Tag Archives: vodka

Thirsty Thursday | Rosemary Greyhounds

18 Thursday Feb 2016

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Here we go again with herb-infused syrups! It really is the easiest way to make a regular old cocktail a little more fancy…

I first had a drink like this at a place I used to work near…I don’t want to call it a bar, I don’t want to call it a restaurant, it wasn’t quite a chain but there was definitely more than one location in the greater Seattle area…but a guy we worked with just called it the “close and gross” and it was so true but so good at the same time. Thank God we at least had somewhere within walking distance that had alcohol. And alcohol is always good, especially after work (or during your lunch hour). The Close and Gross had a Rosemary Greyhound that blew me away when I ordered it. Luckily I was able to recreate the drink at home and conjure up some old memories from a city and job well past.

Recipe Notes: I found that using grapefruit vodka mellowed the drink out a little, but regular vodka works fine too. The rosemary syrup has a pretty strong flavor as well, so go easy on it and decide how much you like in your drink. I think this cocktail could also benefit from a small splash of cranberry juice to make the drink a little more pink and level out some tartness.

Recipe
Rosemary Greyhound
By Baked Northwest
Makes 1 Cocktail

Ingredients

  • 2 ounces Grapefruit Vodka
  • 2 ounces Grapefruit Juice
  • 1/2 ounce rosemary syrup (recipe follows)
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 1 cup water
  • 7-8 fresh rosemary sprigs

Directions

1. Make the rosemary syrup: In a small saucepan, combine 1 cup water, 1 cup sugar, and 4-6 rosemary sprigs . Bring to a boil, stirring until sugar is dissolved, then reduce heat and simmer 10 minutes. Let cool, then strain out herbs.

2. Add vodka, grapefruit juice, rosemary syrup, and ice to a cocktail shaker. Shake, strain into a martini or a rocks glass, and garnish with rosemary sprigs.

Thirsty Thursday | Thyme Gimlets

14 Thursday Jan 2016

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Thyme Gimlets

There’s nothing quite like a good homemade cocktail – it’s a lot more economical than going out and I’m not above drinking something fancy while wearing sweatpants.

The thing about homemade cocktails is they have to have few ingredients and be relatively simple to make. When I see a cocktail recipe I’ll typically dismiss it if there are tons of special liqueurs and ingredients. I’ll leave the flaming coffees to the professionals…I want something easy to make that is a little more elevated than mixing booze with soda. Usually all you need is alcohol + simple syrup + a mixer, the more natural and less sweet the mixer, the better!

Thyme Gimlets

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Thirsty Thursday | Pineapple Drops

22 Thursday May 2014

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Pineapple DropsLet’s get summery up in here! These pineapple drops are a nice alternative to the classic lemon drop. They are especially awesome if you decide to throw a luau themed party! Or if you are just sitting in your backyard. You don’t have to be on a tropical island to drink these. Trust. Me.Pineapple DropThese come together super easy, you can ether bust one out in a cocktail shaker or make a pitcher for a crowd. I had to test a single one out before making them for others because well you know…research.Pineapple Drops

Recipe
Pineapple Drops
adapted from Sunset

For a crowd (about 6 martinis):

  • 1 1/2 cups pineapple juice
  • 1 1/2 cups vodka
  • 3 tablespoons fresh lime juice
  • Couple of lime wedges
  • About 1 cup sugar
  • Fresh pineapple, cut into 3/4-in. chunks

For one cocktail:

  • 1 oz (1 shot glass) pineapple juice
  • 1 oz vodka
  • squeeze of fresh lime juice (I used about 1 lime)
  • lime wedge
  • fresh pineapple
  • a few fresh mint leaves (optional. Cilantro would also work)

Directions

For a crowd:

  1. In a pitcher, mix pineapple juice, vodka, and lime juice, then chill until cold.
  2. Rub lime wedges around rims of 6 martini glasses. Pour sugar onto a large plate. Dip rims of glasses in sugar. Divide vodka mixture among glasses. Push a few pineapple chunks onto each skewer and set one in each glass.

For one cocktail:

Combine ice, pineapple juice, vodka, and lime juice in a cocktail shaker, shake vigorously, and strain into a sugar-rimmed martini glass. If using mint, first muddle the ice and mint in a cocktail shaker, then add juices and vodka and shake. Garnish with fresh pineapple chunks.

Thirsty Thursday | Juice of a Few Flowers

09 Thursday Jan 2014

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Juice of a Few Flowers

Back in December, we made Candied Citrus Peels and they essentially changed life as we know it. They are an amazing gift, portable, last a long time (I’m still enjoying one of our batches!) and taste freaking amazing. Oh, and you are also left with this ridiculous citrus simple syrup once you are done making the peels. Heaven knows we can’t let that go to waste!

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Thirsty Throwback Thursday | Homemade Limoncello

21 Thursday Nov 2013

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_MG_1253 _MG_1250 Lauren&JordanRehearsal_08 Lauren&JordanRehearsal_07

Here’s a #throwbackthursday for you: Homemade Limoncello! We made Limoncello as a favor for our guests at our Italian-Inspired Rehearsal Dinner in August. All photos above are from the wonderful and talented Jesse Amorratanasuchad, who did our Wedding Videography and Rehearsal Dinner Photography. You can find his website over here.

Below are a few shots I took from the Limoncello making process. Making Limoncello is not for the impatient!Limoncello

I never really saw myself making any sort of homemade booze. Ever. Drinking it, YES! Making it, waiting for it to be ready, taking care of it…No.

Bottles

At this point, I have no memory of whose idea it was to make homemade Limoncello for our rehearsal dinner favors. I mean, are you even supposed to have favors at your rehearsal dinner?!? I guess it was different, perhaps we got a little too into the whole “We both studied abroad in Italy, our rehearsal dinner MUST BE AUTHENTIC ITALIAN” theme…But hey, homemade Limoncello is an experience. The excessive amount of lemons, small bottles, and love that went into the production of these boozy little gifts was something to be proud of.

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Notes: We bought our bottles from Wholesale Glass Bottles and Jordan designed the little print-at-home stickers that went on the bottles. We still have a few bottles left…and the Limoncello is still good to go even though we made it many months ago. If you are looking for a fun and boozy project, Limoncello is a great gift for people around the holidays!

I think we tripled the recipe below, but we had about 75 people at our rehearsal dinner! (lots of out of town family…) At some point, the math got lost on me and I made Jordan figure out all conversions…So either stick with the recipe below, or I will hope you are good at math!

Recipe
Homemade Limoncello
adapted from the Cooking Channel
Makes about 1.75 liters or 2 quarts

Ingredients

  • 7 ripe lemons, thoroughly washed and dried
  • 4 1/4 cups 100 PROOF Vodka (high proof vodka is a must, if you are brave, use everclear)
  • 4 1/4 cups water
  • 1 pound sugar

Directions

Shave off the yellow part of the lemon rinds using a potato peeler. Put the lemon rinds in a sterilized large glass bottle and add the alcohol. Cover the bottle with plastic wrap to prevent the alcohol from evaporating, and let stand for 12 days at room temperature. We put ours in a dark closet.

Boil the water. Remove from heat and add the sugar. Stir until all the sugar has dissolved, and let cool. 

Drain the 12-day old alcohol and discard the lemon rinds. Add the alcohol to the sugared water. Set aside for an additional 10 days in a sterilized sealed glass bottle. 

After 10 days, the limoncello is ready. These are the ways we suggested to serve it to our guests:
Homemade Limoncello

Thirsty Thursday: Pink Panty Droppers

09 Thursday May 2013

Posted by in Boozy, Easy, Entertaining, Thirsty Thursday, Throwback Thursday, Triple Threat Thursdays

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Pink Panty Droppers

Ok. You may have seen the Natty Light and Monarch and immediately threw up in your mouth a little. But I can’t not tell you about how my friends and I totally had a few of these last weekend…and liked it.

Pink Panty Droppers. I hate the name, because I swear to god, I have never witnessed one panty drop during the consumption of this lethal party drink. I may or may not recall a time when a certain someone tasted one, thought, “WOW! these are delicious!” and an older and smarter friend took a sip, said, “Be careful with these.” That certain someone didn’t listen and about 30 minutes later was running into the woods from the cops, falling over, losing a flip flop, stopping against a tree and realizing the forest was spinning and that no, the cops were not out to get her…I digress. Continue reading →

Cranberry Shrub Cocktails

11 Sunday Nov 2012

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Cranberry Shrub Cocktail. Photo from: Jeffery Cross, Sunset Magazine

Cranberry juice and booze. Not my favorite combination in the universe. I think I ordered a cosmo once when I was 21. I have a friend who uttered the phrase, “I’ll have a vodka cran” for the span of about 3 years. She sticks with vodka sodas now. Let’s face it: The days of Cosmos and Sex and the City are looong gone.

waiting for the cranberries to burst!

Fast forward to the November 2012 issue of Sunset magazine – a recipe for a Cranberry Shrub, a “curiously refreshing fruity vinegar syrup, originally used to preserve in-season fruit.” I was immediately intrigued. There were so many different suggestions for what to mix with the shrub syrup, and hello, Thanksgiving is upon us. I had to try it. Cranberry and booze, welcome back to my life. This easy recipe makes a world of a difference from scary store bought cranberry juice cocktail.
Recipe
Cranberry Shrub
Makes about 3 1/2 cups
Ingredients
  • 12 ounces fresh or frozen cranberries
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 3/4 cup red wine vinegar
  • 1 teaspoon lemon zest
  • 2 tablespoons lemon juice

Preparation

  1. Bring all ingredients to a simmer with 2 cups water in a small saucepan over medium heat, stirring often. Reduce heat to low and cook 5 minutes until most cranberries have burst.
  2. Spoon out a few whole cranberries and set aside for garnishing drinks if you like.*
  3. Strain mixture, pressing liquid out of pulp using the back of a spoon. Discard pulp. Chill at least 1 hour. Store for up to 3 months.
  4. *Roll the berries in sugar, skewer on toothpicks, and set across tops of drinks. Use that day.

Ways to Shake up a Shrub!

  • Pour over ice and top with club soda…and vodka if you’re feeling frisky.
  • Make a Shrub mimosa with Champagne.
  • Muddle with an orange slice and ice. Add bourbon and top with club soda.
  • Fill a tall glass with ice, layer in a splash of shrub, then add equal parts orange juice and tequila…If you are me, add vodka.
  • Shake with ice and equal parts shrub, gin and sweet vermouth. Strain into a glass.

Classy Jello Shots!

13 Monday Aug 2012

Posted by in Boozy, Desserts, Entertaining, Events

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Greyhound Jelly Shots

Imagine my delight when my mom gave me the Jelly Shot Test Kitchen cookbook…An entire cookbook…dedicated to Jello Shots! And not just your average JELL-O shots made in a frat kitchen the day before an AM football game…but CLASSY ones.

Classy Jello Shots = anything from the cookbook or the awesome Jelly Shot Test Kitchen Blog. The first recipe I made involved fresh orange and grapefruit juice. Cool, crisp, refreshing…perfect for a summer brunch, or anytime really.

I cannot wait to share more from this cookbook with you! There are so many more clever and fun recipes, and you know a party is elevated to an entire new level of fun when someone shows up with Jello Shots.

Recipe
Greyhound Jelly Shots
Adapted from The Jelly Shot Test Kitchen Cookbook

  • 1 1/3 cups grapefruit juice
  • 2/3 cup orange juice
  • 2 tbsp agave nectar, plus additional, if desired
  • 2 1/2 envelopes Knox gelatin
  • 2/3 cup Vodka

Combine both juices and agave nectar in a medium saucepan and sprinkle with the gelatin. Allow the gelatin to soak for a minute or two. Heat over low heat, stirring constantly, until gelatin is dissolved, about 5 minutes. Remove from the heat and add the vodka, stirring well to blend. Taste and add more agave, if desired. Pour mixture into a loaf pan and refrigerate until fully set, several hours to overnight.

To serve, cut into desired shapes. Makes 18 – 24 jelly shots.

Sour Cherry Martini

24 Thursday May 2012

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When my aunt Paula typed the words “sour cherry martini” over iChat one day, I think my mouth literally dropped. I wanted one right there, that second, which was probably at about 2PM on a Tuesday…but at least it was 5 o’clock on the east coast, right?

It took me awhile to finally get my butt over to Whole Foods and seek out the Tart Cherry juice they have on hand. I’m sure you can find the stuff elsewhere, but if you need a Sour Cherry Martini right now just go to Whole Foods for the Love of God!

All you need for an awesome tastes-like-it’s-from-a-fancy-bar Martini…Tart Cherry Juice, Cherry Vodka, and the squeeze of a lemon.

I waited way too long to make one of these…They are just too easy and too good. And I am too big of a wimp to handle the classic straight-booze martinis, but I am not always into the ones that are super sweet. This one hits right in the middle. Smooth, with a hint of sour-sweetness. Perfect.

A big Thanks to Paula and Susan who provided me with this wonderful recipe. I have many fond memories of summers past with the perfect cocktail in their backyard…and I will think of them as I drink this one in mine.

Recipe
Sour Cherry Martini

  • 1 shot cherry flavored vodka
  • 1/2 shot tart cherry juice (can be found @ Whole Foods)
  • Squeeze of a quarter lemon

Add all ingredients to a cocktail shaker filled with ice. Shake for about 10 seconds and strain into a martini glass. Garnish with a lemon if you wish.

Friday.

09 Friday Mar 2012

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I don’t think I have ever been happier that it’s Friday. This has been one of the slowest moving weeks of my life, mixed with a combination of random crappiness. You have no idea how relieved I was when I came home and realized I had the makings for a particularly delicious drink:

The makings for a Friday.

Good Vodka. Some frozen limeade. Some frozen blueberries next to it. Club Soda. I could barely line up this photo before guzzling half of my drink. Yes, it was a rough week…

This is a dangerously summery drink, but please notice the gross rainy Seattle weather outside. When in Rome…

If you were cool and awesome and an amazing blogger/photographer (not me) you would have added a lime slice and a sprig of rosemary to make it look completely and utterly incredible. Yeah…..that’s not happening at the end of a week like this.

The recipe below was made on a whim for 1 (yes, I realize as I continue to write I am sounding more lame/pathetic…) BUT everything here works together so well I plan on figuring out a concoction where you use the entire can of limeade and make a batch for a larger group.

Recipe

The “Friday”

  • 3 oz (shots) soda water/club soda
  • 2 oz (shots) vodka or gin
  • 1 oz (shot) frozen limeade concentrate, to taste
  • fresh or frozen blueberries

Pour all ingredients in a rocks glass over ice, stir with a spoon until well mixed. Adjust limeade/soda/vodka to preference. Enjoy, because it’s FRIDAY!

Limeade, vodka, club soda, frozen blueberries. I'm not bartender, but this cocktail tastes pretty damn good to me...