London Calling

 

We'll be in London this weekend catching up with friends so we're getting in the mood with this:

2 oz Dry London Gin
1 oz Pimms Cup
3-6 dashes grapefruit bitters
splash of Italian grapefruit soda

Mix first 3 ingredients together with ice in shaker and pour into chilled glass. Top off with soda and lemon twist. Now make plans with your friends for some fun things to do around London for kids and adults alike.

G & T II

 

The second of my gin and tonics is a pretty simple one - they're all pretty simple to be fair, which is what I love about them, but still I've had some bad ones at some bars that I'm reluctant to drink it outside the home. All you need is a decent gin (40% ABV at least) like Beefeater, Plymouth, or Bombay Sapphire and a good quality tonic (no high fructose corn syrup!) with plenty of bubble left in it. Bar tenders of DC take note - flat tonic in a gin and tonic is a no no.

2oz Bombay Sapphire gin
4oz Fever Tree tonic  
1-2 tsp freshly squeezed grapefruit juice
Wedge of lime

Pour gin over glass 3/4 full of ice. Add grapefruit juice and tonic and stir. Rub wedge of lime around rim before adding to drink. The grapefruit juice adds another refreshing layer to this drink it really stands out. You've got to try it.

First G&T is here

Speartini

 

We've had one or two (or more) drinks this year celebrating FSU's season but thought we needed to revisit the speartini. As good as it is, with the rum and cider it's more of a punch really so I wanted to glam it up a tad.

2 oz Prairie vodka
1 oz Lillet Rose
1/2 oz Pama Pomegranate liqueur
Squeeze of lime
Pomegranate seeds for garnish

Mix first four ingredients into shaker with ice and strain into chilled glass over seeds. Yum! Will be spending the rest of the season drinking this and researching appropriate 'bowl' drinks.

Nine +

 

It was our anniversary recently and we needed a little something something to make with the cava I'd bought to celebrate. This is what we came up with based on John Cusimano's drink Mid Morning Nap.

Ricard Pastis
1 1/2 oz brandy
Some freshly squeezed lemon juice
Dollop agave syrup
3 dashes Angostura bitters
Cava

Coat the inside of a cocktail class with the pastis. Shake the brandy, juice, syrup and bitters with ice in shaker. Strain into the glass and top off with cava (or prosecco or champagne).

Here's to more drinks to share together on this day!

 

Bloody-tini

 

Gearing up for Halloween around here but this drink was actually inspired by all the rain last weekend - which really begs for (well, ok, begs me) to have a bloody Mary (or Maria) first thing.

I held out till the evening and made this instead.

2oz Stollichnaya Stolli Hot (Hot pepper vodka)
1/2 Molly Prat dry vermouth
1 oz bloody Mary mix
A squeeze of lime
Old bay seasoning for rimming the glass (rub lime around glass and turn upside down on saucer of old bay)

Mix all in cocktail shaker with ice and pour into rimmed cocktail glass. Bloody hot and bloody good.

Government Shutdown

 

This government shutdown is nothing but inspiring - in a glass that is.

2oz Absolute Citroen infused with tea*
1 tsp lemon juice
2 dashes Peychaud's bitters
Tonic water to taste
Lemon slice for garnish

Mix first 3 ingredients together with ice and shake (if consensus is reached you've shaken it for too long). Pour into a chilled glass and top with tonic water.

There's nothing sweet about this drink and it definitely needs a good dose of tonic. Or a good kick in the pants.

*You know this drink is going to happen so steep a tea bag in 8 oz of vodka and after 4 hours or so and keep the infused vodka in the freezer for future emergencies.

G & T I

 

If you could have created any drink what would that be?

For me it's the gin and tonic. I love the botanical flavors and scents, it's refreshing, slightly bitter and has an iridescence about it. It appeals to all my senses. 

And depending on the gin (and tonic) you use it can vary greatly so I'm going to feature a few I really like - first up is this one  - the most delicate of them all. 

2 oz Hendrick's gin
4 oz or so quality tonic water
Slice of cucumber
All served in a Collins glass with ice and stirred.