A refreshing cocktail for the end of summer!

 

I have spoken many times in the past of my wine dinner club that meets monthly.  This past Saturday, we met at the home of Jerry and Jeanene Feinstone.  The hostess sets the theme, and this month it was “End of the Summer Produce.”   It was my turn to bring the opening cocktail. 

 

I have made this a few times since it was in the article I wrote for “A Cookout for 10 for $100,” and loved it every time.  The watermelon I used was one of those cute seedless ones, about 12” in diameter. 

 

There were 10 of us at the dinner.  This quantity offered refills for anyone who wanted them, and I think everyone accepted the offer.  And there was still a cup or so left over.

 

This is very refreshing with the watermelon and the lime juice.  Once you’ve made and chilled it, taste.  Depending on the ripeness and sweetness of the watermelon, you might need a touch more simple syrup, or a little more lime juice. 

 

 

Watermelon Daiquiri

 

1 medium seedless watermelon

1 cup fresh lime juice

1 cup simple syrup

3 cups light rum

2 limes, each cut into six wedges

 Before juicing the watermelon, use a melon baller to make a dozen or so melon balls from the heart of the melon. Alternately, cut a dozen 1” chunks. Juice the watermelon as above. You should have at least ten cups juice. Place in a refrigerator container.  As you squeeze the lime juice, add the squeezed halves (wash the limes before squeezing) to the container.  Add the lime juice and simple syrup.  Stir in the rum and chill well.

 

 When ready to serve, shake the daiquiris with ice in a cocktail shaker. Strain into ice filled glasses. Add a cocktail pick with a melon ball and a lime wedge on it to each drink.  Makes about 12 servings.          

 

 NOTE: For simple syrup, put one cup sugar and one cup water in a saucepan. Bring to a simmer and stir until sugar has dissolved. Let cool before using.

 

Cocktails--Before and After Dinner!

Back in the fall, I published two cocktail recipes that came from our wine dinner group, one to start the dinner with, and one to finish. I’ve gotten several emails from folks who had tried them, liked them and asked for more.  So here are two, one pre- and one post-prandial.

 

 

                The first was also served as the starter for our wine dinner group. Months and months ago, I picked up a bottle of saffron gin from France at a liquor store in another city.  It sat in our liquor cabinet because I didn’t know what to do with it. When my turn came around for a starter cocktail for our wine dinner group, I took a sample of the gin to my favorite bartender, Chris Ferri at Southward.  He came up with an excellent idea: a honeydew melon gin fizz. 

                The saffron gin isn’t widely available, but this drink would be equally delicious with regular gin.  I know there are those who think they don’t like gin, but nobody in our group complained. Give this a try before you automatically switch to vodka, as another non-gin loving friend (who hadn’t tasted it yet) suggested.

                The dessert drink came from a visit to Louisville with my sister.  That’s home for us, and we try to get back once in a while.  We have a friend, Chef Dallas McGarity, of the excellent Marketplace at Theater Square, who lets us know where we need to dine (other than his restaurant) while we’re there.

 

 

This time he directed us to The Place Downstairs. It hasn’t been open long but already has quite a reputation.  We had an excellent dinner.  When we were finished we still wanted to chat a bit but didn’t want to tie up a table on a busy evening. We adjourned to the lounge for a decaf French press coffee.  The restaurant manager, Ricky Moir, treated us to a Bourbon Ball Coffee.  The bourbon ball is a popular candy-type confection in Kentucky, and lots will be served at Derby parties over the next few weeks.  The coffee had all the right flavors: bourbon, of course, whipped cream flavored vodka and dark crème de cacao, and a fluff of whipped cream on top.

This was served in a large “café au lait” sized cup and the recipe is geared toward that.  That’s a lot of alcohol, so I served it to my guests in cappuccino cups, so that the recipe below made two servings.  That would be your call.

 Honeydew Ferri-Fizz

4 ounces honeydew melon juice (see note)

8 ounces saffron or regular gin
1 bottle sparkling wine (cava or prosecco)
8 honeydew melon balls

                Shake the honeydew melon juice and gin in a shaker with ice until very cold. Strain into 8 champagne flutes.  Divide the sparkling wine among the glasses.  Place the melon balls on a skewer and garnish each drink.  Makes 8.

 Note: If the honeydew melon isn’t very ripe when you buy it, let it set at room temperature for four or five days to ripen.  Cut in half, discard the seeds and use a melon-baller or spoon to make the garnish. Place the remaining melon flesh in a blender and puree.  Strain through a fine sieve. Keep the juice and discard (or eat) the remaining pulp. You’ll have more juice than you need for eight drinks, but it keeps well in the fridge.

 Ricky’s Bourbon Ball Coffee

 1 ounce Four Roses (or other Kentucky) bourbon

1 ounce whipped cream flavored vodka
1 ½ ounce dark crème de cacao
8 ounces coffee, preferably French roast
Whipped cream

              In a coffee cup, mix the bourbon, vodka and crème de cacao.  Add the coffee, stir, and top with whipped cream. Makes one large serving or two cappuccino sized servings.

Cocktails for the Holidays!

                You may remember that I’m in a wine dinner club that produces some very good food. I’ve shared several recipes with you previously.  Last week we met at the home of Mary and Joel Smith.  They did a main course of deep-fried quail with root beer red-eye gravy, a Southern Louisiana dish.  I’ll get that recipe for you another time.

                The pre-dinner cocktail was the responsibility of Jennifer Biggs. In keeping with the Louisiana theme, we had Vieux Carré cocktails.  She altered a recipe she found online and it was delicious. It went particularly well with packaged kettle potato chips that she had heated in the oven, then sprinkled with sea salt and herbes de Provence that she had ground to a powder.

 

 

                She used Absinthe, and said that you could substitute Herbsaint. Both are anise flavored liqueurs. But guess what: remember that bottle of Pernod that I had you buy for a seafood soup back in June, which we used again in a marinated fish dish in September? If you have that, you may quite nicely substitute that. She used a simple syrup made with turbinado sugar, a raw (unrefined) cane sugar. You may use that, or substitute light brown sugar. Mix 1 part sugar with one part water in a small pan and heat until the sugar is dissolved.

                The couple who was to bring the dessert had a late change of plans, so I volunteered to bring a dessert cocktail. I’d read about ones made with a pumpkin cream liqueur that sounded pretty tasty. I adapted mine from several similar ones found online.  I added a puff of whipped cream to the top. With a crispy cookie, it made an excellent dessert. I kept the various components chilled until ready to make; I even keep the vodka in the freezer. 

 

 

                Both can very nicely be made ahead and kept refrigerated until ready to serve.   I’m sure sometime between now and the end of the year, many of you will want a special beverage to either begin or end a meal.  We’ve got you covered!!

 Jennifer’s Vieux Carré

 1 cup rye whiskey

1 cup dry vermouth
1/3 cup turbinado simple syrup
1/3 cup plus one more little splash of absinthe, Herbsaint or Pernod
A couple of dashes each of Peychaud and Angostura bitters
Lemon peel for garnish

                Combine all ingredients except the lemon peel.  Pour over crushed ice in martini or other small footed glass.  Give the lemon peel a twist over the top to release some of the oil and drop it into the glass and serve. Six servings.

 Alyce’s Pumpkin Pie in a Glass

 1 cup pumpkin cream liqueur

1 cup Kahlua or other coffee liqueur
1 cup vanilla-flavored vodka
½ cup whole milk (or more to taste)
Whipped cream

                Mix all ingredients in a cocktail shaker with ice.  Strain into martini or small dessert wine glasses.  Top with whipped cream.  Six servings.

A delightfully delicious martini

 

My dear sister Cindy came from Knoxville a couple of weeks ago for a visit. Tom was out of town for the week, so we had a "Girls' Night In." Leave it to my sister to come up with a delicious contribution: Blood Orange Martinis.

She had brought Blood Orange Elixir, available online at Earth & Vine, and maybe at Fresh Market or Whole Foods.

I must admit to being a bit of a wimp, hard-liquor wise, so I cut the amount of vodka in half. I rimmed the glasses with regular orange juice and sugar, and we poured. Delicious!

Now I just have to order some for myself. She took her bottle home with her!

EARTH & VINE BLOOD ORANGE MARTINIS

4 oz vodka
2 oz Concentrated Earth & Vine Provisions Blood Orange Beverage Elixir
½ oz Triple Sec or flavored orange liqueur (I used Grand Marnier)
Crushed ice

Add all ingredients to a shaker with ice; shake and strain into a chilled martini glass. Garnish with orange twist. Makes two.