One of my major weaknesses in mixing is N/A mocktails. When it comes to cocktails I like to think "What liquor will work well with these flavors?" or "what liquors will work well together?" or...well...something along those lines. I really have a hard time finding the right balance with mocktails. In working on my summer cocktail list, though, I really wanted to have some nice non-alcoholic choices with summer flavors. According to my staff on Wednesday night, this one is a clear winner:
Watermelon Cooler
Method: Shake/Box
Glass: 16oz Pint
Garnish: Mint sprig
Shake with ice:
2 cubes watermelon
2 slices cucumber
6 mint leaves
2 lime wedges, squeeze and discard
.25 oz Simple syrup
Fill glass with ice and add about 2 oz of Sprite (or other lemon-lime soda/pop)***. Top with a splash of club soda and box. Garnish with a fresh mint sprig.
***Don't shake the carbonated sodas with the listed ingredients. You don't want to flatten the carbonation.
So it appears that Blogger ate my Mixology Monday post,and since MxMo is tomorrow and my post still hasn't returned...I guess I need to try this again.
This month's theme for MxMo is Flores de Mayo--floral cocktails!--and is being hosted by Dave over at The Barman Cometh. My cocktail is actually a pair of cocktails that came about when I was trying to think of what flavor profiles I would like to pair with Hendricks. I ended up with Fernet Branca and rosewater in the recipe, and then I thought..."hm...Four Roses would go really well with these, too!" What resulted was a pair of cocktails that I knew I could not bear to separate if they were ever to go on a cocktail list. The only challenge was naming them. These are two pages taken from the same chapter, so to speak, and the name needed to reflect that. After grilling my brain since their creations in...well...February, I finally figured it out a few weeks ago--Gatsby and Daisy.
The Gatsby
Method: Shake and Strain
Glassware: 10 oz Collins
Garnish: Lemon twist
Ingredients:
1.25 oz Four Roses bourbon
3/4 tsp Fernet Branca
.33 oz Rosewater simple syrup**
Shake ingredients with ice and strain into Collins glass filled with ice. Top with ginger ale. Garnish.
The Daisy
Method: Shake and strain
Glassware: Champagne flute
Garnish: Lemon twist
Ingredients:
1 oz Hendricks gin
1/2 tsp Fernet Branca
.33 oz Rosewater simple syrup**
Shake ingredients with ice and strain into champagne flute. Top with prosecco. Garnish.
**To make the rosewater simple syrup, simply add one drop of rosewater to one ounce of 2:1 simple syrup.
