Traditional Allspice Dram
Traditional Allspice Dram recipe. Perfect for Tiki cocktails and holiday cocktails
Serendipity
One would not typically think to combine the flavors of tomato, passionfruit, and grapefruit, but they all work so beautifully together. Serendipity from Existing Conditions in NYC was just one of those drinks I couldn’t get out of my mind since the last time I had it. Now that the bar has closed, I was determined to recreate it at home.
Tzatziki Cocktail
In this Tzatziki inspired cocktail, cucumber brings freshness to the palate, while dill evokes grassy herbal notes of early springtime. Gin is the backbone of this cocktail, but a hint of chartreuse really brings depth while whole fat Greek yogurt rounds out the flavor and texture of this cocktail.
Toasted Cream of Coconut
I absolutely love coconut everything- but even better than plain old coconut, is toasted coconut! Toasted coconut just tastes everything taste more special and refined. It adds more complexity to cocktails and mocktails alike. It’s perfect in Piña Coladas and Blue Hawaiians.
Margarita Sorbet
Margaritas are the perfect summer drink- or anytime drink really. My frozen margarita sorbet is the most refreshing summer treat. It’s incredibly simple to make and only uses a handful of ingredients: tequila, lime juice, orange liqueur, agave nectar, xanthan gum and ice! Get your blender ready, you will want to make this recipe ASAP!
Mango Shrub
Making shrubs, or drinking vinegars is my all-time favorite way to upcycle the bits of fruit that usually go unused. This recipe is a DIY zero waste method to make a mango shrub to use in cocktails, or mocktails.
Blue Hawaiian
My Blue Hawaiian is made from 100% all-natural ingredients without any food dyes, so you can enjoy a sip of summer (almost) guilt free! This recipe uses my all natural Blue Curaçao, homemade toasted cream of coconut, pineapple juice, and rum. I’ve even used natural food dye to replace those fake maraschino cherries with a deliciously tart sour cherry.
Virgin Triple Sec
There are times when I just want a margarita but without the alcohol ...or even the feelings from the alcohol as, let’s face it, seem to intensify as we get older. Something that would be great for a weeknight, during the day on the weekend in between errands, or just to simply enjoy for the taste because Margaritas are just freaking delicious!
Blue Curacao
If you guys have been following me on YouTube or Instagram, you know that I am obsessed with butterfly pea flowers. When I first got them, my very first idea was to try and make an all-natural Blue Curaçao. I don’t like using food coloring in my baking or liqueur making because honestly, it feels like cheating! There is also lots of very unnatural things in food coloring too that I would rather steer clear from.
Caprese-ish Cocktail
I always get my best cocktail ideas when I’m eating. I love a good caprese salad. Oddly enough, it has all the components of what I look for in a cocktail- great acidity, herbal notes, a creamy texture and just a touch of salinity. Instead of simply infusing the ingredients into a spirit or making a syrup, I thought it would be more fun to create a more abstract vision for this drink.
Falernum
Falernum is a must have ingredient for any tiki enthusiast. It hails from Barbados and has been used in cocktails since at least the 1800s. Just by using a tiny bit, Falernum offers depth and just an almost imperceptible spice that really balances out the sometimes cloyingly sweet and overly boozy tiki cocktails. There is no real definitive recipe for Falernum, but each recipe I’ve seen calls for over proof rum, sugar, lime, almond and clove.
Gooseberry Shrub
When tomatoes are out of season, I like to use cape gooseberries in my caprese salad. Cape gooseberries or golden berries as they’re also known, are a relative of the tomato, but are more closely related to a tomatillo. They have an amazing sweet and tart flavor that is a mix between sweet and savory. They kind of taste like a cherry tomato mixed with mango. They were the main inspiration to my caprese-ish cocktail that combines gooseberry shrub, basil, gin and burrata to make a mighty fine cocktail.
Grapefruit Cordial
I am always looking for ways to produce less waste when cooking or crafting drinks. An ongoing goal of mine is to become more sustainable and find ways to waste less. Since I only ever use fresh juice when making cocktails, I almost always have leftover rinds and juice that I can’t always find a purpose for. One of my favorite ways to utilize old fruit and juice is to make either a shrub or a cordial.
Strawberry Shrub
I know its officially summer when I start to see fresh picked berries at the farmers market. The star of the season for me are these beautiful, tiny Tristar Strawberries. For their size, they pack the most intense strawberry flavor. I always want to bottle up that bright, sweet flavor so I can enjoy a bit of summer anytime of the year.
Watermelon Feta Milk Punch
Watermelon & Feta salad is one of my summertime obsessions. It’s so refreshing on a hot summer day, and the sweet and salty flavor profile is definitely my kind of salad. As I was enjoying one the other day, I thought to myself, how could I make this even more refreshing? The answer of course - is to turn it into a cocktail!