Grapefruit Tea Bitters

Grapefruit Tea Bitters

1 cup boiling water
Two bags tea (I used Irish Breakfast tea)

1/2 red grapefruit, sliced thickly
1/2 cup Bacardi 151

Steep tea in boiling water for five minutes. Remove and discard teabags. Reduce tea to 1/2 cup over medium-high heat. Combine tea, grapefruit and rum and seal in a jar. Infuse for two days. Remove and discard grapefruit, then strain.

Summery Petit Sangria

This weekend we hosted the neighborhood happy hour for the first time in years, and I crafted a sangria for our guests. The inspiration was a few bottles of petit syrah I had in my wine rack. Its volume and fruitiness called for a strong citrus counterpart in a sangria recipe. I went with freshly squeezed oranges, although I complemented with lemon to add some acid and complexity after tasting. I also added a pop of rose champagne to give just a little bite of fizz to the already delightful flavor.

As I built the sangria, I could see the promise ahead. Often, mixing is as much fun as enjoying the result. That said, the empty carafe at the end of the night called that into question.

Petit Sangria

¼ cup triple sec
¼ cup orange vodka (I used Absolut Mandrin)
3 cup freshly squeezed orange juice
1/2 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
3 cup fresh fruit (such as berries and orange and lemon wheels)
1 bottle petit syrah
1/3 bottle rose champagne
3 tablespoon superfine sugar

Combine ingredients in a pitcher.

Mixology Monday: Roasted Bloody Mary

Mixology Monday: Roasted Bloody Mary

Many thanks to Mike McSorley at McSology for hosting April's Mixology Monday. As a home mixologist I haven't experienced the exact scenario he described of having to make a last-call pain in the ass drink, but I certainly have inflicted some high-maintenance drinks on myself and others. I try to think of it more as a tradeoff of trouble for quality, perhaps at least as consolation. My perspective likely would be different if such a drink were keeping me from getting home at night.

The effort in my submission, a variation on a Bloody mary, lies in the tomato base. This freshly roasted and milled sauce is sweet, fresh and complex -- and far better than anything I've tasted in a bottled or canned mix. The following base recipe makes about four cups.

Roasted Tomato-Pepper Base

10 tomatoes
2 red bell peppers

Halve tomatoes. Core, seed and quarter peppers. Arrange peppers and tomatoes skin side down on a rimmed baking sheet or roasting pan. Roast at 425 degrees for 45 minutes. Remove from oven and cool, reserving any pan juices. Press tomatoes and peppers through a food mill. Combine with reserved juices in a pitcher.


Aside from the base, the drink is true to classic Bloody Mary proportions, which are of course a matter of some debate, with three modest personalizations. With New Orleans still fresh in my memory, I used a liberal amont of Crystal hot sauce. Also, I used the recipe as an excuse to use my new one-handed pepper mill; two pumps did the trick. Finally, I traded celery seed for the celery salt many recipes feature. After all, celery salt is just celery seed with salt, and the recipe already calls for salt.

The complicated but rewarding recipe follows. Cheers!

Roasted Bloody Mary

4 oz roasted tomato-pepper base
1/4 oz freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 to 2 teaspoons horseradish, to taste
5 drops Worcestershire sauce
2 oz vodka
5 to 10 drops hot sauce, to taste (I used Crystal)
Pinch of celery seed
Dash of salt
Dash of freshly ground black pepper

Stir ingredients together with ice in a highball glass. Garnish with a celery stalk.

Mixology Monday: Rum Punch Party

Thanks to Hobson's Choice for hosting the March round of Mixology Monday.

Since we recently returned from a long weekend in New Orleans, I took inspiration for my punch from the hurricane cocktail – rum, orange, lime and passion fruit. That said, the punch could not be as high-octane as the cocktail itself. I also wanted a little fizz. Soda was certainly a viable option to these ends, but I was more interested in using champagne to add some complexity to the classic hurricane flavors.

In keeping with the notion that punch is best served to a crowd on a leisurely evening, I invited a few friends from the neighborhood over to sample my recipe and give me their reactions and suggestions. I also asked them to name the punch. I got a number of helpful tasting notes -- but more importantly, we had a great time hanging out.

The punch was well-received. I had been careful to make half again as much punch as I should have needed. Instead, we ran out after an hour or two and needed another batch. I looked over the fruit I had remaining. I didn’t have what I needed to make exactly the same punch again, so I improvised on a citurs and tea-based recipe I had seen in Esquire over the holidays. We also flamed the bowl for a little pyrotechnic entertainment. That punch was a spicier contrast to its tart predecessor – and it lasted just about as long. The impromptu punch party extended into the small hours.

Recipes for both punches follow. Thanks to my neighbors for joining in the fun. Cheers!

Heart and Tart Punch

2 parts dark rum (I used Gosling’s)
1 ½ parts passion fruit rum (I used Malibu)
½ part light rum
1 part freshly squeezed lime juice
1 part freshly squeezed orange juice
1 ½ parts turbinado syrup (recipe follows)
2 ½ parts champagne

Stir together first six ingredients in punchbowl. Add ice – an ice mold is the natural choice. Top with champagne and stir gently.


Second Chance Punch

Overproof rum (I used Bacardi 151)
1 ½ parts turbinado syrup (recipe follows)
5 teabags
2 parts gold rum (I used Cruzan)
1 part light rum
1 part freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 part freshly squeezed orange juice
2 ½ parts champagne

Bring syrup to a boil. Remove from heat and steep teabags for five minutes. Remove teabags. Pour the overproof rum into punchbowl and swirl to coat the sides. Carefully ignite with a match. Pour in juices, then add remaining rum. Shake tea mixture with ice and strain into punchbowl. Add ice or an ice mold. Top with champagne and stir gently.


Turbinado Syrup

2 cups water
1 cup sugar

Bring water to a boil. Remove from heat and stir in sugar until dissolved.

Gingered Tea Syrup

Gingered Tea Syrup

2 bags of black tea
10 discs of crystallized ginger
1 cup water

Bring water to a boil in a small saucepan. Remove from heat. Add tea bags and ginger to water and steep for 10 minutes. Remove tea bags and ginger and discard. Return mixture to heat and reduce to 1/4 cup. Remove from heat and chill.

O-T Cocktail

MxMo: O-T Cocktail

This round of Mixology Monday features cocktails based on or including tea, and is graciously hosted by Cocktail Virgin / Slut. My submission is a gingered tea syrup, which paids well with seasonal blood orange juice in this cocktail, and opens up a whole range of other possibilities. Considering it all came together during the Saints' OT win in the NFC playoff, I'll call it the O-T Cocktail. Cheers!


O-T Cocktail

2 oz vodka
1 oz simple syrup
Juice of 1 blood orange
1/2 oz Gingered tea syrup

Shake vodka, simple syprup and juice with ice and strain into a cocktail glass. Gently add gingered tea syrup so it pool is the bottom of the glass.

A Rejiggered Sidecar

This weekend a nearby bar did a nice job with a sidecar, but I wanted something more novel and shook up a variation with a smooth hint of apple.

Calvados Sidecar

2 oz cognac
2 oz calvados
2 oz Grand Marnier
1/2 oz simple syrup
Juice of one lemon

Shake ingredients together with ice and strain into a cocktail glass. If you like, garnish with turbonado sugar and strip of lemon rind.