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.

Negroni

Have you come around to Campari yet? It is bitter red Italian liqueur, and it is most famously featured in the negroni. (Did I mention it is bitter?) It is one of those acquired tastes that is a bit off-putting at first, but once you wrap your tongue around it, you wonder why you ever hesitated at that first sip.

I only recently picked up a bottle, but I knew right away that I wanted to make a negroni. If you have read anything at all about Campari, you will read the phrase "featured in the negroni and other cocktails." The negroni is what always gets top billing. It is a classic cocktail, dating back to 1919, but it still feels quite modern and sophisticated. It certainly is a bitter drink, but it is also sweet and herbal.

But here's a little something that makes me like this drink even more (and also reveals just how lazy/forgetful I am). The negroni involves equal parts gin, Campari, and sweet vermouth. Equal parts! That means I will always remember how to make this drink. Cheers to that.

Negroni

• 1 oz gin
• 1 oz Campari
• 1 oz sweet vermouth
• 1 orange twist

Stir gin, Campari, and sweet vermouth in a lowball glass. Stir in ice. Garnish with orange twist.

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!

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.

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.

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!

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!

Cold-Brewed Iced Coffee

It’s officially summer when you can make the switch from hot to iced coffee. There’s nothing better than a frosty glass of iced coffee on a warm summer morning. 
This recipe isn’t a new one – we’ve been seeing it pop up all over the place this summer – but we’ve been enjoying it so much lately that we thought we’d snap some pictures and share it with you. It goes perfectly with our Vanilla Simple Syrup (and cream)!

Cold brewed coffee can last for up to 2 weeks in the fridge (NY Times says so!). We’ve consumed ours well before 2 weeks have gone by, but it is very handy to be able to make a double batch of coffee and have it ready to drink for more than just one morning.

The idea with cold brew coffee is that because there is no heat involved in the cold brew process, the coffee is smoother and less bitter than traditional coffee. According to America’s Test Kitchen:
Exposed to far less heat, cold-brew is significantly less acerbic than its sweltering sibling. Less bitterness means that the subtler flavors found in coffee beans are more perceptible. For me, good cold-brew balances hints of dark chocolate, caramel, ripe black fruits, and vanilla with a pleasant viscosity, mild acidity, and pitch perfect bitterness.

Cold-Brewed Iced Coffee

• 4 cups water
• between 3/4 c. and 1 c ground coffee (depending on how strong you like your coffee)

Mix together, then let sit on the countertop for 12 to 24 hours. I do it either the morning before or the evening before.
After the coffee and water have steeped, strain the coffee through a metal or paper coffee filter, into a glass pitcher. Serve! Store in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.

Vanilla Simple Syrup

It is no secret that we love vanilla. The distinct, creamy flavor of the vanilla bean adds so much to baked goods and drinks (two of our favorite things). It was only a matter of time before we created a vanilla simple syrup.

I love how versatile this simple syrup is. I've been using it almost every morning in my cold-brewed iced coffee (recipe coming very soon!) When you add granulated sugar to cold coffee, you have to stir and stir and stir, and hopefully the sugar will eventually dissolve. But with a simple syrup, it mixes in a flash. And then of course, you have that kiss of vanilla. And this simple syrup is equally at home in cocktails. It is a clear winner.

Vanilla Simple Syrup

• 1 cup granulated sugar

• 1 cup water

• 1 vanilla bean

1. Add sugar and water to a sauce pan, and heat until sugar has dissolved.
2. Scrape the seeds out of a vanilla bean, and add to the sauce pan. Let steep for 10 to 20 minutes, and then strain through a very fine sieve, cheesecloth, or (what we used) a permanent coffee filter. Let cool, bottle, and refrigerate. It should last a month or so in your fridge. Yields 1 cup.

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. 

Agave Margarita

Cinco de Mayo is this weekend, which, in my mind at least, kicks off margarita season. For the last several years, I had been making margaritas based on the same recipe. It was pretty heavy on the lime juice and the triple sec, making it both sweet and overly acidic. I don't know why I kept using that recipe except that I liked it, but I didn't love it. Well, I've just found a margarita recipe that I love: the agave margarita.

This recipe comes from the pages of the most recent Bon Appetit. Tequila takes center stage here, so try to use a decent one. The lime juice gives just the perfect amount of tartness, while the agave syrup replaces what is traditionally triple sec or Cointreau. 

  Because there isn't too much lime juice in there, you can hand squeeze what you need pretty quickly. I was a little worried that they wouldn't be lime-y enough or that there would be something lost without the flavor of the orange liqueur. But this margarita has great flavor, and it goes down very, very easily. (Don't say I didn't warn you!)

Agave Margarita

• kosher salt

• ice

• 1/4 cup tequila

• 2 tbs light agave syrup

• 2 tbs fresh lime juice

• lime wedge, for garnish

1. Place the kosher salt in a shallow dish. Moisten the rim of your glass with a bit of lime juice, and then  turn the glass over onto the dish of salt.
2. Place ice into the glass. Pour in tequila, agave, and lime juice. Stir, and garnish with lime wedge. (You could also place ice, tequila, agave, and lime juice into a shaker, shake, and strain into a margarita glass.)