rosé under fire

When you get a lot of people who are passionate about young adult books together socially, amazing things happen.  My DC Forever Young Adult book club (associated with the ever-hilarious FYA site) usually meets once a month, but this summer we’ve been getting together much more often as part of a YA authors vs. YA readers scavenger hunt.  Last weekend one of our activities was a cocktail mix-off/showdown between the two teams.  My team (the readers. and of the readers, mostly Catie.) came with one YA-related drink recipe in hand, which we called the Rosé Under Fire (after Elizabeth Wein’s Rose Under Fire, obvi).  Friends, it’s pretty AND delicious.  And it won that round!

Rosé Under Fire (adapted slightly from a Creative Culinary recipe)

INGREDIENTS

1 1/2 ounces silver tequila

1 ounce lemon juice

1/2 ounce rich simple syrup (two parts sugar, one part water)

2 ounces rosé sparkling wine (we found a sparkling rosé moscato!)

Lemon twist for garnish

Strawberry for garnish (optional)

DIRECTIONS

Fill a Collins glass with ice (we used Mason jars, because we’re classy like that). 

Put the tequila, lemon juice and simple syrup in a cocktail shaker filled with ice and shake vigorously.  Open the shaker, add the sparkling wine (do not shake!) and strain into the ice filled glass.

Flame a twist of lemon (hold peel between two fingers, light a match and bring close to the peel without touching it, let spark and then blow out the match), and then run it around the lip of the glass.  Drop into drink when done!

Note: Flaming the lemon may seem a little crazy, but it smells great and heats up the oils in the peel, so when you then rub it on the lip of the glass you get tiny taste of fiery lemon.

Making the simple syrup a day or two before will simplify this drink to the point of ‘too easy not to make it.’  I recommend going that route.  The end result is a fun little drink that has lovely notes of berry and citrus, and if you can’t imagine the tequila and wine together, don’t worry – it works!  It’s a tiny bit like sangria, but mostly just refreshing and lightly sweet.

Recommended for: a simple, summery cocktail to make for yourself or share with friends on a warm evening.

Interested in other food-related posts?  Check out Beth Fish Reads’ Weekend Cooking.

georgia on my mind

My roommate and I have started subscribing to food magazines.  I don’t know if that’s a sign that we’re finally real adults, but we pore over them the day they arrive and try recipes found within (some to acclaim, others…eh).  When this month’s Food & Wine showed up, Emily decided to make a drink recipe.  She enlisted my advice and taste-testing abilities, but she’s the one who gathered the ingredients and put it all together.  So while I took the photos and can attest to the taste of the drink… I didn’t make it.  This is Emily’s Georgia on My Mind.

Georgia on My Mind (adapted slightly from this month’s Food & Wine recipe)

INGREDIENTS

1/3 cup lightly packed mint leaves, plus small sprigs for garnish

12 ounces bourbon

4 ounces peach schnapps

4 ounces fresh lemon juice

2 ounces pure maple syrup

24 ounces chilled apricot or peach ale (we used Dogfish Head’s Aprihop)

ice

DIRECTIONS

In a pitcher, combine all ingredients except ale, ice, and mint sprigs for garnish.  Stir until the maple syrup is dissolved and then refrigerate until chilled, about 1 hour.

Add the apricot ale to the pitcher and stir well.  Pour into 8 ice-filled glasses and garnish with mint sprigs.

Note: this mixture doesn’t keep well in the fridge after the ale has been added, so if you plan to make ahead, don’t mix that in until the last second.

Recommended for: when you need a lazy summer evening cocktail with a hint of fruitiness.

Interested in other food-related posts?  Check out Beth Fish Reads’ Weekend Cooking!

dirty shirley

This weekend marks the ‘end’ of summer – our pool closes for the year on Monday.  Baseball postseason is right around the corner, and kids across the country are heading back to school.  Even so, it will be hot in Washington, DC for another month at least.  Until it cools down for good, refreshing beverages are a must.  When my friend Greta suggested a Dirty Shirley, I knew I’d have to try it out.  After all, I drank Shirley Temples for years at special occasion family dinners (and at least 6 of them at my grandmother’s 2nd wedding! those maraschino cherries… yum!).

Dirty Shirley

INGREDIENTS

1 ounce vodka

6-7 ounces Sprite (or other lemon-lime soda)

dash of grenadine

1-2 maraschino cherries, for garnish

DIRECTIONS

Pour vodka over ice in glass, and fill to the top with Sprite.  Add grenadine and garnish with cherries to finish.

Note: If you love cherry flavor, add another splash of grenadine to your drink – it’ll make your day. 

Recommended for: those looking to try a childhood favorite turned adult beverage, fans of cherry flavored drinks, and any event that would be livened up by a tasty red number.

Interested in other food-related posts?  Check out Beth Fish Reads’ Weekend Cooking.

blackberry-mint julep

On Monday morning, I arrived at work to find a large sprig of mint at my workstation. Explanation: my coworkers have caught onto my baking and cooking habit, and now leave offerings at my desk. Strange, wonderful and best of all, true. Of course, I immediately started looking up minty recipes. I remembered I had blackberries in the fridge – and then this little recipe from Martha Stewart popped up on my screen. Perfect.

Blackberry-Mint Julep

INGREDIENTS

1/2 cup packed fresh mint leaves

1 pint blackberries

6 tablespoons sugar

1/2 cup bourbon

4 cups small ice cubes

4 sprigs mint, for garnishing

DIRECTIONS

Roughly chop mint leaves.

Puree the mint, blackberries, and sugar in a blender. Press through a fine sieve into a bowl; discard seeds.

Rinse blender, then return puree to blender, and add bourbon and small ice cubes; blend until smooth. Divide mixture among 4 glasses. Garnish each with a mint sprig. Yields 4 servings.

This recipe isn’t super-sweet, but it’s refreshing and has a great slushy texture. The bourbon keeps it from feeling fruity or girly, but there’s little enough that it goes down smoothly.

[my friend leigh volunteered her time and palette to this experiment]

Recommended for: that hot summer night when you just need to cool down and unwind, impressing the heck out of your friends, even if you don’t know a thing about adult beverage construction, and a tasty and gender-neutral aperitif for any spring and summer gathering.