Seasonal recipes and a dash of science.
This prickly pear ginger cocktail is a low alcohol punch perfect for serving in large pitcher at parties. The fresh prickly pear fruit is balanced with herbaceous tequila (of course) and a homemade ginger liqueur (recipe included!), all topped with effervescent soda water to be light and refreshing.
A sweet and sour, herbaceous apricot lavender sage shrub plus a bright apricot shrub gin spritz to make from it.
A tangy blueberry shrub with garden basil and balsamic for an exciting summer beverage that can be served with (or without) alcohol.
A tasty red wine and rhubarb syrup for pouring on ice cream or waffles or to use in drinks. And some crystallized rhubarb for good measure. With spring nearly ending I was intent on making a rhubarb syrup to share. But I wanted something different than my typical fruit and spices or herbs. Well I did just pick up a wine club shipment. And who doesn’t like a red wine reduction? I suggest a fruity red for this rather than something dry. I used one of our California fruit bomb cabernets. And because I had a bit of extra rhubarb,…Continue Reading
Early spring and the last of winter flavors meld in this mandarin, fennel, and ginger non-alcoholic cocktail. Very refreshing and there’s no reason not to have two!
A subtly spiced pomegranate liqueur that is delicious added to some soda water or in a bright cocktail – like this Dr. Blossom recipe! Alright, the last of the promised winter syrups and liqueurs (for now): pomegranate spice liqueur. For those just joining us, you can read the rest of this saga in Part 1, Part 2, and Part 3. Part 1 has most of science notes about making liqueurs. There’s not a lot to say about this recipe, besides that it was born out of an “I have pomegranate arils in the fridge that need to be used up”…Continue Reading
A bright and herbaceous syrup with a hint of cardamom and a vivid non-alcoholic cocktail aptly dubbed the Painted Lady to refresh yourself in a well balanced way. For those just joining us in this series, you can find the continued saga of my December syrup and liqueur making in Part 1 and Part 2. Welcome to Part 3: Mandarin Thyme Syrup. Another non-alcoholic entry that works brilliantly mixed with some soda water (perhaps add a squeeze of fresh lime or a thyme sprig garnish?) or in a cocktail. To include the non-alcohol imbibers, I’ve got a “mocktail” recipe to…Continue Reading
A rich coffee flavored syrup with hints of cinnamon, pepper, and other spices. Plus a Citrine Coffee cocktail highlighting the amazing coexistence of coffee and citrus. I was having difficultly writing a good article for this syrup and then I got distracted by improving my photography. I took the plunge and asked for some advice from other food bloggers and I have gone a little overboard implementing the suggestions. Better backgrounds, more interesting props and dishes and most of all, better light. I even created a DIY light box that is working very well. I now have a huge backlog…Continue Reading
A more aromatic limoncello variant, incorporating black tea and peppercorns for a winter sipper that’s perfect when the weather is excessively blustery. To make use of the bounty of lemons the tree provided this year – and just because I wanted to – I started making some liqueurs this year. But since it’s me, I couldn’t stick to a simple limoncello or even doing one recipe at a time. So we got a lemon and black tea liqueur and a pomegranate spice liqueur (I had some pomegranate arils that need to be used). But then I realized I hadn’t done…Continue Reading
With California getting incredibly high temperatures this weekend, we definitely need some good cooling beverages. I picked up some lemongrass at the farmer’s market last week which makes a great syrup to add flavor to both cocktails and non-alcoholic refreshers. So I present to you one of each using other fresh vegetal flavors. Print Pin The Tomato Tipple Servings 1 Ingredients3 cherry tomatoes cut in half1 ¼ oz blanco tequila I used Espolon1 oz lemon juice¾ oz lemongrass simple syrup3 barspoons CynarGarnish: Cucumber spear skin onGlass: rocks InstructionsMuddle tomatoes into tequila. Add remaining ingredients and shake well. Double strain into…Continue Reading