CUCUMBER INFUSED GIN and TONIC

In the middle of February, when nearly everyone else is snowed in and freezing, Arizona is often starting spring. Yesterday it hit eighty degrees, which for Arizona is spring weather as our summers hit high triple digits.
This is the kind of weather that calls for a summer cocktail, no matter where you live or what month it is. When temperatures rise I find gin and tonics very refreshing so I grabbed a cucumber and a vegetable peeler and got to work. I planned to use long slices of the cucumber as a glass accent but there was a lot of leftover cucumber. To be thrifty I took the peels and pieces and threw them into my gin for extra punch, letting that infuse for a few hours.
At five o'clock I grabbed the cocktail shaker, mixed up my drink and headed out on the deck to enjoy the beautiful weather. There's nothing like a cool as a cucumber gin cocktail for enjoying a surprisingly warm day in the desert. When your days starts to warm up wherever you are, keep this cocktail in mind.
CUCUMBER INFUSED GIN AND TONIC
Bar Tools: Ice sphere mold, vegetable peeler
INGREDIENTS:
2 Oz. Cucumber Infused Gin Tonic Water Long Cucmber Slices Ice Sphere
DIRECTIONS:
Slice long strips off the length of a cucumber and set 4 or 5 aside in a container in the fridge to decorate and garnish your cocktail.
Chop up the rest of the cucumber , drop it in a clean jar and cover it with enough gin to make your cocktails. After 3 to 4 hours your gin will be mildly infused with cucumber and ready for making your cocktail. Just strain out the cucumber chunks and grab your bar tools.
Take one of the long cucumber slices and slide it onto a cocktail pick in a wave pattern, set aside.
Grab your glass and the rest of cucumber slices and press the slices against the inside of your glass from bottom to top then slide the ice sphere inside. Pour your gin over the ice sphere, top off with the tonic, add your garnish and enjoy.
Bookmark this page. When the summer heat is on you're going to want to remember this drink.
Cheers to the end of winter!


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Homemade Grenadine aka Pomegranate Syrup (or Molasses)

Homemade Grenadine (Pomegranate) Syrup or Molasses Recipe
Grenadine Syrup is, of course, made from pomegranates. It's the French word for pomegranates so that makes sense. But I had no idea what Grenadine actually was until I learned French. I never could taste the pomegranate because of all the corn syrup and chemicals* blocking the flavor in those bottles you buy. Many commercial brands don't even use all pomegranate juice, substituting less expensive juices like black currant.
Most bars have a bottle of that sugar laden Grenadine on hand for Tequila Sunrises and that cocktail ilk. I have one crystallizing somewhere in my fridge too, the cap glued permanently on from lack of use. I don't know why I don't throw it away, probably because it's hidden behind all my homemade bitters, syrups and shrub bottles. These days I make my own from the extra pom juice leftover whenever I make pomegranate cocktails! So can you.
INGREDIENTS 2 C. Pom Brand Pomegranate Juice (Yes, you can make your own pomegranate juice from fresh pomegranates, if you're a glutton for punishment.  It takes about 4 to 6 fresh pomegranates to make 2 cups.) Juice of 1/4 Lemon Optional: 1/2 C. Raw Sugar**
TOOLS: You'll need a medium saucepan, a funnel, and a sterilized bottle for storing the syrup.
1. Bring the pomegranate juice, lemon juice and sugar (if you added it) to a boil in your sauce pan.
2. For Syrup: Reduce the heat to medium and continue to simmer until the mixture reduces down to a viscosity that will coat the back of a spoon (see: Nappe), about 10 minutes or so BUT watch it closely. 
3. For Molasses: Do the same BUT continue to reduce to a consistency of honey, about 15 minutes, again watch closely because at the molasses stage you are very close to burning the sugars in the juice.
3. Allow to cool then bottle.
Your Homemade Pomegranate (Grenadine) Syrup/Molasses can be stored up to six months in the refrigerator.
YES! You can do this with other fruit juices! I've made blueberry, strawberry, apple, pineapple, peach and watermelon!
Now try out your lovely homemade Grenadine in my Pomegranate Margarita!
*Here's an example of the ingredients in a commercially produced Grenadine Syrup: high fructose corn syrup, water, citric acid, sodium citrate, sodium benzoate, FD&C Red #40, natural and artificial flavors and FD&C Blue #1.
**I never add the sugar. I've found that once the pomegranate juice is reduced down there's more than enough sweetness for my purpose, i.e. cocktails. I also think it's sweet enough for pouring over pancakes, ice cream or whatever.
Updated 10-2017 PLEASE DRINK RESPONSIBLY

The BOURBON ALEXANDER & Kindred Alexander Cocktails

The Checkered Genealogy of The Alexander Cocktail Family    Today's featured cocktail is the Bourbon Alexander, son of the Brandy Alexander and grandson of the Alexander, a cocktail created in 1915 for World Series Philadelphia Phillies pitcher, Grover Cleveland Alexander. The patriarch Alexander recipe is equal parts gin, chocolate liqueur and cream, the Brandy Alexander son replaces the gin with brandy (or cognac) while the grandson, Bourbon Alexander, replaces the gin with bourbon.     There is also a Coffee Alexander which substitutes coffee liqueur for the gin, sort of cousin in the Alexander lineage, as well as a Blue Alexander, a family outcast which dares to replace the chocolate liqueur with Blue Curacao. The Bourbon Alexander also has a fairly unpopular sibling, Alexander's Sister, whose only accomplishment has been to replace the chocolate liqueur with Green Creme de Menthe.    All of the Alexanders bear a striking family resemblance to the Milk Punches of old which consisted of milk, bourbon or brandy, sugar, and vanilla extract, a favored holiday beverage in the 1600's. Add egg to the Milk Punch and you have Eggnog Punch or Eggnog, the great aunt of the clan.
The Bourbon Alexander doesn't seem to have so revered a history as it's ancestors, but that does not mean it doesn't have a respected position in the Alexander family. In fact, I rather prefer the bourbon over the gin, brandy or coffee (I make no mention of Blue, whose unwed mother status forever casts him as the family pariah.) I have even been known to replace the chocolate liqueur myself with Kahlua, a better tasting, wiser marriage with better prospects for the Alexander fortunes. I suppose that would be an in-law cocktail?    Many friends of the Alexander cocktail line will use ice cream in place of the cream and, if you like that idea, go for it. I consider that an entirely different genealogy of libation, one of murky lineage who keeps questionable company. Unless I've made my own ice cream I prefer the half and half or heavy cream because they don't contain the stabilizers and/or artificial flavorings of mass produced ice creams, nor the unneeded sugars. It might be tasty, but it's divorced from the dynasty.
Now that you're all caught up on the Alexander family tree, you can relax and have a cocktail:

The BOURBON ALEXANDER    1 Oz. Bourbon 1 Oz. Dark Creme de Cacao 1 Oz. Heavy Cream (or Half & Half) Pinch of Sea Salt Dark Cocoa Powder Fresh Ground Nutmeg    Fill your cocktail shaker with ice, add the bourbon, dark Creme de Cacao, sea salt and half & half then shake until chilled. Pour into a cocktail coupe, dust with a pinch of both dark cocoa powder and nutmeg.
There you have it, a Bourbon Alexander, the modern day descendant of a 17th century Milk Punch, first born of the Brandy Alexander, grandchild of the Alexander and great nephew of the venerable Eggnog! Boozy nepotism at it's best!
VOICEOVER VIDEO with Ingredients & Instructions:

Updated 9-2025 PLEASE DRINK RESPONSIBLY

Super Bowl Sunday Cocktails & Food

Super Bowl Sunday is all about the game and the food and drink. For most of America that means Beer, Bloodies, Margaritas, Wings, Chips and Dips, Pizza and Nachos with a few sweets thrown in for good measure. Pretty much classic game fair but taken to super size! If you're still putting your Super Bowl party together, here's some cocktail and food recipes that will kick your play into high gear:

BEER COCKTAILS Including my Super Bowl Sunday GoTo, BEER MARGARITAS
BLOODY MARYS
MARGARITAS
For any other cocktail you could think of, just hit up my search bar up in the top right hand column here!

NOW for the food!

NACHOS
Taste of the Island Nachos
Mamma Mia Pita Nachos
Taco Salad "Nachos"
Blueberry Nachos and/or Blueberry Salsa

ALL THINGS WINGS:
 Buffalo Wings
Honey Glazed Chicken Wings 
PIZZA APPETIZERS
Crunchy BBQ Chicken Pizza Bites   DIPS
Buffalo Chicken Dip
Chicken Cheese Dip
Chicken Enchilada Dip
My favorite Blue Cheese Dip
Fresh Pico de Gallo on Four Cheese Quesadillas
AND for the
SWEET TOOTH:
Grilled Peanut Butter & Chocolate Sandwiches

As for me, it's all about the nachos, pizza and wings, a few cocktails, the ads and halftime.

Happy Super Bowl Sunday!

Updated 2-2021 PLEASE DRINK RESPONSIBLY

BLUEBERRY PANCAKE MARTINI

Had to do it, after all it is National Blueberry Pancake Day AND I had some of my Homemade Blueberry Vodka and fresh, homemade blueberry syrup staring me down from the fridge.
The BLUEBERRY PANCAKE MARTINI
1-1/2 Oz. Blueberry Vodka 1-1/2 Oz. Lemon Juice 1 Tablespoon Blueberry Syrup 1 Teaspoon Maple Syrup Fresh Blueberries for Garnish
Chill your glass. Fill your cocktail shaker with ice then add the blueberry vodka, lemon juice and syrups. Shake until chilled and pour into your martini glass. Garnish with the fresh blueberries and enjoy.
BTW, there is a Blueberry Pancake liqueur out on the market made by Mama Walkers, though I've never seen it or tried it. I'll stick with my own recipe which you can find on the same post as my Blueberry Vodka.
National Blueberry Pancake Day is January 28th.

Updated 1-2019 PLEASE DRINK RESPONSIBLY

Peanut Butter Cup Martini Cocktails

  I painted a few cocktail glasses with chocolate rims for my Drunk Russians and had a few chocolate painted glasses left over. I didn't want to waste them (they are so cool looking!) so I decided to do another drink recipe featuring chocolate. After my guests and I had finished our Drunk Russians I spied the Castries and a bag of peanut butter cups in my fridge and knew what our next cocktail was going to be.   This is a very unusual recipe for a Peanut Butter Cup Cocktail because it uses the Castries Peanut Rum Creme liqueur. Most recipes for a peanut butter cup cocktail use the more readily available Frangelico (hazelnut) liqueur, but you just don't get that true peanut butter cup experience without the Castries.   Castries is made from St. Lucian rum, peanuts, cream, spices, and Madagascar vanilla. When you open the bottle that peanut essence rises up and hits you immediately, then as you taste it the spices, cream and vanilla mellow the peanut flavor out to an experience similar to a peanut mousse. It's nowhere near as cloying or sweet as expected and has a subtle depth of taste that starts with that peanut richness balanced nicely by the burn of the rum, the creaminess and a finish of mild spices. When you mix those flavor profiles with a chocolate liqueur you get a very rich, sophisticated cocktail take on a peanut butter cup.   The PEANUT BUTTER CUP MARTINI 2   INGREDIENTS: 2 Oz. Castries Peanut Rum Creme Liqueur 1 Oz. Godiva Chocolate Liqueur Mini Peanut Butter Cups Melted Dark Chocolate Dark Chocolate Cocoa Powder   Special Tools: Pastry brush.   DIRECTIONS: Melt your dark chocolate in a double burner until smooth and creamy. Dip your pastry brush in the melted chocolate then paint the rim of your cocktail glass in broad strokes all the way around. Paint from the top of the rim down so you get a concentration of chocolate at the very top of the rim. Immediately attach two or three of the mini peanut butter cups to the melted chocolate on the rim, holding the cup long enough so that it settles in place. If necessary you can heat the bottom of the peanut butter cups with a lighter for stronger adhesion. Place your cocktail glasses in the refrigerator to set up the chocolate. Fill a cocktail shaker with ice then add the Castries and Godiva liqueurs and shake until blended and chilled. Pour into your chilled glasses, dust with a pinch of the cocoa powder and serve.   Try my other Peanut and Peanut Butter Cocktails   Updated 5-2026 PLEASE DRINK RESPONSIBLY  

Citrus Spiced HOT TODDY Recipe

There's nothing that will warm you up inside and out more than a Hot Toddy! Traditionally a Hot Toddy (or Hot Totty) is a hot, spiced mixed drink made of liquor, lemon juice and water with a sweetener such as sugar or honey. 
Since I usually drink Hot Toddies when I have an old fashioned cold, my personal recipe replaces the hot water with a hot tea infused with orange and some particular spices (for their healing properties), some lemon (to clear my throat) and a shot of Jack (to ease my cold bones and help me relax). This is my adult version of the hot tea and lemon my mom used to give me for sore throats:
CITRUS SPICED HOT TODDY
1 Oz. Jack Daniels 8 Oz. Good Earth's Orange Spice Tea, Hot Juice of Half a Lemon Honey, to Taste Lemon Wheel Cinnamon Stick
While you're steeping your tea, add your honey and lemon juice to your cup and nuke it for about 10 seconds. I find this aids in helping dissolve your honey. Add your cinnamon stick to the cup then pour the Jack Daniels over the cinnamon, lemon and honey. Gently stir while pouring in your hot tea. Garnish with the lemon wheel and enjoy all tucked in and cozy under a furry throw with a good book!
January 11th is National Hot Toddy Day.

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