Disclaimer, I do not have pictures of all of them yet. I know that is a sin on a blog but I can asure you, these are good, picture or not. As we head into the three day weekend I just wanted to share three of my favorite drinks. I promise to add photos later, it may must be the excuse I need to make them all this weekend, three days three drinks!
Cucumber Martini
Well yes, this is not a cupcake but I promise you won’t care after you taste it. My husband and I went out to dinner for my birthday at a restaurant called Monte’s and they had this drink on the menu. I of course made my husband order it because I didn’t want to chance not liking it…then I promptly drank it all and ordered my own. This has to be one of the most refreshing tasting drinks there is, never in a million years would I have chosen to put a cucumber in my drink, I tent to lean towards fruity concoctions. But…this is fabulous and I am truly in love with this drink, if you can be such a thing. I will also admit, this is the first time I have ever tried Gin, in fact when we made the trip to the store to buy some both my husband and I sat in the isle starting at all the brands with no clue as to which to buy, so of course we bought the one with a pretty bottle.
Cucumber Martini adapted from Monte’s restaurant.
2.5 oz Gin of your choice
2 oz Mint infused simple syrup
2 oz Pureed cucumber
Mint leaves
Toss in a shaker with ice and a few mint leaves, shake and pour into a chilled martini glass. Garnish with mint leaves.
Pureed cucumber
1 peeled English or regular cucumber
2 tbsp lime juice
Puree until smooth, strain through a fine mesh strainer.
Mint infused simple syrup
1 cup sugar
1cup water
5-6 mint leaves
Add all the ingredients and bring to a boil, stirring to dissolve the sugar. Turn off the heat and let it sit until room temp. Or if you are impatient like me, you can toss it in the freezer till cool. Pull out mint leaves before using.
Pamplemousse Martini
Adapted from Epicurious
This drink is well… fabulous. It has such depth of flavor and is by far the most sophisticated drink I have made. Its very easy to make and oh so worth it. It is not too sweet but not too sour, the honey adds a richness that you don’t normally find in a drink. I just love it! Do beware; they can sneak up on you!
This recipe makes 6 drinks (well, 4 if I am pouring)
• 7 tablespoons water
• 5 tablespoons pomegranate juice (I use POM)
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 4 teaspoons honey
• 1 1/2 cups vodka (you can use citrus flavored too)
• 3/4 cup fresh grapefruit juice (I use ruby red, fresh)
• 1/4 cup fresh lime juice (usually one large lime)
• 18 fresh mint leaves plus 6 sprigs for garnish
• Ice cubes
Bring first 4 ingredients to boil in small saucepan, stirring to dissolve sugar. Cool in the fridge.
Combine pomegranate mixture, vodka, grapefruit juice, lime juice, and mint leaves in large pitcher. Fill pitcher with ice. Stir vigorously. Strain drink into (chilled) Martini glasses. Garnish each glass with mint sprig and serve.
Blackberry Martini
Adapted from the book: Hip Sips
3 tbsp blackberry puree
2 ounces of your favorite vodka
1/4 ounce orange liqueur
1 ounces simple syrup
1 ounce lemon/lime juice (equal parts fresh squeezed lemon & lime)
Combine all ingredients into a cocktail shaker filled with ice, shake. Pour into a chilled martini glass, garnish with a fresh blackberry or lime wedge.
Blackberry Puree:
1 cup fresh or frozen blackberries
3 tbsp water
2 tbsp sugar
½ tsp lemon juice
Puree and strain through a fine mesh strainer.
If you can score some fresh lemons from someones tree (thank you neighbor) it really knocks this out of the park. My husband and I spent a good hour juicing lemons after a friendly lemon tree raid. I would recommend doing it in daylight, my daughter’s Princess flashlight was a rather pathetic supply of light and didn’t keep us from being attacked by the tree but in the end it was still worth it. A word of caution, this drink is rather stiff, so although it goes down smooth it will sneak up on you with quite a punch.