Celery cocktail

I haven't been motivated to cook much lately, and last month I had the brilliant idea to sign myself up for a four week CSA share. I figured getting a box of vegetables delivered weekly would force me to spend some time in the kitchen.

Well ... best intentions and all that. I can't stand wasting food, so I did force myself to make sure I was using up the salad greens weekly, and it was fairly easy getting through the various fruit and potato options that came in. But I did not anticipate the celery. Dear god, the celery. A huge bundle every single week so that at the end of the month I had an entire crisper drawer of (lovely, organic) celery staring at me reproachfully every time I opened the fridge.

I finally rolled up my sleeves, pulled it all out on a quiet Saturday and tried to figure out what to do. I should note that while I don't hate celery and I'll happily incorporate it in recipes where appropriate I have zero interest in munching on sticks of celery. I'm neither a rabbit nor an 80's dieter.

I shared the dilemma on Instagram, as you do, and two friends recommended making up a giant batch of mirepoix to freeze, which was brilliant and had the added bonus of using up carrots and onion. At the end of that chopping marathon (p.s. coolest way to cut celery) I had just one bunch left and it was 5 pm and I started thinking that the quickest way to make friends with celery, as with so many difficult companions, would be to add some alcohol to it.

Bam.



I made a quick celery juice in the food processor, then turned it into simple syrup and improvised with the ingredients I had on hand. This cocktail is not too sweet, and the celery flavor comes through strongly and makes it incredibly refreshing. I froze the extra simple syrup* but I've been going through it so quickly that I'm almost tempted to buy another bunch of celery.

CSA celery cocktail

Celery simple syrup

1 large bunch celery, cleaned and roughly chopped
Large pinch each of sugar and salt

Blend well in food processor, then press through a fine mesh strainer to extract the juice, pressing with a spatula to make sure you're getting as much out as possible. I ended up with about 1 1/3 cups of juice from a large bunch of celery.

Combine almost equal parts celery juice + sugar (I did 1 cup of sugar to 1 1/3 cup juice, but you could do 1:1, or do slightly less sugar if you prefer it less sweet), simmer gently until the sugar dissolves, remove from heat.

Cocktail (makes one)

1 oz celery simple syrup
2 oz good vodka (I used the St. George California Citrus)
1 egg white
1 oz lemon juice
Ice

Chill your glass by filling it with ice water and setting it aside. Add all ingredients except the ice to your cocktail shaker, shake for a minute, add the ice, shake for another minute.**

Dump the ice water out of your glass, pour in the cocktail and sip as you contemplate WTF you are going to do with the three heads of (lovely, organic) cabbage still taking up a shelf in your fridge.


*Simple syrup isn't really the best candidate for freezing. The high sugar concentration makes it a bit sticky and soft even when fully frozen. But I'll still do it sometimes because it lasts so much longer than it will in the fridge. I just left these guys in the tray and I pry them out with a butter knife when I want to use them.

**This is called a dry shake and it's my usual method but when I was looking for a link to direct you to I found this method called a reverse shake which sounds intriguing - not sure I'm willing to fish out the ice between the two rounds of shaking, but I'll at least have to try it once.

Sugar cubes infused with angostura bitters and orange (aka the instant old fashioned)

I've been contemplating this project for over a year and I finally got around to it over the holidays (and then made a couple more batches for quality control before writing this post). An old fashioned is one of my favorite cocktails, when it's done well (FYI - my current favorite in LA is from Melrose Umbrella Company). In the simplest form it consists of just bourbon, bitters and sugar, although personally I like a strong note of orange in mine so I always add that in.

At home I've played around with various methods and my best version involves an orange infused simple syrup, but that only lasts for a few weeks in the fridge and there are times where I don't feel like pulling out a saucepan just to make a cocktail.

Also, sugar cubes are cute and easily portable (read: camping, flights).



I looked pretty extensively online and found a couple of different methods for making your own sugar cubes, but I wanted a way to incorporate that orange flavor that I love. I was originally thinking about buying some orange essence oil and then it suddenly occurred to me that, duh, I am surrounded by fresh oranges this time of year and I should just go straight to the source. So the process starts with making a variation on an oleo saccharum, which is just a fancy way of saying that you're pulling all the delicious oil out of citrus peels. A traditional oleo saccharum has a very high peel to sugar ratio and you basically end up with liquid. I didn't want to go quite that far, so I upped the sugar ratio. After letting the sugar and citrus sit for 24 hours I pull out the peels and add in bitters to taste. The amount of bitters you need will vary widely depending on how sweet your oranges were, so you do have to taste. The first batch I made using oranges from my favorite farmer's market vendor, but they weren't super sweet and I ended up needing very little bitters at the end. The next two batches I made using navel oranges from my parents' tree and those were so sweet that I needed double the amount of bitters. Sorry - I know it's nicer if a recipe can tell you exactly how much of everything to add, but fruit just varies too much. I recommend tasting tiny bites of the sugar mixture as you add in the bitters, and when you think you have it perfect you should mix up a quick old fashioned using the sugar. If it's too bitter, add in a bit more sugar. If it's not bitter enough, keep going. Warning - make scaled down cocktails for tasting and keep in mind that unless your alcohol tolerance is sky high, you won't be able to fine tune it much at this point.



I wanted to be able to package them for friends, so I designed a label that would fit inside an Altoids tin because we had those lying around. I washed the tins multiple times with soap so that the peppermint scent was completely gone. If you want to do the same, the printable PDF with the labels is right here (pretty sure this goes without saying, but personal use only, please!). If you don't have a crazy Altoid addiction like us, these blank tins look to be the right size.

Sugar cubes infused with angostura bitters and orange (makes two trays full of tightly packed cubes, plus a bit left over) I use these trays and I love them - each tray makes 81 cubes, so you get 162 cubes per batch, enough for 50 - 80 drinks 

2 cups superfine sugar (I just quickly blitz regular sugar in my food processor)
4 oranges, peeled (you are just using the peels)
Angostura bitters, to taste (somewhere in the range of 15 - 30 dashes) 

Combine the orange peels with the sugar in a non-reactive bowl (glass or enamel, NOT metal) and allow to sit for about 24 hours.  

The next day the sugar should be fairly damp. Pull out the orange peels (it is really tempting to snack on them as you do this, but WAIT - if you snack on orange peels you will totally blow out your taste buds and make the next step harder).  

Start adding bitters. I'd start with 10 dashes, take a tiny taste and see if the flavor is coming through. You're also getting bitter flavor from the orange peels themselves, so a lot depends on your fruit. For early season farmer's market oranges, I used 12 dashes of bitters. For peak season homegrown oranges I needed 25 dashes. If you overshoot, you can add a bit more sugar. 

Once the sugar is adjusted to your taste you start pressing it into the trays. I work on a large sheet of parchment paper and just dump sugar all over the tray, press it in using a wedge shaped offset spatula, and then scoop up the extra that spilled on the parchment and pack that on top. I want these cubes to be as perfectly shaped as possible, so after I fill the whole tray I go back and use the base of a chopstick to tamp each cube down, then add a bit more sugar, then tamp it down again. It's a little fussy, but the whole process still doesn't take more than 15 minutes. 

Allow to dry thoroughly. We had a damp winter, so I actually left the trays in my oven for a couple days so that the pilot light could help speed up the drying process. If you do this I'd recommend putting a huge note on the front of the oven door to remind yourself to pull the trays out before turning on the oven. Speaking from personal experience here. 

Once they're fully dry you just pop them out of the trays and package them up. Store them in a dry, dark place, since they'll lose color more quickly if exposed to light. 

You can use them in an old fashioned (instructions on the printable labels) or just drop one in the bottom of a champagne flute for a quick and pretty cocktail.

You could easily play with this method and make different flavor combinations. I'm thinking of doing a grapefruit and rosemary version for summer cocktails but the possibilities are endless, really.

{oleo saccharum in progress}

Preparing for summer

If it's summer, we are drinking rattlers around here. Which means we needed to re-up our habanero tequila supply in preparation.



Costco was having a crazy sale on booze a few months back, so we picked up an enormous bottle of reposado tequila and I finally got around to infusing it a couple weeks ago. The bottle was so big that I had to make it in multiple batches, but it's getting me excited for warmer weather already. This is the easiest cocktail, just spicy tequila and grapefruit juice over ice, no shaking or fussy measuring required. We're now officially ready for long afternoon barbecues. Bring it, summer.

The cocktail of summer 2015

I may be calling this one too early because here in Southern California we still have a few months of summer to go, but this drink was a surprise hit this year. Campari can be an acquired taste but I like a bitter cocktail, especially when it's hot outside.

Campari and grapefruit are natural companions, and this is really just a fancy variation on a Paloma. Works well as a pitcher cocktail, although I'd argue it's better shaken. I just do the modified pitcher version. Mix up a big batch ahead of time, pour and shake a few drinks at a time.



The Siesta {recipe from here, makes one cocktail}

2 oz silver tequila
1/2 oz Campari
1/2 oz fresh lime juice
1/2 oz fresh grapefruit juice
1/2 oz simple syrup*

Combine all ingredients and shake with ice.

* Bonus points - make grapefruit simple syrup. 1 cup sugar + 1 cup water + the peel of a grapefruit (I just use a peeler and make sure I'm only getting the colored part of the grapefruit, since the white pith can be very bitter). Bring to a gentle boil and then let the syrup cool. Strain out the grapefruit before using. Store leftovers in the fridge or halve (or quarter) the recipe.

My favorite (very affordable) silver tequila for mixed drinks is still the Zapopan from Trader Joe's. It's 100% agave and I highly recommend it.

I often keep some of the unsweetened fresh grapefruit juice from Trader Joe's in our fridge for cocktails (it's the one you find in their refrigerated section). If you're using any other brand of grapefruit juice, you might want to test it out with less simple syrup first, in case it's sweeter.

No, this post wasn't sponsored by Trader Joe's, even though it sort of came out sounding that way.


And just because I'm constantly scribbling cocktail equations on old grocery receipts ...

To make two cocktails:

4 oz silver tequila
1 oz Campari
1 oz fresh lime juice
1 oz fresh grapefruit juice
1 oz simple syrup


For a dinner party (i.e. 8 - 10 guests and some might have seconds): 

4 cups silver tequila
1 cup Campari
1 cup fresh lime juice
1 cup fresh grapefruit juice
1 cup simple syrup

Bourbon cranberry shrub

I was just going to make my cranberry margaritas again this year, but then I saw this recipe in the January Martha Stewart Living (I wanted the Thanksgiving edition, but I waited too long and January was all they had!). I've been a little leary of the shrub craze, because vinegar in cocktails sounds off putting, frankly. But it was so easy I had to try it.



And guess what, I'm converted.

From what I can gather, a shrub is just an old fashioned method of preserving fresh fruit. You use vinegar and sugar and boil the fruit, then it lasts indefinitely in the fridge. The tangy syrup makes a surprisingly refreshing (and not mouth puckering) cocktail.

Another advantage is that it's so dang easy. You can whip up this shrub in less than 10 minutes and all you have to do for the actual cocktail is stir and combine. No shaking, no finicky measuring or complicated ingredients. Just a 1:3 ratio of shrub to bourbon, topped with a bit of sparkling water.



Bourbon cranberry shrub (original recipe isn't posted yet - I've tweaked the instructions to make them more clear and converted the measurements to ounces)

Cranberry shrub -

1 cup white wine vinegar*

1 cup sugar

1 cup cranberries

Combine in a pot and bring to a boil, stirring to dissolve all the sugar. MS doesn't specify, but I cook until the cranberries are split but not turning to mush. The cranberries will usually start popping shortly after the liquid comes to a boil and that's when I turn off the heat. I like them to hold their shape a bit.

 Remove from heat and let cool completely. Refrigerate for up to three weeks.

For each cocktail - 

3 oz bourbon

1 oz shrub

1 oz seltzer

+ some of the soaked cranberries

5 oz is a pretty big cocktail in my opinion, so if I'm making them individually I'd split a single cocktail between two glasses. This does make the serving tiny bit small, but better than knocking everyone out before dinner. 

But there's no need to worry about that! This makes a perfect pitcher cocktail as well. I just combined the bourbon and shrub ahead of time at a 3:1 ratio. Three cups of bourbon + 1 cup of shrub worked well for pre-dinner cocktails for 10 adults. I set out a flip top bottle of sparkling water on the cocktail tray and poured the first round for everyone, just doing about 3/4 of the bourbon/shrub mixture and 1/4 water. Then it's easy enough for people to pour their own to their liking. If you want to make it a bit fancy, you can spear the shrub cranberries ahead of time and just use them as the stir stick in each cocktail. Of course, you can also just set out a bowl of the cranberries and a small spoon and scoop them into each drink. 

* You do need to use white wine vinegar. In a fit of impatience, I tested this out first with white balsamic vinegar and it was way sweeter and more syrupy. I'm guessing that straight white vinegar would be too acidic. 

Pitcher palomas

I love margaritas as much as the next person (okay, maybe more) but there are times when all I want is a paloma. Palomas are sort of like stripped down margaritas, consisting mainly of grapefruit and tequila. You can make them in various ways, the least fancy of which is just silver tequila and Squirt.

On Saturday we were going to a party so I wanted something relatively quick that I could pack up and take as a pitcher cocktail. I started with this Rick Bayless recipe but because we were using fresh grapefruit juice (I get it from the Trader Joe's refrigerated section) that has basically no sweetness, I knew we'd need to play with it. I swapped in a little bit of tangerine juice to balance out the grapefruit juice and then made a basil simple syrup instead of just using regular sugar, which I find never dissolves well.

{pitcher palomas}

This cocktail will take a bit of adjusting because so much depends on your juice. Have a tasting glass nearby and take tiny sips as you go along so you can get it where you want it.

Pitcher palomas (makes enough for a crowd, about 15 large drinks)

1 1/2 cups lime juice
3 cups fresh grapefruit juice
1 cup tangerine juice (or OJ, or just more grapefruit juice)
4 cups silver tequila (basically a full 750 ml bottle)
~ 1/3 cup basil simple syrup, or regular simple syrup
~ 24 oz sparkling water (I used Le Croix grapefruit flavored water)
Ice, for serving

:: Mix the juice and the tequila together. Add simple syrup to taste. I think I ended up using about 1/3 cup, just enough to take the edge off the grapefruit. If you are using bottled grapefruit juice, which is sweeter, you might not need any syrup at all. If you prefer a sweeter drink, you may need quite a bit more.

:: You can either top with the sparkling water or have it available for people to add to their liking. How much water you add will mostly be determined by the setting. If I were pouring a round of cocktails pre-dinner at home, I might add just a splash of water. But when I make pitcher drinks for parties I tend to use more. People drink more at a party and they drink faster so I find it's better to make the drinks a little lighter so they can sip longer. If you taste as you mix and stick with flavored water, you'll ensure that it doesn't end up tasting watered down, just refreshing.

Basil simple syrup (makes about 3/4 cup)

1/2 cup water
1/2 cup sugar
Large handful of basil leaves

:: Bring the water and sugar to a gentle boil, stirring to make sure the sugar dissolves. Toss in the basil leaves, stir, and turn off the heat. Allow to cool before straining.

You can keep the leftovers in the fridge for a week or two. If you don't have basil, leave it out and just make regular simple syrup.

I always use my flip top bottles when I bring drinks to a party. I write on them with a black sharpie, including a short description of the drink so that people hunting through the cooler can decide if it appeals to them The sharpie will come off with soap and water when you're ready to wash it.

LACBC year 5

A couple weekends ago it was the fifth annual LA Craft Beer Crawl and it was pretty great. I write the same things about it every year, but it's that good. D and I threw a mild wrench in the works by getting mono a couple months ago (I know! I thought it was just for 13 year olds too!) and because I couldn't definitively figure out how long you're contagious we opted to not share drinks with anyone. We still managed to taste quite a bit by asking for half pours all afternoon and it worked out pretty well.

{preparing!}

{kinetic at casey's}

{the varnish}

{seven grand}

{las perlas}

My very favorite beer this year was Neddles from Allagash. It's a slightly sour wild ale brewed in rum barrels. The Bruery had a great showing with a coconut and pineapple riff on their Sour in the Rye (sounds horrifying, isn't AT ALL). Deschute's Fresh Squeezed IPA was hoppy and not too citrusy and BONUS it's readily available (we found it at a random liquor store last week). Los Angeles Ale Works, a newcomer, has a winner with their Lievre Saison, served both regular and on cask. The on cask version was amazing, if you can get your hands on it. I also really enjoyed the Enter the Future IPA from Highland Park Brewery, which operates out of the Hermosillo. We were really bummed that we didn't make it in time to taste their Lazy Susan, which was getting a lot of buzz.

There are so many great places popping up and I keep thinking that I should do a run down on the different LA breweries. Maybe a little series? Is that hoping for too much, given that I'm barely managing to post a couple times a month?

Recaps of all LACBC to date - 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013

P.S. - So many thanks for all the sweet sympathy re: my annoying dry eyes. I'm going to do a quick post very soon on what I'm doing (although I've seriously had two days this week where I couldn't see anything that was more than 3 inches away from my face, so I'm not claiming to be an expert) and pull together some of the excellent advice in the comments as well. Hate that so many of us are dealing with this!

Sage simple syrup

Clevelandia sage is my very favorite. It's native to the southwest and it is STRONG. Once you've had it, the regular grocery store sage just feels tame by comparison.

When we moved to our new apartment I tried sneakily planting some in the front yard but it died (possibly because I procrastinated so long that it was already dead before it went in the ground). Then our manager went on an improvement tear and planted lilies in every empty patch of ground around our building, which basically rules out my chances for trying again.

The other week I noticed that one of the houses near us has an enormous clevelandia bush right next to the sidewalk, so I tucked my scissors in my pocket and took a few clippings home with me.*

{clevelandia sage}

Just 20 minutes later, this was happening.

{experimenting}

I play a lot with infused simple syrups because it's such an easy way to get any flavor profile you can dream up. This sage simple syrup gives a really gorgeous scent and finish to a simple cocktail.

Sage simple syrup
1/2 cup sage (might want more if you're using milder sage)
1 cup sugar
1 cup water

:: Combine all ingredients in a small saucepan and bring to a gentle boil, stirring occasionally. Reduce the heat slightly and simmer for 5 minutes. Turn the heat off and allow the syrup to cool fully. Once cool, strain into a jar and refrigerate for up to two weeks.

And then I needed to make a drink with it. I used the cocktail base I posted about yesterday and messed around a bit. I'd just restocked our St. George terroir and it paired well with the sage syrup. St. George comes in three varieties and the terroir is the piney-est. I was worried the sage would just get lost but you still get it in the finish and it complements all that pine very nicely. Because I know St. George isn't available everywhere, I re-tested the cocktail again later with a less flavorful gin and the sage stands out much more. I can't decide which version I like more. Rest assured, you'll enjoy it either way.

{sage and gin}

Sage and gin cocktail - serves 1
2 oz gin
1 oz lemon juice
1/2 oz sage simple syrup

Shake well with ice, pour.

And just for good measure (or non-gin drinkers), the drink pictured yesterday, which is similar but with Bulleit rye whiskey. I upped the simple syrup a bit here but you could reduce it if you find it too sweet. I love the play of the rye and the sage together.

Rye and sage - serves 1
2 1/2 oz rye whisky
1 oz lemon juice
1 oz sage simple syrup
2 dashes bitters (added in a post-napkin notes round)

Shake well with ice and pour.

You guys, I am the WORST at thinking up good cocktail names. I need to come up with better ones but my mind just goes blank. I think the appropriate time to start working on that is really two drinks in. Will report back soonest.


*I am deeply conflicted about this because I grew up in a house with a fruit tree in the front yard and it was beyond frustrating to have a stranger come over and strip your tree of fruit without so much as a by-your-leave. In general, I will never take fruit from anyone's yard (they care for the tree and water it!) although I will sometimes make a small exception if I pass a kumquat tree that is clearly going unappreciated, because seeing all those beautiful kumquats languishing on the ground makes my heart hurt. BUT, I felt pretty comfortable taking the sage because the bush is so well established and it grows like a weed. I was careful to take just a few sprigs from areas where it wouldn't make any aesthetic difference.

Build your own cocktail

I am not any kind of mixologist but I do like messing around with cocktails and simple syrups. I used to come up with flavors I wanted and then google like crazy, hoping to find a recipe that used exactly the ingredients I had in mind. Look at enough drink recipes and you'll realize that there's a fairly standard ratio you can use as a cocktail base. Now when I want a simple drink and have flavors in mind I just start with this base and adjust from there.

{rye and sage}

Basic cocktail recipe - serves 1
2 - 2 1/2 oz liquor
1 oz citrus juice
1/2 oz - 1 oz simple syrup
2 - 3 dashes bitters, if they make sense

Couldn't be simpler. I usually start with the lower volumes of everything (2/1/0.5)and then adjust on the next round. (If you need a third round to adjust, I really recommend waiting until the next evening)

Once you get good enough at it, you can combine multiple liquors, juices, etc. I'm not quite there but I can see the potential. I was going to write that I would never be able to create something as fabulous as, say, The Rooster with this formula but then I double checked the recipe and what do you know, it's a 2/0.75/0.5 ratio, not too far outside my starting points.

Instead I will say that I'm never going to come up with, say, a crazy ten ingredient tiki drink via this method, but I can make a pretty respectable cocktail out of whatever I happen to have on hand.

Make sure you jot yourself some notes as you go along, even if they happen to be scribbled on a napkin.

Tomorrow - the sage simple syrup I've been obsessed with lately.

Basil vodka lemonade

I can't believe I haven't shared this yet! I've been making this basil vodka lemonade for at least a year now, and it's become one of my favorite warm weather drinks. It's relatively easy and perfect for a pitcher pour, which is a major requirement for make ahead party drinks.

{basil vodka lemonade}

I bring sparkling water on the side and let people adjust to their liking. As written, the recipe is very, very strong - not just alcohol-wise, but in tartness. Some people like to drink it straight and others will dilute it down a bit. I like a splash of water in mine if I'm drinking it as a cocktail, and a bit more if I'm having it as an afternoon picnic drink.

Basil lemon syrup (based on this recipe  - makes 2 1/2 cups, enough for two batches of lemonade)

4 cups packed basil (just the top 4", from about a 1/2 lb bunch)
2 cups water
1 cup sugar
9 strips of lemon zest (I use a vegetable peeler for this, make sure to get as little white as possible)

:: Bring all ingredients to a boil in a medium saucepan and stir until sugar is dissolved.
:: Allow it to stand at room temperature for about an hour, then chill in the refrigerator at least an hour, until very cold.
:: Strain through a sieve, pressing with the back of a spoon to get all the liquid out.
:: Discard the solids (except I like to eat the lemon peels or save them for garnish - they're like candy!) and keep the syrup in the refrigerator for up to a week.

Basil vodka lemonade (makes 6 - 8 drinks, or a bit more if you go heavy with the sparkling water. Based on this recipe, but I modified the proportions to make it tarter and stronger - big surprise, right?)

1 1/4 cup basil lemon syrup
1 1/2 cups vodka
1 1/2 cups fresh lemon juice
Sparkling water, to taste

:: Pour everything into a bottle and mix it up. Pour over plenty of ice, add a dash (or more) of sparkling water.

{mixing}

If I'm finishing off a bottle of alcohol to make a drink I'm taking to a party, I'll call it serendipity and just pour the mixed drink back in the original bottle. It may look less classy, but it's nice to know the bottle can just get tossed in the recycling when it's finished. Or I guess the host could keep the leftovers without worrying about returning the bottle, but this has never happened because it always disappears before dinner.

FOUND

The coupe glasses of my dreams.

{pomegranate caipirihinas*}

I'd been keeping an eye out for the perfect set for over a year but nothing seemed quite right. I wanted something with just the right proportions, no flare at the lip, a delicate stem, a reasonably sized cup** and I was perfectly willing to wait, especially since it seemed like maybe what I was looking for didn't actually exist and coupe glasses are hardly a necessity. And then I saw these in an antique mall in Palm Springs and they were exactly what I'd pictured and only $10 for the set of 4. BINGO!

They are so thin and delicate that D is convinced we'll break them within a year, but I'll keep my fingers crossed and make the most of them in the meantime.



*Pictured are the pomegranate caipirihinas I made for NYE which I didn't love. A little too sweet, maybe? Not enough brightness, even with the lime? They were greatly improved by a splash of cava but I probably won't make them again. BUT - other people did enjoy them or were possibly being very polite, so take my opinion with a grain of salt.

** A proper cocktail is 4 oz, give or take - I love a drink as much as the next person but I just don't understand why you would have a 12 oz cocktail glass and yet 9 - 12 oz seems to be the most readily available size. There's ice, of course, but drinks that come in coupe glasses are usually shaken with ice and then served without. It's a mystery, guys.

***Prior to my serendipitous discovery I had trolled Ebay, our local bar shop and considered settling for a wholly acceptable and probably much more durable set from Libbey or Anchor Hocking.

Cranberry margaritas

The second I saw the recipe for cranberry margaritas in the November issue of Bon Appétit I knew what we were serving for pre-giving. I eagerly made the cranberry jam early in the week and then D and I decided to taste test the cocktail, you know, strictly for quality control purposes. And it was .... underwhelming, to say the least. The cranberry jam clogged up the cocktail shaker, making it nearly impossible to actually get the drink into the glass. I'm not a fan of sweet cocktails and this one verged on cloying, with the sugar basically wiping out the tartness of the cranberries. BA rarely steers me wrong, but this just didn't work for me.

But at this point I had my heart set on a cranberry margarita, so I went back to the drawing board and decided to rework the recipe starting with more traditional margarita proportions. I ditched the cranberry jam for cranberry syrup and swapped the orange juice for unsweetened cranberry juice to bring out the tartness. I added just the tiniest hint of heat, which you can barely pick up in the finished product, but I think it heightens the flavor. The end result is a gorgeous deep scarlet drink, tart and strong and just barely offset with a bit of sweetness. It's my new favorite holiday cocktail. 

{cranberry margarita}

Cranberry syrup (inspired by this recipe, makes about 1.5 cups, enough for 24ish drinks) 

12 oz fresh cranberries, roughly chopped
1/2 jalapeno (optional), seeded and chopped
1 1/4 cup sugar
1 1/4 cup water
1 tbsp lemon juice
Pinch of salt 

:: Place the cranberries, jalapeno (if using), sugar and water in a small saucepan. Simmer gently over medium low heat, until sugar is dissolved and syrup is red (about 10 minutes). Stir or swirl gently at least a few times during this process. I used a flexible spatula rather than a wooden spoon, to avoid breaking up the berries too much.  

:: Strain through a fine mesh strainer, taking care not to press down too much on the solids, then stir in a pinch of salt and the lemon juice. Chill. You can make this several days ahead of time and keep it refrigerated until use. 

Cranberry margaritas (makes one drink) 

1 1/2 oz tequila blanco
1/2 oz fresh squeezed lime juice
1 oz unsweetened cranberry juice*
1/2 oz cranberry syrup 

:: Combine everything in a cocktail shaker with two ice cubes, shake vigorously, strain and serve over ice. 

You can also do this in a make ahead version, which is critical for big gatherings. This is a cocktail that needs to be shaken with ice - the little bit of water you get while shaking it makes the consistency perfect and a pitcher pour won't compare. However, you can combine all your ingredients in the morning, keep them refrigerated and then simply pour and shake during the party. This is the only way I'll consider shaken cocktails if we have a group of more than five people. Obviously, you can scale the recipe however you'd like, but this was a good volume for pre-dinner cocktails for eleven people.

Cranberry margaritas for a party (makes 70 oz total, enough for twenty 3.5 oz pours) 

30 oz (3 3/4 cups) tequila blanco
10 oz (1 1/4 cup) fresh squeezed lime juice
20 oz (2 1/2 cups) unsweetened cranberry juice
10 oz (1 1/4 cup) cranberry syrup 

: Combine all ingredients in a large pitcher and stir well. Refrigerate until you're ready to start pouring. Shake two drinks (about 7 oz) with ice at a time, strain and serve. No need to wash the shaker between pours, of course. But do keep a towel handy. 

Non-alcoholic options - I had a little bit of cranberry syrup left over and I used it to mix up a small batch of drinks sans tequila. It's delicious with a splash of sparkling water and it's nice to have something on hand to offer people who don't drink. I used exactly the same proportions, just left out the alcohol.


* I get the unfiltered, unsweetened 100% cranberry juice in the glass jar from Trader Joe's and I think this point is fairly critical. The juice is mouth puckering and not at all sweet. If you can't track down unsweetened cranberry juice you might want to test out using a lower proportion of syrup. On the other hand, if you like your cocktails with a little more sweetness, you may prefer to use a cranberry juice blend.

In case you're curious, we use these Bormioli Rocco bodega glasses for cocktails and I love them to death. Inexpensive, sturdy, great proportions. 

Tamarind simple syrup

I've been experimenting with making our own tamarind syrup for one of our favorite cocktails from last summer (and my current favorite fall/winter drink) and while I haven't mastered the exact proportions of the original (mine is slightly less sweet) it still works perfectly.

{tamarind simple syrup}

Now that I have the proportions down (which you should feel free to play with - you can do more sugar if you like it sweeter) I can make a batch in less than 15 minutes. It is worth having on hand, let me tell you.

{tamarind simple syrup, bottled}

Tamarind simple syrup (makes ~ 1.75 cups)

4 oz tamarind pulp/paste* (slightly mounded 1/3 cup)
6 oz granulated sugar (generous 3/4 cup)
10 oz water (1 1/4 cup)

:: Put everything into a smallish saucepan and bring to a boil over medium high heat.

:: Whisk the boiling syrup briskly for 1 - 2 minutes. Lower the heat slightly if it looks in danger of boiling over! The syrup will become thick and dark brown once it is thoroughly mixed. You really need to use a whisk here, not a wooden spoon.

:: Turn off the heat and let the syrup cool for 10 - 15 minutes. It's easiest to strain if the syrup is hot but not boiling.

:: Strain the syrup through a fine mesh strainer or a few layers of cheesecloth. The syrup will be thick! I use a spatula to help press the syrup through a fine mesh strainer. If you're using fancy tamarind paste that doesn't have seeds and skins, you might not need to strain it.

:: Store in the refrigerator and shake before use. We usually go through it in 2 - 3 weeks but I'm guessing it will hold up a bit longer.

If you don't already have a kitchen scale, you're missing out (we have this Oxo one and it's held up well over the last two years so I'll vouch for it). Trying to scrape tamarind paste into (and then out of) a measuring cup is much more work than slicing off a chunk and weighing it out. I weigh everything directly into the saucepan. I tested and added cup measurements here but only because I love you guys. The good news is you'll end up with something delicious even if your measurements aren't perfect.

{tamarind paste}

* I get these blocks of tamarind paste from the local Middle Eastern market. It isn't strained and it has seeds in it and it costs less than $5. There are fancier seedless options but they cost more and it's easy enough to strain it after making the syrup. You should also be able to get it at some Mexican markets. Just make sure that whatever you get is 100% tamarind, without any added sugar.

Tamarind cocktails

First of all, I want to say thank you times a million to everyone who reached out after my last post. Those annual posts are difficult to write, but always worth it, mostly because you guys are so amazing. My heart breaks for those of you going through something similar. I wish I could give you all a hug, but how about a long overdue cocktail recipe instead?

2013 was the summer of the tamarind cocktail for us. We were given a bottle of Royal Rose tamarind syrup and we zipped right through it and then I had to figure out how to make my own (will share that recipe tomorrow in case you want to try it on your own). UPDATE - tamarind syrup recipe is right here.

The tamarind does make your cocktails a rather unusual murky brown, but once you discover how good they taste you'll start thinking they're gorgeous.

{tamarind sour}

There are two drink options, one with bourbon and one with tequila. I love them both but we make the tequila based one more often in the summer, the bourbon in the fall/winter.

Tequila Sunset - makes 1 drink / 2 drinks
2 oz tequila blanco              / 4 oz tequila
1/2 oz fresh lime juice         / 1 oz fresh lime juice  
1/2 oz tangerine juice*        / 1 oz tangerine juice
1/2 oz tamarind syrup        / 1 oz tamarind syrup
2 dashes bitters                 / 4 dashes bitters 

Shake with ice, strain into a chilled glass. 

Tamarind Sour - makes 1 stiff drink / 2 stiff drinks
2.5 oz bourbon                  / 5 oz bourbon
1/2 oz fresh lemon juice     / 1 oz fresh lemon juice
1/2 oz tamarind syrup        / 1 oz tamarind syrup
dash of bitters                   / 2 dashes bitters 

Shake with ice, strain into a chilled glass. 

*You can certainly sub orange juice for the tangerine juice, but whatever you use should be fresh. I'm obsessed with the tangerine juice in the refrigerated section at Trader Joe's. P.S. If you want the most inexpensive yet surprisingly decent white tequila, try the Zapopan blanco from Trader Joe's. It isn't a sipping tequila, but it's good in cocktails and it's so cheap. If you've tried it in previous years, maybe give it another go. It's 100% agave now and I've noticed a few nice restaurants around town keep it under the shelf for their well drinks. At this point you may be wondering if Trader Joe's sponsored this post and the answer is no, but they should have.

And back in LA ...

A couple Sundays ago we treated ourselves to a lighting workshop at Poketo, preceded by a shared flight at Angel City Brewery and a pocket pie from the Pie Hole. I'm sure that drinking before working with electricity is not strictly recommended, but we were technically still on vacation that day.

{angel city taps}

{flight}

{strategizing}

{lighting workshop at poketo}

I've always shied away from working with electricity, so it was fun to get some experience with it in a setting where I was fairly certain I wouldn't be allowed to electrocute myself. We wired a simple pendant lamp and we're going to use them as our new bedside lamps. Pictures to follow, hopefully. You would think it wouldn't take us two weeks to get a couple of lamps hung, but you'd be wrong.

The weekend, briefly

Actually just the brew crawl. Sunday was almost all errands and I'm sure none of you are dying to see photos from my trip to Smart and Final, etc.

{first round at casey's}

{discussing}

{notes}

{beer ledge}

{golden gopher}

{"Dog Ate My Homework" by Brouwerij West}

{the varnish}

{seven grand}

I managed to take notes the entire time! The key to a successful brew crawl sounds similar to the prep for a marathon. Carb loading (bagels for breakfast, pizza mid-crawl) and lots of hydration (I go heavy on the water from the moment I wake up). Then you need to gather up a crew of 4 - 5 people. Everyone can get a different beer for each round and you taste and share. More than 5 people and you'll start losing people. I think I lost my marathon comparison there. Maybe a marathon relay? I don't know. By the end of the crawl you can manage to only be very pleasantly buzzed and still have gotten a sip of (almost) everything if you play your cards right.

Faves from this year -
Dog Ate My Homework from Brouweij West - blackberry saison that's light and tart but not sweet.
Strawator from Abita - this strawberry dopplebock divided the group. It is sweeter and tastes a bit like beer mixed with strawberry soda but I loved it. D voted no.
Pistola from Noble Ale Works - beer with serrano peppers! Just spicy enough.
Rosalita from Noble Ale Works - beer with hibiscus! A little bit tart.
Avance from Allagash - if you love sours, this is a winner.
Midnight Brett from Allagash - really flavorful dark beer. Allagash always does dark beer right.

Tons of good IPAs but we tasted so many it was hard for them to stand out. The ones that scored highest in our notes are Jericho from Valiant, White Dog IPA from El Segundo and Propulsion IPA from Kinetic.

Ommegang wins for the cutest name - Gnomegang!

Such a good day.

LA Craft Brew Crawl

The most magical weekend of the year is here! And there are still a few tickets left, last time I checked. They expanded it to two days to give people more options and reduced the number of tickets sold each day, so it should be better than ever.

I'm not sure why this event is so good, but it really is. Some combination of the gorgeous downtown bars and the warm weather and the treasure hunt feeling (complete with map!) and the beer. Lots and lots of really good beer.

{lagunitas tasting - 2010}

{planning - 2011}

{seven grand - 2012}

Yes, it looks very similar every year and I still have to take pictures. Hoping to come up with some kind of scorecard this time around but they usually don't release the brewery specifics until the morning of, which shot a hole in our plans to do this last year. Maybe I'll make the outline in advance? I don't want to show you what our notes usually degenerate into over the course of the afternoon.

Another summer cocktail ...

I came home last week to an unexpected package on my doorstep - always exciting. And when I opened it and realized sweet cevd had sent me a bottle of the 2013 Spring/Summer edition of  Greenhat gin, I had to test it immediately. Luckily I'd made some simple syrup a couple weeks ago and I had one sad lemon hanging out on the counter. This is the simplest drink with just a hint of rosemary.

{greenhat}

Lemon + gin cocktail (serves 1 but you'll probably want a second)
1 oz lemon juice
2 oz good gin (I used Greenhat, which is more herbaceous and floral than piney)
1/4 oz rosemary simple syrup (or slightly more if you like it sweeter)

:: Pour everything in the cocktail shaker with a couple of ice cubes, shake, strain and serve.

Rosemary simple syrup (pretty sure this came from this post)
1 cup sugar
1 cup water
1 large sprig rosemary

:: Bring the sugar and the water to a boil in a small saucepan. Add the rosemary, remove from heat and let it sit  and infuse until fully cool. Store in a bottle in the fridge, for emergencies.

Greyhounds, with a tiny twist

A greyhound is my safe drink. You have a safe drink, right? For when you go to a bar where you're expected to order a drink without a menu and there are no artisanal cocktails (the horror!). Airport bars, for instance. Every bar in my hometown for another. My mind goes blank and I start feeling hopelessly dorky immediately. I think a gin and tonic is usually the cooler option, but I'm still not entirely on board with tonic water. A greyhound is vodka and grapefruit juice and it is nearly impossible to screw up. Of course, there's a wide range of deliciousness, with canned sweetened grapefruit juice on one end and squeezed-at-the-bar on the other (The Layover in Oakland does this and it is amazing).

{cocktail hour}

Someone will undoubtedly complain that you cannot call this a greyhound but I'm too lazy to make up another name for it right now. Chow calls it a bichon frisé but let's be honest, I'm never going to say that. Too fussy.

{grapefruit cocktail}

It's essentially a greyhound, but with a tiny bit of lemon juice and a splash of St. Germain. You can swap in gin and you can leave out the lemon but it adds a nice brightness. The St. Germain, even in a tiny dose, does wonders at mellowing out cheap vodka. And, if you are in the market for budget friendly vodka, I'm actually a fan of that Vodka Monopolowa from Trader Joe's. I bought it the first time for the label, obviously, but it's decent in mixed drinks and it's potato based so safe for gluten free friends. I'm not a big vodka drinker in general but I keep it around for some summer cocktails.

Greyhound with a twist (original recipe here - makes 1)

1 1/2 oz. vodka or gin
1/2 oz. St. Germain
2 oz. freshly squeezed grapefruit juice
1 lemon wedge

:: Pour the alcohol and the juice in a shaker over ice. Squeeze the lemon wedge in and then toss the wedge in as well. Shake well. Strain and serve, with an additional lemon wedge if desired.

The original recipe has less vodka and more St. Germain. I love St. Germain but it's very sweet and floral and expensive, so I vastly prefer it in smaller amounts. Sometimes I'll even cut it down a touch more, using 1/2 ounce for two drinks. This will also be heavily impacted by what type of juice you're using. The recipe is written for unsweetened ruby red grapefruit juice. If you're using sweetened juice, you might want even less St. Germain. If you're using freshly squeezed white grapefruit juice, which is more tart, you might want a bit more.

PITCHER VARIATION: If you're making pitcher greyhounds, which I did for the fourth of July this year, you can go even lighter. Combine nearly equal parts vodka and grapefruit juice and then add in just a bit of St. Germain. We're talking maybe 3 cups grapefruit juice, 2 cups vodka (taste and adjust to your preference at this point) and just mix in 2 or 3 ounces of St. Germain at the end. The effect will be so subtle that you might not pick up on it if you didn't know it was there, but if you tasted the drink before and after, you'll notice how much more nuanced it is. I didn't bother with lemon juice in these, although I'm sure it would have been good. You'd probably only want 1 ounce.

Handsome Coffee

Everyone in Los Angeles has already been to Handsome but I didn't see why that should stop me.

{afternoon espresso}

We've been testing out different espresso bean options over the last several months. D and I splurge on beans because we figure we save so much by not buying coffee out that we deserve to treat ourselves.

{handsome coffee}

We tasted both the Dandy and the Dapper. D settled on the Dandy for now. They don't carry a decaf espresso, so I'm still sticking with my Intelligentsia for the time being. Still can't handle daily caffeine. Bummer.