Tag: Cocktails

Classic Daiquiri for #SundaySupper

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The theme of this week’s #SundaySupper is Beat the Heat – and I don’t know about you, but when I think about cooling off in summer a cold, refreshing cocktail is one of the first things that comes to mind. This classic daiquiri recipe fits the bill. With only three ingredients (rum, lime juice, and simple syrup) it’s clean and fresh, and oh so simple to make.

If you’re looking for a sugary, frozen, flavored concoction then this is not the drink for you. This is a daiquiri in its purest form, favored by luminaries like Hemingway. It is believed to have been concocted in the late 19th century in a Cuban mining town.. According to Rob Chirico on Chow.com, “Although the locals had probably been knocking back rum and lime for years, in 1886 an American engineer, James Cox, and a Cuban engineer named Pagliuchi refined the rum and lime drink by adding cane sugar. When Admiral Lucius Johnson introduced the recipe to the Army Navy Club in DC, in 1909, the daiquiri was becoming one of the world’s most popular drinks.”

Daiquiri Recipe from KatherineMartinelli.com

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Strawberry-Rhubarb Cocktail

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Springtime is in full bloom and that means strawberry and rhubarb in endless wonderful, beautiful combinations. I’ve got a pie coming your way soon, but today I could use a cocktail. Rhubarb is hard to come by in Israel, so when I saw some at the market I snatched it right up and began contemplating the various ways I could put this tart stalk to good use. It’s a low-alcohol, easy-drinking, warm weather cocktail that goes down easy. It’s sweet and tart, but not in a way that will give you a headache (I don’t like overly sweet drinks), and has lots of brightness from the strawberry and lime juices. Don’t worry if you don’t have rhubarb bitters, although they add a nice herbal element and provide an extra layer of rhubarb. Seltzer finishes the drink and gives it that nice effervescence that I reach for in the warmer months.

Strawberry-Rhubarb Cocktail

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Pomegranate Mojito and a Cocktail Blog Hop

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Pomegranate Mojito
Pomegranate Mojito

Tomorrow is New Year’s Eve and that means I have cocktails on the brain. One of my favorite cocktail discoveries as of late is this refreshing Pomegranate Mojito that was concocted by my friend Ben Brewer of Israel Food Tours. I came upon it while doing research on Jewish cocktails for an article in the Jewish Daily Forward and simply fell in love. Although in the article I proposed it as a Sukkot-appropriate drink, the truth is I could sip on this all year long. Continue reading “Pomegranate Mojito and a Cocktail Blog Hop” →

A Tropical Cocktail for a Tropical Storm

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I know everyone on the East Coast has already stocked up on groceries and other essentials this weekend in preparation for Hurricane Irene, as we all watch every moment of its journey North. My sister and many other friends had to evacuate from Red Hook to higher ground in Manhattan, and relatives in Long Island had to do the same. I wish I had a pantry meal ready to go for those who are homebound right now, but I’m running low on stockpiled recipes. Instead, I’ve got the next best thing: a cocktail. Continue reading “A Tropical Cocktail for a Tropical Storm” →

The Israeli Summer, aka Sparkling Limonana

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Limonana – refreshing lemonade infused with mint (nana, in Hebrew) – is the national drink of Israel. It’s sold year round as soda and juice flavors and come summertime this is practically all anyone drinks. Considering how ubiquitous the beverage is in Israel, and how simple and delicious it is, I can’t believe it isn’t more popular worldwide. It is just sweetened lemonade with mint sprigs, and often it is blended with ice to make a frothy bright green drink. Continue reading “The Israeli Summer, aka Sparkling Limonana” →

Homemade Maraschino Cherries

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As a follow-up to my post on flavored simple syrups, today we’ll be making homemade maraschino cherries. You’ve had maraschino cherries before. Those candy apple red, overly sweet, gummy drops sitting in neon syrup, found at the bottom of Shirley Temples and atop ice cream sundaes. Nostalgic, yes. Also full of corn syrup and artificial flavors. I wanted to make my own. When I told a friend I was attempting homemade maraschino cherries, she replied, shocked: “You can do that?!” Yes, you can do that. I know, it’s hard to imagine a homemade version compared to what we’ve come to know as maraschino cherries. I warn you, they taste nothing of the sundae toppers of your childhood. Homemade maraschino cherries are boozy. Grown-up. I like them. Continue reading “Homemade Maraschino Cherries” →

Four Simple Syrup Recipes and a Grenadine to Kick Start Your Summer

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As it gets hot out we’re all reaching for cold beverages to cool us down. Here, four simple syrup recipes to sweeten any drink, from a sparkling non-alcoholic mint lemonade to a boozy Mojito. Plain simple syrup is a 1:1 ratio of sugar and water, simmered until the sugar dissolves. This is crucial for sweetening cold beverages since sugar crystals won’t dissolve easily in icy liquid. Simple syrup is a bar staple, used in ice coffees and cocktails alike. While I’m sure you can buy it bottled at Whole Foods and Trader Joe’s, it takes just minutes to make at home. Continue reading “Four Simple Syrup Recipes and a Grenadine to Kick Start Your Summer” →