Cocktail Friday: The Rose

My sister, Rebecca (who also blogs here), will be taking the reigns on Fridays for a while and I am SO excited about it! Armed with her trusty iPhone and lots of Happy Hour experience, I know she will be bringing some great stuff to Set the Table! This elegant drink called The Rose is everything a summer drink should be.

I think I have a pink drink problem.

Since taking over Cocktail Friday, I’ve done a Cherry Vodka, a Rhubarb Martini, and today I'm introducing you to another pink drink called the Rose. You may already know about the Rose - especially if you were hanging around with our hometown hero, Scotty Fitzgerald, in Paris in the 1920’s. But, just in case you weren't, here's a nice writeup about the Rose by mixologist David Wondrich over at Esquire:

Light, dry, suave, enigmatic -- Johnny Mitta, barman at Paris's Chatham Hotel, knew what he was doing when he put this one together, back around 1920. The cherry-pit notes of the kirschwasser blend perfectly with the nuttiness of the vermouth, and the touch of syrup colors it the palest Art Deco pink. By 1925, when all those Yank literary types were flooding the city, Mitta's creation was all the rage. Signature cocktail of the Lost Generation? Perhaps a little on the, ah, gentle side for a Hemingway or a Fitzgerald, but you know what that means. Doubles.

Light and dry is exactly right. This isn’t a sweet drink. The raspberry syrup works more like food coloring and, if there was a fruity taste, I couldn’t detect it.

The Rose

Ingredients

• 2 ounces French vermouth
• 1 ounce Kirschwasser
• 1 teaspoon raspberry syrup

Instructions

1. Combine with ice in a cocktail shaker. Shake for about 15 seconds and strain into chilled glass. Garnished with a maraschino cherry (traditional) or fresh raspberry.

Cocktail Friday: Summer Sipper

After 2,500 miles of driving, we are finally in my home state of Minnesota! It was a long journey that seemed never-ending at times but was sprinkled with the perfect combination of dear friends and goofy family laughter. We enjoyed good food together, did lots of swimming in Lake Michigan, and learned a lot about what works and doesn't work when you drive such a long distance with a toddler and a dog.

orange-basil gin cocktail

Needless to say, more than one day ended with a relieved sigh and a drink in hand. I'll share more details about our trip and what we've been eating a little later, but I wanted to get this lovely summer cocktail recipe to you first. It's perfect if you have a bumper crop of basil this year and are looking for ways to use it up. I found that if you soak basil leaves in gin, it lends a beautiful basil flavor. I've used that method here for this orange and basil cocktail.

This Summer Sipper is perfect for hot evenings in the dog days of summer. With a bright orange color and the fresh, herbal touch of basil, there is nothing more refreshing.

What are your favorite summer cocktails? I'm always looking for inspiration!

Summer Sipper

Makes 1 cocktails

• 2 oz fresh orange juice
• 1 1/2 oz Bombay Sapphire Gin
• 3-4 basil leaves, torn
• sparkling water
• Additional basil for garnish

Combine the gin and basil leaves in a small bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and let the gin infuse for 4-6 hours.

Fill a cocktail glass with ice. Add the gin and orange juice. Top off with the sparkling water and stir to combine. Garnish with additional basil leaves and serve.

Cocktail Friday: Rosemary Martini + Frozen Grapes

Ah, summer. I can never decide if I love or hate this season. I'm not a fan of hot, hot heat so I typically get annoyed right around this time of year and start wishing for cool fall days when I can cozy up in a sweater and not feel like death both inside and out. I don't know if it's because I grew up in Minnesota or if I was just born this way, but I hope you'll love me anyway.

Frozen Grape Garnish

Since it is so hot, I'm going to embrace the ability to channel simple, cool cocktails and icy cold garnishes. My brain may be too melty to come up with a new, exciting cocktail, but sometimes simple is better (with a little visual flair of course). This rosemary martini (a combination of rosemary simple syrup, vodka and Vermouth) is the perfect way to cool down on a hot summer night and the garnish is easy to have ready to go in your freezer. You can use frozen grapes to garnish any number of drinks, but I love the elegant simplicity it brings to a martini. Add a little fresh sprig of rosemary from the garden and you've got one classy cocktail! And yes, the rosemary does at least remind me of cooler temperatures with its piny flavor.

Rosemary Martini

Not only do the frozen grapes look delicious, they help keep your drink cold just a little longer. And they make for a tasty snack when your glass is empty. As for the rosemary infusion, you can use almost any herb you have on hand: thyme, sage, basil...get creative!

We are leaving for a road trip to Saugauck, Michigan tomorrow morning. Any suggestions for what to do when we get there? Any good stops along the way? We are traveling with our 1 1/2 year old son and our 1 1/2 year old black lab. We could use lots of suggestions!

Cheers to Friday! Enjoy your weekend everyone!

Rosemary Martini + Frozen Grapes

Yield: 2 Cocktails
Ingredients

• 4 oz vodka
• 2 oz dry vermouth
• 2 oz Rosemary Simple Syrup
• Rosemary sprigs for garnish
• 2 frozen grape garnishes

Instructions

1. When your garnishes are frozen, go ahead and make your cocktail. Simply add the vodka, vermouth, and simple syrup to a shaker filled with ice.
2. Begin by making your frozen grape garnish. You'll want to do this at least half an hour in advance to the grapes are nice and cold when you put them in your cocktail. I like to make a lot of these and stick them in a freezer bag to I can pull them out any time I need them. All you need to do is this: thread 3 grapes onto a toothpick and place in a freezer bag in the freezer. They are great for snacking, too!
3. Shake just until the liquid is chilled, about 20-30 seconds.
4. Strain into two chilled cocktail glasses, garnish with your rosemary sprigs and frozen grapes. Serve.

Cocktail Friday: Cucumber-Dill Infused Vodka (Soda + Lemonade)

I decided to wear shorts today. It isn't warm enough for shorts, at least not in my opinion, but I'm doing it anyway. I'm kind of chilly, which reminds of being in high school in Minnesota at this time of year. I remember all the trendy spring clothes already being displayed in the stores and all the "cool kids" are sporting the new fashions in homeroom, algebra, and choir (yep, this girl is big into choir and singing- more on that someday).  And the funny thing about this fashion show is that all the girls are freezing their tushies off. But, being tough Minnesota girls, we braved the cold in the name of looking fabulous. Or thinking we look fabulous, anyway.

In a similar way, I'm pushing the envelop a teensy bit with this cocktail. Dill and cucumber are a combination best served in early summer. But guess what? I don't care. It just felt right to share this now, on the cusp of what is sure to be a gorgeous spring weekend for many. And if it isn't, then this will help you pretend that you have warm sun on your face and green grass between your toes.

This post is really more about the infused vodka than about the cocktail itself. I mean, you can't get much more basic than a vodka soda. But with a splash of vodka infused with fresh, clean flavors, you can bring it to the next level. What I love about the dill and cucumber combination here is that you don't have to add any sugar to the infusion. Some infusions really require sugar- like when you make limoncello, for example- but the dill is so fragrant and lovely paired with the cleanness of the cucumber that sugar would surely mask the pure, natural taste. Another reason this infusion is so great is that it doesn't take much time. I let mine sit for only 36 hours and it was perfect! Some infusions can take weeks...too long for this gal!

I didn't feel like I needed to make a huge batch because Brad doesn't really drink vodka and doesn't care for dill, so  a small amount was fine for me. I even sent some friends home with a little bit of it the other night. If you want or need to make more, it can be easily doubled or tripled. As with any infusion, make sure to turn and taste it every day! What do I mean by turn? Simply take the jar or whatever container you are using and flip it upside down and right-side up a time or two throughout the day to ensure the flavors are evenly spread throughout the vodka and don't get stuck on the bottom or top.

Ready for some more good news? This post is a three-for-one! You get a recipe for the infused vodka PLUS two perfect cocktails to make with it! Here, I've combined fresh, homemade lemonade with an ounce of the cucumber-dill vodka. Divine and perfect for an adult beverage as the weather heats up.

You're welcome!

One more thing: Don't even think about using the powdered lemonade mix! Just don't! The homemade version is so much better and honestly takes just about the same amount of time. It's worth it. If you aren't going homemade I wouldn't even bother with this cocktail until you're ready for the real thing.

And now, here are your recipes for a 3-for-1 Cocktail Friday!

Cucumber Dill Infused Vodka

1/2 cup loosely packed dill, thick stems removed

1/2 a large cucumber, peeled and sliced

2 cups vodka

Place the dill and cucumber in a mason jar or another airtight glass container. (I prefer to use glass when infusing because it ensures that any leftover residue, which can remain stuck in plastic containers, isn't transferred to the alcohol.) Pour the vodka over the dill and cucumber and seal the container. Allow the flavors to infuse the vodka for 36 hours. Taste it once, maybe twice during the second day to gauge the flavor based on what you're looking for. It shouldn't take more than 48 hours at the longest.

Strain the vodka through a fine mesh strainer and a coffee filter if the vodka is kind of cloudy. Now you're done! Store in the fridge or freezer. This one might freeze because of the water in the cucumber, but if that happens, just set it out for about half an hour or so before you're ready to mix the vodka into a cocktail.

Cucumber Dill Vodka Soda

Fill a glass with ice. Add 1 1/2 ounces cucumber dill vodka. Top with club soda and a squeeze of lime juice. Garnish with a cucumber slice, sprig of dill, and/or lime wedge.

Cucumber Dill Lemonade (for grown-ups!)

Make this lemonade (good for all ages) from Simply Recipes. You won't regret it. Fill a glass with ice. Add 1 1/2 ounces cucumber dill vodka. Top with lemonade. Serve!

Cocktail Friday: Basil Gin Fizz

I feel it is important that you all know something about me: I drive a minivan. Really, it's true. This time last year, it was all Tokyo trains and taxis and bicycles and walking. Now it's a minivan. Don't get me wrong, I'm happy to have a vehicle to drive since public transportation is not really a thing 'round these parts. But a minivan? Yep.

I drove my minivan from Denver to Boulder on Wednesday and met Jen from Use Real Butter for lunch. It was great to sit and chat about blogs, food, black labs, and life in general. We ate at a great restaurant called The Kitchen, which I'm pretty much in love with after just one visit. The food was delicious (I had a Colorado lamb burger that was perfectly cooked) and the atmosphere is pretty much exactly what I would want my own restaurant to look like. Rustic sophistication might be the best way to describe it. When we were done with our lunch, I was planning to head to a coffee shop somewhere to do some blog work, since the rug rat was spending the day with Grandpa. So, I walked to my mini-van, hopped in to get some of my things together, and decided it would be easiest to take it all out from the passenger side of the car. I jumped out of the van, closed my door, went to the other side and...

Oh no...

Locked.

Please tell me I didn't just lock all the doors.

Yep. The driver's side was also locked. I could see my keys perfectly on the other side of the glass, sitting next to my laptop and purse on the passenger seat.

It's official. I'm locked out. Or my keys are locked in. Or whatever.

I called Brad and he, by some miracle, was able to make the 45 minute drive from Denver to Boulder to let me in so we didn't have to spend a bazillion dollars on a locksmith. Hallelujah!

But wait...there's more.  As I sat waiting for Brad to unlock the minivan, a guy walked up to the front of my car and stands there for a moment.

What is that guy doing standing in front of my minivan, you might ask? Um, he's giving me a parking ticket because my receipt is expired. I explained that my keys are locked in the car along with my purse and if I had my wallet I would happily buy another 2 hours of parking time. I'm not sure that he cared.

I'll be checking the mail obsessively for a parking ticket over the next few weeks.

But I guess that's cheaper than a locksmith, right? Hopefully...

Needless to say, the rest of my day did not go as planned. By the time Brad got to Boulder, it was time for me to head to another meeting, so I was able to blog for exactly zero minutes when I had anticipated almost 2 hours of free work time.

I'm going to go ahead and say that if I had this cocktail with me while I stood outside under a strangely cloudy Colorado sky, shivering and trying to look on the bright side of this situation, my wait would have been much more pleasant. I could have imagined that it was summer and I was spending all this time outdoors for a good reason. Not because I did something super flaky.

Did you have a rough week? Or perhaps you just want to welcome Friday evening with something sparkly and vaguely reminiscent of summer. Maybe Spring is making itself sparse even though it claims to have begun already? Regardless of where you find yourself this weekend, this fast, easy cocktail is sure to please. The bright basil with the piney gin and sparkling soda water is a match made in heaven. Just a little step up from the traditional gin fizz and perfectly appropriate for this time of year.

You can use almost any herb for this- mint, thyme, rosemary...I wouldn't even rule out cilantro. A Gin Fizz is like a blank pallet of sorts, so if you're looking to experiment with your own cocktail inventions, this is a great place to start.

So cheers to minivans, husbands who save the day, and the weekend.

Basil Gin Fizz

Adapted from Cookie + Kate's Rosemary Gin Fizz recipe

Makes 1 cocktail

3 or 4 basil leaves, torn

Juice from 1/2 a small lemon

1/2 teaspoon honey

1 1/2 oz gin

3 oz club soda

In the bottom of a Collins glass, muddle the basil with the honey and lemon juice. Fill the glass to the top with ice, then add the gin. Stir with a stir stick to fully incorporate the honey into the gin. Top with the club soda. Serve with a stir stick and garnish with basil leaves and/or lemon wedge.