Whiskey Sour

Whiskey is definitely a spirit I've come to appreciate relatively recently in my history of consuming alcohol and the first way I ever consumed it was in a whiskey sour, on a friend's recommendation. Now I'd never touch anything with commercial sweet-and-sour mix (it's just way too saccharin for my taste), but I still enjoy the combination of sweet and sour flavors with all different types of whiskeys. My new passion for craft cocktails (and craving for a whiskey-based cocktail one night) led me to look up this recipe, which I was delighted to discover was as simple as I'd hoped it would be. Like with so many other things, a few simple ingredients can become way more than the sum of their parts, provided the ingredients are high-quality and fresh. Some things are classic and ever-popular for a reason, and this cocktail falls squarely into that category. It's sweet, it's sour, and blends beautifully with the flavor profile of a wide variety of whiskeys, though it's probably most commonly made with bourbon. If you've just had whiskey sours made with rail whiskey and commercial sweet-and-sour mix, you'll be amazed at how delicious this drink can be when you take the time to make it yourself from scratch with good ingredients. Slainte Mhath!

Whiskey Sour
adapted just slightly from Food and Wine
serves 1

Ice 
2 ounces bourbon (or other whiskey)
1 ounce fresh lemon juice 
1/2 ounce simple syrup 
1 Maraschino cherry skewered with 1/2 orange wheel or lemon slice, for garnish 

1. Fill a cocktail shaker with ice. Add the bourbon, lemon juice and simple syrup and shake well. Strain into an ice-filed rocks glass and garnish with cherry and orange wheel.

Honey Caipirinha

Being the enthusiastic locavore that I am, even when it comes my booze, I knew I needed to visit Old Sugar Distillery from the first time I heard about it. It's out of the way for me, only open three days per week, and was pretty crowded when my husband and I went some months ago, but all the effort and inconvenience was worth it to discover their delicious Honey Liqueur and the delightful Honey Cap, which I immediately sought to recreate at home. Although the Honey Liqueur might lead you to think otherwise, this drink isn't overly sweet, but an easy-sipping drink that can be enjoyed with sweet and savory alike, as well as on its own. The sweet honey and tart lime juice mingle happily with the honey liqueur, all seamlessly blended by the effervescent club soda. But, as the bartenders at Old Sugar Distillery will warn you, these cocktails go down extremely easily, so sip with caution as you enjoy this exquisite cocktail.

Honey Caipirinha
serves 1

1 lime, cut in half
1 tablespoon honey
2 ounces honey liqueur (I use Old Sugar Distillery's Honey Liqueur)
Ice cubes
4 ounces club soda

1. Juice one half of the lime and combine with honey in a glass. Cut the other half of the lime into wedges, add to the glass and muddle together with the lime juice and honey mixture. Add honey liqueur, stir to mix, then add ice. Pour club soda over the top, invert into a new glass to mix ingredients together, and enjoy!

Pumpkin Maple Old Fashioned

I am both a pumpkin and alcohol (in moderation, at least most of the time) enthusiast, so when I heard that a pumpkin spirit existed, and even more, it was from a Wisconsin distillery, I was instantly intrigued and determined to seek it out. A small bit of research led me to discover that the genius folks at Great Lakes Distillery and Lakefront Brewery, both in Milwaukee, had come up with the idea to distill the exceptional Lakefront Brewery Pumpkin Lager into a spirit (over a couple of drinks, naturally). Already a devotee of this exceptional brew, the only pumpkin lager available in the world, I was further motivated to obtain this amazing spirit, which most certainly did not disappoint. Since there is no other spirit like this made in the world, I went first to the Great Lakes Distillery website for my inaugural cocktail recipe. Old Fashioned? Love them! And with maple syrup? Absolutely! Just as I suspected, this cocktail is an amazing (and boozy) taste of fall, but only for those who aren't just trying to hide alcohol in sugary mixers to get drunk, but truly enjoy and appreciate the taste of spirits.

Pumpkin Maple Old Fashioned

from Great Lakes Distillery

serves 1

2 oz Great Lakes Distillery Pumpkin Seasonal Spirit
1/2 oz pure maple syrup
2 dashes Angostura bitters
small disc of orange zest

1. Over a mixing glass squeeze orange zest through a flame to expel burnt oils into the glass. Drop in burnt orange zest and add the Pumpkin Spirit, maple syrup, and bitters. Fill glass with ice and stir for about 30 seconds. Strain into a small chilled rocks glass. Garnish with a orange zest spiral.

Honey Almond Latte

Nearly every morning I don't have to work or rush out the door for something else, I make myself a latte. I love gourmet coffee drinks, but can't justify spending four or five dollars a pop on a regular basis (not to say that I don't indulge at local coffee shops from time to time). I don't have any illusions that my $30 Mr. Coffee espresso maker makes as good espresso as a professional machine that cost thousands of dollars, but it does the job for my weekend lattes.





There are a lot of different varieties of honey available, ranging from light, floral honeys like the common clover honey to the dark, intensely flavored buckwheat honey, so choose an amount of honey based on the character of the honey you have and how sweet you like your latte. I don't like things terribly sweet, so you my want to add even more honey than I list in this recipe. To amplify the almond flavor, use almond milk in place of dairy or soy milk. This is a subtly flavored latte, with just a bit of extra sweetness and flavor from a plain latte, so if you're looking for a super-sweet dessert like drink, this isn't for you, but perfect if you just want a little something extra in your morning pick-me-up.
 
Honey Almond Latte
serves 1

2-4 t. honey
1/4 t. pure almond extract
2 shots hot espresso
8 oz. warm, frothed milk (dairy, soy, or almond)


1. Add honey and almond extract to a mug and stir to combine. Pour in the hot espresso, stirring rapidly to dissolve the honey. Add the milk and stir, then top with a bit of milk froth. Serve hot and enjoy a few minutes to yourself.

Egg Nog Latte

Egg nog is a treat I indulge in every couple of years, although partly out of nostalgia, because I don't love it nearly as much as I did as a kid. I wasn't planning on picking any up this year, but when I saw that Sassy Cow Creamery made an egg nog, I had to try it. I had a glass spiked with a little Christmas spirit on Christmas Eve, made some into egg nog french toast Christmas morning after starting my Christmas morning with a rich egg nog latte.

I gave a range for both the egg nog and the milk because egg nog varies a lot in thickness and richness from brand to brand. If you're really craving a rich treat and you may even want to go with all egg nog, provided it isn't too thick. Although I could never drink lattes that are so rich on a regular basis, it's a nice once-a-year treat during the Christmas season.

Egg Nog Latte
serves 1

1/2 to 3/4 cup egg nog
1/4 to 1/2 cup whole milk
2 shots espresso (or very strong coffee)
Ground cinnamon and nutmeg, for garnish

1. Combine the egg nog and milk and heat, either in a small saucepan on the stove or in the microwave taking care not to scald the milk. Froth the milk with the espresso maker (if you have one).

2. Pour the espresso into mug and add the hot egg nog mixture, stirring during the addition. Top with a bit of froth and a sprinkle of cinnamon and nutmeg. Enjoy hot.

Almond Mocha Latte

Once I create or find a basic recipe that I think is a keeper, I immediately start experimenting. Because I'm hosting a Thanksgiving meal today, I'm missing my usual farmers' market trip that usually ends with an espresso drink and delicious pastry or muffin. I wanted to go a bit lighter on breakfast today, but still start the day off with a treat (and caffeine boost!) so I made a skim almond mocha latte, riffing on the Easy Mocha Latte I made earlier this week. It satisfied my sweet tooth and gave me the boost of energy I needed to start cooking and get last minute cleaning done before my guests arrive.

Almond Mocha Latte
serves 1

1 T. turbinado sugar
2 t. high quality cocoa powder (e.g. Ghiradelli)
2 shots hot espresso
8 oz. warm, frothed milk
1/4 t. pure almond extract
Whipped cream (optional)
Chocolate shavings (optional)

1. Add sugar and cocoa to a mug and stir to combine. Pour in hot espresso, stirring to dissolve the sugar and cocoa powder. Add the milk and almond extract, stirring thoroughly to combine. Top with whipped cream and chocolate shavings, if desired. Serve hot and enjoy a few minutes to yourself.

Easy Mocha Latte

If you're a huge fan of espresso drinks like me, you realize how much of a money pit that can be. At four to six dollars a piece, it's easy to spend way too much on these comforting cups of deliciousness. If you want to save money or just stay in your pajamas on the couch while enjoying a hot mocha, it's easy to make them at home. With winter fast on our heels, it's good to have an arsenal of hot drink recipes at the ready for relaxed weekend mornings or harried weekday mornings. And if you want to turn this into an evening treat, add a bit of Bailey's Irish Cream or whiskey.

Easy Mocha Latte
serves 1

1 T. turbinado sugar
2 t. high quality cocoa powder (e.g. Ghiradelli)
2 shots hot espresso
8 oz. warm, frothed whole milk (or 1%, 2%, or skim, if you like)
1/4 t. pure vanilla extract
Whipped cream (optional)
Chocolate shavings (optional)

1. Add sugar and cocoa to a mug and stir to combine. Pour in hot espresso, stirring to dissolve the sugar and cocoa powder. Add the milk and vanilla extract, stirring thoroughly to combine. Top with whipped cream and chocolate shavings, if desired. Serve hot and enjoy a few minutes to yourself.

The Perfect Gin and Tonic

The gin and tonic is the ultimate mixed drink for summer. Light and refreshing, it cuts through the heat of the most oppressive summer day, and it by no means requires a recipe to make it. I rarely measure anything when making mixed drinks at home, but I was curious to see what proportions different recipes use. What I tend to make for myself pretty closely resembles the Food Network recipe I'm posting here, but varies from day-to-day. The most important difference my gin and tonic and the Food Network "Perfect Gin and Tonic" is the ingredients and the main reason I wanted to talk about a gin and tonic recipe. They recommend Plymouth gin and Schwepps tonic; I recommend Death's Door gin and Stirrings tonic water, which are not nearly as easy to find. Stirrings tonic water will probably be available at most liquor stores, but Death's Door gin is going to be most available in Wisconsin, particularly the southern part of the state (Death's Door Spirits is located in Madison). Some people prefer lemon in their gin and tonic, but I agree with the Food Network that lime is the way to go.

Why do I use much harder to find ingredients for my gin and tonics? I would rather have one high quality drink than multiple substandard ones. I get no pleasure out of rail gin and generic tonic and think the investment in quality ingredients is well worth it. Death's Door gin, aside from being a delicious, high-quality gin, is made from hard red winter wheat grown on Washington Island and processed in Madison. I'm happy to see Wisconsin not only have a flourishing microbrewery and winery culture, but start to produce its own spirits. Buying local is a passion of mine, and alcohol is no exception (my refrigerator currently contains local wine and beer as well). Stirrings tonic is the only tonic I've been able to find without high fructose corn syrup or artificial sweetener, both of which I avoid if at all possible. Bartenders were pouring gin and tonics long before these horrible ingredients permeated so much of our food and drink, and I wish more authentic cocktail ingredients were readily available (Stirrings is a great source).


The Perfect Gin and Tonic
from the Food Network, with caveats

4 to 5 tonic water ice cubes
3 oz. gin
4 oz. tonic water
1 T. freshly squeezed lime juice
Lime wedge for garnish

Place the ice cubes in a tall, narrow, chilled glass (the cubes should come near the top.) Add the gin, then the tonic water, then the lime juice, stirring well. Garnish with lime wedge, and serve immediately.

Note: To make the ice cubes, simply fill an empty ice cube tray with tonic water, and let the cubes freeze. It takes just a few hours. Covered well, the cubes will remain fresh-tasting in the freezer for at least a few weeks.