The Shared Sip

Pisco Sidecar + What Mother’s Day Means to Me Now

05.09.15

Over the years, the significance of Mother’s Day, to me, has changed. As a kid, Mother’s Day meant handmade cards and goofy crafts. As a teenager, it meant being reminded by Dad to not be jerk, just for a day. As a 20-something, it meant a phone call from across the country to say, “I love you.” But to me today, as a 31-year-old adult, it means friendship.

How did it take 31 years to get here? I guess it’s because I was busy building a life. The angsty too-cool teenager years. College, blurry but breathtaking, attempting to figure out who I thought I wanted to be. A near decade across the country, still searching for “me”. Embarking on a career. Forming friendships. Falling in love. The million messes and successes in between.

After all that, my mom was here waiting for me, waiting to start the next chapter of our relationship. That’s the great thing about moms: Patience. They sit quietly on the sidelines, cheering along the way, until you slide back into home. Take your time, I’ll be here, I’ve felt her silence say to me so many times.

And finally we are here—no longer just mother and daughter, but friends. A friendship that means time spent together not because you have to but because you want to. It means honest conversations about difficult topics. It means less motherly advice (though there will always be some of that), and more I’m here to listen.

I imagine most mothers look forward to the point in the relationship when the switch is finally made from parent to friend. When she can finally just be her, instead of mom.

Though this friendship has really only started to take shape over the last few years, I love seeing glimpses of her that I couldn’t see in mom. She’s funny, so sassy. She’s incredibly smart, more than she or anyone else gives her credit for. She’s confident in her character, never wavering in who she is. She’s strong, kind, and full of a joy and wonder that you don’t encounter many times in your life. She is, simply, her.

So, Mom: Thanks for waiting out the last 30 years, and for being a great friend to me now. I hope I can be one to you, too.

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In honor of my mom, I had to create one of her favorite drinks! My mom love-love-loves a sidecar. Traditionally made with brandy, lemon juice, orange liqueur and simple syrup, it’s a classic. But of course, I had to put a little twist on it!

I didn’t have and brandy on hand, but I did have Pisco, which is a type of brandy—even though doing a little reading made it clear they are certainly not one in the same. Still, onward I went!

I’ve been noticing the use of demerara syrup in a lot of cocktails lately—a brown sugar that has a toffee quality to it—so I subbed that in instead of simple syrup. The result, I think, is fantastic. It has a little extra bite from the pisco, and a subtle caramel essence from the demerara syrup—while still clearly retaining a traditional sidecar flavor profile.

Happy Mother’s Day to all of the wonderful moms out there—including so many of my friends with little ones!—and especially to my mom. I love you.

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Pisco Sidecar

1.5 oz pisco – I used Barsol Pisco
1 oz Cointreau
1 oz fresh lemon juice
.5 oz demerara syrup; recipe follows

Assembly
Rim a coupe or martini glass with lemon juice, then demerara sugar. Add all ingredients to a shaker with ice. Shake until very cold, about 20 seconds. Strain into the demerara sugar-rimmed glass. Garnish with a lemon twist.

Demerara Syrup
You can find demerara sugar at most gourmet markets; Whole Foods should have it too.

In a small saucepan, combine ½ c. demerara sugar with ¼ c. water. Stir over medium-low heat until sugar is completely dissolved. Store in an airtight container in the fridge. Should keep for about 10 days. Makes about ½ cup.

Barware notes: Coupe glass and small pitcher were both thrifted. I scored the vintage shaker at one of my favorite local antique shops, Lost & Found. Napkin is from Anthropologie.

Boozy Mango Agua Fresca

05.05.15

I’m completely embarrassed to admit that I had refresh myself on Cinco de Mayo’s significance (I thought it was to commemorate Mexico’s independence, but turns out that’s a common misconception). So if you’re like me and need a quick history lesson: On May 5, 1862, the Mexican army was victorious over the French in the Battle of Puebla—a victory years in the making through the French occupation following the Mexican-American War. Of course, there are a million more interesting details surrounding the holiday, and I’m hardly doing it justice with only a few sentences. But I do feel a little better sipping this cocktail now that I know a bit more about what I’m toasting to this Tuesday.

Of course, margaritas are Cinco de Mayo’s celebratory drink of choice—but I wanted to offer something a little different to spice up your menu this year. Aguas Frescas are another traditional Mexican beverage, and they are perfect for warm spring weather. Throw in a shot or two of tequila and a party drink is born.

I used mango here because I love the color, the sweetness, and its May seasonality. You could use another fruit of your choice—watermelon, cantaloupe, and papaya are great, but feel free to experiment with the fruit you have on hand.

The resulting cocktail is unassuming, simple, not-too-sweet and perfect to wash down tacos, fajitas, tostadas…or, um, all of the above. Happy Cinco de Mayo!

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Boozy Mango Agua Fresca
makes 1 cocktail; build each individually

3 oz mango puree – recipe follows
1.5 oz tequila – I used Espolon Blanco
3 oz seltzer

Assembly
Fill a rocks glass with ice. Add mango puree and tequila and give a good stir. Top with seltzer and enjoy!

Mango Puree

2 ripe mangoes, peeled, with flesh cut from the rind (about 2 c. of mango – you could probably also use frozen!)
¼ c. fresh lime juice
1 ¼ c. water
3 tablespoons sugar

Combine all ingredients in a food processor or blender and mix until well combined. Strain through a fine mesh sieve or strainer; discard pulp. Makes approximately 3 cups.

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Barware notes: My glasses are from a local shop called Nathan & Co., but you can find similar here. The pink plate is from CB2 (the pink is discontinued but the orange is pretty rad!). The napkin is Lilly Pulitzer for Target (now sold out). The small bowl was an estate sale find, but these are similar.

Vodka

Pinemary Mules

05.01.15

Guys: It’s May, which means it’s officially unofficial Moscow Mule season! I know mules’ popularity has gotten a little out of hand, seeing as you can surely spot the concoction on most cocktail menus these days. Still, it’s a refreshing drink that is perfect for warm weather—and even better, one that I think lends itself so well to adapting to your tastes and what you might have laying around your kitchen.

The lovely team at Heritage Distilling was kind enough to send over some bottles of their best spirits for me to play around with—no strings attached. I would never write about something I didn’t love, and I knew I would scrap the recipe if it didn’t feel right. Luckily, it did—and here’s why: their ginger vodka is delicious.

It’s not overly ginger-y, which could completely overwhelm a cocktail. I’m not even much of a vodka drinker, but I think this could easily find its way into many a summer beverage. While I sipped, I knew it would be the perfect component to a classic Moscow Mule.

Though the ginger vodka already added a fun spin to the classic beverage, I wanted to keep playing with it. Pineapple has been on my brain lately (tiki drinks are ev-er-y-where—I can’t wait to make my own), and I thought rosemary would add an unexpected element to the drink.

This pineapple-rosemary syrup—it’s the real deal. The two flavors compliment each other so well. I could sip it by itself, if truth be told. I won’t, but I could…it’s that delicious.

If you have a chance to grab a bottle by Heritage, do. They’re based up in Gig Harbor, Washington, using natural flavors and locally-sourced ingredients. “Field to flask” is the new “farm to table”—and these guys follow that motto in the creation of all their spirits. Even cooler? The company is majority-owned by women and family operated. That’s pretty rad, if you ask me.

I hope you get a chance to make this variation on the classic cocktail, and experiment with your favorite ingredients at home.

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Pinemary Mules
makes 1 cocktail; build each individually over ice

2 oz ginger vodka; I used Heritage Distilling (regular vodka will work just fine here too—Heritage also makes one of those!)
2 oz fresh lime juice
1.5 oz pineapple-rosemary syrup
4 oz ginger beer

Add vodka, lime juice, and syrup to a glass filled with ice. Give a good stir. Top with your favorite ginger beer. Garnish with pineapple, lime, rosemary, or any combination thereof!

Pineapple-Rosemary Syrup
makes about 1 cup

1 ½ c. chopped fresh pineapple
3/8 c. sugar, separated
½ c. water
3 sprigs rosemary

Combine pineapple and ¼ c. sugar in a container, cover with plastic wrap, and allow to mascerate overnight in the fridge. Next, mash pineapple in its juices with a potato masher, to allow the fruit to release as much juice as possible. Add juice and pineapple bits to a small saucepan, along with the ⅛ c. sugar, ½ c. water, and the rosemary. Heat on low until sugar has dissolved and flavors begin to meld. Remove from heat and allow everything to steep for an hour or so. Mash the mixture again to release as much juice and flavor as possible. Strain through a fine mesh strainer to a mason jar or something similar. Should keep for 2 weeks.

A note on simple syrups: I make my syrups in small batches, like this recipe calls for, because i absolutely hate to have to throw them out. Plus, they are so easy to make, you can whip up a batch with hardly any foresight.

Barware notes: My Moscow Mule mugs are by Old Dutch. The pineapple juicer is by Lilly Pulitzer for Target (yes, I was one of those maniacs scouring the aisles the day of launch…). The syrup bottle was a thrift find.

barware / DIY / Gin

DIY Marbled Rocks Glasses

04.27.15

I know what you’re thinking: a DIY!? I thought this was a cocktail blog! But stay with me here. This project is totally booze-related and is only going to add a little pizzazz to your barcart situation. Plus, it’s so easy and inexpensive to pull off, I promise!

I got the idea on Easter when we used the same technique on our blown-out eggs. My niece also informed me that the junior high set has been doing this same thing on their nails for a million years now. DUH.

All you need is a disposable container, a few bottles of nail polish, and some cocktail glasses. I used these $2 gems from CB2, but really any would work—martini, coupe, highball, you name it. Each one turns out completely unique, and they add such interest to any cocktail hour.

DIY Marbled Rocks Glasses

cocktail glasses
disposable container
toothpicks or wooden skewers
nail polish – as many or as few colors as you like

Assembly
Add water to your disposable container – fill it about half way up. The more you fill, the deeper you can dip. Add a few swirls of each color of nail polish—it may sink momentarily but will then float up to the top. Using a toothpick or wooden skewer, swirl the colors together to create your desired pattern. Don’t mix too much or the colors will blend! Take one of the glasses and dip it into the marbled water. Pull out carefully and ta-da! Lay down (propped if needed to prevent rolling) with the marbled side up to dry completely. You can use a paper towel/Q-tip and nail polish remover to make any touch-ups needed.

Before you start on glass #2, use the skewer to pull remaining nail polish off the surface of the water (it will have started to dry and will easily pull away). Repeat the above process for as many glasses as you wish!

Care: Hand wash with warm water and mild soap as soon after using as possible. Let air dry.

Bonus: Grapefruit Gin + Tonic
makes 1 cocktail – build each individually

1.5 oz gin
2 oz fresh grapefruit juice
.75 oz lime juice
4-6 oz tonic, depending on preference

Assembly
Fill a rocks glass with ice. Add first three ingredients to the glass, give a good stir. Fill with the tonic water. Garnish with a grapefruit wedge or twist. Voila!

Bitters

Bitters Sugar Cubes

04.16.15

I totally can’t take credit for this idea. Awhile ago, in the midst of a Pinterest spiral, I came across gorgeous pink angostura sugar cubes and have had them in the back of my mind since. They were basically begging me to recreate them.

I made smaller batches so that I could experiment a little more (and not have 1 million sugar cubes on my hands). I ended up using Raft Smoked Tea Vanilla Syrup, The Bitter Housewife’s Cardamom Bitters, and classic Peychaud’s.My cubes didn’t turn out perfectly, but I’m OK with that. I’ve come to terms with perfection and know imperfection is what makes things and people unique. At least that’s what I’m going to keep telling myself.

A few lessons learned: Use silicone trays rather than hard plastic. Err on the side of more rather than less bitters. Be patient and let those suckers dry completely before trying to remove them. Let’s just say I have a few issues with waiting, especially during cocktail hour. Gimme those sugar cubes, already!

You could use these in any drink that called for simple syrup and bitters, but I kind of love just plopping them in a glass of dry champagne and watching them unleash their sweet, bubbly magic.

Bitters Sugar Cubes
makes approximately 50 cubes

½ c. superfine sugar
2 ½ tsp bitters of your choice
sugar cube molds (preferably silicone) or a jelly roll pan lined with parchment

Assembly
Mix sugar and bitters in a small bowl until well combined—your fingers will do the best job. Press wet sugar into mold or pan. Allow to dry completely overnight.

Barware notes: My tiny ice cube molds are these ones, but I would recommend trying out a silicone version instead. My flutes are from CB2. The dishcloth is by Kiriko. The bar spoon was an Alameda Antiques Faire find.

Gin

Bee’s Collins + Finding a Voice

04.02.15

This week, the annual Saveur Blog Awards released their 2015 nominations. I look forward to this each spring, mostly because I follow a lot of food blogs, and more recently because this year, I kind of am one. I love to curl up with the list, discovering new voices and delighting in seeing some of my favorites being recognized.

In the “Best Spirits & Cocktail Coverage”, I wasn’t surprised to see some well-known blogs nominated, like Stir & Strain and Gastronomista. And deservedly so—their blogs are innovative and fresh, and they know the facets of mixology well. I was also excited to read about a few new names, like Tuxedo No. 2, which was instantly added to my to-follow list.

While browsing this list of such accomplished spirits blogs, I couldn’t help but feel a little lacking. These guys know their stuff. They are well-versed in all things cocktail-related and are deep in the industry trenches. They speak to the Avid Cocktail Connoisseur and they do so with conviction. Which made me wonder—should I be talking to that person, too? Am I doing this wrong?

Over the past six months, I’ve posted straight cocktail recipes, and other times I’ve let my voice in and opened up about things that go beyond the cocktail shaker. And I have to say, the posts that fall into the latter category are the ones I take the most pride in after I hit “publish”—not the ones in which I experimented with a unique ingredient or created an elaborate drink.

As with every creative endeavor, comparison is unavoidable. It’s also the thief of joy. Not only do I compare my blog to other cocktail blogs, but I also compare it to my favorite lifestyle and photography blogs. Too often there is a little nagging voice telling me to be more like them, mimic what made them successful, follow the leader.

But in reality, I know that’s not me. I know that’s not what I want this blog to be about. I’m not a cocktail expert and I probably never will be. And that’s OK. It’s OK not to be everybody else.

This blog is less about fancy liquor characterizations and more about fresh ingredients. It’s less about spending your paycheck to build a 50-bottle home bar, and more about creating simple drinks you can make at home with ingredients you have on hand. It’s less about the cocktail and more about the conversation you have while sipping that cocktail.

As I move forward in this blogging adventure, I hope I can continue to find and honor my voice, while taking bits and pieces of inspiration from blogs and websites I admire. And if someday I happen to find myself on that Saveur list, I’ll know that it was me who was recognized, not a well-made Manhattan. And that may be the greatest recognition there is.

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Onto our regularly scheduled programming! This simple, refreshing cocktail is a great one to make mid-week—easy to pull together, common ingredients, light and airy. It’s a combination between a Tom Collins and a Bee’s Knees, with just a little twist with the addition of lavender (which is completely optional!)

As the summer months approach, there will only be more of these fresh, classic cocktails that are easy to make and even easier to sip. It’s going to be the best.

Bee’s Collins

1 ½ oz gin – I used Venus Spirits Blend No. 1, which I cannot recommend enough—super floral and citrus-y
1 ¼ oz lavender honey (recipe follows) – plain ol’ honey or honey syrup would work great too
1 ¼ oz fresh lemon juice
club soda or seltzer
lemon sugar for rimming (simply combine 1 tbsp lemon zest and ⅓ c. sugar)

Assembly:
Rim a highball or lowball glass with lemon juice and then the lemon sugar; fill with ice. Add ice and first three ingredients to a shaker; shake until very cold. Pour into the ice-filled glass. Top with club soda or seltzer water. [Do you know what differentiates the two? I didn’t. Club soda has minerals added, while seltzer is just artificially carbonated. To the average consumer, there isn’t a noticeable difference.]

Garnish with a lemon wedge, honeycomb or lavender!

Lavender Honey
Bring ½ cup sugar, ½ cup water, 2 tbsp honey, and 2 tsp dried or fresh lavender to boil in heavy small saucepan over medium-high heat, stirring until sugar dissolves. Reduce heat to medium and simmer until lavender flavor is pronounced, about 3 minutes. Strain syrup into small bowl.

Barware notes: The lowball glass was an old IKEA find. The honey-filled container is a working glass from Crate & Barrel.

Whiskey

Spiked Matcha Latte

03.17.15

I was feeling completely uninspired to create a St. Patrick’s Day cocktail, bombarded by the same Guinness floats and Irish Car Bomb remakes. Yawn. I had all but chalked the holiday up to a loss, when I remembered the container of matcha tea latte powder buried in the back of my pantry. If ever there was a time to try to work it into a cocktail, this green-everything occasion was it.

I kept it super simple, adding only water, milk and Irish whiskey to create a creamy beverage ideal for a boozy brunch or as a dessert cocktail.

While I won’t be hitting the bars tonight, I will be feasting on corned beef and, in tradition, sipping a green beer. It’s the right thing to do. Slainte!

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Spiked Matcha Latte
makes 2 cocktails

6 tbsp matcha green tea latte powder; I used the Trader Joe’s variety
6 oz milk or half & half
6 oz water
2 oz Irish Whiskey; I used Bushmills

Assembly

Fill two highball glasses with ice. In a separate container or mixing glass, combine matcha tea latte powder with milk and water, and whisk until well blended. Add mixture and whiskey to a shaker with ice. Shake well until very cold. Pour into highball glasses and sip immediately!

I frothed some milk and added the foam to the top for a fancier presentation. It’s tasty with or without it!

Barware notes: The mixing glass is from Umami Mart; the highball glass and small milk pitcher were both thrift finds.

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Sip + Skim
My favorite finds this week, boozy and otherwise

I recently discovered the site A Drink With, where Chicagoan Hillary Sawchuk chats with celebrities, entrepreneurs, musicians and more over a drink. The interviews with video are my favorite, but the others are just as charming. My first stop was Aaron Paul, obviously.

Working from home, I basically live in workout clothes. I’m looking at trying out Wantable, the Stitch Fix of workout gear. Or, I could just start wearing real clothes. Predicament.

Not to keep talking about fitness like a total meathead here, but I have become completely obsessed with my new membership to Class Pass, which allows you to go to a ton of different classes at various studios in your city. Spin one day, Pilates the next, Bootcamp after that. It mixes up my routine so I never get bored.

Have you read this piece, Busy Is A Sickness? It’s all about how we create busyness in our life as a self-imposed indication of worth and value, and to avoid simply being with ourselves. Worth a read for sure.

I’m probably going to buy this $33 bottle of olive oil for the gorgeous label alone. Sorry not sorry.

Saving my pennies for a handmade ceramic juicer by Fringe + Fettle, which is almost too beautiful to use. Almost.

Itching to get my hands on White Whale mixers—and in the meantime, drooling over their perfectly-curated Instagram feed.

Styling / Travel

Styling And Photography Workshop + Portland Favorites

03.10.15

This past weekend, I headed to Portland for a food styling and photography workshop, despite some insecurities and fears. It was hosted by the wonderful Jason French, who owns the event space, Elder Hall, and the adjoining restaurant Ned Ludd. One of my favorite bloggers and stylists, Ashley Marti of Local Haven, taught us all her secrets and was such a joy to learn from.

Ashley styled three dishes full of fresh ingredients, offered up some of her tips to perfecting the shot, then set us off to work on our own vignettes. There was a huge table full of gorgeous props to use, and platters upon platters of fresh ingredients.

One of my favorite parts of the workshop was seeing how each of the 12 students in the class styled their shots. We were all using the same ingredients, in yet each and every vignette was completely different.

I tried my best to stop perfecting and obsessing, and instead enjoy the moment as much as possible—the colors, the people, the conversations. At the end of class, we ate the most perfect meal together. My heart was so full when I walked out of that space.

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I had 24 hours before the workshop to explore Portland, so I tried to pack in as much as I could. I stayed on the west side of the river, eating and drinking my way through the city. I stopped at Mother’s for the best biscuits and gravy I’ve ever had in my life, then made my way to the Pearl District to explore Powell’s bookstore and do some shopping. I had a bunch of spots bookmarked, but my favorite store was one I stumbled upon, called Made Here PDX. Everything in the store was made locally in Portland. I took home some Raft Syrups smoked tea vanilla syrup an The Bitter Housewife‘s cardamom bitters. I can’t wait to dream up some new cocktails with them!

Of course, I couldn’t visit Portland without stopping into a few cocktail bars. I headed to Pepe Le Moko, where I ordered their delicious Hotel Nacional Special cocktail and sipped rums with the bartenders. I’m not usually much of a rum drinker, but they insisted on having me try this El Dorado 15 rum, which was so tasty, you’ll probably find me sipping on it all summer long.

I stopped into the much-hyped Clyde Common at the Ace Hotel, which was cool but admittedly underwhelming. My favorite spot, by far, was the Multnohmah Whisk{e}y Library, which was, in a word, perfection. The bar was dark and spacious, and felt old-timey and incredibly cozy. The walls were lined with over 1500 different spirits, whiskey and beyond.

I sat with the bartender, Jason, and learned about his techniques while he made me a couple of his current scotch-based favorites. I tried my best to keep my phone (slash security blanket) tucked away, learning to be comfortable sitting alone, just me. It’s scary and uncomfortable at first, but was such a freeing night, full of interesting conversations with strangers and time for myself.

The weekend was one I won’t soon forget, full of creativity and exploration—and a little glimpse into the possibilities that present themselves when you let them.

Gin / Ice

Ombre Ice Cubes + On Feeling Like An Imposter

03.06.15

This weekend, I’m flying to Portland to take a food styling + photography workshop with one of my favorite bloggers, Local Haven. She does amazing work, and the workshop is offered in this super cool event space in the heart of the city. I am so, so excited.

But ever since I purchased my ticket, there’s been a subtle queasiness associated with my trip; a little anxiety nagging at me from somewhere deep within. I’ve been hesitant to mention the workshop to anyone, and I’ve questioned the trip since I hung up the phone confirming my reservation. If I was forced to admit my plans, I shrugged it off—”It’s no big deal!” or “I’m just doing it for fun, and I’ve never been to Portland!” or my favorite, “It’s silly, I know! It doesn’t mean anything.” And the reason is quite simple: I feel like an imposter.

Of course, this isn’t a new phenomenon. When we explore something new, or outside of what we’re deemed capable of or knowledgeable about, we feel the need to make it seem casual. That way, a) no one is going to judge us (“She’s not a photographer! Who does she think she is?!”) and b) we negate the fear of failure (“I wasn’t great at that, but it was only for fun anyways”). I think this is especially true once you’re in a life phase that expects you to be established wherever you are—career, relationship, family, et cetera. The openness to learning somehow seems to fade with the passage of time.

I’ve been thinking a lot about this, beating myself up for having these feelings and for not moving confidently in the direction of a passion I’ve discovered. There is nothing to be ashamed of, nothing that needs to be made excuses for. If I’m honest, I’m proud for putting myself out there, and trying something new. I would berate any friend of mine who told me they were “too old” or “too inexperienced” to pursue something that interested them, something that lit some sort of fire within them. To ignore it would be crazy—that’s what I would say to them.

Still, it’s hard to make that case to myself. Instead, I see beautiful pictures on Instagram, or read about a talented stylist and think, “There is no way I will ever be that good.” And maybe I won’t. But to deny the part of myself that feels joy and excitement in those creative moments is only allowing the insecurity and fear to win.

So I will go to Portland. I will let the creativity and the inspiration in. I will stop worrying about what others think. I will allow myself to fail and to keep failing. I’ll grow. And I will make a promise to myself—despite the external and internal voices—to never stop learning.

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On that note, let’s make some ice cubes! Guys, I think my new thing might be creating beautiful ice cubes. You can do so much with them! And darn if they aren’t just pretty. They bring a boring ol’ cocktail to the next level in a major way.

I will say, these take a little time (and patience) to make. You have to let each layer set completely before adding the next. Trust me, I learned this the hard way. I would say a solid 3-4 hours per layer. So, you’ll need to plan ahead a bit if you’re making these for a special occasion, or, if you’re like me, a Tuesday night.

Once they are done though, they are complete show-stoppers. I kept the cocktail super simple and I recommend using only clear liquor and mixers. Go with a classic—the cubes will add the punch. Plus, as the cubes melt the cocktail continues to morph into something more delicious with each passing moment. What was once a gin + tonic is now a gin + tonic with grapefruit and orange flavors subtly hitting your tastebuds at unexpected moments. YES.

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Ombre Ice Cubes
makes approximately 20 1-inch cubes

5 pink grapefruits
4 blood oranges
ice cube trays; I love my extra-large Tolovo tray and my 1-inch Dexas trays

Assembly

Juice the grapefruits and oranges into separate containers; Strain each of the liquids again through a fine mesh strainer if you have one. Take a little orange and grapefruit juice and mix them together in another container, adding more of either juice until you have created the desired color. The blood orange juice is really potent, so start with a small amount. Repeat again, creating a different shade than the one you already made. Sidenote: Feel free to add water to your juices to create the desired shades. Line the juices up in order from darkest to lightest; this will be your pouring order.

Fill each cube up 1/4 of the way up; freeze 3-4 until completely set. Add another 1/4 of the next shade on top of the frozen shade; freeze until completely set. Repeat for the other two shades of juice.

Once completely frozen, pop them into any drink of choice! Here I made a simple gin + tonic, using 2 oz of gin and about 5 oz of good tonic. Fever Tree makes a great one but really any ol’ tonic or seltzer would be great. If you’re a vodka fan, go vodka. The world is your ombre ice cube.

Barware notes: The wine glasses pictured are old; I bought them ages ago (sorry!). The little wobbly glass at the bottom is from Muji. That store has some rad stuff.

Classic Cocktails / Gin

Perfecting A Classic, Vol. 01: The Martini

03.02.15

If you ask someone how he likes his martini, chances are, you’re going to get a very convicted, passionate response. Everyone likes his or her martini a specific way, which is, to them, the only way. The thing is, I started this blog to shake things up (pun intended) in my home bar. To experiment and make mistakes. To have some damn fun with cocktails! And the classic martini is no exception.

I’ve never been much of a martini drinker, so my predilections for “correctness” were nearly nonexistent. My best reference was to my dad’s preparation of choice, which consisted of mainly just gin with what he called “a whisper” of vermouth—an amount so small he likened it to quietly murmuring across the top of a chilled gin-filled glass, “vermouuuuuth.”

Me, I like a little more than a whisper in my martini. I also enjoy a dash of slightly-sweet bitters (oxymoron!) and even a splash of olive juice. My father probably won’t speak to me for awhile after I post this.

Another major martini controversy: shaken or stirred. I read up a bit on this in my new Death & Co. cocktail book (I honestly cannot recommend this book enough), and the general rule of thumb is: if the cocktail contains any opaque or cloudy ingredients, it should be shaken; a cocktail of transparent ingredients should be stirred. Since martinis are primarily gin and vermouth, stirred it is.

Here, I used a new gin recommended to me by my local spirits shop, Alchemy, which they said would be great for martinis and other cocktails alike. I love that it’s made locally, and well, the label is just plain cool.

The stirring technique was a whole new beast to tackle—you can’t just stir it like a cup of coffee, there’s a science to it. I found this video helpful.

I think the version below is pretty tasty, but I encourage you to experiment and find the martini that works for you. Forget the rules. Cocktailing is for rebels.

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The Gin Martini
makes 2 cocktails

5 oz dry gin
1.5 oz dry vermouth; I used Dolin
6 dashes of bitters; I used Fee Brothers celery bitters
optional: splash of olive juice
6 olives, pitted
mixing glass
bar spoon

Assembly

Place 3 olives on each of two cocktail picks; set aside. In a mixing glass, add all other ingredients without ice, and give a good stir. Add several ice cubes (1-inch cubes are ideal), until the mixing glass is packed fairly tight.

Slide your bar spoon down the side of the glass so that the rounded side touches the glass. Place pointer and middle finger on inside of bar spoon (facing the ice) and the other two on the outside of the spoon (closer to the glass). Push the spoon with your ring finger, then pull with your middle finger, using the packed ice’s natural motion to mix. You shouldn’t be moving your arm much, only your fingers. Mix for about 20 seconds. Using a julep or regular cocktail strainer, strain equally into two martini or coupe glasses (chilled if possible!). Top with your olives.

Barware notes: I found the coupe glass at a thrift shop, but these are similar. The mixing glass is also from Umami Mart. Snag the Death & Co. book here. The gold cocktail picks are an old find from Crate & Barrel Outlet; similar can be found at Cocktail Kingdom, another ah-maz-ing bar-building resource. I want all the things.