Liqueurs

Grapefruit Rose Martini

April 5, 2019 By Darla Leave a Comment

This fruity, floral cocktail will be a favorite at your warm weather gatherings! Enjoy the essence of summer with a Grapefruit Rose Martini.

Why create a new cocktail?

April 6th, 1945 welcomed twin baby girls Barbara (my mother) and Beverly. These sisters were very close and loved each other immensely. There’s no doubt that twins have an incredible bond. My aunt misses her sister as much as I miss my mom. So, today I will toast them both with a Grapefruit Rose Martini.

My mom passed away over nine years, and the world lost a little bit of its beauty that day. Every year for my mother’s birthday we buy a big bouquet of roses. My family and I celebrate her life by retelling fun stories about her. This year, I decided to celebrate with a new cocktail.

Why put the flavor of rose in a martini?

Many people enjoy the flavor of flowers, most notably rose. I have seen and tasted many cocktails made with floral flavors, and I am delighted to have created one of my own.

My mother was well known for her ability to grow the most incredible roses. She had every basic color as well as many colors that no one had ever seen before. She had the greenest of thumbs! I cannot pass by a rose of any color and not think of her.

Is grapefruit used in many cocktails?

Grapefruit is used in iconic cocktails like a Paloma or a Gin and Juice! There are many ways to use grapefruit juice in mixology!

Grapefruit was a favorite of my mom’s. I recall that in 1970-something she went on the grapefruit diet for a while. She claims that she had to quit that diet before she started to hate her favorite fruit! That is why grapefruit is the perfect citrus to blend with the flavor of roses for her birthday, cocktail!

My mother, Barbara didn’t drink much liquor. She loved white wine and mimosas, but when she enjoyed a cocktail, it was a very special occasion such as Mother’s Day or her birthday. The Grapefruit Rose Martini is a classy cocktail, perfect for any special event!

To all of the incredible women in the world! Cheers!

This Grapefruit Rose Martini is raised to a woman who was incredibly kind and treated plants and animals with the same gentleness with which she treated people. Everyone knew they had a friend in Barbara. I also raise this glass to my sweet aunt, (who doesn’t drink alcohol) she treated me as her own when my mom passed away. You are two amazing women! Happy Birthday, Mama! Thank you for watching over us. Happy Birthday Aunt Beverly, thank you for loving me so much! I love you both!

Grapefruit Rose Martini

This fruity, floral cocktail will be a favorite at your warm weather gatherings! Enjoy the essence of summer with a Grapefruit Rose Martini.

Course Drinks

Cuisine American

Keyword Cocktail, grapefruit, martini, rose

Ingredients

2 ounces grapefruit rose vodka Or 1 ounce rose vodka and 1 ounce grapefruit vodka
1/2 ounce triple sec
3 ounces pre-made grapefruit juice
rose infused sugar see notes

Instructions

Dip the rim of a martini glass into simple syrup and then dip into rose-infused sugar to rim the glass.
In a cocktail shaker add ice, vodka, triple sec, and grapefruit juice. Shake for 20 seconds or more.
Strain into the sugar-rimmed glass and enjoy!

Recipe Notes

Rose-infused sugar is easily created by adding 1/2 cup dried culinary grade rose petals, 1 cup of sugar and 1/8 tsp of rose extract to a spice grinder, food processor or mortar and pestle. Blend very well.

Homemade Raspberry Vodka Liqueur

December 20, 2018 By Darla Leave a Comment

This Homemade Raspberry Vodka Liqueur is tasty enough to drink straight! The vanilla beans and frozen raspberries beautifully flavor your favorite vodka.

Is it difficult to make flavored liqueurs?

I have become obsessed with making my own liqueurs! It is shockingly easy! I needed a raspberry liqueur for a cocktail, and I decided to make it the way that I wanted it to taste. Since, I have made several liqueurs so that my cocktails are extra special.

Frozen or fresh raspberries?

I used frozen raspberries in this liqueur, but fresh would work beautifully. If raspberries were in season, I would go berry picking myself!

Should I use real vanilla or imitation vanilla?

I deeply love vanilla. It can’t be just any vanilla, and it absolutely cannot be imitation vanilla. Because of this obsession of great vanilla, I used the most aromatic, perfect pods.

The vanilla gave the homemade raspberry vodka liqueur a lovely flavor that is easily drunk on the rocks.

It is essential that the combined ingredients for the raspberry vodka liqueur are left to rest in the refrigerator for at least five days! Make sure to shake it two to several times per day. I set the jar on a shelf so that I see it every time I open the refrigerator door. Doing this reminds me to shake it often.

How does the homemade raspberry vodka liqueur get that pretty color?

I don’t use any food colorings in the liqueurs that I make. The idea behind making your own liqueurs is that there are very few ingredients and nothing artificial!

You can use this raspberry liqueur in any cocktail that calls for raspberry liqueur. I daresay that you will be delighted with the outcome. Making this Homemade Raspberry Vodka Liqueur will elevate your cocktails! Cheers!

Homemade Raspberry Vodka Liqueur

This homemade raspberry vodka liqueur is tasty enough to drink straight! The vanilla beans and frozen raspberries beautifully flavor your favorite vodka.

Course Drinks

Cuisine American

Keyword Liqueur, Raspberry, Vodka

Ingredients

750 ml Vodka
2 Cups Frozen or Fresh Raspberries
2 Cups White sugar
1 Vanilla Bean

Instructions

Wash the vanilla bean. Gently slice the vanilla bean and open. Scrape the seeds into a quart jar and drop in the pod.
To the quart jar, add raspberries and sugar.
Fill the quart jar with vodka. There will be some remaining.
Shake the jar until the sugar dissolves and place in the refrigerator. Leave for no less than five days. Shake the jar twice daily.
After five days or more strain the liqueur into a bowl. Using a funnel, pour the liquid into a container of your choice and top it off with the remaining vodka. Or pour it directly into the vodka bottle that contains the remaining amount.

Cran-Cherry Amaretto Kiss

November 20, 2018 By Darla 2 Comments

Barb’s Amaretto Kiss aka Cran-Cherry Amaretto Kiss has a unique twist of cherry to enhance the amaretto. It pulls the flavors together so that this drink dances across your tongue and makes your lips smile.

Barb’s Amaretto Kiss

I wanted to make a birthday drink for my dear friend, Barb, but it needed to be perfect! I know that she loves amaretto and vodka which lead me to do a twist on an Amaretto Kiss. That part was easy but how to make it uniquely Barb?

Which flavors pair well with Amaretto?

Barb’s Birthday is right around Thanksgiving, so I wanted to incorporate some of those flavors into her drink. Cranberry goes well with amaretto, and so I wanted both cranberry juice and Betty’s Cranberry Sauce (the best cranberry sauce I have ever tasted) by Michelle from The Complete Savorist who is a brilliant part of our Tribe.

I also wanted a flavor that brought it all together. My mother used to make a cherry almond tart, and that lead me to cran-cherry because the almonds and cherries are perfect together. This is how the Cran-Cherry Amaretto Kiss came to be.

Why make a pitcher of cocktails?

Barb’s Amaretto Kiss, aka Cran-Cherry Amaretto Kiss, also needed to be in a large pitcher so that it can serve many. Barb is warm and welcoming and often has her friends over for food, drinks, crafting or just hanging out on the deck watching the sunset.

She is someone who is always willing to help whether it is watching a sick dog, helping with kids, bringing food when illness has left one of us in bed or to be a listening ear.

Cocktails and Friends!

Barb is incredible in so many ways. She is highly intelligent and always wants to learn. She’s both humble and a natural leader.

She is creative, fun, loving, and kind. Her beautiful family is her world, and it shows on the faces of her “men” (which is what calls her husband, Sam and their two boys Rhett and KJ.)

Barb adores her dog Luna who is the sweetest dog alive. She’s a Bernese Mountain Dog who is lucky to have a mom that is also addicted to hiking!

I feel so grateful to have Barb and the rest of our Tribe, in my life. These strong, amazing women help keep me grounded and sane in this crazy world.

Having these close, strong, steady friendships can be a miracle in a time of life that is overrun with responsibilities. We can lose touch with what it means to have people in our lives that have our backs.

Happy Birthday, Barb! I hope that Barb’s Amaretto Kiss gives you some of the same warm fuzzies that you give to the people in your life! You are wonderful and you are loved!

5 from 1 vote

Cran-Cherry Amaretto Kiss

Course Drinks

Cuisine American

Ingredients

5 Cups Cran-Cherry Juice
3 Cups Vodka
1 1/2 Cups Amaretto Liqueur
1 Cup Cranberry Sauce
1/2 Cup Prepared Orange Juice
Garnish Candied Mandarin Oranges

Instructions

Start a party! Birthday or otherwise.
In a very large pitcher combine all of the ingredients, stir, and refrigerate until ready to use.
Add ice to a shaker cup. Stir the contents of the pitcher and pour 4-6 ounces (depending on glass size) into the shaker cup.
Shake well and strain into a cocktail glass
Garnish with candied mandarin orange or an orange slice
Makes 14-22 servings