Whiskitini: Summer Cocktail Week 9 (Amie & Bonnie)

Whiskitini

In honor of THE BEST BROTHER OF ALL TIME that anyone, anywhere on the planet could ever possibly wish for, this week's drink is in honor of Adam - Happy Birthday, Adam!!!  Given that his goal last year was to increase his fondness for whiskey and incorporate it into his mixology repertoire, we concocted this drink based on a Bourbontini we enjoyed at the coast a few weeks ago.  We started with our favorite full-flavored, easy-to-drink Maker's Mark and added a spicier, drier rye whiskey.  The ingredients just kept pouring in and were eventually rounded-out with two new fun finds: a limited edition whiskey barrel-aged bitters and a bourbon-infused jar of cherries a la Maker's Mark.  The end result should please both the novice and more experienced whiskey palates as this drink combines sharp, sweet and even salty spirits into a most refreshing summer cocktail.

Ingredients:
Bourbon (used Maker's Mark)
Rye Whiskey (used Bullet Rye American Whiskey)
Patron Orange Liqueur
Pisco
Sweet & Sour Mix
Whiskey Barrel-Aged Bitters
Maker's Mark Boubon-infused Cherries (& Juice)

Shake 1 oz bourbon, 1/2 oz rye whiskey, 1 oz orange liqueur, 1/8 oz pisco, 1/4 oz sweet & sour mix, 5 drops bitters and 1/8 oz (1 tsp) Maker's Mark Boubon-infused Cherry juice with ice.  Strain and serve up or shake and pour over a muckle of ice in your favorite high-ball glass.  Garnish with an infused cherry.

Note: Thank you brokensecrets.com for clearing up the issue of how to spell this week's ingredients.  There are two correct ways to spell it: Whisky and Whiskey.  Whiskey refers to whiskeys distilled in Ireland and the United States.  Whisky, on the other hand, is generally used for whiskies distilled in Scotland, Wales, Canada, Japan and other countries.  (However, Maker's Mark is distilled in Tennessee and their website describes their product sans "e" so...drink up regardless!)

Mintini: Summer Cocktail Week 9 (Adam & Michelle)

Mintini

We fulfilled our herb theme this week by utilizing our freshly planted chocolate mint.  Yes, there's really a chocolate mint plant and it's pretty awesome.  The leaves are a little smaller (see pic), some have a darker tint, and they release a distinctively chocolate version of the otherwise traditional minty aroma.

Mint makes a great garnish in a variety of summer cocktails but to really feature the flavor we went with an infusion.  I was surprised how well the vodka absorbed both the berry and chocolate mint flavors, creating something that could easily be sipped on its own or topped off with just a little club soda.

To infuse the vodka I used about 2/3 liter of Absolut, 12 ounces fresh raspberries and 8 sprigs of fresh chocolate mint.  Seal in an air-tight container and let rest for a week, stirring once or twice.  Pour the infusion through a fine strainer and smash the berries to release all the juice.  Keep chilled in the fridge.

Mintini Ingredients:
Raspberry Chocolate Mint Infused Vodka
Dove Chocolate Martini Mix
Irish Cream (used Merry's)
Fresh Chocolate Mint

For my (Adam's) mintini I simply used equal parts infused vodka and chocolate martini mix, shaken with ice to chill and strained into a mini martini glass.  Michelle thought the chocolate martini mix was a little watery and wanted something creamier, so for hers I used equal parts infused vodka, chocolate martini mix and irish cream with just a dash of chocolate syrup.  Garnish either with a small sprig of chocolate mint.

Side note: This was our first attempt at using Dove Chocolate Martini Mix.  We had an unopened bottle in the cupboard and this seemed like the perfect use for it.  We were both disappointed in how watery it is, which threw off the chocolate flavor just a little.  Think hot chocolate made with hot water instead of hot milk--just not the same.  Adding irish cream definitely helped bring the texture together but next time I'll try something different all together like chocolate liqueur.

Adam's Apple: Summer Cocktail Week 8 (Adam & Michelle)

Adam's Apple

I've mentioned the fantastic show 'Drink Up' before, and it once again inspired and co-created this week's cocktail.  It was one of the side-note drinks where they blow through what's in it without measurements, proportions, instructions, etc. but fortunately that gave me the opportunity to experiment with the recipe and take partial credit.  So I present our wine-themed cocktail, the super refreshing (and sneaks up on you) Adam's Apple!

Ingredients:

Irish Whiskey (used Jameson)

Apple Juice

Simple Syrup

Lemon

Sauvignon Blanc (used Black Box)

Honey

In a shaker combine 1 oz whiskey, 1 oz apple juice, 1/2 oz fresh lemon juice, 1 tsp simple syrup, 1/2 tsp honey and ice.  Shake well to combine and strain over ice in a white wine glass.  Top off with 2+ oz Sauvignon Blanc, give a stir and garnish with a lemon wedge.

Kiki: Summer Cocktail Week 8 (Amie & Bonnie)

Kiki

This week on Bravo's Watch What Happens Live, Andy Cohen featured a kaleidoscopic performance by effervescent-dare-I-say dorkilicious Scissor Sisters.  Their lyrical summer dance hit has me huh-huh-honey-ing all around the house shouting "That's so Kiki!" at every festive turn.  Wanna mix an adventure from the infusions usurping the top shelf of the fridge?  That'd be so Kiki!  Hey!  Check out the new bulbs that spouted in the yard.  They're so Kiki!  Dare to use bitter-infused sparkling water PLUS lemon bitters as mixers?  Yep, you guessed it - Super Kiki!  So as a tribute to all those who live, teeter on, or even peripherally support the unabshedly melodious fun that mixology, music and community can provide, we offer this week's beverage: Kiki!

Generally our infusions are 1 pint of fruit to 1 pint (or even half a 5th) of vodka.  Standard time for peak fruit flavoring is 5-7 days.  Note: most of our infusions have maintained their flavor for numerable months when stored in the fridge.

Ingredients:

Blackberry Infused Vodka

Strawberry Infused Vodka

Cherry Infused Vodka

Lemon Bitters

Aussie Bundaberg Lemon Lime & Bitters Sparkling Beverage

Cherry Lemonade (used Organic Santa Cruz)

Kiwi

In a shaker add 1 shot blackberry infused vodka, 3/4 shot strawberry infused vodka, 1/4 shot cherry infused vodka, 4 dashes lemon bitters and ice.  Shake to chill.  Add 2 shots Aussie sparkling beverage and 3/4 shot cherry lemonade.  Pour into your favorite "served up" glassware - no need to match - That's so kiki!  Garnish with 2 half-slices of kiwi.  Serve with blackberries, strawberries and cherries.

Music Pairing:  'Let's Have a Kiki!' by Scissor Sisters 

Live Version on Andy Cohen's Watch What Happens Live

Custom Videodrome Discotheque Video Edit Version

Cherry Jackpot: Summer Cocktail Week 7 (Adam & Michelle)

Cherry Jackpot

After a decade of preferring vodka-based drinks I set a goal for myself in 2011 to branch out and acquire a taste for whiskey (it's good to set goals, but not sure I'll bring that one up in an interview).  I ran across an ad for Evan Williams Honey Reserve in Rolling Stone last year and thought it might be a good product to bridge the gap between my desire for a hint of sweet and the bite of whiskey.  A classic Whiskey Sour ended up being the transition drink that won me over to whiskey, but 8 months later I'm glad I finally picked up a bottle of Evan Williams.

The Honey Reserve whiskey liqueur is smooth and velvety with a subtle touch of honey.  I'm excited to try it soon in my usual line-up of whiskey drinks, but decided to start by creating my own martini: Cherry Jackpot!

Ingredients:

Evan Williams Honey Reserve

Bourbon (used Maker's Mark)

Cherries

Simple Syrup

Puree 1-2 dozen pitted, stemmed fresh cherries with simple syrup until smooth.  Add 2 jiggers Honey Reserve, 1 jigger bourbon and 1 teaspoon of cherry puree to a shaker with ice.  Shake and strain into a chilled martini glass and garnish with a fresh cherry.

Note: store the leftover cherry puree in the fridge and enjoy it mixed with pop, club soda or a variety of cocktails.  I tried substituting it for half of the sugar in a mojito and it was awesome!

GINdependence: Summer Cocktail Week 7 (Amie & Bonnie)

GINdependence

Ever since Jose Cuervo released his perfectly premixed Top Shelf Margarita, I very rarely find occasion to bring out the blender.  However, after the simplicity of blending a few fresh ingredients with basic gin, it's earned a special place on the counter at least for the rest of this summer.  This week we were looking for a way to meld relief from our Oregon heat-wave with the 4th of July theme, as well as Adam and Michelle's Week 6 introduction to Orange Bitters.  Hopefully you'll whip up a batch of your own to find that the blended ingredients prove to be a refreshing summer treat and can certainly stand on their own.  I mention this because if, like me, your default opinion is to generally assume whipped cream is superfluous and something you move aside to get to the good stuff, with the GINdependence we have the freedom to open our palates to what whipped cream can offer a beverage.  The crushed ice kept the drink cool enough for the whipped cream to maintain a nice structure while offering a creamy flavor filter to further deliciousize the drink.  The finishing touches that turned this into a festive and refreshing beverage were to Bonnie's credit for sure!

Ingredients:
Strawberries
Raspberries
Lime
Honey
Gin (used Bombay Sapphire)
Orange Bitters
Ice
Mint (optional)

In a blender combine 9 strawberries, 5 raspberries, 7 strong squeezes of lime, 2 squeezes honey, 1 oz gin, 3 drops of orange bitters and 6 ice cubes.  Blend and place in freezer for 10 minutes or so to allow the flavors to chill together.

Pour into serving glass, top with whipped cream, a few fresh blueberries and 1 gold sparkler.  While the sparkler is lit offer a toast to the red, white and blue of celebrating our GINdependence!