This is an amazingly refreshing cocktail/mocktail to kick off the Summer! Flavored with Cecil & Merl’s delicious cucumber bitters and topped with fresh lime juice and spicy ginger beer, it is as thirst-quenching as it is delectable. The recipe below is for one drink but you may just want to make up a pitcher for your Memorial Day celebration.

 

Cucumber Cooler

From Cecil & Merl

Makes 1 drink

 

Ingredients:

0.5 oz fresh lime juice

4 dashes Cucumber Bitters

Spicy Ginger Beer

2 oz rum (optional)

Cucumber wheel or mint sprig for garnish

 

Method:

1. Combine all the ingredients in a Collins glass over ice.

2. Top with spicy ginger beer and  garnish with a cucumber wheel or mint sprig.

 

Master tea blender and founder of Tay Tea, Nini Ordoubadi, makes this thirst quenching “mocktail” with one of my favorite of her many exquisite blended teas, Kaapstad. Named after the Africaans name for Capetown, it is made with vanilla rooibos, ginger, almond and marigold petals.

 

As the warm weather finally appears, the peach and mint make this an extra refreshing non-alcoholic drink. No-one’s stopping you from adding a splash of gin though, to give it an extra kick.

 

Peach Rooibos Fizz   

Published in Recipes from Many Kitchens
Ingredients: 
1/2 peach cut into thick slices

4 fresh spearmint leaves
1 lemon wedge
2 ounces (60ml) chilled rooibos tea
1/2 ounce (15ml) simple syrup (add fresh ginger while making this and you will get  the ginger taste )
1 ounce (30ml) seltzer
1 sprig fresh spearmint for garnish
1 thin peach slice for garnish

 

Method:
1. Muddle all ingredients in a  cocktail shaker.

2. Shake and strain into an ice-filled glass.

3. Garnish with a peach slice and a sprig of mint.

 

Claire of Catskill Provisions makes this cocktail with her extraordinary honey infused rye whiskey. Just add ½ teaspoon of honey in case you can’t find a bottle. Of course, I also used her raw honey and her Grade A maple syrup in this recipe, both of which I’m never without. Actually I’m never without her honey whiskey either but I need to slow down on my intake of that particular product! One of the guiding philosophies behind Catskill Provisions is to bring business to areas of New York State that really need it. Every stage of every product, from the growing of the wheat to the jarring of the honey is all done in New York State. She epitomizes the local food movement.

 

Don’t Worry Bee Happy 

From Recipes from Many Kitchens

Makes 1-2 drinks

Ingredients:
2 ounces (60ml) rye whiskey
1 ounce (30ml) St. Germain elderflower liqueur
2 tablespoons (30ml) of lemon juice
½ teaspoon honey
1 dash of maple syrup
Lemon rind for garnish

 

Method:
Mix all ingredients in a shaker and serve in an up-glass or over ice. Garnish with a slice of lemon. You can multiply the amounts and serve from a large pitcher if you’re making for a party.

 

Christmas Sangria  

 

My godmother and her husband, Roly, used to throw the biggest parties. Roly made enormous vats of his two famous fish soups; one white and one red. Over a hundred people would line up, having brought their own bowls and spoons to chow down on both. Much debate was had on which you started with but there was never any debate as to how good they were poured over bruschetta slathered with rouille. All was washed down with equally enormous pitchers of sangria, both red and white. When I called him for the recipe for his famous white sangria, his first words were, “Take 5 gallons of wine”! I’ve reduced the quantities to a slightly more manageable size for this recipe. Even though Roly would serve his white sangria in the summer, I think it makes a wonderful holiday cocktail by adapting the fruits and garnishing with a sprig of rosemary. I hope you enjoy!

 

Ingredients:

2 bottles of dry white wine (Sauvignon Blanc or Pinot Grigio work well) 

2 plums, pitted and sliced 

1 orange, sliced lengthwise and then each half quartered (keep rinds on) 

1/2 cup pomegranate seeds

Rosemary sprigs for garnish

Dark rum to taste 

Simple syrup to taste 

 

Method: 

Mix all ingredients in a pitcher and pour over ice. It’s great to make this the day before so the fruit takes in all the alcohol.

 

It’s not just 5 o’clock somewhere, it’s 5 o’clock here in NY and I for one, am ready for a cocktail. To quote The Kinks, it’s been one mixed up, muddled up, shook up week and I intend to indulge in one of these cocktails tonight with a good friend before gorging on pasta, wine and a feel good romantic comedy.

 

Apple Whiskey Sour

Makes 1 drink

Ingredients:

2 oz. Cocktail Crate’s Maple Whiskey Sour

2 oz. premium bourbon whiskey

1/2 of an apple, cored and peeled (plus additional thin slices for garnish)

1 egg white

 

Method:

1. In a blender, puree the apple for 1-2 minutes until apple is juiced. You will still have pulp, this will not create a smooth mixture and that is perfectly fine. A blender is just a much simpler way of muddling the apple than trying to do it by hand. Transfer all contents of the blender into a cocktail shaker filled with ice.

2. Add mixer, bourbon and egg white to the shaker. Then cover and shake vigorously.

3. Strain into a cocktail glass and garnish with a fresh apple slice.

 

My cocktail mixing skills are pretty limited to gin and tonic in the winter and aperol spritz in the summer. Thanks to producers like Cocktail Crate and Cecil & Merl, I’ve been expanding my repertoire without having to learn any mixology. With fresh citrus flavors and a hint of jasmine tea, this grapefruit daiquiri mix makes it easy to create a perfectly refreshing cocktail. Start your summer weekend right. Enjoy!

 

Grapefruit Daiquiri

Makes 1 drink

Ingredients:

2 cups crushed ice

2 oz light rum

2 oz Grapefruit Daiquiri

Fresh grapefruit slices and lime for garnish

 

Method:

1. Pre-chill your cockail glass in the freezer as you lay out your ingredients.

2. In a shaker combine ice, rum and Grapefruit Daiquiri mixer. Shake well and then strain into a cool cocktail glass.

3. Garnish with grapefruit and lime and enjoy!

 

Whether you like to spend New Year’s Eve out and about or hiding from the craziness (like I do), it’s fun to ring in the new year with a sip of something special. This cocktail comes to us from the master bartender at the wonderful James Restaurant in Brooklyn and is made with yuzu, a tart East Asian citrus fruit. James’ sister company, Cecil & Merl, have a fantastic line of bitters that we’re so pleased to be selling on Many Kitchens. We’ve included it in our Cocktail Gift Box that could just as easily be a Mocktail Gift Box for you teetotalers. A dash or two of their bitters can make a seltzer water taste like an exotic cocktail. Here’s wishing you a very happy 2016 – may it be a tasty one!

 

Mer Du Japon

Makes 1 drink

Ingredients:

1/4 oz yuzu juice (worth finding fresh or bottled but at a pinch you can use a mixture of orange and lime)

3/4 oz vanilla liqueur

1 1/2 oz vodka

1/4 oz simple syrup

5 dashes Cecil & Merl Apricot Bitters

 

Method:

Build this cocktail in a champagne flute by adding one ingredient at a time and topping with C & M Apricot Bitters and soda.

 

This year I’m spending Christmas in New York and am excited to roam the near empty city streets in record breaking balmy weather and make a dent on the pile of books by my bed. An ever growing pile thanks to my generous publishing friends that has been ignored in the last few weeks spent frantically processing, packing and chasing orders. Soon it will be time to relax and regenerate. For me, that will include the aforementioned books, some mulled wine and mince pies all devoured atop my big sofa with my new puppy snuggled beside me. Realistically, the new puppy will be ripping up everything in sight but it’s nice to have the idyllic fantasy. I wish you all a very happy Christmas. 

 

Mulled Wine

Ingredients:

2 clementines

4 allspice berries

4 whole cloves

2 cinnamon sticks (plus additional for garnish)

1/4 cup honey

1 bottle red wine (fruit forward wines work well)

1/4 cup brandy

 

Method:

1. Peel your clementines with a vegetable peeler, reserve as garnish. Then juice the clementines into a stockpot. 

2. Add in your mulling spices: allspice, cloves and cinnamon. Then add in honey, wine and brandy and bring to a boil. 

3. Reduce to a simmer and heat for ten minutes. Then strain into heatproof cups and garnish with clementine peel and cinnamon sticks.

4. Enjoy!

 

 

I have definitely been overindulging recently. The excitement of sunny days has brought everyone out of hibernation and as a result, it’s been a very social few weeks. Yesterday morning, after hosting my bookclub, I craved something clean, fresh and most importantly, thirst quenching! I wanted to gear up for Cinco de Mayo without mixing margaritas or frying tortillas. Agua Frescas, the most refreshing and tasty drinks imaginable, were the perfect antidote to my late nights.

 

 

 

Watermelon Agua Fresca

Serves 4

Ingredients:

5 cups of fresh, ripe watermelon, seeds removed

1/4 cup lemon juice

1 cup water

1-2 tablespoons agave nectar for sweetening, optional

 

Method:

1. In a blender on high, add watermelon and lemon juice and puree till smooth.

2. Strain juice over a mesh sieve into another bowl.

3. Add in water and refrigerate. This can be made a day in advance. Be sure to shake before serving.

 

 

Cantaloupe and Mint Agua Fresca

Serves 4

Ingredients:

5 cups of fresh, ripe cantaloupe, seeds removed

1/4 cup lemon juice

1/4 cup fresh mint leaves, not packed (just a small handful)

1 cup water

2-3 tablespoons agave nectar for sweetening, optional

 

Method:

1. In a blender on high, add cantaloupe and lemon juice and puree till smooth. Next add in mint leaves and pulse till incorporated.

2. Strain juice over a mesh sieve into another bowl.

3. Add in water and agave nectar to taste then refrigerate. This can be made a day in advance. Be sure to shake before serving.

 

Irish Coffee

1 serving

Ingredients:

1 cup fresh hot coffee

1 cube of brown sugar (or more if desired, sweeten to taste)

1.5 oz of your favorite whiskey (we love Catskill Provisions’ NY Honey Whiskey)

Heavy cream (whipped to where soft peaks just form)

Ground cinnamon (optional)

 

Method:

1. Pour coffee into a warmed mug, filling to 3/4.

2. Dissolve sugar to taste.

3. Mix in whiskey.

4. Top with a generous portion of heavy cream.

(Optional: sprinkle a dash of cinnamon on top)