Cocktails / Food
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Raspberry Bellini
This is a great brunch cocktail.
12 oz raspberries, frozen
1 peach, sliced and frozen
2 cups peach puree, chilled
1.5L bottle of Prosecco, chilled
Slice peach and freeze. Wash raspberries and freeze. (If peaches and raspberries aren’t in season, buy frozen.) Combine all ingredients in a pitcher or punch bowl. If you don’t have peaches, make ice cubes from additional peach puree and add to the pitcher or punch bowl to keep the Bellinis chilled.
Cheers! (and Happy 23rd Birthday, Nathan!)
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Moscato Mule
Here’s a fun twist on the classic Moscow Mule.
2 oz. moscato
1.5 oz. ginger beer
1 oz. vodka
1/2 T. fresh lime juice
Fill a glass with ice (preferably a copper mule mug with crushed ice.) Add all ingredients above and stir. Garnish with a lime wedge.
Cheers!
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The Last Word
This is a classic gin cocktail. I just had The Last Word for the first time in Sedona, AZ. It’s delicious and easy because it’s equal parts of each ingredient which means you can easily make multiple cocktails or even a pitcher full for a party without doing any math. Just shake each cocktail with ice before serving.
3/4 oz gin3/4 oz green Chartreuse
3/4 oz Luxardo liqueur
3/4 oz fresh lime juice
Lime wheel or a twist of lime for a garnish
Add all ingredients to a cocktail shaker filled with ice, shake vigorously and strain into a coupe glass. Garnish with lime.
Cheers!
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Gin and Tonic
I wasn’t a huge fan of tonic until I was introduced to the Jack Rudy Cocktail Co. Classic Tonic Syrup. Mixed with club soda it tastes so much better than prepared tonic water.
Gin & Tonic (BTW these goblets are large so the cocktails pictured are doubles.) 2 oz of Nolet’s gin
.75 oz of Jack Rudy Classic Tonic Syrup
5 oz of club soda
Fresh lime juice. Lately, I’ve been garnishing with a frozen or dehydrated slice of blood orange. After a bit, it will turn your cocktail slightly pink.
Combine ingredients in a goblet filled with ice. Stir gently.
Cheers!
Gin & Tonic with a slice of blood orange -
Old Fashioned
I don’t care for whiskey (Scotch, Bourbon or Rye) but in order to give equal time to those who do, I will have guest cocktail recipes. This Old Fashion recipe comes from our son, Nathan.
2 oz Bulleit Bourbon
2 tablespoons maple syrup
2 shakes orange bitters
3 shakes Angostura aromatic bitters
1/2 teaspoon of Luxardo cherry syrup
Stir in a shaker with ice.
Pour into a glass with one large ice cube. Garnish with Luxardo cherries.
Cheers!
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French 75
This is a nice before dinner cocktail. It’s a little sweet, so I typically can only drink one.
1 oz gin1/2 oz fresh lemon juice
1/2 oz simple syrup (heat 1 part sugar with 1 part water until sugar is dissolved, chill in the fridge for up to 1 month)
2 oz champagne
In a cocktail shaker filled with ice; combine gin, lemon juice and simple syrup. Shake and strain into a champagne flute or coupe glass.
Top with 2 ounces of champagne and garnish with a lemon twist.
Cheers!
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Tequila Bees Knees
2 parts tequila of your choice (blanco or reposado are both good)
1 part honey
1 part fresh lemon juice (room temp)
Dry shake (no ice) until the honey is incorporated. If you add ice before shaking, your honey will not blend.
Then add ice and shake well until you get a little froth.
Strain into a coupe glass. (Although, I prefer it served on the rocks.)
Cheers!
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Perky Little Nut
We had this shot one morning at a little coffee shop in Denver called Amante Coffee. The shot on their menu had Amaretto and was called The Shottino, but we substituted Frangelico.
1 part Frangelico1 part Espresso
Top with heavy cream, very lightly whipped
Layer the ingredients in a tall shot glass. To keep the layers from mixing pour the espresso and cream slowly over the back of a spoon.
Now, drink your shot with a straw so you finish with the cream. Yummy, right?!?!
You can have a lot of fun with this.
Change up the liquor – try Amaretto, Baileys, Kahlua or flavored vodkas like vanilla or whip cream.
Make a Nutty Affogato – vanilla ice cream with frangelico and espresso.
Substitute coconut milk for the heavy cream, if you don’t drink dairy.
Cheers!
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Greyhound or Salty Dog with Rosemary
What do you do when you have a huge tree full of grapefruit? Make fresh grapefruit juice cocktails! Don’t have fresh grapefruit? Most grocery stores have fresh squeezed juices in their produce departments.1 part vodka (I prefer Grey Goose – stored in the freezer, of course)
2 parts fresh grapefruit juice
1/4 – 1/2 part rosemary simple syrup (heat 1 part sugar with 1 part water and several sprigs of fresh rosemary until sugar is dissolved, strain and chill in the fridge for up to 1 month.)
Fresh rosemary
Fill a rocks glass with ice, vodka, grapefruit juice and rosemary simple syrup. Mix and taste. If it’s too tart, add more simple syrup. Garnish with a fresh sprig of rosemary. (If you prefer your greyhound unsweetened; skip the simple syrup and just stir your cocktail several times with a fresh sprig of rosemary to distribute some of the rosemary oils throughout your drink.)
If you like how salt brings out the taste of grapefruit, salt the rim of your glass before filling. Now you have a Salty Dog.
Cheers!
I have access to a lot of grapefruit juice! Please share your favorite grapefruit juice cocktails in the Comments section below.
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Aperol Spritz
I had my first Aperol Spritz in Sidney, Australia in 2017 and it quickly became one of my favorite light cocktails. Aperol is an Italian bitter; if it’s too bitter for you, add more Prosecco.3 parts Prosecco (I use La Marca)
2 parts Aperol
1 part club soda
Orange peelThis is an easy one… combine all ingredients in a large wine glass or water goblet filled with ice.
Garnish with an orange peel. (And, if you love green olives, try one in your spritz.)
Cheers!