Pink Torpedoes
Ingredients
• 2 cups vodka chilled
• 1 1/2 pints strawberries hulled and sliced
• 2 teaspoons granulated sugar
• Limoncello
• 1 750-ml bottle sparkling wine chilled
• 6 sugar cubes
Recipe Method
1. In a large bowl, stir together the vodka, two-thirds of the sliced strawberries and the granulated sugar.
2. Cover with plastic wrap and let stand at room temperature until the vodka turns pink, about 6 hours. Refrigerate overnight or up to 3 days.
3. Strain the vodka and divide among 6 tall glasses. Add a splash of limoncello to each glass and top off with the sparkling wine. Drop in a sugar cube and garnish with the remaining strawberry slices.
Peppery Bloody Mary
Ingredients
• 1 tsp fresh basil chopped
• 1 tsp fresh cilantro chopped
• 1 tsp fresh chives chopped
• 11/3 cups tomato juice
• 1/2 cup pepper vodka
• 6 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• 1 1/2 teaspoons to 3 tsp green hot sauce
• 1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
• Large pinch of celery salt
• Pinch of sea salt
• Freshly ground pepper to taste
Garnishes
• pickled okra, lemon wedges
Recipe Method
1. Combine first 3 ingredients in a cocktail shaker. Press leaves against bottom of cup using a muddler or wooden spoon to release flavors; stir in tomato juice and next 7 ingredients. Transfer half of mixture to a 2-cup glass measuring cup.
2. Place ice in cocktail shaker, filling halfway full. Cover with lid, and shake vigorously until thoroughly chilled. Strain into a glass over ice. Repeat procedure with remaining tomato mixture. Garnish, if desired.
Sparkling Mojito
Ingredients
• 1/2 lime cut into 4 pieces
• 1/4 cup fresh mint leaves torn, plus sprig for garnish
• 1 tbsp plus 1 teaspoon granulated sugar
• Ice cubes
• 1/4 cup (2 ounces) white rum
• 1/2 cup club soda chilled
Recipe Method
1. In a tall glass, muddle the pieces of lime with the mint leaves and sugar until the sugar dissolved.
2. Fill the glass with ice and stir in the rum and club soda. Garnish with the mint sprig and serve right away.
Limoncello
Ingredients
• 4 cups vodka
• 1/2 cup lemon rind strips (about 7 lemons)
• 3 cups water
• 1 1/2 cups sugar
Recipe Method
1. Combine vodka and rind in a bowl. Cover and let stand at room temperature for 2 weeks. Strain through a sieve into a bowl; discard solids.
2. Combine 3 cups water and 1 1/2 cups sugar in a large saucepan. Cook over medium heat until the sugar dissolves, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat, and cool to room temperature. Add to vodka mixture.
3. Divide limoncello evenly among 3 sterilized (750-milliliter) bottles, and seal.
Daiquiri
Ingredients
• 2 cup water
• 1 cup white sugar
• 1 cup fresh rosemary leaves
• 3 cup fresh rhubarb 1/4 inch cubes
• 6 tbsp lemon juice divided
• 1 cup white rum
• 1 tsp fresh rosemary sprigs
• 1 tsp lemon peel twists
Recipe Method
1. Bring 1 cup water and 2 tbsp sugar to a simmer in a small saucepan over medium heat, stirring often.
2. Remove from heat; add 1/2 cup rosemary leaves. Let steep 5 mins. Strain, pressing on rosemary; discard rosemary. Let syrup cool 1 hour.
3. Place rhubarb, 1 tbsp lemon juice, 1 1/4 cups water and 1/2 cup sugar in blender. Process until coarse puree forms. Strain through fine-mesh sieve into medium bowl.
4. Using hands, squeeze rhubarb pulp to release as much liquid as possible through sieve; discard pulp.
5. Cover and chill rosemary syrup and rhubarb separately at least 4 hrs and up to 2 days.
6. Mix rosemary syrup, rhubarb juice, remaining 5 tbsp of lemon juice and rum in pitcher. Fill 8 highball glasses with ice. Add rhubarb-Daiquiri mixture. Garnish with rosemary sprigs and lemon twists.
Redhead in Bed
Ingredients
• 3 lbs strawberries hulled and coarsely chopped
• 2/3 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons citrus vodka
• 1/4 cup fresh lime juice
• Ice
• 1/3 cup Riesling chilled
Recipe Method
1. In a bowl, toss the strawberries with the sugar and let stand, stirring occasionally, until strawberries release their juices, about 10 minutes.
2. In a blender, combine half each of the strawberries and their juices, the vodka and lime juice with 1 cup of ice and puree. Pour into a pitcher. Repeat with the remaining strawberries and juices, vodka and lime juice and 1 more cup of ice.
3. Fill 10 collins glasses halfway with ice. Pour the cocktail into the glasses, top each with about 1/2 tablespoon of Riesling and serve.  |
Pink Grapefruit & Lychee Cocktail
Ingredients
• 1 (20-ounce) can lychees in syrup undrained
• Crushed ice
• 1 cup unsweetened pink grapefruit juice
• 1/2 cup vodka
• 5 pink grapefruit sections
Recipe Method
1. Drain lychees in a colander over a bowl; reserve 1 cup syrup. Discard remaining liquid. Drop 1 lychee in the bottom of each of 5 glasses; fill each glass halfway with crushed ice. Reserve remaining lychees for another use.
2. Combine reserved 1 cup lychee syrup, juice, and vodka in a large martini shaker filled halfway with ice; shake until well chilled. Strain 1/2 cup syrup mixture into each prepared glass; garnish each serving with 1 grapefruit section. Serve immediately.
Tamarind Martinis
Ingredients
• 1/2 cup water
• 4 ounces unsweetened tamarind pulp
• Sugar (optional)
• 1 cup vodka
• 1 cup fresh lime juice
• Crushed ice
• Lime wedges
Recipe Method
1. Combine 2 1/2 cups boiling water and tamarind in a large bowl; let stand 10 minutes. Break tamarind into small pieces; let stand 5 minutes. Strain mixture through a sieve over a bowl, reserving liquid; discard solids.
2. Combine 1/2 cup sugar and 1/2 cup water in a microwave-safe dish; microwave at HIGH for 2 minutes or until sugar dissolves, stirring once. Cool. Combine tamarind liquid, sugar, syrup, vodka, and juice in a pitcher, stirring well. Add crushed ice; stir or shake well.
3. Garnish rims of 8 martini glasses with sugar, if desired. Strain chilled martini mixture into prepared glasses; garnish with lime wedges, if desired.
Whiskey Sours
Ingredients
• 2 cups bourbon
• Juice of 4 lemons (about 1/2 cup)
• 1/4 cup superfine sugar
• Ice
• 8 orange slices
• 8 maraschino
Recipe Method
In a cocktail shaker, combine the bourbon, lemon juice and sugar with ice and shake until well combined. Strain into 8 cocktail glasses; garnish each with an orange slice and a cherry.
Brazilian Honeybee
Ingredients
• 3/4 cup honey
• Ice
• 5 limes cut into 8 wedges each
• 2 1/2 cups cachaca (20 ounces) chilled
Recipe Method
1. In a large pitcher, stir the honey and hot water until blended. Let cool, then add the lime wedges and muddle them. Refrigerate the mixture until chilled, about 1 hour.
2. Add the cachaca and ice to the pitcher, stir well and let stand for 30 seconds. Strain into chilled martini glasses and serve.
Southern Exposure
Ingredients
• 1 large green celery rib
• 1 1/2 ounces gin
• 1/2 ounces simple syrup (see Note)
• 1/2 ounce fresh lime juice
• 10 mint leaves plus a sprig for garnish
• Ice cubes
Recipe Method
1. Finely grate the celery rib into a mesh strainer set over a small bowl. Press on the pulp to extract the juice.
2. Pour 3/4 ounce of the celery juice into a shaker and add the gin, simple syrup, lime syrup and mint leaves.
3. Add a large handful of ice; close the shaker and shake vigorously. Strain the cocktail into a chilled martini glass and garnish with the mint sprig.
Note: To make simple syrup, simmer 1/2 cup of granulated sugar with 1/2 cup water in a small saucepan over moderate heat, stirring, until the sugar has dissolved. The simple syrup can be refrigerated in a covered container for up to 1 month.
Green Tea Martini
Ingredients
• 2 stalks lemon grass
• 2 cups fresh cilantro leaves and short stalks
• 8 Japanese green tea bags
• 4 cups water boiling
Ginger Syrup:
• 5 inches fresh ginger root
• 2 cups sugar
• 1 cup water
• 1 26oz bottle gin ice cold
Cocktail Measurements:
• 2 1/2 oz gin
• 2 1/2 oz infused tea mixture
• 1 1/2 oz ginger syrup
Recipe Method
1. Trim off the root end of the lemon grass. Discard any dried outer layer. Cut stalks into 4 inch lengths and bruise slightly to release oils. Place into large heat proof bowl. 2. Wash cilantro and trim off roots. Chop into 2-inch lengths and add to the bowl of lemongrass. Add teabags and boiling water and steep for 10 to 15 minutes. Remove teabags and allow herbs to steep and cool for 1 to 2 hours. Drain, reserving lemongrass for garnish, and refrigerate. 3. To make the ginger syrup, wash ginger thoroughly and slice very thin, no needing to peel. Place into a heavy saucepan, add sugar and water and melt on medium-high heat, stirring to combine.
4. When the mixture comes to a boil, reduce the heat to low and simmer uncovered for 5 minutes without stirring. Remove from heat, strain and cool completely. 5. An hour before serving, place all martini glasses in the refrigerator to chill or in a cooler of ice to chill.
6. To serve, make cocktails one at a time, based on the measurements, or shake in batches of 2 or 3.
7. Fill a martini shaker two thirds full with ice and add ingredients. Shake vigortously for 30 seconds. Strain into a chilled martini glass and garnish with reserved lemon grass “swizzle stick.”
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