Do You Yuzu?
I realized that vodka has been noticeably absent from my feed for awhile. I have nothing against vodka, and its neutral canvas is quite useful for infusions, etc. But it’s also great for cocktails where the main flavor might get bullied by other spirits. In the case of this drink, I wanted to go for a really clean, refreshing cocktail that allowed the star flavor, yuzu, to shine.
Bubbles and Brew
January is (finally) over, so for some of you that means a return to imbibing; for many, it never stopped. But others may choose not to drink for a variety of reasons, regardless of the month, so it is important to have some good mocktail options. Needless to say, I was excited when @drinkjoyus offered to send me a bottle of their alcohol-removed sparkling wine to try.
Diamond in the Rough
Seriously though, I love that scene in Aladdin where the Giant Sand Tiger rumbles on after he gets rudely woken up for nefarious reasons—almost as much as I love these gorgeous glasses from @thewinesavant that I got for Christmas. I wanted to stir up something dark and handsome to show these bad boys off, so here we are. And it’s February so love and diamonds and stuff❤️
The Cavallino
Today I’m sharing with you my second of two entries for the @homebarawards finals (includes Fernet; no juice or homemade ingredients; stirred). My first post was Fernet-forward, smooth, dark, and handsome. This one is less Fernet-centric but much louder and bolder and has tiki running through its veins.
Hidden Vallet
I am excited to share with you my first entry to the @homebarawards finals. This year features stirred cocktails that include a Fernet-style amaro (and no homemade ingredients or juice). This drink features a Mexican Fernet that is by far my favorite. It’s a bit sweeter and less…intense than some others, while still sporting a firm herbal/minty backbone with notes of cinnamon, cloves, and especially (for my palate), cardamom.
Shrub | Tonic
To those of you participating in Dry January in some way, good for you. I’m all for mindful eating and drinking, whether that’s initiated by a certain time of year or just a periodic look inside. In any case, as someone who enjoys entertaining guests and pretending to be a bartender, it’s important to have interesting and delicious options for those who aren’t drinking alcohol.
Mai Ti-erra
Cold weather hits and sure, the flips and toddies come out in full force, but right around this time of year I switch to Tiki Mode. The vacation/beach vibes are especially welcome now that the holidays are well behind us.
Cabbagetown
This drink is a riff on the Toronto (rye/fernet/syrup), so I called on my friend @sidds.pix for some Toronto neighborhoods. Cabbagetown (sweet name right?) isn’t too far from Toronto proper, and this riff is not far from the original. It’s a revitalized area that still retains a lot of its older, Victorian architecture. And from what Google tells me, it’s kinda… fancy, with farmer’s markets, trendy coffee shops, and higher-than-average priced homes.
Don’t Ass-ume
I love plum wine (umeshu). I always assumed it was made with, well, plums… but it’s actually made ume, which is actually a relative of (but not identical to) the plum most of us are familiar with. The things I learn while posting, amiright? I recently got my hands on an umeshu made with kokuto sugar.
Open Sesame
Another flip coming your way today. Gotta make up for all that lost time of my “pre-flip” days. This one is closer to my “core” in that in takes a more culinary approach and evens flirts with some savory flavors. The driving force for this build was the honey sesame cashew orgeat. Ever had those irresistible cashews from @traderjoes? If not do yourself a favor and pick up a bag…or don’t, if your new year’s resolution wasn’t to snack uncontrollably. The oregeat is a syrup made from this top-notch snack.