As we gear up for comfort food, let’s not forget what truly makes us warm and fuzzy inside: cocktails! (And we all know I enjoy a good cocktail.)  And of course, Fall being my favorite season, you would expect I have a few fantastic autumnal cocktails up my sleeve.  I promise you won’t be disappointed with this easy pear martini.  Using good quality pear nectar, coupled with Absolut Pear Vodka, this martini tastes as if you have bitten into a perfect, sweet pear… only with an added kick.  The key to this simple drink is to use good quality ingredients.   Pear nectar (fancy word for juice) is available at most grocery stores these days (usually located in the juice aisle).  There are a couple of companies who offer fruit nectar, but I prefer the brand, Hero, for its true flavor and texture.  Along with being thick and silky, the nectar is actually slightly gritty; it mimics that wonderfully sugary, sandy texture of a pear.  It is the closest you can get without poaching and pureeing your own pears.

So while I enjoy this martini at the end of a long work day, it would be a fantastic starter for a dinner party or a great addition to any cocktail gathering.  Without a laundry list of ingredients, it whips up quick and goes down even faster.

Recipe: Pear Martini

Classic, Passion, Watermelon & Blackberry Mojito

If I had to nail down a favorite cocktail, (although I must admit, I try to be an equal opportunity cocktail drinker) my favorite would be the classic mojito.   This refreshing cocktail is made of 5 simple ingredients:  Lime juice, fresh mint, rum, sugar (traditionally sugar cane syrup), and club soda.  Originating in Cuba, the drink combines tart lime with fresh sweet mint, all to compliment the clean kick of white (or dark, depending on your preference) rum.  To me, there is nothing more refreshing or satisfying on a hot day than a well-prepared mojito.

To make a mojito,  lime juice is added to mint and sugar in the bottom of a glass (a highball is the glass of choice for this particular cocktail – its so pretty you need to show it off!)  The three ingredients are then mashed with a muddler.  A muddler is a long stick with a flat bottom that helps to crush and release the juices and oils from the mint and lime.  I like to use sugar syrup in place of granulated so that the sugar dissolves completely.  (There is nothing worse than a clump

Muddler

of sugar swimming around in the bottom of your glass.)  To stay as authentic as possible, I make a sugar syrup using sugar in the raw, which helps to impart an “island” flavor to the drink.  (Sugar in the raw is an unrefined sugar that is made from sugar cane juice.)  Once you have created a great slurry of fresh flavors, add the rum, ice, a splash of soda and you are ready to go!  Sit back and enjoy. (more…)

Sangria Sundays are back!  Now that Summer produce is creeping into local supermarkets, I have decided to reinstate “Sangria Sunday”.  On these heavenly days of the week, Scott and I test out new Sangria recipes.  Sometimes I create new recipes, other times I simply test existing recipes (this recipe is from Ingrid Hoffmann).  This week’s version, “Green” sangria, highlights kiwis, green apples, and green grapes and  is paired with orange liquor and a crisp, clean Sauvignon Blanc. (I used “2 Buck Chuck,” the value wine label distrusted by Trader Joe’s.   Each bottle is $2.99 – hence the name.)  I was pleasantly surprised by this light and refreshing sangria – definitely a winner!

Like most sangria recipes, this one is quick and easy to assemble.  For best results, I suggest allowing your fruit, sugar syrup, and liquor to “marinate” overnight.  This really helps to meld the flavors.  Because Sangria is best made the night before, it’s a great addition to any entertaining menu.  Your guests will love this fruity wine cocktail – no matter the occasion.  A brunch would benefit greatly from a light and refreshing sangria, (much like this particular recipe) while a casual, spicy dinner would pair well with a more traditional red sangria.

Enjoy this fun new Sangria twist that highlights some of our favorites green fruits!

Recipe: Green Sangria

This cocktail came about simply because of what I had on hand in my pantry.  I was in the mood for a cocktail (usually martinis are my cocktail of choice), and decided that I should be able to scrounge around my house for the ingredients.  I  zested a couple of lemons earlier in the week and knew I had to use the juice soon.  I also had a bag of frozen cherries sitting in the freezer, so I thought I would combine the two.  My first thought was to make an “electric” cherry lemonade (aka spiked lemonade).  However, then I remembered that I really don’t love sweet cocktails, although I love fruit based cocktails.  I find that more often than not, fruit based cocktails end up being sickeningly sweet, so I opted to focus on the cherry and make it “sour cherry” by added fresh lemon juice.

Here is my secret to great cocktails – simple syrup.  An easy ingredient, simple syrup is equal parts sugar and water brought to a boil, then cooled.  This allows you to add sweetness to cold drinks and assures the dissolving of all the sugar.  (This is great in iced tea and fresh lemonade…so sugar reservoir at the bottom of your glass).  I find that while I don’t enjoy sweet cocktails, a lot of drinks benefit from a splash of simple syrup.  Another great way to get creative with cocktails is to flavor your simple syrups.  In this case, I made a cherry simple syrup – and that became the base of the cocktails.  I filled each martini glass with a couple of tablespoons of the cherry syrup.  I combined my lemon juice and vodka in a martini shaker and then poured the alcohol over the syrup.  Even though this cocktail has some sugar in it – don’t expect a sweet drink.  The lemon juice really helps to balance the sweet cherries and you end up with a fruity, yet tart creation.

Cheers!

Recipe: Sour Cherry Martini

Last summer I instituted “Sangria Sundays” in our household.  A lover of sangria, especially on a hot summer day, I wanted to develop all kinds of variations of this Spanish wine classic.  I had some hits, (Blackberry Plum paired with a red wine, and Melon paired with a pino grigio) as well as some misses (Pink Grapefruit….something about this was just off)  Anyways, although its not exactly sangria weather outside, there are some great fruits in season now that I wanted to try to incorporate into this fun drink.  Blood oranges are a milder, slightly herbal orange with bright cranberry red flesh and juice.   Only available in the winter months, this citrus has a distinct flavor, but more importantly a very impressive color.  I love to use blood oranges in tarts, mixed with navel oranges for a brilliant color contrast.  (Tart ideas to come later)

For any of you who are not already avid sangria lovers, sangria is a sweetened wine with fruit and usually brandy.  As you can imagine, the possibilities are endless.  Traditional sangria is made with red wine and a combination of oranges, lemons, and limes (not surprisingly fruits that are common in Mediterranean Spain, where the drink originated).  With a hint of sweetness and a burst of fruit, sangria can be a fun alternative to cocktails or wine.  I think of it as a mixture of the two. (more…)