You'll need:
2 oz dark rum
1.5 oz coconut water
Splash of lime, or to taste
Layer ingredients in an old fashioned glass over ice. Serve with a lime wedge. Enjoy!
The Carnivorous Herbivore |
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Happy Cinco de Mayo! I love margaritas and tacos, but this year I wanted to change things up a bit and make a more unique (and less sweet) drink. I have been hearing about coconut water cocktails a lot lately, both online as well as while watching cooking shows. I'm sure the popularity is because coconut water is becoming more readily available throughout the U.S. Coconut water is the juice of an unripe coconut and is known for its high potassium content and low sugar content, making it perfect to mix with sweet rum. The more traditional cocktails are quite simple, only rum and coconut water. But when I tried it that way, I thought it needed something more. Lime is perfect in this drink because it brings all the flavors together and really takes you to the tropics. The dark rum mixed with the light coconut water and the tart lime makes a truly refreshing drink, perfect for any fiesta! I look forward to drinking this one all summer long. You'll need: 2 oz dark rum 1.5 oz coconut water Splash of lime, or to taste Layer ingredients in an old fashioned glass over ice. Serve with a lime wedge. Enjoy!
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Last weekend, I had a birthday! To celebrate, I had a few friends over for hors d'oeuvres, cocktails, and these: birthday cake jelly shots! Also known as chocolate cake shots, these delicious little shots are well-known in the bar world, and are usually served with a sugar-strewn lemon. Those lazy (or too busy) for the lemon can add a splash of sour mix to get that fresh touch that really makes the shot taste cake-like. My only challenge was the ingredients: a normal cake shot is just citrus-flavored vodka and Frangelico. Maybe with that lemon chaser. To bulk out the ingredients, I went for the sour mix idea, and used regular vodka. I added cream soda to keep it more cake-like. When I tasted a bit, the citrus was too much, overshadowing the Frangelico. To even it out, I used a drop of vanilla extract, and voila! A delicious shot to celebrate a wonderful birthday!
You'll need: 3 pkg. unflavored gelatin 6 oz Frangelico or other hazelnut liqueur 8 oz fresh sour mix, recipe follows 12 oz vodka 8 oz cream soda Drop of vanilla extract, if needed Mix the Frangelico with the gelatin in a bowl and let bloom for a few minutes. Meanwhile, make your sour mix. While it is still warm, add it to the gelatin mix to dissolve completely. Add the other ingredients. Taste a drop. If it tastes too sour, add a drop of vanilla extract to even out the flavors. To prepare your pan, spray an 8 inch square glass baking dish with cooking spray. Wipe it around with a paper towel to lightly coat the whole pan. Carefully pour the mixture into the pan, cover well with plastic wrap and aluminum foil and let set in the refrigerator for at least 5 hours, but overnight is best. To serve, slice and eat! Keep them cold, though, or they'll melt on you! Enjoy! For the Fresh Sour Mix, you'll need: 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice 1/4 cup fresh lime juice 1/2 cup simple syrup (1/4 cup sugar dissolved in 1/4 cup hot [but not boiling] water) Mix all ingredients. I love apple cider, but I rarely mix it with anything but whiskey. This cocktail, thanks to Martha Stewart (I love her Halloween ideas!), mixes cider with vodka and maple syrup to make a wonderful fall mixture. Martha rims her glass with black sugar for a Halloween touch, but I made mine with a sugar/apple pie spice mixture to up the cider ante. Happy Halloween, everyone! You'll need: Black sanding sugar, or a sugar/apple pie spice mix 1/2 small apple, chopped 1/2 lime, cut into wedges 1 oz maple syrup 1 oz apple cider 3 oz vodka Thin round slice of apple for garnish Optional club soda Rub some lime juice on the rim of your martini glass, then dip in the sugar to coat the rim. Place the glass in the freezer to chill. Muddle the lime and half apple in the bottom of a cocktail shaker. Layer in the liquid ingredients and add ice. Shake to combine. Pour into your martini glass and add the apple slice and optional soda. Enjoy! This is my favorite fall cocktail. As you know, I love cocktails that use fresh herbs. This cocktail is just lovely. The gin lends a savory depth of flavor, while the lemon juice brightens it. The St. Germain liqueur adds a floral sweetness and the fresh sage leaf garnish brings it all together. This cocktail was originally on the Plymouth Gin website. The original recipe (now no longer on the website) includes simple syrup, but I think the St. Germain is sweet enough without adding the extra sweetness. When you take the first sip, the sage brings out the floral qualities in the cocktail and takes you to that euphoric place--or maybe that's just the gin! You'll need: 2 oz gin 1/2 oz St. Germain Liqueur 1/2 oz fresh lemon juice Optional: 2 tsp simple syrup Sage leaf garnish Layer the liquid ingredients in a cocktail shaker with ice. Shake to combine and serve up in a chilled martini glass. Float the sage leaf on top and enjoy! A few factors went into my choosing this cocktail for today's post. First of all, Monday (September 19) was International Talk Like a Pirate Day, which I love for many hilarious reasons. Also, "grog" always makes me think of pirates, and while perusing my Mr. Boston Bartenders' Guide, I had to try it. Lastly, it's been so dank and rainy for the rest of this week, I couldn't help but make a hot cocktail. I have had whiskey hot toddies before (I will post one soon!), and I love them. This hot grog also has refreshing lemon, but the sugar and rum lend a wonderful sweetness to the finish, perfect for a pirate's drink! You'll need: 1 sugar cube, or about 1 tsp sugar Juice of 1/4 lemon, plus one wedge for garnish 1 1/2 oz light rum Layer ingredients in a mug or other heat-proof glass. Top with hot water, stir to mix. Enjoy! In honor of National Bourbon Month I was scrambling to find a cocktail that would truly show bourbon the way it was meant to be... I was at a loss. I love bourbon on the rocks, so if you have the chance, do try it. In the meantime, here's a poem to keep you occupied (found in my work's Mr. Boston Bar Guide from 1994):
Some like wines--both white and red And some like brews from grain.., Some like Scotch and Irish And plenty choose champagne. Rum by many is preferred And brandy makes its boast. The Dutch and English like their gin And ale goes well with roast. Requests for rye in Eastern states Quite frequently are heard; And the hillfolk of the southlands Make corn a favored word. But to folks throughout the nation-- Both rural folks and urban, The king of distillations Is the whisky known as Bourbon. ~Anonymous Even though it's National Bourbon Month, I had to share this martini. I love the mix of fresh peas and mint, so I thought I'd try it in a martini! I used the mint in a simple syrup as it made the flavors come together in a lighter way than when I tried muddling the mint with the peas. The pea flavor just comes off as fresh and earthy, and the mint adds to the freshness. Do try this one--I'm really proud of it! You'll need: 1/8 cup fresh or frozen peas (defrosted) Pinch sugar 3/4 oz mint simple syrup (see below) 3 oz vodka 1/2 oz dry vermouth Muddle the peas with the sugar in the bottom of a cocktail shaker. Add ice and the rest of the ingredients; shake to combine. Serve up in a chilled cocktail glass. Enjoy! For the mint simple syrup: Mix equal parts hot (not boiling) water and sugar in a bowl. Stir to dissolve the sugar, and add a handful of mint. Let steep for a few minutes, and store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to a week. The Cosmo has a place in my heart, because it was a weeknight special at my first bartending job. I tweaked and tasted and ended up with a recipe that all the regulars were always asking for. I had a secret ingredient that added a bit of freshness and gave this cocktail a little something special. Here, I used some extra fresh lime juice, but if you're in the bar, ask for a splash of sour mix! You'll need: 3 oz vodka or citrus flavored vodka 1 1/2 oz triple sec or orange liqueur 1/2 oz sweetened lime juice Juice of 1/2 fresh lime 1 1/2 oz cranberry juice Layer the ingredients in a cocktail shaker with ice. Shake to combine and serve straight up in a chilled cocktail glass. Garnish with a slice of lime. Enjoy! The birthday boy is in the middle! During the Manhattan Wedding, it was also my boyfriend's birthday. While the bride and groom were very gracious and kind (they gave him a present!), he never really got his own party. Last Saturday, Ryan (a good friend who has a roofdeck and thankfully took the pictures in this post!) and I set up a surprise party for him. Since Keith (my boyfriend) loves drinking Manhattans, I figured I'd try to make a jelly shot including the ingredients. They came out great! Sadly, I didn't have an awesome way to serve them, so we just sliced and ate, but they were still delicious! Me, gearing up for a shot! You'll need: 3 (1/4 oz) packets of gelatin 6 oz sweet (red) vermouth 10 oz brewed lemon tea 12 oz whiskey (I used Jack Daniels, but rye whiskey is traditional) Juice of 2 oranges (about 5 1/2-5 3/4 oz) Bitters (1/4-1/2 oz) Maraschino Cherries, halved (I used a whole small 8oz jar) To make your tea, boil 10 oz water, and add a tea bag. Let steep for 3-5 minutes. Remove tea bag and let cool before mixing according to the rest of the directions below. Start by adding the gelatin to the sweet vermouth, and let bloom for about five minutes. Meanwhile, prepare the tea. Add the vermouth mixture to the tea and stir to completely dissolve. Juice your oranges, and add the bitters to the juice (ideally, the juice plus the bitters will total 6 oz). Stir in the whiskey and the orange juice mixture. Prepare an 8x8 baking pan by spraying with cooking spray and wiping most out with a paper towel. Pour the Manhattan mixture into the pan, and cover tightly with plastic wrap (don't let the wrap touch the liquid!). Refrigerate for two hours, when it will be semi-set. Now add the cherries: gently push them into the mix at even intervals, re-cover the pan, and refrigerate for an additional 6 hours, or overnight. To serve, unwrap the gelatin and use a knife to slice around the sides to loosen the mixture. Place a piece of parchment or wax paper over the top, and add a plate. Smoothly flip the entire pan, so the gelatin ends up on the plate. Slice and serve! Enjoy! After my first foray into flavored vodkas with ginger, I decided on a summery alternative. Cherry seemed the perfect choice. I wasn't sure how long to leave the cherries in the vodka to concentrate the flavor, so I consulted the internet. Since cherries are softer than ginger, the recommended amount of time to leave them in the vodka was two weeks. We'll see how it turns out! You'll need: A container with a lid Vodka to fill Cherries, pitted and quartered (about a cup or so) Place the cherries in your container. Top with the vodka. Shake to mix. Let sit for two weeks, then strain. I'll keep you posted on the results! |
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