Cocktail Friday: Paris Stranger

My sister, Rebecca, is back with an enchanting story of the Paris Stranger and a cocktail with the same name for this week's Cocktail Friday! These posts make me want to sit on the deck with her, chatting about all of the things. If only Minnesota were a little (or a lot) closer...

This summer, I read a book by Kristin Newman called What I Was Doing While You Were Breeding. It's a hilarious account of Newman's real life travel adventures as a young, single comedy writer. It was funny, fun, and full of surprisingly wise observations about life and travel.

One of her travel edicts is to do the thing you are supposed to do in the place you are supposed to do it in. You know, eat pretzels in Germany ... ride camels in Egypt ... drink vodka in Russia ... etc.

As I read, I thought about all of the places I've been and all of the times I didn't do the thing I was supposed to do in the place I was supposed to do it.

For example:

IT WAS A DARK AND STORMY OCTOBER NIGHT IN PARIS. My friends and I had met up with a parisian friend-of-a-brother (or something) who led us through Montmarte to a popular cafe for drinks. The cafe had two or three smallish rooms and all of them were suffocatingly full of people. We pushed ourselves against a wall to watch and wait for some chairs to open up.

As I scanned for leavers, my eyes unwittingly caught on a handsome face in the back of the cafe. It was years ago, but there is a picture burned into my brain of a man with light hair, thin, broad shoulders, an Oxford-ish look, with those smiling eyes that tend to make me go stupid, drinking beer. I was completely smitten. A dapper gent. A dapper, dapper gent ...

Anyway, I turned back to my friends, forcing myself to not ogle the thing I reeeeeeally wanted to ogle in the back of the room. Eventually, we realized no one was going to leave and decided to move along. As we turned to go, I cast one last look at my new favorite face in Paris ... AND GUESS WHAT!

Our eyes met! He smiled! He waved! AT ME! AT MEEEEEE!

Instantly, my head was full of thoughts:

Did he think I was someone else? Was someone behind me waving back? Was he making fun of me? (A particularly destructive-yet-common thought I have when something like this happens)

So I did what any insane person does: I turned my blushing face away as fast as I could and walked away.

I just walked away.

Once outside, I told my friends what happened and they almost insisted we go back. But I, in my determination to keep myself from ever facing scary things, said, "No, no. It's not a big deal. It's nothing. Never mind. Let's keep going. Never mind."

The end.

I could write a whole book full of sad stories like that one. I mean, aren't you supposed to fall in love with a stranger in Paris? If you have the chance? So many times, life has handed me something and said HERE! TAKE IT! IT MIGHT BE WONDERFUL! And I've looked down and said, "Never mind."

So, as a kind of penance, I'm calling this week's cocktail the Paris Stranger.

Cheers to him, whoever he was, and whatever he was waving at. Next time, I promise promise promise I'll make the scary move.

Paris Stranger

Serves 2

Ingredients

• 2 oranges, peeled
• 1 2-inch piece of fresh ginger
• Whiskey
• Ice

Instructions

1. Run oranges and ginger through a juicer (you know, the one you bought for making green juices and then never did). Add one or two shots of whiskey in ice-filled glass and top with orange-ginger juice.

Cocktail Friday: Gin & Tonic

One of my favorite cocktails is the classic gin & tonic. It isn't fussy or complicated and it always makes me think of sitting outside in the sun, leaves rustling in the trees overhead and birds darting back and forth in the blue skies. There is something so wonderful and peaceful about these first few weeks of spring and early summer. Everything is new and fresh, just begging to be enjoyed. Kind of like a gin & tonic, yes?

A good G & T starts with a good quality tonic water. I didn't used to feel like the difference was great enough to warrant anything but the typical grocery store brand. While there is nothing inherently wrong with using what's most available, I find searching for something of better quality results in a less sugary, subtle flavor allowing the gin and lime juice to shine through. On that note, make sure you use a good gin. My favorites are Heritage Distilling's Elk Rider Gin & Prairie Gin.

I've mentioned before that having a few crunchy, salty bites during cocktail hour and sweet potato chips are at the top of the list. Their lovely color and light crispness works beautifully with a light, refreshing gin & tonic. I've also been known to enjoy a few classic potato chips...the saltier the better! I know- I'm judging myself a little too. But everything in moderation, right?

Gin & Tonic

Serves 1

Ingredients

• 2 oz gin
• 1 oz tonic water
• 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
• lime wedges for garnish

Instructions

1. Fill a short cocktail glass with ice.
2. Add the gin, tonic water, and lime juice.
3. Stir gently to combine.

Cocktail Friday: Bourbon Thyme

This bourbon thyme cocktail recipe is my new favorite. I have not always been a bourbon person. To be honest, I think my love for bourbon came after I became a parent. Coincidence? You decide. Seriously though, I have probably come to appreciate  bourbon more in the past year through experimenting with various recipes (Brown Butter Old Fashioned or Bourbon Apple Cider anyone?) that have proven that bourbon is more versatile than I expected. Given my new love, I was thrilled to receive a bottle of Elk Rider Bourbon from Heritage Distilling in Gig Harbor, Washington. Any day that involved a bourbon delivery to your front door is a good day. Am I right?

When I try new spirits, I like to first sample them on their own or mixed into simple, familiar cocktails. For example, when testing a new gin, I like to make a classic gin and tonic. I think that cocktail can tell a lot about the quality of the gin because it is vulnerable. In the correct amounts, tonic water and lime juice cannot cover up the herb notes in gin. If they do, something is wrong with either the gin or the proportions. But I digress. Back to bourbon...

I tasted Elk Rider Bourbon straight without ice to start. I was struck immediately by the smooth, sweet taste because I am often a little shocked at my first sip of any spirit straight up. Next, I added a tiny splash of water which can help the flavors bloom a bit. It was lovely. Drinkable with just the right amount of alcoholy bite and sweet nuttiness.

Once I had a good feel for the flavor of the bourbon, I started brainstorming what I could mix with it to make a refreshing spring cocktail. As with many of the recipes I develop, I found my inspiration by simply walking around the grocery store. After grabbing two bags of Meyer lemons and some beautiful fresh thyme, I knew exactly what I wanted: a bourbon spiked Meyer lemonade. Yes and yes.

Feeling inspired by the pleasant flavor of the bourbon and the Elk Rider story (which I've included below because I think it's great) I came home to mix up this delicious, spring-weekend-worthy cocktail. It's perfect for bourbon lovers who are looking for a way to extend the season for this spirit into warmer months. If you're not a bourbon fan, this will work beautifully with vodka or gin as well.

Here's a little bit about the inspiration behind the Elk Rider series from Heritage Distilling:

"The idea and inspiration for the Elk Rider™ line of spirits comes from our female founder. Her ancestors were some of the first settlers in the Lake Quinault and Queets River area in the late 1800′s in what is now the heart of Olympic National Park. While homesteading with a family of 17 children these early pioneering family members broke and tamed wild elk. Their feats were legendary for miles around. The elk became so popular they started to be used in parades in southwest Washington and Portland. The best part is we still have the family glass negatives to prove it."

"Every Spirit Has a Story," What's Yours? 

*Full disclosure: I was given products from Heritage Distilling to use for Set the Table cocktail recipes. My opinions are 100% my own.

Bourbon Thyme

Ingredients

• 2 oz Elk Rider Bourbon
• 2 oz Meyer lemon juice
• 2 oz water
• 1 oz honey-thyme simple syrup
• 1/2 cup honey
• 1/2 cup water
• 5 or 6 thyme sprigs

Instructions

1. Fill a cocktail glass with crushed ice.
2. Combine the bourbon, lemon juice, water, and honey-thyme simple syrup in a shaker filled with ice.
3. Stir until thoroughly combined.
4. Strain into prepared cocktail glass, garnish with a thyme sprig, and serve.
5. Combine the honey and water in a small saucepan and bring to a simmer.
6. Add the thyme sprigs and simmer on low heat for 5 minutes.
7. Remove from the heat and let cool.
8. Remove the thyme sprigs and pour into a jar. Store in the fridge for up to 2 weeks.

Notes

If you can't find Meyer lemons, you can use regular lemons. The result will be a bit more tart but still delicious!

Cocktail Friday: Cilantro Lime Gin Fizz

I'm really good at over-thinking. I take something that should be simple and muck it up with a bunch of complicated nonsense. I'm going to go ahead and keep believing that I'm not totally strange for doing this. Do you over-think? Maybe just a little?

Please say yes.

Today, I'm choosing to think a little less. It'll be a day to clean my mental slate and appreciate the mundane daily tasks that require little thought or planning. Perhaps when the day has ended I'll be able to put my feet up and sip on this fresh cilantro-lime gin fizz. Yes, I think that's just the kind of day I need.

Whether you need a break from all of the thinking or you are looking to scare away the winter blues, this cocktail is the perfect way to begin the weekend. The recipe is simple, resulting in a clean-tasting cocktail offering a hint of summer in these cold winter months. Even for a winter-lover like me, taking a moment to remember the greener days to come is a welcome escape.

Cheers and TGIF!

Cilantro Lime Gin Fizz

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon cilantro leaves, firmly packed
• Juice from 1/2 a lime
• 1/2 teaspoon honey
• 1 1/2 oz gin
• 3 oz club soda

Instructions

1. In the bottom of a Collins glass, muddle the cilantro with the honey and lemon juice.
2. Fill the glass to the top with ice, then add the gin.
3. Stir with a stir stick to fully incorporate the honey into the gin.
4. Top with the club soda.
5. Serve with a stir stick and garnish with cilantro leaves and a lime wedge.