Summer is nearly here, and with it the long-awaited return of get togethers with family and friends. To celebrate, we gathered all of our favorite cocktail and mocktail recipes for keeping cool on those hot days to come.
As you all know, summer is my favorite time of the year. I live on my deck, reading, drinking a glass of wine and watching as Mother Nature's kingdom unfolds.
Lately, I've been sitting out past dark and watching the fireflies dance across the backyard. When I was a child, my friends and I would catch them in Mason jars and make a "flashlight." It seems cruel to me now, because in the morning, they would all be dead in the jar.
I'm also having a great time watching hummingbirds come and go at my feeder. I think I have three or four that come on a regular basis. What has amazed me was I never new the tiny things could be so aggressive! If one is feeding and another arrives, a mini aerial dogfight erupts!
My horse-trough garden is doing OK, but not many fruits to show for my labor. I did pick a very small cherry tomato — the size if my pinky fingernail — yesterday. It was so small I couldn't really tell you how it tasted! There are small peppers on both the red sweet peppers and the poblanos, and the cucumber vines — a new experiment this year — have grown over the tomato cages that are supposed to contain them and are wending their way up the porch pillars. Maybe they'll become my northern bougainvillea and I can pretend I'm Scarlett O'Hara entertaining her beaus on the plantation porch. Well, fiddle-dee-dee ...
After many false starts, the pool is up and running beautifully. I've spent many blissful hours floating on my float and reading a book. And to my friends who have loaned me books, including the 900-page second volume of the "Outlander" series, your books are safe. My pool books are paperbacks I've purchased for under a dollar at book or tag sales. It's amazing how fast a thin paperback swells up to the thickness of "War and Peace" when it gets soaking wet! (Note to self, try putting the book on the side of the pool before dozing off.)
Each summer, I try to find a drink I can serve friends who come over to visit and use the pool. One year it was beer margaritas by the pitcherful, another year a citrus-y wine cooler — also by the pitcher. A couple summers ago, I interviewed Dominique DeVito, co-creator of the Hudson-Chatham Sangria Festival, who had just published a book of 101 sangria recipes, "Seasonal Sangria." The book has become one of my go-tos when it comes to making drinks for a crowd. And while, due to the pandemic, there are no crowds planned at Button Beach, I've halved the recipes for my own use — and any leftover sangria has been fine the next day.
Last weekend, I tried Lemon-Lime Time, which uses a white wine. It was just thing for sitting on the deck and watching the fireflies after dusk.
LEMON-LIME TIME
Yield: 4 to 6 servings
INGREDIENTS:
1 bottle (750 ml) dry white wine
1 large orange, sliced into quarter-moon slivers
1/2 lemon, sliced into half-moon slivers
1/2 lime, sliced into half-moon slivers
1/4 cup Triple Sec
2 cups lemon-lime soda
DIRECTIONS:
Combine all ingredients except the soda in a large pitcher or container. Cover and refrigerate for four or more hours. Add ice and soda. Stir and serve.
It may have been the long Memorial Day weekend — the official kickoff to summer — but with all the rain and low temperature, I don’t think there were too many outdoor celebratory festivities.
Despite the inclement weather in the Berkshires, I did manage to get a few things done, like bringing flowers to family gravesites in Southview Cemetery — which, by the way, is worth driving through. Kudos to all the families and organizations that worked so hard to make it beautiful — and in my case, tear-provoking.
I made my annual run to the greenhouse, picking up a six-pack of unlabeled tomato plants — are they cherry, grape, roma, big boy, heirloom? Only time will tell and it gives me something to anticipate. The zucchini plants weren’t quite ready, but they’re going to let me know when I can get some. Despite the devastating — to me and the plants! — powdery mildew fiasco a few years ago, I’m going to try again.
I have a couple of hummingbirds frequenting my feeder and an impatiens hanging plant, so to add to their enjoyment, I bought a vine with trumpet-shaped flowers that will hopefully entwine up the deck post near the feeder. I also got the usual geraniums and marigolds for the various and assorted planters around the house.
The only other noteworthy weekend endeavor was to look for recipes for entertaining this summer. I mean, being vaccinated — as are most of my friends — means small get-togethers on my deck. And, of course, once I found a couple, that meant taking them on a party-of-one taste test. The good news? They’re both on my summer A-list!
I halved the recipe for the Jalapeño Popper Dip and, as I do with many recipes calling for cooked bacon, I cheated and bought a package of already-cooked bacon at the market. And since, I figured my mouth would need cooling down, I tried a recipe for a Coco Lime Margarita. Anyone know how to get Harry Nilsson’s song from the 1970s out of my brain? “She put de lime in de coconut, she drank ‘em bot’ up ... “
JALAPEÑO POPPER DIP
Servings: 16
INGREDIENTS:
8 slices cooked bacon, chopped into pieces
16 ounces cream cheese, soft, at room temperature
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1/2 cup sour cream
3/4 cup sharp cheddar cheese
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese
3 medium jalapeño peppers, seeded and finely diced
1 teaspoon garlic powder
3 sliced green onions
DIRECTIONS:
Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.
Set aside a little of the cooked bacon and diced jalapeño, 1/4 cup parmesan, 1/4 cup sharp cheddar and one sliced green onion for topping.
In a large bowl mix the bacon, softened cream cheese, mayonnaise, sour cream, 1/2 cup sharp cheddar, seeded and diced jalapeño peppers, 1/4 cup Parmesan, garlic powder, 2 green onions, until fully combined and then add the mixture to a 1.5 quart baking dish.
Sprinkle the top with the remaining cooked bacon, jalapenos, 1/4 cup parmesan, 1/4 cup sharp cheddar, and diced green onions.
Bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until the top is bubbly and golden brown.
Serve with crackers, celery sticks or tortilla chips.
COCO LIME MARGARITA
Serves 4
INGREDIENTS:
1 1/2 cups cream of coconut
1 cup silver tequila
2/3 cup Triple Sec
1/3 cup freshly squeezed lime juice
DIRECTIONS:
Place all ingredients in a blender and puree until smooth. Add 2 cups ice and blend. Pour into glasses with salted rims and top with toasted coconut.
Margaret Button can be reached at mbutton@berkshireeagle.com or 413-496-6298.
SHEFFIELD — Although summer doesn't officially start until June 20, Mother Nature apparently doesn't care, sending hot steamy weather to The Berkshires these past few days with temperatures in the low to mid-90s.
On days like these, everyone seeks out their somewhat-cooler-but-not-really spot in the shade or on a porch, a cool drink in their hand. With that in mind, Berkshire Mountain Distillers has shared recipes for tall, cool summery drinks, featuring its craft gins, vodka, rum and whiskeys. Mix one up and welcome summer with an icy salute.
Berkshire Mountain Distillers launched its Craft Brewers Whiskey Project in February, teaming up with regional craft breweries to produce a single-sourced craft brew distilled into a unique Berkshire Mountain Distillers whiskey.
This summer, look for newly released whiskeys made with brews from these craft breweries:
- Brewery Ommegang (Cooperstown, N.Y.) — Three Philosophers Belgian Style Quadrupel Ale
- Captain Lawrence Brewing (Elmsford, N.Y.) — Liquid Gold Belgo-American Ale
- Smuttynose Brewing (Hampton, N.H.) — Really Old Brown Dog American Brown Ale
Try the Craft Brewers Whiskey Project Samuel Adams American Whiskey and mix up The Irish Maid. Or, Jack's Abby Smoke & Dagger Whiskey in The Mariner.
THE IRISH MAID
The Irish Maid, or Kentucky Maid depending on whether you use Irish whiskey or bourbon, is similar to a Whiskey Smash, which calls for muddling lemon wedges in a shaker before combining the remaining ingredients: whiskey, sugar, and mint. With its burst of aromatics and the cooling touch of cucumber, it makes a convincing case for whiskey as a summer drink.
INGREDIENTS:
2 ounces Craft Brewers Whiskey Project Samuel Adams American Whiskey
2 slices cucumber, cut into quarter-inch slices
1/2 ounce Saint Germain elderflower liqueur
3/4 ounce lemon juice
3/4 ounce simple syrup
DIRECTIONS:
Muddle cucumbers before adding the remaining ingredients into a shaker. Shake and strain into a rocks glass with fresh ice (or a large cube or two) and garnish with a fresh slice of cucumber. Enjoy!
THE MARINER
INGREDIENTS:
2 parts Jack's Abby Smoke & Dagger Whiskey
1/2 part cardamom syrup (available at the BMD store)
1/4 part pineapple juice
1/4 part lemon juice
DIRECTIONS:
Add all ingredients to an ice-filled shot glass. Stir until well chilled, twist a lemon peel over the glass, and use the peel as a garnish.
BASIL & BEES
(Courtesy SevenStrong, Northampton)
INGREDIENTS:
1 1/2 ounce Greylock Gin
1/2 ounce honey syrup*
1/2 ounce citric water**
2 dashes lavender bitters
Basil
Dried Lavender
DIRECTIONS:
Stir all ingredients with ice and strain into a chilled coupe glass. Light a piece of dried lavender on fire and extinguish immediately so it begins smoking. Invert a cold coup glass over the one containing the cocktail and hold the burning lavender inside the glass allowing the smoke to hover above the drink. Garnish with one leaf of basil.
*Honey syrup
Heat up equal parts by weight water and honey until dissolved. Let cool.
**Citric Water
Combine water with 2 percent of its weight of citric acid. Stir until dissolved.
GREEN TEA ARNOLD PALMER
INGREDIENTS:
1 1/2 ounces Greylock Gin
6 ounces green tea
4 ounces lemonade
Mint sprig
DIRECTIONS:
Shake all ingredients with ice and strain into a collins glass with fresh ice.
Garnish with a mint crown/lemon wedge.
RHUBARB 75
2 ounces Greylock Gin
1 ounce Rhubarb-mint syrup**
1 ounce lemon juice
Champagne or soda water
Mint crown or lemon twist.
DIRECTIONS:
Combine all ingredients in a shaker with ice, shake and strain into a flute and top with champagne or soda water. Garnish with mint crown or lemon twist.
** Rhubarb-mint syrup
In a small pot, combine 3/4 cup rhubarb, 1 sprig of mint, 1/2 cup sugar with 3/4 cup water and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to simmer until slightly thickened and bright pink in color, about 20 minutes. Let the syrup cool then strain.
BERKSHIRE MOUNTAIN SQUALL
INGREDIENTS:
2 ounces Ragged Mountain Rum
2 dashes Berkshire Mountain Distillers’ Falernum Bitters
Premium quality ginger beer
Garnish with a lime wedge
DIRECTIONS:
Pour rum and bitters in a rocks glass over ice. Top with ginger beer, garnish with a lime wedge.
JAMAICAN BREEZE
INGREDIENTS:
1 1/2 ounces Ragged Mountain Rum
1 slice fresh ginger
2 ounces pineapple juice
1/2 ounce simple syrup
1 dash Falernum bitters
Lime wedge
DIRECTIONS:
Muddle a slice of ginger in the bottom of a shaker. Add the remaining ingredients with ice and shake. Strain into a rocks glass with fresh ice, garnish with a lime wedge.
Thursday is National Margarita Day. To celebrate, round up your friends, put Tortured Soul's "We Like Tequila" in the CD player and sing along ... then head to your favorite watering hole for a margarita or two. (Bonus points if you know how many times the word "tequila" is said in the song. I counted 36.)
But first, a little history ...
"Tequila is a liquor made from the blue agave plant, which looks like aloe," explained Toni Espinoza, co-owner of Xicohtencatl Mexican Restaurant in Great Barrington. "All tequila comes from the blue agave plant." She added tequila originated in the mountains of Jalisco, Mexico, "There are tons of distilleries in Mexico, but not all export tequila to the United States."
Espinoza said there are three grades of tequila: "Silver, which is the purest. It's right off the plant and is unaged. Then there's reposado, which is aged for a short time — up to a year. It has a light golden color. Anejo is aged in an oak barrel for over a year and has a dark, deep color like scotch or bourbon. Anejo is usually drunk straight; it's a very rich drink."
There is also mezcal, which is also made from agave (but not necessarily the blue agave plant). "It's very popular, very hip right now. It's a little smokier than tequila and sweeter, and may be flavored with herbs and nuts," Espinoza said. She explained it is graded like tequila.
What goes into making the perfect margarita? "Four items — tequila, a liqueur (Triple Sec, Cointreau or Grand Marnier), lime or other citrus juice and simple syrup," Espinoza said. "The tequila has a really sharp taste; the liqueur, a smoothing taste; the citrus juice, a tart taste and the simple syrup, a sweet taste."
For those who want to try mezcal, Xicohtencatl offers a Mezcalita, using the same ingredients and proportions as a margarita, but substituting mezcal for the tequila.
'My favorite margarita is one we call 'El Diablo,' made with Milagro Reposado Tequila infused with jalapeno," Espinoza said.
To make your own jalapeno-infused tequila, place a whole jalapeno halved or sliced, along with some pieces of cilantro, into a 750ml bottle of tequila and let it sit for a couple of weeks. "The first time, you might want to use just half a jalapeno. It can be fiery," she warned.
To make a blueberry/raspberry margarita, Espinoza said to muddle two raspberries and two blueberries into silver tequila, along with the liqueur, lime juice and simple syrup.
"Pick a brand — Patron tequila, Patron Citronge Orange, lime juice and add any fruit you want, a handful or less, maybe 1/4 cup of fruit, and blend it. Don't use any simple syrup." Espinoza said.
For the house margarita, the Xicoh, add a splash or Grenadine to the tequila, liqueur and lime juice, leaving out the simple syrup as Grenadine is sweet on its own.
Xicohtencatl Mexican Restaurant is at 50 Stockbridge Road, in Great Barrington.
THE PERFECT MARGARITA
According to Espinoza, the proportions for the perfect margarita are:
1 shot* tequila (Xicohtencatl uses reposado tequila)
1/2 shot liqueur (Xicohtencatl uses Cointreau or Grand Marnier))
3/4 shot lime
Less than 1/4 shot simple syrup.
(* In the U.S. a shot is usually 1.5 ounces)
"Shake the ingredients together and pour over ice — or not — and serve with lime and salt on the rim," Espinoza said. "With the salt on the rim of the glass, each sip is different. If you sip a lot of salt, you get one sensation; less, you get another. You pick up the strength of the tequila. Sweet, tart and salty —it's the perfect combination."
FUN FACTS ABOUT MARGARITAS
Kick back, grab the salt and limes, and enjoy a frosty drink while reading these facts about your favorite cocktail.
- ITS ORIGINS ARE MURKY
No one is quite sure who invented the margarita, but there are a lot of theories. The most widely spread rumor is that an American socialite named Margarita Sames created the drink for her friends in 1948. One of her party guests was Tommy Hilton, who added the drink to the bar menu at his hotels. This is probably not true, though: The first importer of Jose Cuervo used the tagline "Margarita: it's more than a girl's name" in 1945 — three years before Sames debuted her drink. The very first print mention we can find of the drink (but not the name) comes from the 1937 book Caf Royal Cocktail Book by William Tarling. The drink had a similar recipe but was called Picador (a type of bullfighter).
- FROZEN, PLEASE
The origins of the cocktail are unclear, but the origins of the frozen margarita machine are pretty straightforward: Mariano Martinez invented the frozen margarita machine in the early '70s. The 26-year-old Dallas restaurateur was having trouble creating the frozen drink for customers; bartenders complained they took too long, and customers thought they melted too quickly. After seeing a Slurpee machine in a 7-Eleven, Martinez was struck with inspiration. He transformed a soft-serve ice cream machine into one that pumped out frosty margaritas.
• SALT IS IMPORTANT
The salt is there to bring out the sweet and sour flavors of the drink; even just a pinch will help subdue the bitterness and enhance the important flavors. On top of this, salt intensifies the drinker's perception of the drink's aromas, making the flavors even more powerful.
• MARGARITAS ARE INCREDIBLY POPULAR
In fact, it was the most ordered mixed drink of 2008, according to the Cheers On-Premise Handbook. That year, Americans were consuming 185,000 margaritas per hour on average.
• A $1,200 DRINK
In 2013, 230 FIFTH Rooftop Bar & Penthouse Lounge in Manhattan baited partiers with a frozen margarita that used some incredibly high-end ingredients — the tequila alone cost $1800 a bottle. Even the ice was made from $450 bottles of Lois Roederer Cristal Champagne. The final product was poured into a Ralph Lauren hand-blown Hungarian crystal glass that can be taken home afterward. The decadent drink was for a good cause though — half the money was donated to a charity of the drinker's choice.
TYPES OF TEQUILA
Tequila must be produced only in Mexico in the region of Tequila and has to conform to the strict rules of the Mexican government.
Tequila is produced in two general categories and four different types: The two categories are defined by the percentage of juice coming from the blue agave :
• Tequila 100% agave — It needs to be made from 100 percent blue agave and bottled in the Mexican distillery. It could be "Blanco, Reposado or Anejo".
• Tequila — It has to be made from at least 51 percent blue agave juice. It could be bulk exported and bottled in other countries that follow the Norma Oficial Mexicana (Official Mexican Standard). It could be Blanco, Reposado or Anejo.
Raise a glass — a martini glass, that is — this Friday in honor of the weekend and National Martini Day.
Neither of the two Berkshire County martini experts I spoke to —Tim Eustis, the beverage director at The Red Lion Inn in Stockbridge, and Will Winn, the rickhouse manager at Berkshire Mountain Distillers in Sheffield — knew where or how the martini originated. However, according to Winn, "It's been one of the most popular cocktails in the world for over a hundred years. The traditional stance has been changed to almost every combination — from a vodka martini to a gin martini to a version of the Manhattan. It's changed over the years due to different trends and flavors."
The true martini, Eustis said, is the gin martini. The basic martini, he said, calls for 2 1/2 to 3 ounces of gin or vodka, a splash vermouth, which he said was "ridiculously subjective." For a dirty martini, a splash of olive brine is added. Olives are usually served in a martini, he said, add a cocktail onion instead and the martini becomes a Gibson. A lemon twist is another garnish option. Take away the vermouth, keep the gin or vodka, add lime juice and some simple syrup, and the drink becomes a gimlet. Winn's basic recipe calls for 6 parts gin to 1 part vermouth. From there, it can be changed to each person's preferred style.
Don't add any vermouth at all and the martini becomes extra dry. "Some people like the glass just rinsed with vermouth or sprayed with vermouth," Eustis said. "Olives give the martini a saltiness, a brininess; the lemon twist adds a citrusy piquancy."
Eustis explained vermouth was wine infused with botanicals and other things. To cool down on a hot summer day, he recommended vermouth and club soda or tonic served over ice, and urged people to try different vermouths, which have their own unique taste. He added vermouth can also be used in place of white wine in cooking, for example when deglazing a pan and reducing the pan juices. "It adds interesting flavors and botanicals."
In making a martini, Eustis said since vodkas are all made basically the same way, they have the same similarities.
"If I had 5 or 6 glasses of different vodkas, most people couldn't tell the difference," he said, adding the Red Lion Inn uses Berkshire Mountain Distillers Ice Glen Vodka. Gin, on the other hand, he said is made with different botanicals. He noted that Berkshire Mountain Distillers Ethereal Gin was a favorite.
"It's different each time it's made," he said. "I think the inn has the 16th generation; the 12th or 14th was citrusy and was great with a lemon twist."
When making a simple drink, like a martini or a gin and tonic, he recommended, "the aromatics in the gin are what makes the drink. Splurge on a more expensive gin. If making a drink with other mixers, go the cheaper route."
When it comes to making martinis for himself, he said his favorite is made with Berkshire Mountain Distillers' Ethereal Gin and Dolin Vermouth. Winn likes to settle down with a martini made with Berkshire Mountain Distillers Ice Glen Vodka, a little bit of orange liqueur and the glass just rinsed with vermouth — and like James Bond, shaken, not stirred — and garnished with an orange twist.
"The bitterness of the vermouth contrasts with the sweet citrusy taste from the citrus," he explained.
The Red Lion Inn's head bartender, Ryan Guidi, has recently infused Ice Glen Vodka with horseradish root, garlic, orange and yellow peppers, and onions, which Eustis said will be featured in Bloody Marys and martinis at the inn.
"It's like lunch in a shot," Eustis said. "The vodka is served in a glass rinsed with vermouth and finished with a marinated sun-dried tomato." The inn also features a martini with blue-cheese olives and a shrimp cocktail martini.
So, what difference between shaken and stirred?
"Shaking adds water to the martini and bruises the alcohol, opening up more of the flavor profile," Winn said. "Stirring it in a glass will make the martini much softer to the taste and it will have a more full in flavor."
Martinis are traditionally served in a martini glass. "It's broad, shallow and has hard angles," Eustis said. "The glass is austere, with a stem and a discrete angle out." A martini, he said is about 3 1/2 ounces of liquid, up to 4 1/4 ounces if shaken or stirred with ice.
The perfect martini, Winn said, should be very cold, very clean looking with no excess color and be very smooth to the taste, everything balanced and with not a lot of sharpness.
When making a martini, Winn said it's easy to substitute things. "Add a small amount of fruit juice, use flavored vodkas, use gins with different botanicals, different liqueurs, garnishes to help change the entire flavor of the drink. A simple martini is a great thing. It is very simple to make with only two or three ingredients. You can make it shine because it is so simple to do."
Winn suggested serving martinis with a classic charcuterie board, saying, "A martini is heavy in itself, so you want to serve it with nothing too heavy and the meat, cheese and fruit on a charcuterie board are perfect."
Eustis recommends serving martinis with Marcona almonds or his personal choice regular, salted potato chips, a habit he picked up when living in France where Champagne is served with potato chips. "The plain, regular ones, not honey barbecue or other flavors."
RYAN'S RED LION MARTINI
(Courtesy The Red Lion Inn)
INGREDIENTS:
3 ounces Ice Glen Vodka, infused with horseradish root, garlic, onions, and orange and yellow peppers
Splash of Dolin dry vermouth (depending on taste)
Garnish with a sundried tomato
***
VESPER
(Courtesy Berkshire Mountain Distillers)
INGREDIENTS:
3/4 ounce Ice Glen Vodka
2 ounces Greylock or Ethereal Gin
1/2 ounce Lillet or Cocchi Americano Lemon Twist
DIRECTIONS:
Pour ingredients into a mixing glass with ice and stir. Strain into a cocktail glass. Garnish with a lemon twist.
***
WILL'S IDEAL MARTINI
(Courtesy Will Winn, Berkshire Mountain Distillers)
INGREDIENTS:
3 ounces Ice Glen Vodka
1/8 ounce dry vermouth
1/8 ounce orange liqueur
Orange Twist
Ice
DIRECTIONS:
Shake vodka with ice for 30 seconds. Rinse glass with mixture of Vermouth and Orange Liqueur (dispose of remainder). Strain the vodka into the rinsed glass and garnish with an orange twist.
***
COSMOPOLI-GIN
INGREDIENTS:
1 1/2 ounces Greylock Gin
1 ounce orange liqueur
1/2 ounce lime juice
Cranberry juice (for color)
Lime wheel
DIRECTIONS:
Shake gin, liqueur, cranberry juice, and lime juice together. Strain into a chilled cocktail glass and garnish with the lime wheel.
I want to share something beautiful ...
"Christmas, my child, is love in action. Every time we love, every time we give, it's Christmas." — Dale Evans *
This lovely quote captivated me as I read it; so much so, that I've read it many times over. The words calmed me in the midst of holiday overload, brought me to an emotional sense of peace and gifted me an affection for Christmas that needed a bit of a boost. Could there be a more perfect expression of Christmas?
I hope others will enjoy these thoughtful words as much as I do.
Now, onward ho!
The finish line is within sight! 2020 is but a few days away and party planning is in the works to be sure. For those who like to party alcohol-free, I'm offering up some creative alternatives to alcohol-based cocktails for your imbibing pleasure!
GRAPEFRUIT AND ROSEMARY MOCKTAIL
(Courtesy of Place of My Taste)
INGREDIENTS:
Rosemary Simple Syrup:
1 cup water
1 cup granulated sugar
3 sprigs of rosemary
Mocktail per 4 glasses:
2 cups chilled fresh pink grapefruit juice
1/4 cup of the rosemary simple syrup
4 cups icy cold sparkling water
DIRECTIONS:
Rosemary Simple Syrup:
In a small sauce pan on the stove, add 1 cup of water and 1 cup of granulated sugar over medium heat. Dissolve the sugar for about 5
minutes. Do not let the mixture boil or crystals will form. Once the sugar has dissolved, pour the simple syrup into a heat-safe container. Add 3 sprigs of rosemary and let steep for at least one hour.
The syrup will keep in the refrigerator for 10 days.
Mocktail per glass:
Add 1/2 cup fresh pink grapefruit into a serving glass. Add 1 Tablespoon (1/2 ounce) of rosemary simple syrup. Stir. Fill the remainder of the glass with sparkling water (about 1 cup). Garnish with a rosemary sprig.
CUCUMBER AND GINGER COCKTAIL
(Courtesy of Cheryl Malik of 40 Aprons)
INGREDIENTS:
1 medium cucumber, sliced
10 slices of fresh ginger, about 1/4-inch thick
2 cups sugar
2 cups water
Ice cold club soda
Cucumber slices for garnish
DIRECTIONS:
Place sliced cucumber and ginger in a large bowl. Bring sugar and water to a boil in a saucepan over medium-high heat, stirring until sugar is completely dissolved. Pour over cucumber and ginger and let stand for 2 hours. Strain into a bottle and chill. To prepare a cocktail, stir together about 1 1/2 ounces syrup with about 4 1/2 ounces soda water to taste. Garnish with a cucumber slice.
POLKA MAN
INGREDIENTS:
(Courtesy of the Nomad in NYC)
Per cocktail:
1 strawberry
1/4 ounce simple syrup
1/2 ounce vanilla syrup
1/2 ounce lemon juice
1/2 ounce cold brew coffee
1 ounce grapefruit juice
1 ounce pineapple juice
Tonic water
DIRECTIONS:
Muddle strawberry into a shaker, top with ice and all ingredients except for tonic water. Shake vigorously, then pour into a glass. Top with tonic water and garnish with a strawberry.
*Dale Evans was an entertainer along with husband "the singing cowboy" Roy Rogers.
This weekend will be filled with Memorial Day celebrations — the unofficial start of summer in New England (the official start is Friday, June 21) — and Saturday is National Wine Day. Hmm, a weekend kicking off summer and a day celebrating wine ... seems like the perfect time for sangria!
"Sangria is a classic summertime drink. It's essentially wine, fruit juice and a splash of brandy — a Spanish fruit punch," said Dominique DeVito, co-owner of Hudson-Chatham Winery in Ghent, N.Y., and author of "Seasonal Sangria: 101 Delicious Recipes to Enjoy All Year Long." "It's very versatile — you can take any wine, any or all fruit, and mix up a batch. In Spain, it's a mid-day cocktail served over ice." She added sangria's popularity in the United States was launched at the World's Fair in New York City in 1964 (although travelers to Spain were already acquainted with it) and it has since become more and more popular.
"It's the kind of drink that's not too over-the-top. It's fruity and can be dry or sweet," DeVito said. "Use any kind of wine and fruit. There are so many kinds of fruit juice and seltzers, combinations of frozen berries and fruit. Find what is interesting and add the wine. You can also add brandy, gin or rum. Gin is great with limes and rum with tropical fruits. If you're using a white wine for the sangria, add some vodka."
When making a sangria, DeVito said there is no right wine to use. "It's a matter of preference. It's a good way to use up a bottle you've had a glass or two out of or an older wine you've had on hand awhile and you're not sure if the flavor is still all there."
Classic fruits used in sangria include apples, oranges, blueberries, blackberries, watermelon, honeydew, cherries, mango, red raspberries and boysenberries. DeVito advised freezing the melons and mango so they don't break down in the sangria and adding them to the wine mixture before chilling it in the refrigerator.
What should you serve with sangria? "Sunshine and happy people," was DeVito's immediate response. She added it goes great with paella or with anything grilled — barbecued chicken, pulled pork or especially "beautiful" with ribs.
Hudson-Chatham Winery will host its 12th Annual Sangria Festival from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 10, at the winery in Ghent. In addition to regular wine tastings in the tasting room, the festival features five fresh sangrias, Maria Zemantauski playing flamenco guitar, food trucks and tarot card readings. The festival itself is free to attend, ticket prices for sangria or wine tasting are a la carte. For more information, visit www.hudsonchathamwinery.com.
Until then, why not try some of DeVito's creations at home?
BASIC SANGRIA
(Courtesy of Dominique DeVito)
INGREDIENTS:
1 bottle (750 ml) dry red wine
1/2 cup orange juice
1 fresh orange, cut into bite-size pieces
1 apple, cored and cut into bite-size pieces
1 shot of brandy
DIRECTIONS:
Stir all ingredients together and let sit in the refrigerator a few hours before serving.
THE CLASSIC
(Courtesy of Dominique DeVito)
"This is how sangria started, with oranges, apples, and brandy. You can use regular seltzer instead of lemon seltzer, but I like the extra zing of the flavoring. If this is the first sangria you make —and it's a great one to get started with — get yourself off to a good start and feel free to improvise to suit your taste. Add more brandy, if you want. Add some sugar, or top with lemon-lime soda instead of seltzer. Remember, sangria should taste good to you. It's a fun, fruity, refreshing wine punch."
Serves 4 to 6
INGREDIENTS:
1 bottle (750 ml) dry red wine
2 oranges, sliced thin in whole or half rounds
2 Granny Smith apples, cored and seeded, cut into bite-sized chunks
1/4 cup brandy or triple sec
Ice
1 cup lemon seltzer
DIRECTIONS:
Combine all ingredients, but the seltzer, in a large pitcher or container. Cover and refrigerate for 4 or more hours. Add ice and seltzer and stir. Serve.
PEACHY KEEN
(Courtesy of Dominique DeVito)
"Another sangria that is perfect for summer is this one, which should be made as often as possible during peach season when the fruit is simply succulent."
Serves 4 to 6
INGREDIENTS:
1 bottle (750 ml) sparkling wine, very cold
1 cup bite-sized peach pieces (skins on is fine)
1 cup blueberries, frozen
1/4 cup peach schnapps
DIRECTIONS:
In a bowl, combine the peach pieces, blueberries, and schnapps. Stir to combine.
Into 4 to 6 champagne flutes, ladle 2 spoonfuls of fruit. Top each glass with sparkling wine. Repeat as desired with any remaining fruit and wine, being sure to keep the wine chilled.
STRAWBERRY LEMONADE SANGRIA
(Courtesy of Dominique DeVito)
"It's our most popular sangria. You can play with it and don't feel married to the recipe. Try adding some blueberries."
INGREDIENTS:
1 bottle (750 ml) blush-style wine
12 ounce container frozen lemonade concentrate, yellow or pink
12 ounces water
Pint of fresh strawberries, tops cut off and quartered (frozen strawberries may be substituted)
DIRECTIONS:
Mix the wine, lemonade and water in pitcher and add strawberries. Put in the refrigerator for a couple of hours. Add ice to the pitcher. Serve with fresh mint, lemon slice or strawberry garnishes.
If you like your cocktail stirred, not shaken, you'll appreciate these cocktails on a stick.
Thursday is National Something on a Stick Day, and our current chilly spring weather has us wishing, hoping for sunny days on the deck or lounging by the pool with a cool cocktail. This March weather has even the toughest New Englanders among us looking for a cocktail to drown our muddy sorrows. And isn't everything more fun on stick?
You'll want to plan ahead when making these, as some of the recipes need time to freeze and properly soak in the alcohol.
Note: Make sure these frozen adult beverages are kept out of little Popsicle-loving hands as they look quite fun and kid-friendly, even though they are not.
***
If you're like me and you grow mint in your garden specifically for mojitos, this is the Popsicle recipe for you. This is a simple dump and mix recipe, which makes a pretty tart frozen mojito. If you like your drink sweeter, I suggest adding more strawberries and a little less lime juice. This recipe made six perfect Popsicle in my mold and left enough of the mix to have one cocktail while I waited for the mold to freeze. Cheers!
— Lindsey Hollenbaugh, managing editor of features
STRAWBERRY MOJITO POPSICLES
INGREDIENTS:
1/2 cup rum
3/4 cup chopped strawberries
2 cups limeade
4 oz. fresh lime juice
8 mint leaves, chopped
6 Popsicle sticks
DIRECTIONS:
Mix all ingredients together then evenly divide mixture into Popsicle molds. Chill Popsicle molds in freezer for about 20 to 30 minutes or until liquid is slightly frozen. Add wooden Popsicle sticks and freeze overnight. Run warm water over molds to loosen Popsicles and serve.
***
So, I thought cocktails on a stick sounded like an amazing way to keep your whole party from clumping up in front of the drinks table mixing all night, but after this sangria on a stick recipe, I don't know. It calls for the fruit to soak for an hour, then freeze, and I don't know how much alcohol they actually were able to absorb in that time. Given how much of the wine I poured off before putting them in the freezer, not much. In the end, these come off as fancy ice cubes, which would great to chill your glass of wine.
— Meggie Baker, calendar editor
SANGRIA ON A STICK
INGREDIENTS:
1 cup fruit, cut into 2-inch cubes
1/4 cup white wine
DIRECTIONS:
Place fruit in an even layer in a shallow dish. Pour wine and honey over. Cover and refrigerate for 1 hour.
Skewer fruit chunks on wooden skewers and place in a single layer on a baking sheet. Freeze 1-2 hours or until fruit is frozen.
Other recipes drench fruit in vodka, schnapps, etc.
***
You wouldn't think a recipe with only six ingredients (I added 1 teaspoon of lime extract at the end along with the remaining 1 tablespoon of tequila) would be so tricky. I have never made lollipops before, but I have made other types of candy. If you do try this recipe, I would suggest using a low medium heat, as my candy syrup began caramelizing and then scorching at around 290 degrees. (Yes, I had checked my thermometer's accuracy with boiling water before starting.) I also highly recommend using lollipop molds and not trying to free form circles using a spoon — the hot syrup ran wherever it wanted on both the silicon mat and the parchment paper I used. On a positive note, they did harden and began the same consistency as a store-bought pop. These taste like straight-up shots of tequila and would be perfect as an add on to your favorite margarita. Serve these dunked in your cocktail as a boozy stirrer. If anyone does try this recipe and has success, would you send me a note and a photo?
— Margaret Button, associate features editor
HOMEMADE TEQUILA LOLLIPOPS
(Courtesy of leeannebakes.com "adapted from a million and one recipes")
INGREDIENTS:
1/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon tequila
2 tablespoons cold water
3/4 cup sugar
3 tablespoons golden syrup (can substitute corn syrup)
Dash of salt
DIRECTIONS:
Prepare a baking pan with a silicone mat, and a handful of lollipop sticks. Set aside. (Alt: you can use a lollipop mold).
In a medium pot, combine the tequila, water, sugar, syrup, and salt. Bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring to dissolve all the sugar and salt.
Heat the mixture to just 300 F (use a candy thermometer), but don't stir it. And don't taste it or touch it with your body (trust me — burns).
Remove from heat, and quickly stir in the remaining tablespoon of tequila. Working quickly, drop a tablespoon of the mixture at a time onto the silicone mat in small circles. Insert the lollipop sticks, giving a quick turn to coat evenly.
Allow lollipops to cool completely before removing to store in an air-tight container.
I recently had the pleasure of traveling to Mexico to learn how to make tequila.
Tequila is like wine, it is a simple process. It is made by hand and reflects both the terroir of the highlands or the valley soil in which the blue agave plant is grown, and the heart and soul of the distillers. It is a fascinating industry that combines old-fashioned traditional methods, and new science and technology in equal parts.
While I was in Jalisco — the state that almost all tequilas come from — I visited the Patron distillery. Among the many things that I learned, I discovered that they have four tequila-based liqueurs called Patron Citronge. As I tasted, it occurred to me that the tequila liqueur might be a great substitution for the Grand Marnier that I usually use in a margarita. I liked the idea that the primary spirit stayed the same. (Tequila with the Patron liqueur vs. brandy in Grand Marnier).
My thought was that the tequila liqueur would add just the tiniest amount of sugar and a fruity component to compliment the tequila and citrus juice. So, the skinny margarita would be a little smoother than the traditional tequila and lime juice version with no need to add agave syrup or sugar.
When I came home, I made a batch of the margaritas using Meyer lemons because they are sweeter than a traditional lemon or lime, and the juice would highlight, not overpower, the delicate mango flavor.
The drink is refreshing and smooth without being sweet at all. You can taste the real ataulfo (a.k.a. champagne) mangoes that the liqueur is made with and the sweet-tart Meyer lemon juice is just sour enough to make it a margarita.
When I thought about how to garnish the margarita, I decided to incorporate a tip from the master tequillier of Cazadores. Tania Oseguera is one of the few female tequilliers and her favorite accompaniment to sipping tequila is to dip the edge of a cut orange in ground cinnamon. Even though it was designed for a glass of neat tequila, I decided to try it with my Mango Margarita. I used a slice of the Meyer lemon since I already had one cut, but you could use Tania's favorite, the orange.
'Skinny' mango margarita
Servings: 2 drinks
INGREDIENTS:
1.5 ounces favorite Silver Tequila
1 ounce Patron Mango Liqueur
2 ounces fresh-squeezed Meyer lemon juice
Ground cinnamon
Meyer lemon or orange slice, cut in half for garnish.
DIRECTIONS:
Shake all ingredients with ice and strain into a short "rocks" glass filled with crushed ice. Dip the side of the Meyer lemon or orange slice into the cinnamon and garnish the glass. I make a cut in the center of the slice with a paring knife so that it slips over the rim of the glass more easily.
Chef's note: One ounce is equal to 2 tablespoons. If you don't have an ounce measure, you can use a tablespoon.
Nutrition information per serving: 101 calories; 0 calories from fat; 0 g fat (0 g saturated; 0 g trans fats); 0 mg cholesterol; 1 mg sodium; 7 g carbohydrate; 0 g fiber; 5 g sugar; 0 g protein.
Elizabeth Karmel is a barbecue and Southern foods expert. She is the chef and pit master at online retailer CarolinaCueToGo.com and the author of three books, including "Taming the Flame."
Most seasons have a signature cocktail. We drink fresh and fruity in the summer, brown and brooding in the winter. But what do we drink in the fall, other than apple cider? Apple cider cocktails. Specifically, this Cortland Jab.
This recipe features some of the season's favorite flavors, with a special ingredient that may be new to you. Before we even get to the shrub, though, we add just enough apple brandy to make it count, fresh apple cider (often produced with sweet Cortland apples, hence the name), and a splash of hard apple cider. Fermented ciders are gaining popularity, and though there are delicious national varieties, we bet there is one made in your neck of the woods.
At your favorite cocktail bar or restaurant, you'll likely find a selection of ingredients called "shrubs." A shrub is a syrup made from cooked fruit and sugar (or other sweetener, like honey or maple syrup), strained and mixed with vinegar. Historically, it's been used to preserve fresh fruit beyond its growing season. But today, mixologists use it as a fruity and acidic addition to cocktails.
Culinary Institute of America instructor Rory Brown explains, "The complex sweet-tart flavor profile adds complexity to cocktails, in a way that citrus cannot match. While one is not a replacement for another, a shrub allows for more variety." Take that, lime wedges.
While we're on the subject of cocktail ingredients that you may have to Google while no one is looking, a switchel is a sweetened mixture of water and vinegar, and bitters are concentrated alcohol-based mixtures flavored with botanicals, like orange peel or herbs (you'll find those in this recipe, too). If you run into others, don't be insecure about asking your bartender. Anyone who takes the time to create a beautiful cocktail is usually happy to talk about it.
We've used cranberries in this shrub, because who doesn't love the classic cran-apple flavor combination? But shrubs are the perfect way to use imperfect fruit of any variety. Eat the best raspberries, blackberries, and apricots that you can find, then take the bruised, weirdly-shaped, and hopefully half-the-price quarts and cook them down to make your shrub. Use one fruit or mix and match for your favorite flavor pairings.
You may be wondering why this cocktail is called a jab. Well, here in the Hudson Valley, apple cider punches are popular party drinks. But since this cocktail has a higher alcohol content than the average punch, it calls for a smaller serving — which makes it less like a punch, and more like a quick jab. If you like your drinks on the gentle side, stir your shrub with fresh apple cider and a bit of ginger ale for a refreshing Cortland Caress.
Cortland jab
Servings: 1.
Start to finish: 35 minutes
INGREDIENTS:
1 1/2 ounces (3 tablespoons) apple brandy
3/4 ounce (1 1/2 tablespoons) Cranberry Shrub (recipe follows)
3/4 ounce (1 1/2 tablespoons) apple cider
2 dashes cardamom, orange or aromatic bitters
2 ounces (1/4 cup) sparkling hard apple cider
Cranberries, as needed for garnish
Orange peel, as needed for garnish
DIRECTIONS:
In a mixing glass, combine the brandy, shrub, cider, and bitters, and add ice. Stir until chilled, about 50 rotations.
Strain into a rocks glass over large ice cubes and top with the sparkling cider. Garnish with cranberries and orange peel.
CRANBERRY SHRUB
Makes about 3 cups (about 32 servings)
INGREDIENTS:
1 cup water
2 1/4 cup fresh or frozen cranberries
2/3 cup maple syrup
3/4 cup apple cider vinegar
Combine the water, cranberries, and maple syrup in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Simmer until the cranberries have burst and are soft, about 20 minutes. Strain through a fine mesh sieve, pushing the cranberries to release all of the juices.
Add the vinegar to the strained juice and stir to combine. Transfer to a jar or bottle. The shrub will keep in the refrigerator from 2 to 3 months.
Nutrition information per serving of the jab: 152 calories; 0 calories from fat; 0 g fat (0 g saturated; 0 g trans fats); 0 mg cholesterol; 9 mg sodium; 14 g carbohydrate; 0 g fiber; 13 g sugar; 0 g protein.
Nutrition information per serving of the shrub: 21 calories; 0 calories from fat; 0 g fat (0 g saturated; 0 g trans fats); 0 mg cholesterol; 1 mg sodium; 5 g carbohydrate; 0 g fiber; 4 g sugar; 0 g protein.
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Fire up the grill and try one of these recipes before summer — and the grilling season — winds down.
When the temperature outside rises, the oven in our house gets to take a vacation.