What To Drink on Election Night...

In case you were wondering how to celebrate on Election Day, you can check out ExtraTV.com's Luxaholics for 4 cocktails from La-La-Land.

Extra asked yours truly to create two Election Cocktails - one for each camp (featured below). I started with the classic Aviation as inspiration as my hope is that our new leader will help us soar into smoother sailing with regard to both the economy and our global relationships. I added a splash of champange to both of my drinks because, frankly, as far as I'm concerned, there is no celebration without a little bubbly.

The election cocktail feature also presents 2 drinks from my fellow cocktail-lover, Marcos Tello, who is the resident mixologist at downtown's swanky speakeasy-style joint, The Edison. Luxaholics even suggests some liquorless celebrating by plugging "Preggatinis: Mixology for the Mom-To-Be," due in December. (Thank you, Luxaholics!)

Either way the election goes, you will have something to tickle your tastebuds... not to mention, we are all campaigning to bring Los Angeles Mixology into the libational spotlight, one fine drink at a time.

The Aviator of Hope (Obama)
1 1/2 ounces of gin
3/4 ounce maraschino liqueur
1/2 ounce blueberry pomegranate juice
1/2 ounce lemon juice
6 - 8 blueberries (fresh or frozen, thawed)
splash of champagne

Muddle 4 blueberries in the bottom of a mixing glass. Add maraschino liqueur, gin and juices. Shake well, with ice. Strain into a cocktail glass and top with a splash of champagne.


The Red Baron (McCain)
1 1/2 ounces of tequila
3/4 ounce Cherry Heering liqueur
3/4 ounce orange juice
1/2 ounce lime juice
1/2 ounce agave nectar
splash of champagne

Pour tequila, Cherry Heering, juices and agave nectar into a mixing glass. Shake well, with ice. Strain into a martini glass and top with a splash of champagne.

The Bartender Diaries

A Sucker for Sake

So, remember when I told you about my time at B.A.R. and mentioned meeting cool people from around the country? Well, here’s one of them. Its funny – that proverb about books and their covers… At first look, David Roth is a tough talkin’ tattooed guy from Connecticut. If I’d met him in the street, instead of studying spirits and cocktails, I would have pegged him for a beer-and-a-shot man. Macho, straight forward. How would I have known that I was sitting next to a sake expert – who has studied in Japan! Holy smokes. I had to get this guy on The Liquid Muse. In his own words:

"About 4 years ago I was approached to run a new yakitori and sake bar in Hartford. I said, “A what and what bar?” Yakitori is easy. It's chicken skewers. o.k. Sake? Sake is that hot stuff that gives you a massive hangover right? It's really strong and you drop it in beer for sake bombs. What’s to know?

Fast forward to the present day and what I know about sake will bore most people within one minute. My quest for knowledge began with buying a book by John Gauntner, which I highly recommend. Then there is info on the Internet. I tasted as much sake as I could. I asked my reps questions about sake that most could not even answer. Mostly I got, "The good stuff is served cold.” True.

One day a sake salesman named Michael and I were talking and I was asking him all kinds of sake questions. He was impressed with my knowledge and asked where I had learned all the info. I told him I had John's book. He asked why I didn’t sign up for John's class in Tokyo. I was like, “There's a sake class in Tokyo? Seriously?” So I did.

Sake is delicious. It's subtle and sweet, it's fruity and dry, it is many things and I like it. Usually convincing someone to try premium chilled sake is best handled by letting them taste it. There are many grades and styles within those categories. It gets a little confusing. So, I decided to dummy it down and make many different sake- tinis. It is a way to introduce sake into peoples’ vocabulary - and their blood stream. If they have questions after that, a thirst for knowledge if you will, I can go from there.

One of the most popular cocktails at my bar is a Cucumber Sake Martini. I use Crop Organic Cucumber vodka, a nice tokubetsu junmai grade sake called Shirakabe Gura White Label, and just a touch of simple syrup. Shake it up and pour into a nice chilled martini glass with a lighlty salted rim and a cucumber pinwheel garnish. Tastes like summer. Well, summer and a salad.

Cucumber Sake Martini

1 1/2 ounces Crop Organic Cucumber Vodka
1 1/2 ounces premium sake, preferably junmai grade.
Dash of simple syrup

Shake vigorously and strain into a chilled cocktail glass

At Koji offer ten or so sake cocktails and offer 40 or so premium sakes by the bottle and glass. Since sake is lower in alcohol than most spirits, 14 - 16%, it softens up the drinks and allows the consumer to enjoy more than one cocktail without falling out of their barstool. Sake is still a hard sell in Hartford but I try to practice, "education without pretension". The category is growing in the U.S and worth getting a little info on. Luckily my bar is still one of the hottest spots in Hartford. Our drinks are constantly featured in the Hartford Courant's Liquor Cabinet. Sake sales can always be better but I can't stop trying to get it into peoples mouths. Check out my bar at Hellokoji.com. Kanpai!"

Cast Your Vote

We are going to be seeing a lot of these kinds of cocktails over the next few months. Yes, “election blah, blah” has made its way behind the bar. I promise NOT to feature the multitudes of 'candidate cocktails' already being submitted to me from all around the country. (Let the election be OVER already…)

However, I happen to really like Blue on Blue, which is the retro-swanky bar inside the glamorously historic Avalon Hotel in Beverly Hills. They were nice enough to let me shoot my first ever YouTube video there. (Thank God I've gotten much better at it since then!)

Also, September is National Bourbon Month so – although I won’t be voting ‘red’ on November 4 (there, I said it) – it makes sense to include a drink featuring Jim Beam.

Not to mention, with the non-stop media coverage of whether Barack ate a sandwich or a salad for lunch, or whether Cindy McCain wears too much expensive jewelry, I think we could all use a drink!

Obamarita
2 oz Patron Silver Tequila
1 oz Blue Curacao
3/4 oz Fresh Lime Juice
Dash Simple Syrup
Splash Prosecco

Rim a Shake tequila, curacao, limejuice and simple syrup with ice, then strain over an ice-filled rocks glass. Top with Prosecco. Garnish with a lime wheel.

McCainade
2 oz Jim Beam
1/2 oz Amaretto
1 oz Lemonade
1 oz Iced Tea
healthy dash Grenadine

Shake all ingredients (with ice) and serve on the rocks in a Hurricane or tall Iced Tea glass. Garnish with a lemon twirl.

The Liquid Muse Sustainable Sips

Just in case you haven't gotten these recipes yet, here they are again. These are featured in The Liquid Muse Sustainable Sips cocktail classes, which I've taught in Seattle, Boston, New York - and am coming to Chicago next week! I'm going to do them regularly in Los Angeles, starting in 2009... so sign up for my Museletter to get priority registration!

"Green" and White Harvest Sangria (serves about 12 in white wine glasses)

4 organic red apples
3 organic bosc (greenish) pears
8 organic purple figs
1/4 bottle Veev acai spirit
1/4 bottle organic pear nectar
3 bottles Bonterra Chardonnay

Core the apples and pears, then dice all fruit (skins on) and place in a large bowl. Pour in Veev and pear nectar. Place in fridge to "marinate" for approx 1 hour.

Just before guests arrive, spoon 1 tablespoonful of fruit mixture WITH liquid into each glass. Top with Bonterra Chardonnay (fill glass 2/3 full). As guests arrive, fill with ice and hand it to them for a refreshing, sustainable drink as they walk in the door!

The Liquid Muse Spicy Grapefruit Margarita (recipe for 1 serving)

1 teaspoon seeded, diced jalapeno (taste jalapeno to see how hot it is first - use less or more depending on your tastebuds!)
1 ounce agave syrup
1 ounce *freshly squeezed* lime juice (approx 1 lime)
2 1/2 ounces organic grapefruit juice
1 1/2 ounces 4 Copas organic tequila (I like the reposado for this drink)

Muddle jalapeno and agave syrup in the bottom of a mixing glass (or cocktail shaker). Add limejuice, grapefruit juice and tequila. Fill with ice. Shake for approximately 30 seconds. Strain into a chilled martini glass. Garnish with a lime wheel - or if you're feeling adventurous - a jalapeno on a cocktail pick!

The Perfect Garnish

Grey Goose Cocktails Gussied Up By Bentley of Beverly Hills

I just love a party featuring multiple layers of luxury. The “coming out party” for Bentley’s new Continental Flying Spur and its revved up twin, the Continental Flying Spur Speed was exactly that. Who knew that the parking lot of a car dealership could become a fancy affair?

The never-ending flow of tray-passed hors d’oeuvres didn’t let up for a minute. Little skewers of steak, chicken and shrimp, each with their own dipping sauces; smoked gouda and apple pizza; spring rolls; Thai cups; spicy Mexican bites; and more, floated under our noses by a fleet of models-for-hire. Massages were given in one corner of the party, and makeovers in another. And, we were offered more hand-rolled cigars than we could smoke in a lifetime.

And, don’t get me started on the eye-candy. No, I’m not talking about the monstrous disasters just back from the plastic surgeon. I’m talking about the cars. Sparkling hunks of polished metal with chrome and shiny wood stood proudly peering out at us, mere mortals, mocking our desirous stares.

However, I’ll be honest about my main motivation for driving my little American-made, 5 year old chariot into the 90210… I went to check out the cocktails. I was interested to see what would be served at the launch party for the most luxurious new car gracing our streets.

Cars are a big deal in L.A. Angelenos spend a lot of time in them, measure one another by them, and buy ones they can’t afford. With valets at banks, gyms, shopping malls and, oh yeah, restaurants, our cars are our most obtrusive accessory. They say something about the way we see ourselves. And, nothing yells, “Hey everyone, I’m really well-to-do!” louder than a Bentley.

I’m not necessarily a fan of “new money.” Gaudy, rude, unsophisticated spoiled brats with chips on their shoulders are a-plenty in this town. They usually travel the Gucci- and Prada-lined streets in Hummers, tool through Santa Monica in bright yellow Ferraris, speed around the hills in a red Maserati or hit Hollywood in a black, tinted-window Escalade with spinning rims. Occasionally, one may try to “make a statement” with an eco-friendly, affordable Prius, or some such nonsense, which is the worst because there’s nothing worse than a self-righteous “nouveau riche.”

I do, however, enjoy seeing “old money” roll by in a Rolls Royce – or even better – sitting in the back of one as the chauffeur maneuvers the road. L.A. is a sun-shiny, youth-oriented, pop-culture bubble. It’s nice to see flickers of the glamour of yesteryear.

So, when I got an invitation to this exclusive Bentley event, I admit that I was curious. What kind of people would be there – and what would they drink to toast their favorite new set of wheels?

Christophe Namer, the charming Frenchman who oversees Grey Goose vodka on the West Coast answered that question quite deliciously. There were four signature cocktails presented at the event, and everybody had a drink in their hand. Of those presented, my favorite was the delightful Pear Flower. Slightly sweet, citrusy enough to be refreshing – it had some zip and zing and a soft finish. And, I’m going to share it with you:

2 1/2 ounces GREY GOOSE® La Poire
1/2 ounce premium elderflower liqueur
2 1/2 ounces fresh squeezed ruby red grapefruit juice
1/2 ounce fresh squeezed lemon juice
1/2 ounce simple syrup
Garnish with an edible flower

Mix all ingredients in a cocktail shaker filled with ice. Shake vigorously and strain cocktail into martini glass. Garnish with an edible flower.

Christophe also pulled a little Molecular Mixology out of his beret and presented four kinds of Grey Goose jellies on a silver tray. One of them featured caviar embedded within and another had chocolate and truffle. Truly French… totally gourmet.

A cool evening breeze blew as stilettos clicked across the parking lot beneath a din of satisfied party guests’ chattering. Claire and I gaily popped alcohol-laced jellies into our mouths and hob-nobbed with the upper crust, and it almost didn’t seem odd that we were lounging on plush sofas upon asphalt.

We felt quite at home until it was time to leave, and nearly every car retrieved at the valets stand was, indeed, a Bentley. Or, an Aston Martin. Hell, the crappiest one was a 2-year old Mercedes. Claire called it “character building” as my lil’ Dodge made its way toward the nappy crowd, and we had to laugh. For some guests, the Grey Goose drinks were mere enhancements for the party. For me, the party, and their beautiful Bentleys, were the perfect garnish for the cocktails.

Summer Sangrias

A couple of my sangria recipes were recently featured in Simply Wine Magazine and paired with delectable edibles from ZuZu Restaurant of Napa, California.

Why not give these a whirl for your next summer dinner party?

Earth Day in Boston

"Sustainable Sips" Take On More Meaning

I am so happy to be teaching The Liquid Muse "Sustainable Sips" cocktail class on Earth Day! If saving the planet and eating for a healthy body aren't enough incentive to "go green," how about a delicious cocktail?

Last night, I kicked off the first of a week-long run in Bean Town - and we had a blast!

Yes, Lance Armstrong ran the Boston Marathon, yesterday. Yes, the Red Sox won (again). But, I seriously challenge other fun-lovers to have had as much fun as we did down at the Method Home store, down on Newbury Street.

Members of the environmental awareness group called Conscious Consuming attended the class, and learned to reduce their "carbon footprint" while sipping a luscious libation. Conscious Consuming focuses on "increasing awareness of the impact of buying decisions on our health, happiness and environment," which can by all means be brought into the glass. Some students jumped behind the bar to try their hand at whipping up - and even creating - their own drinks!

I've invited some wonderful organic and / or sustainably-minded liquor companies to sponsor my series of classes over the coming months (in Boston, NYC and Minneapolis), and I've designed some yummy drinks with those products. Each of the cocktails is inspired by Method Home, which uses appetizing essences such as cucumber, mint, ginger, lavender and berries to make your home smell like a big, organic field of fruits and flowers!

Below, I'm sharing my recipes so you can whip up a little eco-buzz for your Earth Day party!

(All recipes are intellectual property of The Liquid Muse, LLC and may not be reprinted online or in print without permission from Natalie Bovis-Nelsen.)

Method Margarita Martini

1 1/2 ounces 4 Copas organic tequila
1 ounce lime juice
11/2 ounces grapefruit juice
1 slice jalapeno
1 tsp 4 Copas agave nectar
course sea salt

Rim a martini glass with course sea salt. Muddle jalapeno, lime juice and agave nectar in the bottom of a mixing glass. Add grapefruit juice and tequila. Shake well and gently strain into glass.
*****

Detox America Cocktail

1 1/2 ounces Bluecoat gin
1 ounce Veev acai liqueur
2 ounces organic pomegranate juice
1/2 ounce lime juice
1 teaspoon sugar (or 1/2 ounce simple syrup)
pinch freshly grated ginger

Pour all ingredients, except ginger, into a cocktail shaker. Add ice and shake well. Strain into a martini glass. Grate fresh ginger over the top of the cocktail.
*****

Method Mojito

1 heaping tablespoon organic cucumber
1 heaping tablespoon of diced organic lime
1 heaping teaspoon raw brown sugar
2-3 torn mint leaves
1 1/2 ounces Purus organic vodka
Organic Italian sparkling lemonade

Muddle cucumber, sugar and mint leaves in tall glass. Pour in vodka. Top with sparkling lemonade. Garnish with a sprig of mint or lime wheel.
*****

“Green” and White Summer Sangria

Organic strawberries, peaches, kiwis
Purus organic vodka
Veev acai liqueur
Lavender honey
Organic peach juice
Bonterra organic chardonnay

Finely chop fruit into a bowl or Tupperware container. Drizzle with honey then add a half-inch of each peach juice and vodka. Let marinate several hours. When ready to serve, spoon one tablespoon of fruit mixture into each glass, and top with Bonterra. Garnish with strawberry on the rim of the glass.

HAPPY EARTH DAY!

It's Julep Time!

Last year, I watched the ponies in person - which was extra exciting for me because I was hired to design a Liquid Muse Signature Cocktail called "The Bodog Jetset Julep" for bodog.com's Kentucky Derby celebration. You can also follow the step-by-step "how to make the perfect julep" (below) which comes to us from our buddies over at Maker's Mark. Whichever recipe you choose for your Derby Day extravaganza, have fun and don't forget to wear a big hat!

“The Perfect Mint Julep”

1 liter Maker’s Mark
Lots of fresh spearmint
Distilled water
Granulated sugar
Powdered sugar

To prepare the mint extract, remove about 40 small mint leaves – wash and place in a small mixing bowl. Cover with 3 ounces of Maker’s Mark. Allow the leaves to soak for 15 minutes. Then gather the leaves in a clean, soap-free piece of cotton cloth and vigorously wring the mint bundle over the bowl of whisky. Dip the bundle again and repeat the process several times. Then set aside.

To prepare the simple syrup, mix 1 cup of granulated sugar and one cup of water in a cooking pot. Heat to dissolve the sugar. Stir constantly so the sugar does not burn. Set aside to cool.

To prepare the mint julep mixture, pour 3 1⁄2 cups of Maker’s Mark into a large glass bowl or glass pitcher. (Pour the remaining whisky from the liter bottle into another container and save it for another purpose). Add 1 cup of the simple syrup to the Maker’s Mark.

Now, begin adding the mint extract a tablespoon at a time to the julep mixture. Each batch of mint extract is different, so you must taste and smell after each tablespoon is added. You may have to leave the room a time or two to clear your nose. The tendency is to use too much mint. You are looking for a soft mint aroma and taste – generally about 3 tablespoons.

When you think it’s right, pour the whole mixture back into the empty liter bottle and refrigerate it for at least 24 hours to “marry” the flavors.

To serve the mint julep, fill each glass (preferably a silver mint julep cup) half full with shaved ice. Insert a sprig of mint and then pack in more ice to about an inch over the top of the cup. Then, insert a straw that has been cut to one inch above the top of the cup so the nose is forced close to the mint when sipping the julep.

When frost forms on the cup, pour the refrigerated julep mixture over the ice and add a sprinkle of powdered sugar to the top of the ice. Then serve.

Call A Truce on St. Patty’s Day!

The English and Irish have at least one thing in common… they both love to drink! Make like shiny, happy people and toast the Emerald Isle with a classic-style English gin. (The recipes are even in metrics!)

Plymouth Express
50 ml Plymouth Gin
25 ml Lime Cordial
25 ml Sparking Water

Pour in Plymouth Gin and Lime Cordial into a rocks glass. Top with Sparkling Water. Stir and add cucumber garnish.


Aviation
50 ml Plymouth Gin
35 ml Lemon Juice
15 ml Maraschino Liqueur
1 dash Syrup de Gomme

Pour Plymouth Gin, lemon juice (freshly squeezed), maraschino liqueur and syrup de gomme into an ice-filled mixing glass. Shake well. Strain into a martini glass. Add lemon zest garnish.

Kumo's Cocktails Had Me On 'Cloud 9'

I recently popped into Kumo in West Hollywood to try the black vinegar cocktail I’d been hearing about. I tried such cocktails in London’s trendsetting libational landscape and was intrigued that such forward-thinking ideas were taking root in L.A., which is not yet recognized as a drinking destination of note in cocktailian circles.

Sitting at the all-white bar, in the all-white eatery (Kumo means “cloud” in Japanese), the first thing that struck me was the energy and excitement behind the bar. James Bobby is Kumo’s head barman and responsible for most of the inspired drinks. The bartender working alongside him, Fred, shared his enthusiasm for a quality tipple. A rare but exciting thing to see in La-La-Land.

Of course, it helps that both of these guys are from Chicago – a town whose cocktail bars have been recognized for innovation and a place where (unlike AA-saturated Los Angeles) a good drink goes hand-in-hand with a great night out. To me, a bartender is integral to that experience, something that Bobby understands. He recognizes that sometimes a guest will want to connect with the bartender, and have a friendly chat or air the grievances of the day. He jokes, “Sometimes even a bartender needs a good bartender.”

Kumo is also a Japanese restaurant and if you go in for a sushi fix, make note of the dramatic digital artwork by Chiho Aoshima (see photo above). His piece, titled “City Glow” spans five plasma TV screens, and the piece is one of only five in existence. It gives the space a joyful sort of Jetsons-meets-Harijuko feel. I did not experience the food but was not disappointed by what I came in to try…

The Black Margarita blends Patron tequila, Citronage, homemade sour and a splash of black vinegar. The whole thing is shaken and served on the rocks with a lavender salt rim. I love the balance of acid against the sweetly sour citrus notes, and tequila is a distinctive enough spirit not to get lost in the mix. Bravo. That’s one I’d have again.

I also enjoyed the Kumokaze, which James says he dreamed up while chatting with the chef, one night. They both agreed that the restaurant needed its own namesake on the cocktail menu. This drink is blue and white as an homage to clouds, and it tastes both spicy and sweet. The spicy kick of chil-infused vodka is softened with a little honey syrup, and leaves your tastebuds in orbit. Until you float back down to Earth, and order another, anyway...

Kumokaze
2 ounces Japanese Takanotsume peppers steeped Ketel One Vodka
1 1/2 ounces Blue Curacao
1 ounce homemade sour mix (lemon, lime, and orange juices sweetened with honey)
1/4oz Honey Syrup to taste
1/4oz Blueberry Puree
Served with a large sugar rim

Shake all ingredients, strain into an ice-filled , sugar rimmed rocks glass.

Photos: Claire Barrett Photography

Present Your Valentine With A Bouquet of Rosé!

Have you picked out the perfect bouquet for your Valentine? Be original this year and think beyond flowers. The stylish suitor wins hearts with a Bouquet of Rosé cocktail!

Domaine Carneros (Taittinger) requested a Liquid Muse Signature Cocktail to launch its Brut Rosé, a few months ago. This delicately balanced sparkling wine is undeniably romantic, so I aimed to make my bubbly libation complement the dry sparkler's wild strawberry and apricot notes with hints of rose and lavender.

Whether simply popping a cork this Valentine's Day - or popping the question - whip up the Bouquet of Rosé and toast to love with rose-colored glasses.

You can also sample this cocktail at the Domaine Carneros winery tasting room in Napa or at the Bubble Lounge in New York and San Francisco, through March 1, 2008

Get this recipe (and more!) by subscribing to The Liquid Muse Mixology Museletter!

Photo by Claire Barrett

More Holiday Cheer!

This festive article, written by Jenny Adams for Nightclub & Bar Magazine, features two of my holiday creations: Ho-Ho-Hot Holiday Margarita and the White Creole Christmas Punch. A couple of my cocktail-loving pals, Cheryl Charming and Jonathan Pogash, also present their yummy recipes.

And, one thing is for sure - if you're not in the holiday spirit by the end of Jenny's article, you'll - at least - be thristing for a drink!

Mixology Monday, November

Here I come careening in at the last possible moment to share a drink at the online cocktail party, otherwise known as Paul Clarke’s baby, the infamous MxMo! This month, Jay - Britain’s premiere imbiber at Oh Gosh! - is host. He has chosen none other than “gin” as the topic. “Pip, pip, cheerio!” I say to that.

While I enjoy a vodka cocktail from time to time, it has staged a sneaky little take-over, pushing gin out of the limelight for the last several years. (I blame it all on Sex in the City and their over-exposed favorite cocktail, and the inane multitude of variations of the Cosmo… but that's ranting from other posts.)

So, here we are with gin back at the forefront. I mean – geesh – have you noticed all the gins (and “gin light”) on the market lately? What do I mean by “gin light?” Well, let’s put it this way…

As with whiskey, some people (women in particular) get it in their heads that gin is “too strong,” “will give me a terrible hangover,” “is an old man’s drink.”

While the mainstays of solid, good old aromatic gin (like Bombay Sapphire, for example) are regularly enjoyed by the masculine and well-to-do, new products appeal to the gin-wary. G’Vine has more floral notes that juniper ones. Sonnema Herb refers to itself as a ‘vodka’ but it does have juniper notes. (Isn’t juniper what makes a ‘vodka’ a ‘gin,’ after all?) Damrak is angling to get Holland back in the gin game (gin began as genever, then became the drink we know when British soldiers brought it back to the home country, and later to India where the ‘gin and tonic’ was widely drunk … for “medicinal purposes” staving off Malaria.) Today, rebellious Blue Coat gin steals the British spirit Stateside.

A whole bevy of our favorite vodka drinks began with gin – from the martini (originally made with a 7:1 ratio of gin and vermouth) to the Snapper (predecessor to the Bloody Mary).

And, of course, throwing in a bit of feminine lore, lovers of the literati and the wild girls of the roaring 20’s must read Bobbed Hair and Bathtub Gin (recipe for bathtub gin in this post) These rebellious beauties (Zelda Fitzgerald, Dorothy Parker, Edna St. Vincent Millay and Edna Ferber) would drive any sane man to the bottle --- only it would already be empty because the gals would have finished it off hours before!

So, I suppose this is the time when I present a cocktail to share with the MxMo party crowd. Well, since I’m running late, and you’ve probably already drunk your fill, I will leave you with my version a morning-after waster-chaser:

The Liquid Muse Snapper (with a kick)

2 ounces tomato water*
1 1/2 ounces gin
dash salt, pepper, Angostura bitters
1/2 teaspoon red chili powder
1/4 ounce lemon juice
1/4 ounce lime juice
lemon wheel
sprig of fresh dill

Rim a Collins glass with ground chili powder. Fill with ice. Set aside. Shake tomato water, gin, salt, pepper, bitters and lemon & lime juices, with ice. Strain into tall glass. Garnish with a lemon wheel and sprig of dill. Enjoy with an aspirin and a big glass of water after a night out...

*Personally, I can’t stand thick tomato juice, so I prefer tomato water. Make it by freezing several tomatoes overnight, in a glass bowl. Thaw them the next morning in the same bowl and save the liquid that collects in it. Next, peel off the skin of each tomato, and squeeze it over the bowl, so its juice adds to the contents of the bowl. (Set the meat of the tomatoes aside to make pasta sauce.) Strain the liquid from the bowl, and voila – tomato water!

The Liquid Muse Detox Diet

If you think my cleanse is liquor-free, you are sooo very mistaken. The Liquid Muse "Sustainable Sips" cocktail presentations in Seattle drew inspiration from Method Home eco-friendly cleaning products.

During their month-long promotion, Method encouraged detox-ing the home by throwing out cleaning products made with unhealthy chemicals, and replacing them with their eco-friendly line.

The Liquid Muse “Sustainable Sips” class focuses on using organic or “all natural” spirits, mixers, herbs, fruits and vegetables to create luscious libations which take the “toxic” out of “intoxication!”

I created four drinks to complement a stylish, sustainable lifestyle using cucumber, grapefruit, lavender, almond and mint to share with all the ladies who attended the classes.

Just as the ladies chucked out the Ajax and other chemical-based cleaning products, I also encouraged them to toss out the bottled sweet-n-sour and Rudolph nose-colored maraschino cherries. These holiday drinks are perfect for eco- and organic- minded party animals!


Cherry Almond Champagne Cocktail

3/4 ounce Casal Dos Jordoes Tawny Port (made from organically-grown grapes)
3 or 4 ounces Can Vendrell Cava Brut Reserva (made from organically-grown grapes)
2 teaspoon organic sugar
4-5 drops organic almond extract
1 sour cherry
Sugar-rim a chilled champagne flute by rubbing rim with a lime, then dipping into sugar. Pour one teaspoon of sugar into bottom of flute, then add almond extract. Drop in sour cherry. Gently pour in port, then top with cava.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Method Mojito

1 heaping tablespoon organic cucumber
1 heaping tablespoon of diced organic lime
1 heaping teaspoon organic Agave nectar
6-7 torn mint leaves
1 1/2 ounces Square One Organic Vodka
All natural Fever Tree sparkling bitter lemon soda

Muddle cucumber, Agave nectar and mint leaves in tall glass. Pour in vodka. Top with soda. Garnish with a sprig of mint or lime wheel.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Lavender Grapefruit Martini

1 1/2 ounces Square One Organic Vodka
1 heaping teaspoon organic lavender-honey
2 ounces freshly squeezed organic grapefruit juice
1 dash Fee Brothers grapefruit bitters*
1/2 ounce freshly squeezed organic lime juice
1 organic edible flower

Pour honey into mixing glass, add vodka. Stir until honey dissolves. Add grapefruit juice, lime juice, bitters and ice. Shake vigorously, then strain into a chilled martini glass. Garnish with an edible flower or lime wheel. *bitters are optional

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
“Green” Harvest Sangria
organic figs, pears, apples, red grapes
Square One organic vodka
Organic pear nectar
Bonterra organic chardonnay

Finely chop figs, pears, apples and grapes. Put into bowl or Tupperware container and add a half-inch of each pear nectar and vodka. Let marinate several hours. When ready to serve, spoon one tablespoon of fruit mixture into each glass, and top with Bonterra. Garnish with pear slice or fig on the rim of the glass.

Cocktails with S.O.L.E.

From the Farm to the Glass -
and the first flavored organic vodka is coming soon...!

Seasonal. Organic. Local. Ethical. “Sole” is the heart of sustainable cuisine. And, a sustainable diet doesn’t stop at the kitchen. Today it’s easier than ever to carry that philosophy behind the bar!

This topic came up at Tales of the Cocktail, and a panel of speakers passionate about blending “eco” and “gourmet” contributed their two cents.

Of course, the one nearest to my heart was Allison Evanow, CEO of Square One Organic Vodka. I first interviewed Allison last fall. One of the things that stands out most when remembering that phone call, was her stirring the persimmon puree bubbling on her stove. How often does a CEO of a liquor company create “from scratch” cocktail recipes in her own kitchen?

Allison considers herself a foodie and ‘environment local advocate.’ She lives in the Bay Area and shops at the farmers market, incorporating fresh, seasonal ingredients into her cooking and home bartending. Her product reflects her commitment to an organic lifestyle.

While some vodka boast about being distilled 4, 5 or 6 times, Square One Organic Vodka is made from organic rye and distilled only once. As Allison points out, “Some people say, ‘You distill out all the impurities, so who cares?’” Evanow’s answer to that is: “Start at square one and do it right the first time.” It even has a USDA Organic seal on the bottle.

And, Square One fans will be excited to know that the first flavored organic vodka – Square One Organic Cucumber – will be out this fall!

So, it is little wonder that I included Square One Organic Vodka in my Sustainable Sips Cocktail Class in Los Angeles, last week. I took a cocktail Square One presented in the Farm to Glass seminar called the Creole Martini, and gave it my own twist to create this cocktail, which I demonstrated to the students in my class:

Farm Fresh Caprese Martini
2 ounces of Square One® Organic Vodka
2 ounces of tomato water
juice from 1/2 lemon
dash angostura bitters
Garnish: Caprese Skewer

Shake vodka, tomato water, lemon juice and bitters with ice. Strain into a cocktail glass, and garnish with a Caprese Skewer.

Caprese Skewer: Marinate a piece of mozzarella (or mozzarella ball) in olive oil and a little balsamic vinegar for a few hours. Before serving, slide mozzarella, an organic cherry tomato and organic basil leaf onto skewer and lay across glass.

Tomato Water: Freeze large round organic tomatoes overnight. In the morning, set them out to thaw in a glass dish. Peel the skins and over a separate dish, squeeze the tomatoes with your (clean) hands. Collect that liquid, and set tomato “meat” aside to use in cooking sauces, later.