Chanh muoi Lemon Salt Soda

Well, it is my birthday, and I do love a good funky cocktail, so here it is, the Chanh muối Lemon Salt Soda. The Chanh muoi Lemon Salt Soda is a traditional Vietnamese drink that I somehow didn’t know about until fairly recently. Like any good menu reader who prides themself on ordering all the dishes and drinks they’ve never heard of, I was surprised that I’d never come across the Chanh muoi Lemon Salt Soda. It turns out the Chanh muoi Lemon Salt Soda is a common menu item, which I discovered this fall at a local Philly pho taste off. Of course, I had to immediately compensate for the years with no Chan muoi in my life and all kinds of kitchen experimentation began. Thank goodness I’m constantly deciding that I need to do things like preserve lemons, because I had them on hand. While it started with making traditional Chanh muoi Lemon Salt Soda, it became aparent to me that the drink was an obvious candidate for conversion to cocktail. Sure enough it was wonderful with bourbon. Cheers! And happy funky cocktail day to all of us. And may you ever associate both me and my birthday … Continue reading

Lemon Verbena Smash

Believe it or not, at least for the Dirty Laundry Kitchen, it’s time to thinking about the 4th of July, and what’s a better place to start than with this Lemon Verbena Smash cocktail. This past weekend, I was forced to spend my time picnicking and drinking Lemon Verbena Smash cocktails at the dog park so that the menu would be ready for you. It was torture I tell you. First up, the questions. Where did this Lemon Verbena Smash cocktail come from? What is lemon verbena? And what do I do if I can’t find any? Good questions. I love the flavor of the herb lemon verbena. It’s perfect for Summer drinks and desserts. It’s a little hard to find at regular grocery stores (my dad has to grow it for me). But it’s amazing, and you can often find the plants even at places like home depot. When I can’t get my hands on it, I substitute a combination of basil and mint leaves. They get the job done in creating a similar flavor that make the Lemon Verbena Smash so distinctly delicious and refreshing. I love to make Lemon Verbena Smash in a giant mason jar and bring … Continue reading

Ginger Rogers

A great meal needs a great cocktail to get your guests in a festive mood and this Ginger Rogers Cocktail certainly does the trick for my Middle Eastern Feast. The bourbon makes the Ginger Rogers perfect for winter and the spicy ginger let’s your taste buds know that something fun is on the way. Finally, the mixer is sparkling rosé, so in my book, it doesn’t really get any better. The lovely pink color makes this a fun cocktail for a ladies night, but with the bourbon and spice, no one would dare say it’s a wimpy drink. Serve it in flutes to take advantage of the bubbles, but coupes, wine glasses and even high balls work just fine. The Ginger Rogers was inspired by a trip to the Village Whiskey in Philly. They used to serve a cocktail by the same name, but when it mysteriously disappeared from the cocktail list I had to take matters into my own kitchen and work on a substitute. I must say, this version of the Ginger Rogers Cocktail slakes my thirst for the original. … Continue reading