Birthday Punch

Want a punch that's going to, well, pack a punch? Well, I found one.

I found the recipe in O magazine. I'll be honest I was surprised to see one so boozy which is probably why I tore the page out to bring on vacation and make on my birthday - hence the name change.

1 medium seedless watermelon, halved and diced
1 pint blackberries
1 cup vodka
1 cup St. Germain elderflower liqueur
1/4 cup lime juice
1 750ml bottle of chilled Prosecco

Place the diced watermelon and blackberries on a lined cookie tray and freeze for at least 2 hours. Pour the vodka, liqueur, lime juice into punch bowl* (with ice if you wish), add frozen fruit and finally the prosecco. Keep enough fruit for a second, or even third batch.

*If you're in a vacation rental use what you can.

Pepper Berry

 

We like a boozy cocktail and this certainly is one. Himself made it as directed from John Cusimano's My Year in Cocktails and next time (and there will be one) I'd like to try it with the even more peppery watercress.

 

10 Arugula Leaves

3 or 4 Strawberries

2 oz gin (Try Aviation)

1 1/2 oz St. Germain elderflower liqueur

Pinch freshly ground black pepper

Juice of 1/2 lemon

1/4 oz agave syrup

 

Muddle the arugula in the bottom of a cocktail shaker with the strawberries and agave syrup. Add the rest of the ingredients with ice and shake. No need to strain but pour over crushed ice in chilled glass.

 

 

 



Rainy Playdate

The kid was playing quite happily in his PJs on this warm wet Sunday but reached a limit come early afternoon. "Why not call a friend and see if he wants to come over," I said. Before I knew it he was dressed and heading out the door to his friend's house. "Come over for drinks and snacks," I said to the friend - thinking they would need one if they had my kid for a few hours. And come over for drinks they did. This is what I made, riffing (by reducing the gin) on this one called Nomayo (doesn't that sound like something you say at a deli counter?).

1 oz gin
3/4 oz St. Germain
1/2 oz Aperol
1/2 oz Lemon juice
Prosecco
Lemon twist

Mix first 4 ingredients in shaker with ice. Pour into chilled glass and top with chilled prosecco or champagne. Add the lemon twist. This could also work prepared in a jug I think.

I had to make a second batch. The best play dates are the unplanned ones.

Mon Ark

A riff on the drink called the Monarch - we replaced the lemon juice with grapefruit and left out the sugar.

2 oz Tanqueray gin
3/4 oz St. Germaine elderflower liqueur
1 oz grapefruit juice
4 mint leaves
Twist of lemon

Tear the mint leaves into a shaker and add the gin, liqueur and juice. Shake with ice and double strain into a cocktail glass. Add twist and mint leaf to garnish.

Optional: Add to Collins glass with ice and top off with club soda. The first went down too quickly we wanted the second one to last!

 

Grapefruit Breeze

 

We bought a big bag of grapefruits recently and they're seeing their way into everything - vodka, gin, rum, tequila... It's all good for you, right?

1 1/2 oz Gin
1/2 oz St. Germain elderflower liqueur
1/2 oz White cranberry juice
1 oz Grapefruit juice
Lime twist

This is shaken with ice.

We found it a tad sweet so I would rethink the white cranberry juice next time or maybe try it with red cranberry juice from its inspiration, a Juniper Breeze.

Easter Basket

The kid got into his Easter Basket a little early - no harm in Mom getting into hers!

I was inspired by a Bellini and followed the same proportions as this one for today's family holiday dinner - nice for any Sunday brunch and a change from mimosas (I'm not a mimosa girl!).

125 mls St. Germain Elderflower liqueur
500 mls Peach Juice (We used a Harry and David's Bellini mix)
Bottle of champagne/prosecco

Here's to spring!

Clementini

Clementines, mandarins and tangerines are like little pieces of sunshine in a fruit bowl so why not celebrate them in a martini glass too. This drink was kicked off with an impulse purchase at Trader Joe's but the clementine soda isn't absolutely necessary for this at all.

2 parts Absolut Citron
1 part St. Germain elderflower liqueur
1 tsp lemon or lime juice
Juice of one clementine Splash of Clementine flavored soda - optional Garnish with a thin slice of clementine

Makes January easier somehow.

Hicko-rye Cider

1 1/2 part Sazerac rye whiskey
1 part St. Germain
1/2 part lemon juice
1/2 part hickory syrup
1 part apple cider
After thought: 1 part cava (I wanted the bubbles so if you have a more effervescent apple cider it would do the trick I think)

We have this hickory syrup made from the bark of Virginia hickory trees that we are experimenting with in cooking (so far it's good with pork!) but we thought it might do something good in a cocktail too.

And yes, it does.

Grand Autumn

I've never been a fan of bourbon but was told I was drinking the wrong kind (i.e., the cheap stuff!) so I have been making amends. I'm pleased with what I'm tasting and this is a grand drink to taste it in.

2 parts rye whiskey
1 part St. Germain
3/4 part lime juice
Ginger beer
Optional: Dash of angostura bitters
(Copied directly from here)

Flibberty Gimlet

We got a present last year of a bottle of Absolut Citron and have at last found the perfect drink to make from it – riffing the French gimlet recipe found here

2 parts Absolut Citron

1 part St. Germain elderflower liqueur (Patron saint of tasty according to Baly)

Half part freshly squeezed lime juice

This drink is hands down our favorite of the summer and makes us into flibberty gibbets. Speaking of which – we’re all going to the Sound of Music sing-a-long again tomorrow and looking forward to singing our little hearts out. We're being a little more adventurous with dressing up this year so I'll be sure to take some photos but as a sort of preview I made a t-shirt with the flibberty gibbet label especially for Eamon to wear – think he’ll prefer it to lederhosen or a nun costume.