Cocktail Hour: Mint & St. Germain Margarita

Hello from the beach! The kids and I escaped the heat of DC for a few weeks with my parents at the beach. It’s been a nice break so far with lots of sandcastle building, wave surfing and shell collecting. And, of course, some nice summery cocktails for me!

It’s fun having my parents around to test some cocktails that I’ve been wanting to try and this margarita is a big winner in my book. With its strong mint flavor, it’s almost more of a hybrid mojito/margarita. Not only do you muddle some mint when making the drink, I also infused my simple syrup with some mint. And speaking of simple syrup, I tried a new method of making my syrup with no heat (after reading this article on Food52) and I’m sold. It was quick, effective and there was not waiting for it to cool. Perfect!

St. Germain Mint Margarita (from Waiting on Martha)

Ingredients

1.5 oz. Silver Patron Tequila
1 oz. St. Germain
1 oz. fresh lime juice + more for garnish
1/2 cup club soda
Splash of simple syrup (using the cold method mentioned above infused with a mint leaf)
2-4 mint sprigs + more for garnish
salt (optional)

Directions

In a cocktail shaker add mint leaves and muddle. Add ice, tequila, St. Germain, and lime juice. Shake and test, if sour add simple syrup. Take one lime slice and run it around the rim of your glass then immediately dip glass into salt and twist. Fill glass with ice and pour margarita mixture, add club soda. Garnish with a mint sprig and lime.

 

 

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Campari + Orange Cocktail

It took me a little while to join the Campari bandwagon but once I did, there was no looking back. At first glance you may think this pretty red aperitif is sweet like cherries but it is anything but. It is bitter with hints of grapefruit and herbs and adds the perfect antidote to those sweet, sugary cocktails (e.g., the mai thai) that you usually come across when the weather turns warm.

Campari + Orange Cocktail (adapted from Martha Stewart)

Ingredients

1 ounce Campari
1/4 cup fresh orange juice
2 tablespoons lemon simple syrup, recipe below

Directions

Fill a glass full of ice. Add the Campari, orange and simple syrup. Top off with club soda.

Lemon Simple Syrup

Ingredients

1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup water
zest from 1/2 lemon

Directions

Combine the sugar, water & lemon zest in a small pan. Heat over medium high heat, stirring until the sugar dissolves. Remove from the heat and let it cool completely before using.

 

 

Cocktail Hour: Classic Gin Rickey

Did you know that the gin rickey is the official cocktail of the District of Columbia? I didn’t until the nice folks at Green Hat Gin let us know during our visit. On top of that, June 14th (Rebecca’s B-day) was national gin day and July is gin rickey month! Oh my, so much to celebrate here. And, because it’s so stinkin’ hot here in DC, I decided to celebrate this drink a bit early and I whipped one up for my birthday yesterday. I’m so glad I did because it’s the perfect refreshing cocktail on a hot and humid DC night.

Classic Gin Rickey

Ingredients

2 ounces gin (I used Green Hat Gin’s Spring/Summer Batch, which is my favorite)
1/2 lime
club soda

Directions

Fill a collins glass with ice. Squeeze half a lime over the ice then throw the lime into the glass. Add the gin and top off with club soda. Enjoy!

 

 

 

Cocktail Hour: Blood Orange & Gin Spritzer

I think I have a club soda problem. I’m addicted. Especially when it comes to cocktails. This light and refreshing cocktail uses a combination of blood orange soda and plain club soda, mixed with gin & bitter campari. It’s slightly sweet, slightly bitter and oh so delicious.

Blood Orange & Ginger Spritzer (by A Feteful Life)

Ingredients

1 ounce gin
1 ounce campari
blood orange soda, like San Pellegrino (I got mine from Trader Joes)
club soda
clementine, thinly sliced

Directions

In a tall collins glass, mix the gin and campari. Add ice to the top and top off with blood orange soda and club soda to taste (the more blood orange soda, the sweeter it will be). Garnish with a thinly sliced clementine.

 

I Want it Now: SodaStream Source

Happy Earth Day! On this day dedicated to focusing on conservation and preserving our lovely planet I’m trying to think of ways to do my part. I’m a huge fan of club soda and often buy it by the case. This beautifully designed and reasonably priced SodaStream is just the ticket. I want it now!

Cocktail Hour: Sparkling Bourbon Side Car

My husband is a big fan of bourbon (and scotch) and while he normally drinks them straight or on the rocks, I’m always on the hunt for a good cocktail for him to mix things up. For his speakeasy birthday party this year we served a classic sidecar, which uses cognac as the main ingredient along with cointreau and lemon juice. It was delicious but I figured it might be even better substituting the bourbon for the cognac. I was right!

In addition to substituting the bourbon for the cognac, I also decide to serve it over some crushed ice and top it off with some sparkling water. So, essentially, it’s not a true sidecar anymore but the flavor profile is still there and it is delicious!

Sparkling Bourbon Sidecar (recipe by A Feteful Life)

2 ounces quality bourbon
1 ounce cointreau
1 ounce freshly squeezed lemon juice
club soda

Directions

In a cocktail shaker filled with ice, combine the bourbon, cointreau and lemon juice. Shake to combine. Strain into a old fashioned glass filled with ice. Top off with club soda and garnish with a lemon or orange wedge.