smoQ Summer Cocktails

Oh, hey!  I finally finalized my summer menu!  A few popular returning suspects, and a few new faces.  Ones created by my bar staff are noted with their names.  We're rolling this one out Monday or Tuesday...

ETA:  This is by far my favorite menu so far.  When I remember summers growing up in Oklahoma, there are many elements I remember in this list...fresh watermelon and strawberries and cucumbers from my dad's garden, my grandmother's rose bushes (and OH her flower garden was heaven!) in Michigan, lemonade and sweet sun tea...and I am a July baby, so being out in the pool or the yard with my nose buried in books picking strawberries in the summer months were my favorite parts of growing up.  Summer flavors are so crisp and clean, and they have just the perfect amount of sweetness. Also, I feel so many elements embody the slightly-more-upscale Southern style we're aiming for, and with elements of the smokiness we're named for, as well.

Watermelon Cooler (Non-Alcoholic)

Watermelon, cucumber, mint, lemon-lime soda, topped with soda water.

Summer Lemonade (Non-Alcoholic)

Mint, basil, dill, rosemary, and pomegranate juice steeped in fresh lemonade.

smoQin’ Rita

Sauza Hornitos Plata tequila, Cointreau, Dewar’s, fresh lemon and lime juices, house-smoked hickory salt.

Lavender Honeybee

Plymouth gin, house-smoked honey, rosemary, lavender syrup, and fresh lemon juice.

Mockingbird Summer

Hendricks gin, fresh muddled watermelon, strawberry, dill, and fresh lime juice.

Flowers for Hemingway

10 Cane rum, fresh lime juice, rosewater, hibiscus syrup, and Regan’s orange bitters.

The Gatsby

Four Roses bourbon, Fernet Branca, rosewater simple syrup, and ginger ale.

Summer Garden Lemonade

Hendricks gin and St-Germain elderflower liqueur mixed with our fresh Summer Lemonade.

Peach Pom  (Josh)

Absolut Apeach vodka, PAMA pomegranate liqueur, peach puree, orange flower water, and fresh orange juice.

Bon Temps  (Josh)

St-Germain elderflower liqueur, hibiscus syrup, agave nectar, orange flower water, iced tea.

Spellbound

Tanqueray No. Ten gin, fresh strawberry, basil, balsamic syrup, fresh lime juice, and ginger ale.

Red Ginger Bee  (Carey)

Wild Turkey American Honey bourbon, hibiscus syrup, fresh lime juice, and Gosling’s Ginger Beer.

Jamaican Staycation

Appleton Estate Reserve dark rum, Frangelico, and locally brewed Mt. Carmel Nut Brown Ale.

Mixology Monday: Niche Spirits

Welcome to another Mixology Monday with me!  This month's theme is Niche Spirits (e.g. any base spirit not typically used as a base spirit--not vodka, gin, rum, etc.), and is hosted by Filip at Adventures in Cocktails.  My entry is a bit out of season, but it never hurts to start planning your holidays early, right?

For my "niche spirit" I was planning on creating a new cocktail, but I decided on a tweaked classic.  When I was first introduced to Catdaddy Carolina Moonshine, the first thing I thought of was eggnog.  When I was working on the opening menu for my bar last fall I decided to research eggnog recipes (which of course all seemed to involve either bourbon or rum...neither of which I've ever really enjoyed eggnog with), and I worked out one that worked beautifully with the Catdaddy!

Daddy's Eggnog
Method:  Preshaken egg, Shake and Strain
Glassware:  Brandy snifter or large punch cup
Garnish:  Fresh grated nutmeg


Ingredients:
1 whole egg (preshaken)
1.5 oz Catdaddy Carolina Moonshine
.5 oz Simple syrup
3 oz Apple cider


Shake indgredents VERY well (make sure that egg is completely incorporated--there is little worse than a separating egg drink) with ice and strain into glass.  Top with a fresh grating of nutmeg.  Enjoy!


Sadly, I don't have a photo of my eggnog, but it was rather enjoyed, and I can't wait to put it back on this upcoming winter!

Flowers for Hemingway

A few weeks ago, Dan and I were at one of our regular places and they were featuring a daiquiri with rose and hibiscus and soda water.  I loved the idea, but the rose was fairly overpowering (I think they used about half a barspoon of rose water), and they used soda water in it which I wasn't too crazy about, and I was missing the hibiscus and lime completely.  I decided I adored the idea so much that I just had to make it work for myself.  As for the name, this isn't really a twist on the Hemingway Daiquiri recipe, but...since he has "his own" daiquiri, he tends to be the first thing I think of when I'm talking about classic daiquiris.  Also, as far as literature goes...I'm not a Hemingway fan, though I appreciate his contributions to our literary record.  My husband, on the other hand, does quite enjoy his work.  Regardless, Nobel Laureate authors always deserve flowers in their memory, right?

Flowers for Hemingway 
Method:  Shake and strain
Glassware:  Large Cocktail
Garnish:  Flamed orange twist

Ingredients
1.5 oz 10 Cane rum
1 oz Fresh lime juice
1.25 oz Simple syrup
1 drop Rose water
5 drops Fee Bros. Hibiscus flower water
1 dash Hibiscus syrup
2 dashes Regan's Orange bitters


Shake ingredients with ice and strain into a large cocktail glass.  Garnish with a flamed orange twist.
 

Cherry Kisses

A friend of mine asked me the other day if I might be able to come up with a black cherry martini, as she had had a wonderful one, and wanted to surprise her recently-21 sister-in-law with a recipe but couldn't find any good ones online.  She said they used black cherry vodka and a chocolate rim with a chocolate covered cherry garnish.  This was what I came up with.  My staff loved it, and so did some of our guests, so I thought I'd share.

Cherry Kisses
Method:  Shake and strain
Glass:  Large cocktail
Garnish:  Chocolate rim with a fresh cherry, or a chocolate-covered cherry (the real kind...not those fake maraschinos)

Ingredients:
2 oz Effen Black Cherry vodka
.75 oz Real pomegranate grenadine (1 part pomegranate juice to 1 part sugar, shaken well to mix)
.5 oz Fresh lime juice
.5 oz Simple syrup
2 oz Cranberry juice

Summer Mocktail: Watermelon Cooler

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.

Mixology Monday: Flores de Mayo

 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.

So who's ready for the Derby?

I love Mint Juleps.  One of the first drinks that crossed my mind in putting together the cocktail list for a southern style restaurant was the Mint Julep...the penultimate porch drink of the deep south.  Of course, there are many ways to twist this classic, and I was happy to take the challenge.  I decided to post this now as Mint Juleps also are the signature cocktail of the Kentucky Derby, which happens to fall on May 7th this year (I'm hoping the race time falls before my friend Julie's wedding so that I can watch it somewhere).  Yes, moving to Cincinnati has turned me into a Derby watcher, and I would LOVE to actually go to the races next year.

First, bourbon choice.  Maker's Mark recently(ish) released Maker's 46, and I'm a fan of the extra complexity and sweetness the toasted oak staves add to the bourbon.  Next, the sweetening agent:  this was actually a bit of a no-brainer...house-smoked honey, of course!

I am horrible at writing out an explanation of how to make a Mint Julep since it involves quite a lot of attention to detail, so instead I will give you the recipe and then direct you to a video demonstration. 


smoQ'd Julep

Glassware: Julep cup

Method: Muddle and Stir

Garnish: Drizzle of smoked honey and mint sprig

Muddle:

Fresh Mint (amount to taste...we use two nicely leaved sprigs)

1 oz  House-smoked honey

Add:

2.5 oz Maker’s Mark 46 bourbon

- Stir together (the honey is REALLY thick...it will end up in a ball in the bottom of the drink unless you stir it with the bourbon before adding ice) and add crushed ice

- Stir until the julep cup frosts

- Top off with more crushed ice and stir briefly again

- Drizzle with smoked honey and spanked mint sprig to garnish

- Warn guests to beware of the slippery frosted cup while drinking!

Video: How to make a Mint Julep 

Where we got our Lewis Bag: Professional grade Lewis bags by McSology

Our Mint Julep cups: KegWorks 10oz Mint Julep cup

Clearly, Mint Juleps are a lot of work...this is why we don't feature ours on our menu, though we can always make one for you upon request.  Just remember...patience, please!

Summer Soiree aka I heart Hendricks

Okay, okay...so I know I just rolled out a drink menu I thought was going to stick around until like August or something...I've already had a wave of ideas that seem to be challenging that likelihood, and I couldn't wait to share this one with you.  Ever since our owner brought up the thought that he'd like to move more into "upscale southern" than be pigeon-holed into just "upscale BBQ" the right side of my brain has been in overdrive.  This week I plan on playing with southern-manufactured sodas in cocktails (thank you for the brilliant idea, Imbibe!).  In addition to that, I've been racking my own brain for the flavors that bring me back to my south(west)ern summers as a girl.  Two that really stand out for me are strawberry and watermelon.  We had our own strawberry patch on our property in Oklahoma, and watermelon is one of my favorite things EVER.  Blackberries are another (there was a bush/tree on the side of the road on my way to my school bus stop and we practically picked that thing bare throughout late spring and summer).  So are grapes.  I'll work on those another time.  For now, let's focus on strawberries and watermelon.

This is definitely a new personal favorite, and the fresh fruit and herb really bring out amazing qualities in an already amazing gin. I just renamed it (5/4/11), as I almost forgot that St. Germain calls their summer gift set "Summer Soiree." One of the first things that crossed my mind while I was creating this was the character Dill from To Kill A Mockingbird, so I thought...why not use the reference in the name?

Summer Soiree Mockingbird Summer 
Glass:  Small cocktail
Method:  Muddle, shake and strain
Garnish:  Large watermelon cube

Muddle
1 strawberry, cored and quartered
1 large watermelon cube
2 sprigs fresh dill
.25 oz Simple syrup
Juice of one lime wedge

Add:
2 oz Hendricks gin

Shake with ice and strain into a small cocktail glass.  Garnish with a large watermelon cube.  Love.





 

Raspberry Breeze

I was so entertained by the outcome of creating this drink that I just had to post the recipe right away.  One of our regulars, as dinner was winding down, asked if I had some time to spare to mix him something new.  After a couple of questions he decided he wanted something not too sweet and with vodka.  Got it.  I went for a twist on a mojito.  The end result made him say, "This tastes like spring!"  Perfect :-D

Raspberry Breeze
Glass:  10 oz Collins
Method:  Muddle, Box
Garnish:  Lime wedge and mint sprig

Muddle
2 lime wedges
6 mint leaves
.25 oz Simple syrup
.5 oz Monin Raspberry syrup (have I mentioned that Jungle Jim's carries an amazing array of Monins?  They do.)

Add and Box:
1.5 oz Ciroc vodka
.25 oz Stoli Razberi vodka
 Top with Gosling's Ginger Beer

Garnish and enjoy!

I walked away for about five minutes and the two girls next to him had decided they had named the drink.  I  was highly entertained for the rest of the evening (and still am, actually).  I won't repeat their name here (it's not a bad name, but sometimes inside jokes are best left as inside jokes ;-)).  I think I made about three or four more between the bar regular and other people around the bar.

Giving back

I have always been a huge fan of restaurants using sales to give back to their communities or the world at large.  When the earthquake and tsunami hit in Japan last week, I knew immediately that I wanted to help out in such a way--every little bit helps, and if people are buying drinks at the restaurant anyway maybe I can entice them to buy one that can also benefit others.  I had already had an alcoholic fauxtini variation on the Shamrock Shake in mind for St. Patrick's Day called the Shaken Shamrock (I've since seen a few recipes doing the same sort of thing...I guess I'm not the only one who thought that might be fun!), and I thought I could go ahead and use both that and maybe a more summery, fruity fauxtini (and I had an extra thing of red sugar I had ordered for the SATC2 and my Eclipse promotions when I worked at Bar Louie that I wanted to use for...something.  A variation on a Lemondrop seemed a good idea).  $5 from each sale is going to the Red Cross for Japan earthquake and tsunami relief.  Today I'm going to post both recipes.  They vary a bit from what I usually like to mix up, but even fruity vodka fauxtinis have their place, in my opinion.  I try really hard not to be too much of a cocktail snob and appreciate that people like what they like, and I want my menus to offer everybody something they will enjoy.

The Shaken Shamrock
Glass:  Large cocktail/martini
Method: Shake and Strain
Garnish:  Whipped cream and a cherry (just like this year's shake)

Ingredients:
1 oz Absolut Vanilia
.75 oz Green Creme de Menthe
.25 oz Creme de Cacao/Cocoa (I had to do a double take when one of my bartenders pointed our that DeKuyper's label now says "Cocoa") 
.25 oz Simple syrup
1 spoonful Vanilla bean ice cream
2 0z Heavy Cream 

Build ingredients in a mixing glass and shake with ice.  Strain into a large cocktail glass and garnish with whipped cream and a cherry.


PAMAdrop
Glass:  Large cocktail/martini
Method: Shake and strain
Garnish: Red sugar rim 

Ingredients:
1 oz Vodka
.5 oz PAMA pomegranate liqueur 
.5 oz House made Pomegranate grenadine (1 part POM Wonderful pomegranate juice and one part sugar, shaken until sugar is dissolved)
1.5 oz Fresh lemon juice
1 oz Simple syrup

Build ingredients in a mixing glass and shake with ice.  Strain into a large cocktail/martini glass rimmed with red sugar.