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.