Creme de Violette

Have you guys been Hattie's Hat lately? Am I the only one who has been missing out on what's been going on behind the bar there? Blame brunch, but I had never made it past the Bloody Mary's on the drink menu. Serious mistake.

I popped into Hattie's Hat for a nightcap the other evening. Frankly surprised to see Creme de Violette listed as an ingredient in a cocktail, and having been curious about violet as a flavoring agent ever since reading about violet liqueurs in The Drunken Botanist, I asked for a taste. I was blown away by the deeply, well, violet flavor. Not overly floral, and pleasantly fresh. Like I had stumbled into Willie Wonka's The Chocolate Room, (all of those birthday candle wishes finally paying off!!), and plucked a sugar violet from the sugar lawn. Or at least how I have always dreamed that would taste. 

I wasted no time in ordering up a Forget Me Not, Hattie's bright play on The Aviation. Straight up violet flavor, balanced nicely by the tart lemon. Not overly floral, and pleasantly fresh. You need to make one for yourself so that we can discuss. Seriously, I'm still thinking about this drink!

Forget Me Not
1 1/2 ounces gin
1/2 Creme de Violette
1/2 ounce fresh lemon juice
sparkling wine

Combine all of the ingredients except the sparkling wine in a cocktail shaker filled with ice. Shake until chilled and strain into a chilled coupe glass. top with sparkling wine. Garnish with a lemon twist. Cheers!

Pucker Up: 4 Variations on the Sour Cocktail

I love a deeply bitter and moody cocktail, so sometimes I need to be reminded to lighten things up when the weather turns warmer. Taking a cue from the bright citrus notes which constitute some of my favorite summertime flavors, and inspiration from an especially delightful Fernet sour, (once again courtesy of Anna Wallace), I highlighted four different citrus fruits and liquors that compliment them. 

A little bit retro and delightfully glamorous, sour cocktails are meant for that time of day when the afternoon sun starts to slant just so. Pick your poison, and then for each drink, follow the same method: Combine all ingredients in a mixing pint or shaker. Add the whisk from a hawthorn strainer and shake. (To be fair, I usually skip this step!) Remove the whisk and add ice, violently shaking until thoroughly chilled. Double strain, (again, I often breeze by this formality unless company is over) into a chilled coupe. Alternatively, I find that a double old fashioned feels nice in the hand and rests better on the seat cushion next to you. Enjoy!

boozy popsicles

Have you ever make homemade popsicles? The childhood treat is one of the most simple summertime delights, but with these recipes it also feels like one of the most indulgent. Below are two variations I tried.

cantaloupe and campari
I used this recipe combining cantaloupe and Campari, two flavors that remind me of sun-drenched afternoons in Italy. Just the type of afternoon I would want to evoke on a leisurely Sunday. I love the bitterness of Campari, so I used the full quarter cup called for in the recipe, though it recommends adding the liqueur in increments until you can just taste it. Sampling the mixture before pouring into the popsicles molds, at first I felt I had been too bold. However, once frozen the flavor mellowed out significantly. 

grapefruit, blueberry and gin
I got a little more adventurous with the second variation that I tried. Equipped with this handy how-to for making boozy popsicles, I combine some of the most quintessential warm-weather flavors. With all the nostalgia of lemonade, this twist on the classic summertime drink uses grapefruit instead of lemons. Blueberries perfectly compliment the tartness, while adding some texture to the popsicle. Of course, no gin cocktail would be complete without a lime garnish.

2 ruby red or pink grapefruit
1 lime
2/3 cup simple syrup
2 cups blueberries
1/3 cup gin

Juice two large ruby red or pink grapefruit, and one lime. If, like me, you are juicing by hand, make sure to strain the juice. Add two-thirds cups simply syrup. After either chopping two cups blueberries or pulsing them in a Cuisinart just until there are no whole berries remaining, add them to the mixture as well. Finally, add one-third cup gin. I used No. 209 Gin for it's light, citrus flavor. You will want to stir the mixture just before pouring into the popsicle molds to make sure that the blueberries are evenly distributed. Once in the molds, the berries will float near the top. I think this creates a lovely presentation. Recipes makes approximately eight popsicles.

red and blue berry sangria

Just in time for the Fourth of July, I thought I would share my favorite sangria recipe: red and blue berry sangria. I make no secret of my preference for red blends, but I will admit that they can feel heavy during the warmer summer months. (Did our current Seattle heat wave catch anyone else by surprise?) I love this particular sangria because it lightens up all the flavor profiles I love, and combines some unexpected flavors in the most refreshing way.

Now there is one catch. You will need to plan about half a day ahead so that there is ample time for my favorite bit: the boozy berries. I am a berry fiend, so I usually prepare a double batch of berries, just to save some one hand. They are delightful on their own or added to a glass of bubbly mineral water for a hint of flavor.

boozy berries for red and blue berry sangria

1/2 pint each strawberries, blueberries and raspberries

Vya Whisper Dry Vermouth, enough to cover the berries
zest of one lime

Wash and dry the berries. I love the way whole berries look in the glass, though I would slice strawberries lengthwise. You could also chop up all of the berries if you prefer. Combine berries with the lime zest before covering completely with vermouth. Whisper dry vermouth is just a touch sweeter than a dry vermouth, and goes well with the tartness of the blueberries and raspberries. This will take about 3/4 of a bottle. Do not be alarmed! After soaking the berries for up to 12 hours, drain and save the vermouth in an air tight container in the fridge for use at a later date. (Try mixing with soda water for a refreshing spritzer.)

Have you tried the berries yet? The best part about this recipe is that it assumes quite a few berries will be lost along the way. 

red and blue berry sangria

1 batch boozy berries

1 bottle red wine
4 oz. house gin 
soda water

lime wedges

Grab a pitcher and put in one batch of boozy berries. Pour over 4 oz. of gin. Whatever house gin you keep on your bar cart. (That's Bombay for me.) Finally, pour in the full bottle of wine. For the wine I would suggest a shiraz, or other variety that makes a good base for mixing. Your pitcher is probably already dangerously close to being filled to the tip top. Stir gently with a slotted spoon, leaving the spoon in the pitcher. To serve, fill a glass about half way full with ice. Spoon in the desired amount of berries, then pour in sangria to fill the glass about 2/3 of the way. Top with soda water. Garnish with a squeeze of lime, dropping the lime wedge into the sangria.

This recipe is also delightfully easy to make a glass at a time - without having to commit to a full pitcher - especially if you happen to have an open box of wine on hand, and boozy berries in the fridge. (This one is hands down my favorite. I don't joke about wine.) Throw some of the boozy berries in a glass, add a few ice cubes, 1/2 oz. of gin, and about half a serving of wine. Squeeze in a lime, top off with soda, and give 'er a swirl. 

quick 'n dirty martini guide

I’ve always had a fascination with martinis. Even before I first ordered one, and somehow still after I finally tried my first, mistakenly translating my love of olives into a naïve enthusiasm for an extra dirty martini. I also ordered blue cheese smothered French fries that day. My sodium levels are still trying to bounce back from that one.

What was your first martini experience? Hopefully you didn't get off to the rocky start I did. On the off chance that I can thwart the painful trial and error process that I went, I’ve put together a quick and dirty guide to martinis. 

gin

Fancy a recommendation? I like to keep it local, and Big Gin distilled by Captive Spirits in Ballard is where its at. Aromatic without compromising that juniper flavor for ginner appeal.

vermouth

Vermouth is an aromatic, fortified wine. Most martinis come up short on the vermouth. I’m here to tell you that you want about 1 oz. per cocktail. Up to 2 oz. if you like a wet martini. Keep your vermouth in the fridge and don’t let it get too old. You would never keep your open wine bottles out with your liquor, nor should do you so with your vermouth. It will turn to vinegar, and perpetuate the myth that people do not like vermouth. No Martini & Rossi, please. If you give vermouth an honest try, but still find yourself shying away, a dry martini will only lace the glass with vermouth and let you get down on your gin. Less common these days is equal parts dry and sweet vermouth, which will give you ‘a perfect martini’ or a ‘50/50.’

This is where I make a case for the stirred martini. Despite the sex appeal lent by Bond, shaking a cocktail is typically reserved for when it requires emulsification, such as when the ingredient list includes citrus juice. You should stir a martini. Twirl a long bar spoon around the edge of ice the glass or shaker. Don’t skimp on the ice, but do give it a serious minute or two. You will be able to gauge when the cocktail has been chilled enough with the palm of your hand. 

garnish

Olives are a classic choice, though actually my martini is the one place I don’t like an olive. Admittedly, I’ll often ask for a few on the side, because who can pass up a good olive? When at home, I usually help myself to a little dish of them. Your other option for garnish is to go ‘with a twist.’ The twist can be given to the lemon over your cocktail if you like the additional spritz of citrus. The Gibson is a variation on the martini which adds cocktail onions to your standard dry martini.

variations

Bond's Vesper has a 3:1 Gin to to Vodka ratio. A Paisley adds a touch o' Scotch. I have yet to try one, but believe me it's first on my list! Out of diplomacy I'll include the vodka martini.

This is what I would serve if you came by my place for a martini:

wet martini with a twist

3 oz. Big Gin

2 oz. Doulin Dry Vermouth

Combine gin and vermouth in a mixing glass filled with ice. Stir until chilled and strain into two chilled martini glasses. Garnish with a lemon twist. Mmm.