put the lemon zest and ½ bottle of vodka in a jar and seal for 2 weeks. Note: if using a lemon peeler, break up the lemon peels so they are submerged in the vodka.

   After 2 weeks:

3. Make a simple syrup: in a small saucepan, over medium heat, mix the water and sugar until the sugar is dissolved; let it cool and add it to the jar with the zest and the remainder of the vodka.

4. Let it sit in a dark, cool place for 6 weeks.

   After 6 weeks:

5. Strain through several layers of cheesecloth into clean bottles and seal with a cap or tight-fitting cork.

6. Keep Limoncello in the fridge or freezer because it is best served cold.

Waste-no, want-not. You can make delicious homemade Lemonade with the leftover peeled lemons.

Lemongrass-Basil Vodka Gimlet →

Here’s an exotic riff on the classic Gin or Vodka Gimlet. Fragrant, delicious, and refreshing, it’s easy to imagine yourself on a white sand beach in Thailand while sipping one of these. Like any recipe, it is a road map for you to use to fine-tune the finished drink to your tastes. Once you have made the lemongrass simple syrup, the drink comes together in minutes. Tchin-Tchin!

Lemongrass-Basil Vodka Gimlet
Yield: 1 drink
Ingredients:

• 1 stalk lemongrass chopped into 1-inch pieces and smashed

• 1/4 cup + 2 teaspoons sugar

• 1 cup of water

• juice of 1 lime

• 3 large leaves of basil

• 2-3 ounces Vodka (to taste)

• ice, to chill

Method:
Make the lemongrass simple syrup:

1. Chop the lemongrass stalk into 1-inch pieces, and bruise using a mortar and pestle or rolling pin.

2. Place them in a pot with 1 cup of water and 1/4 cup sugar. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for 2 minutes. Turn off the heat and let the syrup infuse for about 2 hours before using.

3. Strain the syrup, pressing down on the lemongrass stalks to extract maximum flavor. Chill until ready to use. Once the syrup is strained, it will keep in your fridge for a couple of weeks.

To build the cocktail:

4. Arrange a cocktail glass on a work surface and place 1/2 teaspoon sugar in the glass. Add the lime juice to the glass along with the basil, and muddle together.

5. Pour in 2-3 ounces vodka and 2 ounces lemongrass syrup. Add the mixture to a cocktail shaker with a ½ cup of ice and shake to chill.

6. Strain into a coup or small martini glass neat, or a cocktail glass over ice and serve garnished with a lime round or basil leaf.

Adapted from: https://www.thekitchn.com/recipe-thai-style-lemongrass-lime-mojito-recipes-from-the-kitchn-214658 by Michelle Peters-Jones

https://www.liquor.com/recipes/vodka-gimlet/

Vodka Espresso Martini →

Photo: c. foodblogchef 2020
Copy and paste to print the recipe.

VODKA ESPRESSO MARTINI
Ingredients:
2 oz. premium vodka (or tequila, if you prefer)
1 oz. chilled espresso (or other strong coffee: I use 50/50 Espresso and French Roast)
½ oz. Tia Maria (or Kahlúa)
½ oz. Amaretto (or Simple Syrup)
lightly whisked heavy cream to float on top
cocoa powder
orange zest
Preparation:
1. Pour the first four ingredients into a shaker with ice. Shake and strain into a martini glass.
2. Gently pour or spoon your desired amount of lightly whisked cream atop.
3. Sprinkle cocoa powder over the cream. (Using a fine-mesh sieve helps to achieve a more uniform light sprinkle.)
4. Rub the rim of the glass with a piece of orange zest and garnish with a twist of orange zest.

Here’s my version of the Vodka Espresso Martini, an after-dinner drink that will pick-you-up after a big feast. Cocktail Culture legend has it that the Vodka Espresso Martini was invented by British bartender Dick Bradsell in response to a request from model Kate Moss for a drink “...that will wake me up and f**k me up.” Cheers mate!

Boulevardier Cocktail →

Translated from French, a "boulevardier" is a man-about-town, a bon-vivant, literally a "man who frequents the boulevards". The creation of the cocktail is attributed to Erskine Gwynne, the publisher of “Boulevardier,” a magazine for expats living in Paris in the 1920s. Generally considered to be the cool-weather cousin of the Gin-based Negroni, the Boulevardier is made with either Rye whiskey or Bourbon and Sweet Vermouth. The third ingredient, Campari or Aperol is often interchanged. My version uses Bourbon and the slightly more bitter Campari with the addition of a couple of dashes of Orange Bitters to maintain the orange note in the drink. For those who tire of drinking straight Bourbon, Rye, or Scotch, this cocktail is a welcome alternative. Santé!

Boulevardier
Serves 1

Ingredients:

• 1.5 ounces Bourbon (or Rye)

• 1 ounce Campari

• 1 ounce Sweet Vermouth

• 2 or 3 dashes of Orange Bitters

• orange twist

Preparation:

1. Add the ingredients to a mixing glass or shaker with ice and stir until well chilled.

2. Strain into a Coup straight-up or on the rocks with fresh ice in a Manhattan glass.

3. Garnish with an orange twist.

Enjoy!

Strawberry Daiquiri →

c. foodblogchef 2020

Every Spring here in the Connecticut River Valley we eagerly await strawberry season. The ruby-red, sweet, succulent berries can be eaten as a healthy snack; they are great in salads or sauces and made into refreshing drinks. This delicious slightly non-traditional daiquiri recipe adds a touch of orange liqueur to balance the lime and add some complexity to the drink.

Makes one good sized daiquiri or two smaller drinks.
Ingredients:

• 4-6 fresh strawberries or frozen, unsweetened (depending on the size)

• 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice

• 1-2 teaspoons sugar (to taste)

• 2 ounces light rum

• 1 ounce Triple Sec or other orange flavored liqueur (optional)

• ½ cup ice

Add all the ingredients to a blender and process until smooth. Enjoy!