My Summer Cocktail

I have been making a Watermelon-Basil Granita for years now, and it just now occurred to me to combine the same flavors into a cocktail. The spirit? Cathead Vodka's new Honeysuckle Vodka, the only booze I can say that reminds me of my childhood summers at my grandparents' homes in southeastern Virginia. When I found a bush redolent with the dulcet blossoms, I would carefully pluck the stamen through the flower, and touch the stamen, bowed with the drop of nectar, to my tongue. The subtle floral note in Cathead's Honeysuckle Vodka brings back those moments of childish innocence, when my only frustration was not catching enough fireflies to fill a mason jar.

Basil simple syrup is something I don't think enough bars use in their cocktails. Its slight bite lends a deeper flavor to the often sickly-sweet simple syrup. Watermelon juice, a neutral, refreshing foundation,  provides a foil to the stronger herbal flavor of the basil. Altogether, the cocktail is a little sweet, a little tart, and absolutely perfect for steamy summer evenings here in the Deep South.

Honeywater Basil Cooler
Makes 1 drink

1 cup of watermelon chunks, pureed and strained
3 tablespoons basil simple syrup (See Watermelon Basil Granita recipe)
1 shot Cathead Honeysuckle Vodka
juice of 1 lime
lime wedges
sprig of basil

In a highball glass full of ice, pour vodka. Add watermelon juice, syrup, and lime juice. Garnish with lime wedges and sprig of basil. Enjoy!

The Minty Side of the Pillow

Why is a pot of the most bountiful mint ever riding shotgun in my mother's Honda Civic?

Good question. I left our beach house with this beautiful monster in tow. I was tempted to strap it in with the seatbelt, but I decided to live dangerously. I'm really not sure why it's this big, or why my mother's thumb is is green, but I inherited it, and I'm going to make the most of it.

This will be a mixology blog only. I'm not sure how to use mint in cooking except for in a sauce or garnish. The master recipe is mint simple syrup, and at the risk of using silly puns, it couldn't be "simpler."


Mint Simple Syrup

1 cup sugar
1 cup water
2 handfuls of mint leaves


Combine sugar and water in a medium saucepan over medium-low heat. Bring it to a very light simmer and stir until sugar dissolves. Take off the heat when it is clear and slightly reduced. Bruise the mint leaves with the handle of a wooden spoon, but do not tear them. Add the mint to the syrup and let steep for at least 30 minutes. Remove the mint leaves and refrigerate the syrup in an airtight container. Keeps for about 2 weeks.
Once you've made your mint syrup, there are no limits to its uses. Here are a few of my favorites:

Southern Mint Julep
Makes 1 drink

A mint julep is a simple drink but can actually be quite complicated to make well. It requires the best bourbon, the freshest mint, the finest-crushed ice, and the coldest vessel money can buy. I use Maker's Mark Bourbon. I know it isn't the most expensive of bourbons, but the highest end bourbons shouldn't be mixed. Why mess with perfection? I also use Salisbury Pewter julep cups. They keep the drink so cold that it hurts to hold them. They're pricey at $30 a pop, but again, why mess with perfection? Surprisingly, there are many varieties of mint. I use 'Kentucky Colonel' Mint, which is of the Spearmint variety. I crush the ice by hand with a hammer. I know you think I'm kidding, but I'm not, and my forearms aren't either.

1 1/2 ounces Maker's Mark
3/4 ounce mint syrup
finely crushed ice
3 or 4 spearmint leaves
a mint sprig

Bruise mint leaves with the mint syrup in the bottom of a pewter cup. Fill full of crushed ice.
Add bourbon slowly and stir ever so slightly so as to not melt the ice. Garnish with a mint sprig.

Classic Mojito
Makes 1 drink

Although I am much more of a julep person, sometimes you need something a little lighter and less potent. This is where a mojito comes in. Although I would never adulterate a julep (although I did have a delicious ginger-mint one in New Orleans) a mojito begs to be tinkered. Try muddling your favorite fruit with the mint.

3 lime wedges
2 teaspoons lime juice
1 ounce mint syrup
1 1/2 ounces silver/white rum
a handful of mint leaves
club soda

In the bottom of a highball glass, crush 2 lime wedges with the simple syrup and all but a few of the mint leaves. I use a muddler, but you can use a wooden spoon if you don't have one. Add rum and top with club soda. Garnish with the mint and one lime wedge. Enjoy!

A Bloody Experiment

I was at Fresh Market yesterday buying produce for my gazpacho, and in the refrigerated section I saw a pretty bottle of juice. I've heard of blood oranges, and even purchased them a few times, but for eating out of hand I found them to be too juicy. It occurred to me then, as I was standing in front of the chilly case, that blood orange juice would be fantastic in a margarita. Let them do the work of extracting every drop of tangy sherbet-colored nectar!

Before I start with the recipe, let me make something clear. I don't do frozen margaritas. Unless I'm sweltering in Mexico or on a sultry Caribbean island, I prefer my slurpees to be non-alcoholic. There's the brain freeze, the sensitive teeth issue...I realize in July I did a pina colada recipe, but the fresh pineapple kept it liquidy enough and the Superblender pulverized the ice into oblivion, just the way I like it.

Anyway, I called my neighbor to gauge her interest in this experiment, and she was all in. I was pleased to see that this particular brand of blood orange juice was from Mt. Etna, in Sicily, the site of a live volcano which I visited my senior year in high school on a Camerata trip. I have fond memories of the burping mountain that spewed ash all over my coat, so I knew this juice was going to be good. I compiled my ingredients: silver tequila, the juice, a lime, and triple sec. The recipe is below, and the results were fantastic. It was tangy and sweet and thankfully lacked the overacidity of a traditional lime margarita. I couldn't have wished for a more perfect late summer cocktail.

Blood Orange Margaritas

Makes 1 cocktail

1 1/2 ounces of silver tequila

4 ounces blood orange juice

1 tablespoon lime juice

lime wedge for garnish

ice

Fill a margarita (or any) glass with ice. Pour tequila over ice, top with juices. Stir and garnish with a lime wedge.

A Typical Sunday

Piña coladas are a quintessential summer libation. They're even better when served inside a hollow pineapple, topped with a ribbon of dark rum. Well, maybe I'm biased towards my own concoctions, but I don't think it could have gotten any better. Picture this: me in the beach supermarket, hankering for some coconut and pineappple magic. For a tub of cored pineapple: $4.99. A whole fruit? Same price. Equal amounts of money for the fruit and a handy serving vessel? It's a no brainer. A can of cream of coconut came next. Yes, it has about a bazillion calories per tablespoon, but if you're going to drink your calories, make 'em count. I went by the juice aisle and almost grabbed the metal can of pineapple juice, then figured, why not try to make my own? (I told y'all, it's the summer of culinary experimentation). The hardest part was the hollowing out of the pineapple. I first cut the core out with a knife without severing any fingers, then scooped out the flesh with a large spoon. Blended on the highest setting, the pineapple transformed into frothy juice. Into the blender went the can of cream of coconut, a healthy dose of white coconut rum, and a few handfuls of ice cubes. The grand finale? A floater of dark rum that just barely sank into the pillow of froth on top. The hollowed out pineapple? Much more fun than any old hurricane glass.

Fresh Piña Coladas

Makes 2-3 pineapples or 6 tall glasses

1 ripe pineapple, hollowed out and fruit set aside
1 can cream of coconut

3/4 cup rum (light, dark, or coconut)
ice

Garnish (swizzle sticks with orange slices and cherries, paper umbrellas, pineapple wedges, etc)

Blend pineapple on highest setting for at least one full minute. Mixture should be pale yellow and frothy. Pour cream of coconut into blender. Add three handfuls of ice and rum. Blend until ice is broken up. Pour into hollowed out pineapple. Add desired garnish. If desired, pour a shot of dark rum on top of drink just before serving.