Spring Herb Julep

When Maker's Mark approached us to do a new spin on the classic Mint Julep, we couldn't refuse because we never say no to bourbon. And Maker's Mark? It is the good stuff.

The first time I made a Mint Julep - way back when in my fledgling mixology days - I did NOT use the good stuff. I used some cheap bottle of bourbon that was kicking around in the back of my liquor cabinet. The resulting drink was rubbish, and I unwisely deduced that I did not like Juleps. How silly of me! Once I schooled myself in bourbon I realized the error of my ways. 

Around this time of year, Sarah and I are always wildly eager to head to our kitchens with fresh, local produce, but Colorado can be a little slow to yield results. However, herbs are always reliably sprouting and thriving, even with our April snow. Our backyards yielded the herbal trifecta for our julep: mint (of course!), lemon balm, and thyme. Lemon balm is a close cousin of mint, but has a strong lemon aroma which adds a bright citrus note to this drink.

In the picture above, L-R, lemon balm, thyme, and mint.

Crushed ice is essential for this drink, and we crushed ours by hand using our wooden muddler. We placed cubed ice into a large shaker, and gave it quite a few good thwacks until it looked the way we wanted it.

Spring Herb Julep

Makes 1 cocktail
ingredients:

• fresh mint, 5-6 leaves, plus a sprig for garnish

• fresh lemon balm, 5-6 leaves, plus a sprig for garnish

• fresh thyme, 1 long sprig, plus a sprig for garnish

• 1 tsp granulated sugar

• 1 TB water

• 2 oz Maker's Mark bourbon (or other good bourbon)

• crushed ice 

special equipment:

• muddler

• julep cup (not completely essential, but alway delightful)

1. In your julep cup, add 1 teaspoon granulated sugar and 1 tablespoon water. Stir for a minute to let sugar fully dissolve.

2. Place the  herb sprigs into the julep cup, and muddle into the sugar water. Do it enough to release the herbal flavor, but not enough to completely brutalize the leaves.

2. Stir in the 2 ounces of Maker's Mark. Add crushed ice to fill the cup to the top. Garnish with remaining herb sprigs.

Whiskey Ember

This past fall, I ordered a cocktail at a local restaurant that I have not been able to get off my mind. It was basically a spicy Old Fashioned, and the element of heat came from cayenne. It had all the trappings of the familiar classic but with a spicy finish that was a little addictive. Over the next few weeks, I tried to conjure up something similar at home, but I was disappointed every time.

When I purchased a bottle of Royal Rose's Three Chile simple syrup, it seemed time to try again. Success! This whiskey drink has just the spicy, smoky finish that I was after.

Whiskey Ember

makes 1 cocktail

• 2 oz good whiskey
• 1/5 oz Royal Rose Three Chile Simple Syrup
• a couple dashes of cherry bitters

Mix everything in a low ball glass. Give it a good stir. Add ice (I prefer a single big ice cube which melts slowly). Enjoy.

Gin & Jam Cocktail (plus a giveaway)

We’re really excited about this new cocktail! It’s the best of both worlds – so easy to make, and packed with farm fresh (and interesting) fruit flavors. The secret? A big spoonful of really great jam shaken together with gin, ice, a spritz of lemon, and a little simple syrup.

We highly recommend that you use this as an opportunity to branch out and splurge on a really interesting jam – don’t bother with Smuckers here. In fact, delicious artisan jams are what inspired this cocktail in the first place.

Our work over at Colorado Crafted has allowed us to meet quite a few local artisans who are creating amazing food.  It’s our job to sample everything, then pick the very best to include in our boxes (yeah, it’s a tough job). That’s how we were introduced to Modern Gingham – a Denver-based jam company that’s using local produce to create an array of jams with mouthwatering flavors. 

Shall we name a few?  OK!  Blackberry Lavender, Strawberry and Black Pepper, Raspberry Violet, and Rhubarb Vanilla Ginger. I’m just getting started.  Kumquat Lemon Marmalade… OK I’ll stop.  Go check out her flavors, you’ll be drooling.  We also happen to love Kathy, the neuroscientist turned jam maker, so we’ve decided to give away four delicious jars of Modern Gingham Preserves.

The flavors we’re giving away are: Sour Cherry, Blueberry Vanilla, Red Onion Jam, and Jalapeno Relish. Retail value of each jar is $10, so this giveaway is valued at $40. Open to US residents only, since we’ll be picking up the bill for shipping.

There are two ways to enter.  Feel free to do both, if you’d like, for two entries:

• Like Colorado Crafted on Facebook
• Head over to the Two Tarts Facebook page and leave a comment on which jam flavor you’d love to try!

 

Jam & Gin Cocktail

• 1 Tablespoon jam (pick something interesting, flavorful, & special.  We’ve tried Sour Cherry and Blueberry Vanilla – both excellent)
• 2 oz gin
• juice from 1/2 lemon
• 1 oz simple syrup
• Ice to serve

Combine jam, gin, lemon, and simple syrup in a cocktail shaker.  Shake vigorously, then strain and pour over ice.  Garnish with mint and serve.

 

How to Enter the Giveaway

Win four jars of artisan jam by Modern Gingham (retail value $40). Winner will be chosen randomly on Wednesday, July 3rd.

Two ways to enter.  Feel free to do both, if you’d like, for two entries:

• Like Colorado Crafted on Facebook
• Head over to the Two Tarts Facebook page and leave a comment on which jam flavor you’d love to try!

Strawberry Lavender Cocktail

Can't you just taste it already? These two amazing summery flavors combine to make a drink that deserves to be served on your patio at least once this season. (Or twice. Or more.)

We decided we wanted to really get the full flavor of fresh seasonal strawberries in this cocktail, so we pureed and then strained them, to get out all those pesky seeds. (A few seeds don't bother me, they are so itty bitty, but you do want to use as fine a strainer as you have.) This drink was also our first time using a lavender simple syrup, though certainly not our last. (I am drinking a lavender lemon cocktail as I type this!) This drink just gets me fired up for farmers' markets and the sweet smell of summer.

Strawberry Lavender Cocktail

• 1/3 cup strained strawberry puree (see note below)
• 1 oz lavender simple syrup
• 2 oz vodka

Place strawberry puree in a glass. Add simple syrup and vodka and stir vigorously. Add lots of ice, and enjoy!

Note: We pureed 15 large strawberries which resulted in enough puree for at least 4 drinks. Puree in a food processor or blender to get it as smooth as possible. Use a very fine sieve to remove as many seeds as possible, pressing the puree through with a spatula.

Lavender Simple Syrup

I was going to include the recipe for lavender simple syrup in our next cocktail post, the delicious strawberry lavender cocktail, but then I felt it is too tasty of a concoction - it needs to be the star of the show for at least a few minutes.

Simple syrups are so, well, simple. They allow flavor infusions with just a few minutes at the stovetop. No need to wait for booze infusions which can take weeks. Once you have made your simple syrup, refrigerate it, and it should last three to four weeks allowing ample time to experiment with new and exciting drinks! I already have a few up my sleeve.

Lavender Simple Syrup

• 2 cups sugar
• 2 cups water
• 3 TB dried lavender 

Place everything in a medium pot. Bring to boil, stirring to dissolve sugar. Reduce heat, continuing to stir until all sugar is dissolved. When it is, remove the pot from the heat, and let steep for 30 minutes. Strain out the lavender buds, and refrigerate. Makes 2 cups.

Cranberry Clementine Cocktail

It’s time to get excited about winter!  Well, let’s just say that we’re pretty excited about this glowy pink cocktail that’s made with freshly squeezed clementines, cranberry juice, and vodka.  We garnished our drink with a fragrant green juniper sprig for its piney aroma and festive look. 

This cocktail is so simple to pull together.  The ingredients are easy to access (you could even sub in plain jane OJ for the fresh squeezed clementine juice if you were so inclined).  The sparkling water adds festivity and fizz, but isn’t strictly required in my book.  And – lucky us – we simply walked into our front yards to snip the juniper sprig garnish!

We highly recommend a juniper spring as a lovely winter garnish.  It’s piney scent and pretty blue gray berries are irresistible.  It’d be perfectly appropriate in a gin-based drink as well because after all, juniper berries are used to flavor gin!

Cranberry Clementine Cocktail

• 2 oz clementine juice, freshly squeezed.
• 2 oz cranberry juice
• 1.5 oz vodka
• sparkling water to taste. I preferred just a dash, Dulcie liked the festivity of additional bubbles!

Combine clementine juice, cranberry juice, and vodka in a shaker with ice. Shake till well chilled. Pour into serving glass, top with your desired amount of sparkling water. Garnish with a juniper sprig and serve.

Cider & Bourbon

Sometimes the best recipes are the simplest ones. This fall, we're drinking a cocktail that falls into this category. Delicious apple cider, small-batch bourbon, and a hint of those quintessential fall spices that we start longing for this time of year.

Of course, while stirring bourbon and cider together on their own would be a perfectly tasty beverage, add some fall spices to the mix and you have something truly special. We grabbed some cinnamon sticks, whole cloves, and a few cardamom seeds, and then added them to our shaker along with the bourbon and cider. A minute or two of shaking, and you've got yourself a beautifully spiced cocktail -- not overly cloying like the off-the-shelf spiced ciders can be.

We have enjoyed our cider & bourbons a couple of ways: in a jam jar (rustic-style) and in a martini glass (ever-so sophisticated). This drink is ready for whatever occasion you have in mind. If it is sweater-weather, then the cider & bourbon is entirely appropriate.

Cider & Bourbon

• 3 oz apple cider

• 2 oz bourbon

• 1/2 cinnamon stick

• 5 whole cloves

• 5 cardamom seeds

• Apple cross section, for garnish

Vigorously shake cider, bourbon, and spices in a shaker with ice for a minute or two. Pour into glass, and garnish with apple slice. Enjoy!

Best Fall Cocktails

Leaves are ever so slightly turning color, and mornings have that certain briskness that says fall is coming. What better way to celebrate than with a drink? Here are five cocktails that will help warm your cockles when temperatures begin to drop.

Hot Apple Pie

Cocktail Remedy manages to satisfy our sweet tooth and our alcoholic tendencies in one gulp.

http://www.cocktailremedy.net/2011/10/26/hot-apple-pie/

Smoky Martini

Where there's smoke, there's fire... or maybe just a healthy dose of Scotch. This twist on the classic martini from Cold Glass has us intrigued.

http://cold-glass.com/2010/01/23/smoky-martini-cocktail/

Vanilla, Pear, and Vodka Cocktail

This is our own creation, and this drink tastes like the epitome of fall to us.

http://www.two-tarts.com/2011/09/vanilla-pear-and-vodka-cocktail.html

Old Fashioned

Esquire calls this the manliest drink to order at a bar, and I'm secure enough in my femininity to be okay with that. Make mine a double.

Squash-Infused Vodka

And now for something completely different... how about some squash-infused vodka? Put that pumpkin patch to some good.

http://www.designsponge.com/2011/03/behind-the-bar-morris-kitchens-winter-csa.html

Melon Agua Fresca

With a name that translates from the Spanish to "fresh water," you know that this is going to be one cool and refreshing drink. Even better, it makes great use of that late summer crop of melon that you might be dealing with. Any melon will do, but I used a cantaloupe because that is what I had on hand. Honeydews and watermelon are also perfect candidates, and think of the gorgeous pale greens and bright pinks.

Aguas frescas come together in just a few whirs of your blender or food processor, but put them in a pretty glass pitcher and they will be quite impressive at your next party. This drink is non-alcoholic (and a huge hit with my toddler), but if you want to take it to the next level, -- I wont' blame you a bit -- try adding a splash of tequila to your glass.

Melon Agua Fresca

• 1 cantaloupe (or honeydew, or small watermelon)
• 3 limes, juiced
• 2 tbs honey
• pinch of salt
• 2/3 cup water
• ice

1. Cut your melon off the rind, and chop into large chunks.
2. Put the melon, lime juice, honey, salt, and water into your food processor or blender. Puree until smooth. Taste and add more lime or honey if necessary.
3. Pour into pitcher and chill. Serve over ice.

Tomato Basil Martini

Our Tomato Basil Martini is a remarkably light, fresh tomato cocktail for summer.  No cans of tomato juice here - muddling fresh and seasonal cherry tomatoes with a few torn basil leaves and a spritz of lemon results in a surprisingly pink dose of summer goodness.

It was only right to pair these garden flavors with an herbal liquor such as gin, which is exactly what we did.  We’ve been getting into craft distilleries lately, so for this cocktail we sampled a new to us gin from the California Bay Area.

Tomato Basil Martini

Check out our column, Locally Mixed, over at Whole Foods Market Cooking for the complete recipe!
Ingredient List:

• cherry tomatoes
• fresh basil leaves
• lemon
• sea salt
• ice
• gin

Bourbon Cream Float

Yep. Three indulgences come together to make one adults-only dessert which is still just a kid at heart. 

I recently waxed poetic about bourbon for our cocktail column at Whole Foods. Now I am finding myself looking for new and different ways to use bourbon other than the time-honored Old Fashioned. Pouring it over a scoop or two of ice cream seemed well worth a try. (Better yet was the notion of pouring it over our new favorite bourbon from local distillery Dancing Pines.)

I will confess that I'd meant to pick up root beer at the market when I picked up cream soda instead. At first I was irritated, but then I realized a cream soda float didn't sound half bad. In fact, it is delicious! The cream soda (we used Virgil's) is mellower than root beer and lets the bourbon flavor really shine through.

[Note: Toddler is salivating over the prospect of forthcoming ice cream, not booze.]

Bourbon Cream Float

• 1-2 scoops vanilla ice cream

• 2 oz bourbon

• cream soda

1. Scoop ice cream into a tall glass.
2. Pour bourbon over ice cream.
3. Fill glass to top with cream soda. Enjoy!

Blueberry Hard Lemonade

It has been crazy hot here in Colorado. So hot that, well, much of our state is literally on fire. Thank goodness we are (so far) well out of harm's way, and there is cool weather and rain on the forecast for this weekend! ("Cool weather" now means 80s for us... yeah, it has been rough.) And during these hot, hot days, we've been wanting little else than to sip on cold, refreshing drinks like this one.

This is one of those drinks that my toddler just doesn't understand why she isn't allowed to drink. Lemonade, blueberries, and just a luscious pinky-purple color. Oh yeah, and there's that healthy helping of vodka that makes it strictly adults-only.

We used frozen blueberries in this cocktail because they are something I always have on hand. As a bonus, they help to keep this drink frosty on those 103+ degree days. Sigh. We also love the beautiful color that they provide as they start to melt.

It almost seems silly to provide a recipe because this is so flexible and easy. Feel free to use the proportions of lemonade to vodka to frozen blueberries that makes you happy! But as a guide, here is what we do.

Blueberry Hard Lemonade

• 2 tbs frozen blueberries

• 2 oz vodka

• lemonade (we like Santa Cruz Organic)

• ice

• lemon slice, for garnish

1. Place frozen blueberries into your glass.
2. Add vodka and ice.
3. Add lemonade to fill glass, stir, and garnish with lemon slice.

Watermelon Jalapeno Margaritas

This watermelon-jalapeño margarita is like the traditional version turned extra summery and fresh. We added sweet, mild watermelon juice to the usual lime and tequila, then added a tiny splash of fresh jalapeño juice to the mix to keep things from getting too mellow. It easily multiplies to make a pitcherful, so friends can serve themselves in tall salt-rimmed glasses full of ice.

My favorite part of this margarita is the fresh jalapeno juice.  We threw a couple of jalapenos into my fancy juicer to see what would happen. The results were exciting -  a tiny vial of neon green juice with an intensely green spiciness. This jalapeño juice is a totally different animal from the flavorless spice of an infused vodka because it is so incredibly fresh tasting. It's not just spicy, but bright and green and herbal. The perfect thing to add -- drip by drip -- to give a traditional cocktail a new dimension.

Watermelon Jalapeno Margaritas

Recipe available on our column, Locally Mixed, over at Whole Foods!

Vanilla Raspberry Cocktail

Combine the fresh summery taste of raspberries with the sweetness of vanilla simple syrup (and just a touch of bitters to keep it interesting), and you've got our new favorite beverage: the vanilla raspberry cocktail.
We found ourselves with a fresh batch of raspberry-infused vodka after we whipped it up for our Whole Foods column. (It is beyond easy to do, so you should really give it a whirl.) And then we also had our vanilla simple syrup on hand. Well, you can see how this drink was destined to be.

We mixed the raspberry vodka and vanilla simple syrup together and found ourselves with a drink that was delicious, but (not surprisingly) quite sweet. We didn't want to muddle up the great summery flavor, so we just added a touch of orange bitters. Now our drink had just the right amount of complexity.

Vanilla Raspberry Cocktail

• 2 oz raspberry-infused vodka

• 1 oz vanilla simple syrup

• dash of orange bitters 

Place ice in a glass. Add vodka and simple syrup, and a dash of orange bitters. Stir well. Garnish with a mint sprig. Enjoy!

Strawberry Basil Sparkler

This sparkler is made with thinly sliced strawberries, torn basil leaves, a little vodka, and a lot of sparkling water.  Here's why we love this cocktail: it isn't sweet or sour or bitter. It's a whole new animal -- a fizzy collection of real ingredients, sliced thinly & torn roughly to give up the edge of their unique flavors, but not overwhelm the pureness of the vodka and sparkling water.

The combination of strawberries and basil is unexpected; basil isn't as sweet smelling as mint. We chose it for this reason specifically, because against the sweet strawberries, it elevates this drink's flavor profile to something sophisticated.

Strawberry Basil Sparkler

Visit our Whole Foods column, Locally Mixed, for the recipe.