Tag Archives: cocktails

Cucumber Lychee Pimm’s Cups

Posted on by May 29, 2015

Finally, picnic season is fully upon us and these Cucumber Lychee Pimm’s Cups are perfect for a leisurely afternoon picnic. In fact, I have them in mind as the light, low-alcohol cocktail for my English Polo Picnic Menu. After all, next weekend there’s a match in Jersey City and yours truly intends to be there, friends and picnic in tow, including these Cucumber Lychee Pimm’s Cups. The distinctively subtle cucumbers, lychee and thai basil muddles perfectly into herbaceous flavors of the Pimm’s No. 1 liquor. A little lychee syrup goes a long way to sweeten it up just a touch, and the effervescence from the sparkling water keeps the drink light and refreshing. Serve these Cucumber Lychee Pimm’s Cups with lots of ice, plenty of gorgeous lychees, cucumbers and thai basil for garnish and they’ll help you keep the party going all afternoon long. As the drink for my Polo Picnic Menu, I paired these Cucumber Lychee Pimm’s Cups with my Salmon Burgers with Curry Mayo and Saffron Poached Apricot Almond Trifle. It’s hard to tell you which dish stole the show since leftovers were few and far between, but I will say that even the non-cocktail drinkers got on … Continue reading →

Sunny Mary: a Bloody Good Alternative

Posted on by May 9, 2016

Summer is in full swing and tomatoes are coming in by the bushel, so I’ve been busy in the kitchen conjuring weird and wonderful uses for said tomatoes. It’s hot; so hot that hot is out and ice is in. With my mind focused in on tomatoes and ice it was only a matter of time before I set my sights upon re-envisioning the classic Bloody Mary. Let me present, Sunny Mary: a Bloody Good Alternative. I’ve been experimenting with tomato water lately and learning of its many virtues: light, luscious, packed-with-summer flavor, once I tasted it, I knew I had to make a lightened up, let-the-tomato-steal-the-show version of a Bloody Mary with tomato water. Pair that notion with a box of gorgeous yellow Roma tomatoes and the Sunny Mary: a Bloody Good Alternative was a done deal. Tomato water is delicate in flavor and body so it makes for a very elegant brunch cocktail. In the days of “add a fried chicken to it” Bloody Marys (thanks for that Wisconsin), the Sunny Mary: a Bloody Good Alternative is the exact opposite. Its flavor is intense yet subtle all at the same time. It begged for a fresh, crisp, raw … Continue reading →

Plum Sparkler

Posted on by August 31, 2016

A New Year’s Party requires a special cocktail, complete with lots of bubbles. New Year’s Eve is all about the champagne, so if you’re making a cocktail, you better make it a champagne cocktail, which is exactly what I did when I made my Plum Sparkler. If you spent your fall packing fruit into brandy, like I did, a New Year’s Party is definitely an occasion that warrants cracking open one of those extra special jars. But if you didn’t, you should be able to find plum brandy at a good liquor store; just ask for Slivovitz or Slivovitsa. Believe it or not, plum brandy made from Damson plums is very popular in Eastern Europe. Of course it won’t take exactly the same as this homemade hooch based drink, but that’s a big part of the fun in mixology in my humble opinion. This cocktail has lots of sweetness to it, but the soda and sparkling wine balance it out perfectly. Just make sure to buy a brut sparkling wine to ensure this cocktail doesn’t get too sweet. You can always adjust the sweetness up and down by adding more or less of the lillet blanc and orange liquor. The … Continue reading →

Aperol Spritz

Posted on by October 28, 2014

Each winter, I forget that an Aperol Spritz is my perfect summer cocktail, and then every Summer, I’m reminded of this fact, usually sometime about this week in July. The first night it’s really sticky- hot outside, even at night, an Aperol Spritz is perfect: delicious, refreshing, effervescent, sweet and salty. Yes, that’s right, salty. I tried to order one last week at a great Philly bar. But they just couldn’t get it right. So I had to take matters into my own hands and make one myself. For me, the Aperol Spritz proportions on the back of the Aperol bottle are all I need; no experimentation required. Just don’t forget the olive. And you should probably make a pitcher whenever you make Aperol Spritz, because they’re definitely a fun crowd-pleaser. 3 ounces Prosecco 2 ounces Aperol splash of club soda plump green olives orange slices ice Pour the aperol in the glass or pitcher full of ice. Add the champagne slowly. Top with the club soda. A light stir never hurt anyone. Garnish with orange slices and olives.When you’re making Aperol Spritz by the pitcher: 3 cups Prosecco 2 cups Aperol 1 cup club soda plump green olives orange slices ice … Continue reading →

Lemon Verbena Smash

Posted on by November 3, 2014

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 →

Blood Orange Margaritas

Posted on by February 12, 2015

These beautiful Blood Orange Margaritas, on the rocks, with pink salt are a beautiful and delicious cocktail twist on the classic margarita, just in time for Valentine’s Day. Margaritas are a great compliment to most Mexican dishes, but since they’re not exactly traditional, I paired them with a not-so-traditional Mexican dish as well. Of course, they would do well with lots of different things, but I really loved them with my weeknight friendly pulled pork quesadillas. The sort of earthy, heavy character of the blood orange, as well as the little hint of sweetness mirrored the smokey sweet of the pulled pork. And the tart, cold and salt slaked the burn of the peppers. While these gorgeous Blood Orange Margaritas are great without a fancy garnish, here, I’ve served them with beautiful pink Himalayan salt on the rim. If you’re like me and you own all these weird and special ingredients, you look forward to the opportunity to use them. And since it’s still citrus season, margaritas with salt fit quite naturally. I started with my base 3-2-1 family margaritas, but toned down the potency a little so I could serve them with a weeknight Valentine’s Day meal by adding … Continue reading →

Ginger Rogers

Posted on by January 15, 2015

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 →