Rochester area friends, it's the season for gin and rum cocktails (I mean, isn't it always, but especially during warm weather)! This weekend and next I'll be featuring Citadelle gins and some outstanding rums from Maison Ferrand. Check out my events page, mark your calendar, and drop by to try something new!
Paradise Passion Martini
Citrusy cocktails are awesome—lime, lemon, orange, and grapefruit—but nothing is more exciting (to me) than finding cocktail uses for the seemingly exotic fruits that show up for only a few weeks or months out of the year. One of those is the passion fruit—or passionfruit, if you prefer. (In the dictionary, it’s two words, but … Continue reading Paradise Passion Martini
Grab some sake and make this your “summer” Manhattan
If you haven’t heard it from me yet, you’re destined to hear me say this repeatedly: Get over the notion that brown spirits are for winter and white spirits are for summer. Here’s an excellent example of how to make your favorite whiskey cocktail more summer friendly—or simply more of a ‘session’ drink if you’re … Continue reading Grab some sake and make this your “summer” Manhattan
Hop Toad No. 2
I’m excited that we finally have some warm weather and can enjoy cocktails on the patio again! And what spirit does warm (even hot) weather bring to mind? Rum, of course. There are several variations on the Hop Toad cocktail, all of them including apricot brandy liqueur and lime juice; the primary difference is which … Continue reading Hop Toad No. 2
Daisy de Santiago: Original Version
Think of this drink as a rum-based gimlet or an herbal daiquiri. It delivers a little less pucker than the gimlet, and the dab of Chartreuse gives the drink a gentle vegetal lift that makes beautiful music with the mint garnish. The sweetness of the rum and simple syrup keep the lime in its happy … Continue reading Daisy de Santiago: Original Version
Appease the Cheese
This is one of those recipes that makes a person wonder if its creator was on some hallucinogen the first time he made it—but it’s absolutely delicious. Your only challenge will be gathering all of the ingredients. It’s a Simon Difford creation that I found while looking into cocktail recipes that call for Italicus—a bergamot … Continue reading Appease the Cheese
The Quarantini: Who says it’s enjoyable only during a pandemic?
Facebook Memories regularly remind me of things I posted years ago—which isn’t always a great feeling, by the way. Today, though, FB dug up a cocktail I came up with and posted three years ago today at the very beginning of the Great Pandemic, along with the YouTube video I made to demonstrate and explain … Continue reading The Quarantini: Who says it’s enjoyable only during a pandemic?
Girl Scout Cookies and adult beverages? Pretty sure St. Patrick would bless these pairings.
Who doesn’t love a bright, shining astronomical conjunction? By which, of course, I mean the happy coincidence that Girl Scout Cookie Week 2023 and St. Patrick’s Day (week) happen at the same time. Let’s think about the synergy, shall we? With the store’s blessing, a local Girl Scout troop stationed itself outside Pinnacle Wine and … Continue reading Girl Scout Cookies and adult beverages? Pretty sure St. Patrick would bless these pairings.
How’s the annual season of regret, repentance, and sacrifice going for you?
I have a bone to pick with Dry January, but I’ll bet it’s not the one you think I have. First: Who should read this post, and who shouldn'tIf you’re a recovering alcoholic, this post is not for you. Nor is this post for you if you have medical reasons for not drinking alcohol, nor … Continue reading How’s the annual season of regret, repentance, and sacrifice going for you?
The Left Bank Martini
Our adorable tabletop Christmas trees will move to the attic shortly for the off-season, and—Epiphany notwithstanding—here’s one last cocktail photo with the colorful seasonal backdrop. The drink is a lovely change of Martini pace, taking its name from St. Germain Elderflower Liqueur, which in turn takes its name from the Left Bank neighborhood of Paris … Continue reading The Left Bank Martini
The Libation Lounge 