kiwi classic

Tonight's drink was inspired by the Annual Oscar's Ceremony. Admittedly, I couldn't come up with much cocktail inspiration when thinking of similarities in ingredients and the Oscar's ... so, instead I looked to my kitchen, and violà, kiwi!

kiwi classic
2 oz No.3 London Dry Gin
.5 oz Luxardo Maraschino Liqueur
.25 oz Pages Elderflower Syrup
.25 oz Lemon Juice
1 oz Cranberry Juice
1 muddled kiwi

Remove peel, and slice the kiwi into eights. Muddle in shaker with Gin. Combine remaining ingredients and shake with ice. Fine strain into a chilled cocktail glass.

The combination of maraschino cherry and fresh kiwi is highlighted by the elderflower syrup, and the lemon-cranberry mix offers a bitter sweet/sour of sorts...all told, a delicious drink using London's Finest No.3 Dry Gin.

Cheers!

peachy picnic punch

This original recipe punch is a dynamite combination of bourbon, calvados (apple brandy), and ginger combined with fresh lemon and peach. Although Summer has officially ended, the sun remains to shine (today is in fact the hottest day of the year in Southern California). Cheers!

Peachy Picnic Punch

(serves 12)

18 ounces Hirsch Bourbon Reserve

9 ounces King’s Ginger Liqueur

9 ounces Ch. De Breuil Calvados Fine

8 Lemons

8 Peaches

2 bottles (24 oz) Ginger Beer

Prepare fresh fruit; squeeze lemons, remove pulp; quarter peaches, remove pit, hand-press through medium size strainer, remove pulp. Combine bourbon, ginger liqueur, calvados and fresh fruit juice in container. Prepare a large ice block beforehand (bundt cake pan makes a nice ice block). Assemble remaining ingredients when ready to serve; punch, ginger beer, ice block. Enjoy!  

Sunrise in Campbeltown

Admittedly, this is the first cocktail I've made with freshly brewed tea; I used Coffee Bean's African Sunrise (think creamy, vanilla, orange peel). The drink is aptly named Sunrise in Campbeltown; for one, the Single Malt Scotch used here is from that region in Scotland, and Sunrise comes from the herbal tea. Yes, there may too be a little pun, those of you who have been to Scotland know you probably aren't seeing the sun-rise all that often courtesy of daily gray cloud cover. Now, on to the drink ...

SUNRISE IN CAMPBELTOWN
2 oz freshly brewed herbal tea (I used Coffee Bean's African Sunrise)
1.5 oz Springbank 10 year old Single Malt Scotch Whisky
1 oz Noilly Prat sweet vermouth
1 oz Pages simple syrup
1 oz fresh lemon juice
1 oz fresh clementine juice

Combine all ingredients in ice-filled tumbler glass and stir for 30 seconds. Strain into ice-filled cocktail glass. Garnish with thick clementine wheel.

If blood oranges were in season, they would enhance the drink considerably!

a pear in the hand is worth two in the bush

Nothing says summer in San Diego like a Margarita. I thought it would be fun to use some of the produce lying around my kitchen, so I got to work ... grapefruit here, limes there ... and to the bar. I must admit this cocktail exceeded my expectations given my seeming haphazardness behind the shaker tonight. What I ended up with was a wonderfully balanced Margarita with subtle overtones of pear topped with a sweet grapefruit meringue.

a pear in the hand is worth two in the bush

1.5 oz Chinaco Blanco 100% Blue

Agave Tequila

.5 oz Luxardo Triple Sec

.5 oz agave nectar

barspoon F. Meyer Poire Eau-de-Vie

juice of one fresh lime

splash ginger beer

Top with grapefruit meringue

garnish grapefruit tulip

meringue -

beat 3 egg whites with about 1/4 confectioners sugar and an ounce of fresh grapefruit juice.