All posts tagged: gin

The Apollo Cocktail with St. George Terroir Gin

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It’s really, really great when you have thoughtful friends who know you well enough to buy you gifts of gin. Those are the kinds of friends that you hold onto for dear life because a friend who knows your favorite spirit is a special friend, indeed. My dear friend Lori Rice of Fake Food Free is just that kind of thoughtful friend! A few weeks ago, I was surprised and thrilled to receive a package in the mail from her containing an entire set of St. George Spirits Gin as a wedding gift! The set came with their 3 signature gin varieties: Terroir, Botanivore and Dry Rye. St. George Craft Distillers hails from Alameda, California, which just happens to be Lori’s stomping grounds. It’s no secret that Gin is my favorite spirit. I love it because the flavors in gin so easily combine with fresh herbs and I love cocktails that taste like they’re fresh from the garden. Since I was unfamiliar with this particular brand of gin, I was very excited to hold a little tasting for myself in order to get to know …

Happy Father’s Day! Cherry Drop Martini

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Oh, fresh cherries…I am not done with you yet!  I am going to make the most of you while you’re in season, eating these glittering jewels by the bagful; baking them into a pie, smashing them into a cocktail.  Cherry season is too short, so I shall make hay while the sun shines. This drink is so smooth.  A perfect balance of sweetness and strength.  Just like Dad.  I made this cocktail with both white vermouth and red vermouth and they both resulted in a really fine drink.  The red vermouth brings out the deeper, darker cherry notes and the white vermouth is bright and sweet.  You can’t go wrong with either one. So, make your Dad (or whoever represents a father in your life) a drink and let him relax today–he deserves it!

Cocktail of the Week: It’s About Thyme! Plus, Parmesan-Thyme Crackers

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Last weekend, I planted four new thyme plants in my little herb garden, so in honor of that, I’m featuring thyme in this week’s cocktail and finger food! This was the first cocktail The Husband and I learned to make together.  Inspired by that year’s winner of the 2011 Signature Spring Cocktail Contest: “No Thyme Like the Present“; it was served as the signature drink at my 40th birthday party (my, how time flies)!  The original recipe is a Hendrick’s Gin cocktail flavored with fresh thyme, subtle hints of cucumber and finished with a float of white grape juice.   The drink was amazing! It was cool and refreshing and perfect for an outdoor summer gathering. What I remember most was that I only had one glass of it and I was the Birthday Girl!  Why do I always get cut off so early?  Well, that was a few years ago, and I think my tolerance has increased a bit since then! My version of the recipe uses more gin, less juice and incorporated the herbs …

Cocktail of the Week: Classic Gin Martinez

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For this week’s cocktail, we are going old school.  The Martinez is a classic 19th century cocktail comprised of four ingredients that should be included in any well-stocked home bar:  gin, sweet vermouth, maraschino liqueur and orange bitters.  The Martinez is a drink that begs to be savored, preferably in a darkened room festooned with lots of velvet and with a bluesy refrain playing in the background.  There are no frills here–no sugared rims, no floating flowers, just refinement and simplicity in a glass!  I was inspired to make this drink after seeing the recipe on Food52 and it is remarkably simple. I used Hayman’s Old Tom gin, Martini & Rossi sweet vermouth, Christiani Maraschino and Scrappy’s Orange Bitters. Now, go put on some good music and put your feet up for a while!  Cheers!