06 Dec 2022: Easy Lemon Drop Martini

Easy Lemon Drop Martini from The Kitchn

Nicole Rufus, associate food editor, published this delicious riff on a Lemon Drop Martini as a delicious summery cocktail on the Kitchn, and it’s easy to see why. But while it definitely makes a refreshing cocktail for a sultry summer evening, I also thought it enjoyable in early December. Really, is there any time when a martini isn’t a good choice? I don’t think so.

The directions, found here, are for a lemony vodka-based martini with a lemon-sugar rim. I tweaked that to substitute gin using one of my locally distilled faves from South Hollow Spirits (Cape Cod), Dry Line Gin. I also routinely substitute agave syrup for simple, which seems to mix better for me.

11 June 2022: Empress 1908 Gin Sidecar

Empress Side Car

Link to the original Love to Know cocktail by Allison Freeman below.

Although I’ve seen Empress 1908 Gin Sidecar cocktails in several places, this creation from Love to Know was the winner of tonight’s home bar Saturday Cocktail concoction. Yes, a “traditional”, classic Sidecar is made with brandy, but the beauty of the Empress 1908 Gin called me to try something new and unusual. That is exactly what this drink turned out to be - a delicious gin-based cocktail with some subtle orange and lemon notes. Delicious!

This post in Love To Know has 11 cocktails based on Empress 1908 Gin - all developed by Allison Freeman.

Ingredients

• Lemon wedge and sugar for rim

• 1½ ounces Empress gin

• ¾ ounce orange liquor (I used Cointreau here)

• ¾ ounce freshly squeezed lemon juice

• Ice

How to mix

1. Chill a martini glass or coupe.

2. To prepare rim, rub the rim of the glass with the lemon wedge.

3. With the sugar on a saucer, dip either half or the entire rim of the glass in the sugar to coat.

4. In a cocktail shaker, add Empress Gin, orange liqueur, and lemon juice.

5. Shake to chill.

6. Strain into prepared glass.

31 Mar 2022: Corpse Reviver

Cocktail night is coming a few days early for us this week due to a sleepover from our favorite toddler. Also, it’s Thursday and we’re pretty sick of the fickle New England weather. The Corpse Reviver #2 (yes there is a #1) seemed like a good idea and, indeed it was.

Corpse Reviver #2

Ingredients

• Absinthe, to rinse

• 3/4 ounce London dry gin

• 3/4 ounce Lillet blanc

• 3/4 ounce orange liqueur (I used Cointreau because, why not?)

• 3/4 ounce lemon juice, freshly squeezed

1. This is best served in a chilled coupe glass.

2. Rinse the inside of the chilled coupe or cocktail glass with absinthe, discard the excess and set the glass aside.

3. Add the gin, Lillet blanc, orange liqueur and lemon juice into a shaker with ice and shake until well-chilled.

4. Strain into the prepared glass. Garnish with a cherry if you’re in the mood for that.

24 Jan 2022: Something Good

We’ve been browsing David Lebowitz’s Drinking French for new-to-us cocktail ideas. And because we miss France. Highly recommended for not only interesting the aperitif and cocktails, but also the non-alcoholic entries.

This week we discovered an aperitif called “Something Good” and it really is something good. Based on gin, added Dubonnet Rouge and an orange spirit like Cointreau or Grand Marnier.

The ratios are 2 parts gin to 1/2 Dubonnet and 1/2 Cointreau/Grand Marnier. Add ice, stir, and strain into a coupé.

Happy sipping!

25 December 2021: Suzy's Hanky

This cocktail comes from David Lebovitz’s most recent book, Drinking French and was a perfect cocktail for our weather-impacted Christmas Day not-so-much-of-a-gathering. Deliciously orange-y, spicy, and (my personal favorite) based on a juniper forward gin from South Hollow Spirits in North Truro, MA (gifted to me by our son and daughter-in-law), it brought together a great blending of Suze, Cointreau, and sweet vermouth.

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 oz. London-style gin

• 1 oz. sweet vermouth

• 1/2 oz. Suze

• 1/2 oz. Grand Marnier, Cointreau, or Triple Sec (we used Cointreau)

• Orange twist and spring of fresh thyme for garnish

Add the gin, vermouth, Suze and (in our case) Cointreau to a cocktail mixing glass. Fill with ice and stir until well-chilled. Strain into a chilled coupe glass. Hold the orange twist over the top of the drink and twist it to release the oils from the peel into the drink. Drop the orange twist into the glass and garnish with the thyme sprig floating on top.

23 December 2021: City of Light

I recently heard about David Lebovitz’s newest book, Drinking French, and immediately broke our no-purchases before Christmas rule in order to get my hands on a copy asap.

The cafe culture in Paris is one that I have admired and wish I knew more about. How insanely stylish and elegant to imagine sipping an aperitif ahead of dinner.

This aperitif, The City of Light, was developed by LA bartender Christiaan Röllich of Lucques. Cointreau, dry Vermouth, and Lillet blanc along with a topping of prosecco, makes it a very sippable pre-dinner drink as sparkly and beautiful as the City of Paris, La Ville-Lumière, is even in the dark of Winter.

City of Light

Ingredients:

• half a lemon wheel, half and orange wheel, and 2 thin slices of cucumber for garnish

• 1 1/2 oz. dry vermouth

• 1 oz Lillet blanc (or Vin d’Orange - see Drinking French for how to make this)

• 1 oz. Cointreau

• 1 oz dry prosecco (or crémant)

Place the garnishes in the bottom of a footed goblet or large wine glass. Add the vermouth, Lillet, and Cointreau. Fill the glass 2/3 full with ice, stir briefly and top off with the prosecco.

22 August: AOÛT

August or AOÛT - It’s hot and hazy and, in our family, a big Birthday Month. Tonight’s cocktail, the AOÛT, comes from Rebekah Peppler’s Aperitif: Cocktail House the French Way. This is a cocktail that is on the lighter side which means it is perfect for hot and humid August nights.

One note about the ingredients: this cocktails calls for ginger beer - not ginger ale. I liked the intense spiciness of Q Ginger Beer, but if you are not a fan of intense ginger flavor, you may want to sub in a good quality ginger ale.

The AOÛT

Ingredients

• 1-1/2 ounces Dubonnet Rouge

• 1/2 ounce orange liqueur

• Ginger Beer

• Orange Wedge

How To Make It

Pour the Dubonnet and orange liqueur (I used Cointreau - Grand Marnier or dry Curacao also recommended) into an ice-filled Collins glass. Top with Ginger and finish with the orange wedge.