Spring Green : Kiwi Lemongrass Cocktail

Spring is in the air. Plants are budding, birds occupy the trees each morning in droves, and the temperature outside has slowly begun to climb. I've already said it, and I'll say it again, I love when the seasons begin to change, the death of one and birth of another. Spring is likely my favorite. The color, the warmth, the sun, and the sweet smell. It's perfect.

 In honor of this change, our hostess for my cooking clubs dinner this March, miss Ashley, chose the theme of green. Our dinner this Saturday falls smack dab between St Patties day and the Spring equinox. Ashley had only one (very good) stipulation; no artificial coloring. I've got the pleasure of serving my gourmet girls the cocktail and the appetizer course. I knew immediately that I wanted to make kiwi cocktails, complete with kiwi juice and pulp. Would it be green enough? I wondered. Clearly, green is not an issue. I amped this mixture up a bit by adding a splash of fresh lime and pineapple juice, finishing each drink with Dry Lemongrass soda. Refreshing, slightly sweet, tropical, light, and bubbly. Just about as perfect as a libation can get. 

Wondering what I've got up my sleeve for appetizer? Stay tuned!

The Kiwi Cocktail

Serves Two

Ingredients:

4 oz Belvedere Vodka

6 oz kiwi juice (see note)

Kiwi Pulp

3 oz pineapple juice

1 oz fresh lime juice

Lemongrass Dry Soda

Directions: 

1. In a cocktail shaker full of ice add vodka, kiwi, pineapple, and fresh lime juice. Shake well.

2. Pour mixture into two cocktail glasses of your choice full of ice with a tablespoon or two of kiwi pulp. 

3. Top off with lemongrass soda, or sparkling water.

4. Sip and savor. 

Note: For this recipe I used four kiwis, food processed them, and strained the juice using a sieve. This gave me about 3/4 cup kiwi juice and plenty of pulp.

Gnarly : Vanilla Bean Tequila Sunrise

Okay, confession time, this may not technically be a tequila sunrise. Sure there is fresh orange juice and tequila, but that's basically where the similarities end. So, why have I dubbed it a tequila sunrise? Well, it's far more sunrise colored than it's more traditional twin brother, which is laced with grenadine that lends the drink an orange red hue (tequila sunset anyone?). That, and I'm lazy. I didn't want to come up with a new name. Hey, at least I'm honest. 

This cocktail is simple, quite tasty, and absolutely perfect for Halloween, which is a mere 18 days away. Light orange in color, peppered with black vanilla bean dots, and garnished with a long twisting, curling, sleepy hollow-esque branch-like vanilla bean. What more could you ask for in a Halloween drink? So this year reconsider the black vodka, the sticky red sugar blood dripping down the side of your martini glasses, or the floating grape eyeball garnish business (as fun and impressive as that stuff is). An easy drink paired with a simple yet effortless garnish will give you the effect you're after, along with more time to drink up and enjoy your guests.

Other than the october appropriate color and garnish, this drink is filled with 100% agave tequila, fresh squeezed orange, grapefruit, and lime juice, the innards of half a vanilla bean, topped off with a splash of sparkling water, and finished with a dash or two of lemon bitters. The aroma that fills your senses as you tip the glass up to your mouth cannot be beat, sweet, citrus, vanilla, a little floral, the heavenly scent is almost better than the drink itself. 

The True Tequila Sunrise

serves 4

Ingredients:

8 oz agave tequila (I used silver Patron)

16 oz fresh squeezed orange juice

8 oz fresh squeezed grapefruit juice

4 oz. lime juice

2 vanilla beans scraped (an additional two for glass garnishing) (our co-op sells them for $1.25 a bean)

 sparkling water

lemon bitters

Directions: 

1. Mix all ingredients, except for sparkling water and lemon bitters, in a pitcher. Whisk to break up the vanilla bean. 

2. Fill tall glasses with large ice cubes, pour equal amounts over ice, leaving enough room at the top to add desired amount of sparkling water. Add a dash or two of lemon bitters. And finally, garnish with your wonderful vanilla beans.

*Don't just keep this one in your halloween cocktail file either. Substitute (or for a true lush, leave it in) the tequila for champagne and you've got one lovely little vanilla bean mimosa on your hands.*

Blushing Dark Cherry Cocktail

Cherry Cocktail, originally uploaded by miss.mallory.

I have an affinity for cocktails. Not exactly sure why. Perhaps it's the movies I grew up idolizing, the oldies straight out of the 40's, 50's, and 60's when a cocktail meant more than going down to the corner college bar and drinking yourself into oblivion. In the movies the folks imbibing were always glamourous, chic, and alluring. Enjoying a drink was something to be savored and enjoyed. For me it's always seemed a thing of art and beauty. Something special, and lovely, a good way to end a day or start an evening with friends. There's just something so special, and classic in a cocktail. I apologize, I feel as though I'm gushing. But honestly, I get just as excited tracking down the perfect cocktail for a party as I do about planning a menu or my decor. One of my favorite Friday or Saturday night activities is inviting a friend over for a chat, a cocktail (I need to start counting how many times I've typed cocktail. . .) and a bite, which is precisely how this charming cocktail (. . .7) came about.

Cherries aren't at their peak quite yet. But week after week those plastic baggies with luscious deep red cherries have started making an appearance at the grocery store. They finally got to me. I couldn't resist any longer. I knew if I picked the perfectly ripe juicy fruits out of the bunch, pitted them, and allowed them to macerate in a bit of sugar they'd be absolutely perfect for a cocktail. That they were. Sweet dark cherries topped with vodka, sparkling berry water, and a kiss of cherry juice. This is an ideal, light, slightly sweet drink, perfect for a lazy long evening. The large bits of cherry waiting at the bottom of your glass are just a bonus, a sweet little gift at the end of great drink.

Blushing Dark Cherry Cocktail

Serves 4

(I served mine in tall narrow glasses, you may want to adjust vodka/sparkling water ratios depending on the type of cocktail glass you chose to use)

1 1/2 cup fresh cherries, pitted and macerated in sugar

4 oz vodka

8 oz sparkling water (I used a berry flavored to give it a kick of extra flavor)

crushed ice

Directions:

1. Divide 4 tablespoons of cherries into four glasses (add an extra Tablespoon of the sweet cherry juices from the bottom of your cherry bowl or jar also). Then fill glass with crushed ice, pour 1 oz. of vodka into each over ice, top with sparkling water.

Now it's time to savor your cocktail, and your company.

Cherry Cocktail, originally uploaded by miss.mallory.

Something So Simple : Sgroppino

IMG_8143, originally uploaded by miss.mallory.

It's Friday! Because we've come to the end of our week I'm going to keep this post incredibly short and simple. You probably want to sip on a glass of something delightful, maybe nosh on a few nibbly bits, kick up your feet, and look forward to the weekend ahead. You probably don't want to sit here reading paragraph after paragraph, so I'll get to it.

What you do want (trust me on this) is to make this cocktail, now!

'Sgroppino' was made for our cooking club last weekend by the ever lovely Rachelle over at Use the Good China (who, as a side note might I add has returned to food blogging, hooray!). To be completely honest I've made it twice since my first taste last Saturday. No I'm not a lush. I promise. We've had friends/family over for dinners twice this week, for which I wanted to serve a cocktail, and this simple spirit has me smitten, clearly. I have a weakness for just about anything champagne, cocktails, cupcakes you name it! On top of the champagne you add a hefty cup of vodka and 1/2 pint of slightly sweet, tart lemon sorbet. Mix all the ingredients in a gorgeous glass pitcher and that's it, viola! Simple, quick, and assured to be a crowd pleaser (or a Friday night delight). Garnish with whatever your heart desires; raspberries, citrus, edible flowers, you get the idea. This simple concoction can be modified to suit whatever your tastebuds desire with the switch of sorbet flavors. You could use just about any kind of sorbet you'd like, perhaps a homemade rhubarb, or a good store bought raspberry? The possibilities are only limited by your imagination (or the sorbet available in your grocers freezer)! This cocktail does come with a warning though: DO NOT attempt to share this with any less than four or you'll be sorry the next morning, one or two martinis pack quite the punch!

Happy Friday all, I wish you a relaxing weekend filled with lots of sunshine, relaxation, food and fun!

Sgroppino

Ingredients:

1 cup vodka - ice cold

1 bottle of champagne - super chilled

1/2 pint sorbet of your choice (lemon traditionally)

Directions:

1. In a large pitcher combine vodka and sorbet. Whisk until both are incorporated and mixture is a bit frothified.

2. Slowly pour your champagne into the mixture, stir gently to combine.

3. Serve in chilled champagne or martini glasses with the garnish of your choice.

Chin Chin!

IMG_8150, originally uploaded by miss.mallory.