ginger iced tea

a bit time consuming (2 days?  COME ON!), but well worth it.  one sip and you’ll be eternally grateful for this recipe.  for a festive touch, wet the rims of tall glasses and dip in a mixture of finely chopped crystallized ginger and sugar.

ingredients:

1 piece fresh ginger, 3 inches long, peeled and coarsely grated
10 cups water
1 cup sugar
1/4 cup loose tea leaves such as english breakfast or earl grey
cracked ice

directions:

place the ginger in a large, nonaluminum bowl. pour in 4 cups of the water, cover and let stand undisturbed for 48 hours.

line a sieve with cheesecloth and place over a saucepan. strain the ginger water through the sieve, then add the sugar to the saucepan. bring to a boil over high heat, stirring, then reduce the heat to medium and simmer, undisturbed, for 10 minutes. remove from the heat, stir in the tea and cover. let steep for 5 minutes. strain into a large, heatproof pitcher and pour in the remaining 6 cups water. stir well, cover and refrigerate until well chilled. pour over cracked ice in tall glasses.

serves 8.

apple toddy

this french take on the hot toddy uses calvados or applejack and apple syrup, giving the drink a much sweeter scent and flavor. when buying apple syrup, look for the austrian brand d’arbo. this company produces some of the best, most intense fruit syrups on the market.  

ingredients:

1/4 cup calvados or applejack
1/4 cup apple syrup
1/4 to 1/2 cup hot water
4 or 5 thin apple slices
1 whole nutmeg for grating

directions:

in an 8-oz. glass, combine the calvados and apple syrup. top with the hot water and stir.

add the apple slices and grate nutmeg to taste over the top. serve immediately.

serves 1.

balthazar french martini

this martini includes chambord, a french liqueur flavored with black raspberries, honey and herbs. according to legend, chambord originated in france during the reign of louis xiv. 

ingredients:

1 oz. chilled vodka
1 oz. pineapple juice
1/3 oz. chambord
ice cubes

directions:

in a cocktail shaker, combine the vodka, pineapple juice, chambord and ice cubes. shake vigorously to produce a frothy head and strain into a chilled martini glass. serve straight up.

serves 1.

bellini

created in 1948 by harry cipriani at harry’s bar in venice, italy, this sophisticated drink was named for the 15th-century venetian artist jacopo bellini, a painter cipriani much admired. apparently, the wonderful faint pink hue of the bellini reminded him of a similar shade in one of the artist’s paintings. the components are fairly simple but when combined, they make an intricate, stylish drink.

if white peaches are out of season, don’t hesitate to make this with yellow ones-the drink won’t be quite the same in color, but it will retain its marvelous balance and flavor. you can also use frozen peach puree in place of the fresh peach (if you do, omit the lemon juice and simple syrup). 

ingredients for the simple syrup:

1 cup water
1 cup sugar

ingredients for the bellini:

1 ripe white peach, pitted but not peeled, cut into 1-inch cubes
1 tsp. fresh lemon juice
2 cups prosecco (an italian sparkling wine),
champagne, sparkling wine or nonalcoholic sparkling wine

directions:

to make the simple syrup, in a saucepan over medium-high heat, bring the water to a simmer. add the sugar and stir until it completely dissolves. remove the pan from the heat and set aside to cool to room temperature. pour the syrup into a clean 1-pint bottle, cap it and refrigerate until needed.

in a blender, combine the cubed peach flesh, lemon juice and 1 tsp. of the simple syrup and blend well. divide the peach puree among 4 chilled champagne flutes. gently pour in the sparkling wine. stir gently to combine.

serves 4.

blackberry milk shake

 

on a hot summer day, this pale purplish milk shake is a rich yet refreshing drink or dessert to enjoy outdoors. pass a plate of freshly baked chocolate chip cookies to eat alongside.

ingredients:

2 ice cubes

1 cup blackberries

2 tbs. sugar

4 scoops vanilla ice cream, about 1 1/2 cups total

1/2 cup milk

directions:

place the ice cubes in a blender or food processor and process to crush. set aside 4 of the blackberries and add the remaining berries to the blender or food processor along with the sugar. puree until smooth. add the ice cream and milk, and process until smooth or to the desired consistency.

pour into 2 tall glasses and garnish with the reserved berries. serve immediately. serves 2.

bloody bull

a marriage of the bloody mary and the bullshot, this drink is ideal for brunch or any daytime party.

ingredients:

2 fl. oz. vodka
2 fl. oz. tomato juice
2 fl. oz. vegetable bouillon
2 tsp. fresh lemon juice
ice cubes
pinch of freshly ground pepper
pinch of celery salt
3 dashes worcestershire sauce
dash of hot sauce, such as tabasco
1 lemon wedge for garnish

directions:

pour the vodka, tomato juice, bouillon and lemon juice into a shaker two-thirds full of ice cubes. add the pepper, celery salt, worcestershire sauce and hot sauce and shake well. strain into an ice-filled highball glass. add the lemon wedge.

serves 1.

carrot pineapple orange juice

this morning eye-opener is an outstanding source of vitamins a and c. if you drink it fresh from the extractor, the orange and lemon rinds add a lovely, subtle flavor. otherwise, peel the orange and lemon before juicing, as the rinds will make the juice bitter after sitting for an hour or two. look for ripe pineapple with a mild aroma and golden peel. 

ingredients:

1 small orange, including rind, seeded and cut into pieces
1/8 small, ripe pineapple, peeled, cored and cut into pieces
2 carrots, scrubbed clean and cut into pieces
1/4 small lemon, including rind, seeded

directions:

in an extractor, juice the orange, pineapple, carrots and lemon, in that order, according to the manufacturer’s instructions. stir and serve.

serves 1.

homemade chai

like my ginger iced tea, this is an exceptionally flavorful tea, and is also a bitch to make, but well worth it.  serve hot or cold.

ingredients:

2 cinnamon sticks, broken in half
8 allspice berries
4 whole cloves
2 peppercorns
4 cups water
16 cardamom pods, lightly crushed
4 slices fresh ginger, lightly crushed
2 tea bags or 1 tbs. black tea
1/2 cup milk, or to taste
3 tbs. honey, or to taste

directions:

with a mortar and pestle, coarsely grind the cinnamon sticks, allspice, cloves and peppercorns. in a saucepan, combine the ground spices, water, cardamom pods and ginger. bring to a boil over high heat, reduce the heat to medium-low, cover and simmer for 10 minutes. set aside, covered, for 10 minutes.

place the tea bags in a teapot, or put the loose tea in a tea ball and place in the pot. return the spiced water to a boil and pour into the teapot. let steep for 2 to 3 minutes, then strain the tea and serve with milk and honey on the side.

serves 4

cosmopolitan

if any one drink can be credited for the resurgence of the cocktail in recent years, it’s the cosmopolitan. no one seems to know who created it, and there has been much debate as to whether it first appeared in san francisco or new york. but no matter who first put these ingredients together, there’s no doubt this is the most popular new drink to come along since the martini. 

the best thing about the cosmo is that it is extremely well constructed.  although it’s a far cry from the martini, the balance of flavors that comes from mixing the tart lime juice, the semi-sweet cranberry juice cocktail and the sweet triple sec, and the extra dimension the citrus-flavored vodka adds, is sensational.  

ingredients:

2 fl. oz. citrus vodka
1 tbs. triple sec
1 tbs. cranberry juice cocktail
1 tbs. fresh lime juice

directions:

pour the vodka, triple sec, cranberry juice cocktail and lime juice into a shaker two-thirds full of ice cubes. shake well. strain into a chilled cocktail glass.

serves 1.

fresh honey lemonade

an interesting twist to an old summertime favorite. 

ingredients:

1/3 to 1/2 cup honey
1 1/2 cups steaming hot water
1 cup lemon juice
ice cubes for serving

directions:

in a heatproof 1-quart pitcher or bowl, combine the honey and hot water and stir until the honey is dissolved. stir in the lemon juice. let cool for at least 10 minutes or cover and refrigerate until ready to serve. pour over ice.

serves 2 to 4.

gin fizz

although the ramos gin fizz may be better known, the gin fizz is said to be the classic.

ingredients for the simple syrup:

1 cup water
1 cup sugar

ingredients for the gin fizz:

2 fl. oz. gin
2 tbs. fresh lime juice
ice cubes
5 to 6 fl. oz. club soda
1 lime wedge for garnish

directions:

to make the simple syrup, in a saucepan over medium-high heat, bring the water to a simmer. add the sugar and stir until it completely dissolves. remove the pan from the heat and set aside to cool to room temperature. pour the syrup into a clean 1-pint bottle, cap it and refrigerate until needed.

pour the gin, lime juice and 1 tbs. of the simple syrup into a shaker two-thirds full of ice cubes. shake well. strain into a chilled martini glass or wineglass. add the club soda and stir briefly. add the lime wedge.

serves 1.

bourbon old fashioned

 

simply delicious. 

 

 

 

 

ingredients:

1 sugar cube
3 dashes angostura bitters
1 orange slice
1 lemon wedge
1 maraschino cherry
ice cubes
2 1/2 fl. oz. bourbon

directions:

in a double old-fashioned glass, combine the sugar cube, bitters, orange slice, lemon wedge and cherry. fill the glass with ice cubes, add the bourbon and stir well.

serves 1.

greyhound

as delicious to drink as it is simple to make.

ingredients:

2 1/2 fl. oz. vodka
4 fl. oz. grapefruit juice (i prefer pink!)

directions:

pour both ingredients into an ice-filled highball glass. stir briefly.

serves 1.

holiday coffee with spiced whipped cream

 

your guests will warm up quickly with this delicious holiday drink.   

ingredients:

1 cup heavy cream
4 tbs. plus 2 tsp. sugar
3 tbs. mulling spice
3 cups freshly brewed hot coffee
4 oz. brandy

directions:

in a small saucepan over medium heat, combine the heavy cream, 2 tbs. of the sugar and the mulling spice. when the cream starts to bubble around the edges, remove the pan from the heat and let stand for 10 minutes. strain the cream mixture through a fine-mesh sieve into a metal bowl and refrigerate until thoroughly chilled, about 1 hour. using a whisk, beat the cream mixture until stiff peaks form.

divide the coffee and brandy among 4 large coffee mugs or bowls, add 2 tsp. sugar to each and stir to combine. top each with a large dollop of the spiced whipped cream and serve immediately.

serves 4.

hot buttered rum

a festive, spicy drink to warm you up on a cold winter night.  

ingredients:

3 tbs. firmly packed brown sugar
1 1/2 tbs. unsalted butter, at room temperature
1/8 tsp. freshly grated nutmeg
1/8 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/8 tsp. ground cloves
3/4 cup rum
2 cups boiling water
4 cinnamon sticks

directions:

in a small bowl, stir together the brown sugar, butter, nutmeg, cinnamon and cloves. distribute evenly among 4 warmed mugs. add 3 tbs. rum to each mug, then fill with the boiling water, stirring well. garnish with cinnamon sticks.

serves 4.