Stir and Strain

Fun in Jalisco!

July 2, 2015 by elana 4 Comments

This post is brought to you by Blue Nectar Tequila. Recipes and ideas are my own.

Right now I’m in the middle of a frozen drink-a-thon session. I fear for the life of my blender’s motor. Everything is getting thrown in there, all with a good helping of booze. As our big summer holiday draws upon us, I thought I’d get a little technicolor creative this year and bust out my red, white, and blue drink ingredients. The liquor of choice today: Blue Nectar Tequila.

When it comes to blue drinks, I usually head straight to the Tiki classic Blue Hawaii, I mean, obviously if youâ€™re been following my Instagram account. But today I wanted to revamp that classic with a little South of the Border pizzazz. Maybe… a little Fun in Acapulco? (OK, OK, Iâ€™ll stop with the Elvis movie references).

You could just enjoy the tequila on its own, but today I decided to use it as the base for the cocktail. Blue Nectar Tequilaâ€™s Silver has an earthy, slightly spicy, honeyed flavor profile that is a perfect mate for fresh, zingy pineapple juice. It’s triple distilled so the flavor is not overly aggressive and works really well in cocktails. Paired with a nice splash of freshly squeezed lime juice and a touch of blue curaÃ§ao, this is definitely miles above the original. (The Blue Nectar is not actually blue, so you’ll need a little help for the blue color from the curaÃ§ao. The “blue” refers to the blue agave that is used to craft the tequila.)Â For a little patriotic flair, frozen watermelon gets blended in for a sweet, fresh layer of flavor. And itâ€™s up to you: layer it between the blue, or just blend it in with the whole batch. Itâ€™s a holiday weekend; donâ€™t sweat the small stuff.

Now, while adding ice to blend will usually either 1. water your drink down or 2. dull the flavors, here weâ€™re adding just enough to flash blend it and get it icy while keeping the flavors fresh and bold.

While this drink can hold its own, I couldnâ€™t resist crowing the whole affair with a salted coconut foam. Think of it as the white caps crashing on waves, or a soft cloud in the deep blue sky, or the white smoke smoldering on the lawn after you accidentally set your grass on fire trying to ignite a couple of Roman Candles. Regardless, itâ€™s a light way to add the cream to your drink, and the salt keeps the whole cocktail from being too sweet, which I truly appreciate on a hot day.

If youâ€™re in a place where fireworks are legal, by all means, bring out the sparklers, but, if youâ€™re in a state like California, where the pyrotechnics are left up to the professionals, then a dash of edible gold stars is good enough for a sparkling garnish.

Happy 4th guys!

For more information on Blue Nectar Tequila, please check out their website here!

Makes 2 drinks

For the salted coconut foam:

7 ounces coconut milk
2-1/2 ounces egg whites
2 ounces simple syrup
2 teaspoons kosher salt

Add all ingredients to a whipped cream canister. Close the canister, shake hard, charge it with a whipped cream charger, shake, charge with a second canister and refrigerate at least one hour until ready to use. Will keep fresh for up to a week in the refrigerator.

Fun in Jalisco Cocktail:

1 cup watermelon cubes, frozen
4 ounces Blue Nectar Silver Tequila
6 ounces pineapple juice
2 ounces lime juice
1 ounce blue curaÃ§ao
1-1/2 cups ice cubes
edible gold stars

In a blender, first blend watermelon cubes until even consistency (make sure cubes are small, if the cubes freeze up in the blender, add 1 teaspoon of hot water to the blender). Pour into a separate container and set aside. Next, combine Blue Nectar Silver Tequila, pineapple juice, lime juice, blue curaÃ§ao and ice in the blender. Blend for 15 seconds until even consistency. To serve the drink, in a tall glass pour in the tequila mixture until about halfway up. Pour in a layer of the watermelon puree (about half the puree), and then top with additional blue mixture. Add salted coconut foam on top and sprinkle with gold stars.

The drink is quite refreshing with a nice blend of sweet, tart and spicy from the tequila.Â The salted coconut can be gently mixed in for added creaminess or left atop the cocktail for between sips.

Monday Booze News pig lips, portholes and phunky rhum

June 29, 2015 by elana 2 Comments

Stir and Strain X Grog Log

June 24, 2015 by elana 1 Comment

We take a break today from the regularly scheduled recipes and Booze News to update you all on what is about to be a few crazy weeks in the real life world of Stir and Strain. Some of you Instagram viewers may occasionally have seen some dimly litÂ Tiki drink photos over the past year tagged with #groglog on them and may have been scratching your head wondering what that all was about.

Well, my favorite Tiki bar in all the land, the Tonga Hut, has a not-so-secret club called the Loyal Order of the Drooling Bastard (which you can read about on the Tonga Hut website). In order to gain membership, one must drink every drink in the Grog Log over the course of one year (not all at once). Once you’ve completed the task, you get a plaque on the wall, and a fez, and a special coin that gets you a discount on drinks, and the undying admiration of all your peers.

Like many things in life, I’ve left a chunk of this until the last minute, and I have until August 13th to finish up the list. Follow along on this Tiki smorgasbordÂ over atÂ Instagram and, new to the dauntingly long list of social media applications I need to post on, Periscope (look for the links on Twitter, I have no idea how to link this up yet)!

So please, pull up a virtual barstool and join me for a few rounds of Tiki cocktails this summer.

Monday Booze News mostly beer post-father's day edition

June 22, 2015 by elana Leave a Comment

Five-Spice Bourbon Punch

June 19, 2015 by elana 1 Comment

Currently I am sitting in a nicely air-conditioned room while outside is reaching temperatures of 117Â°F today. My birthday was this past week and I’ve decided that I’d like to spend all of my 30-year birthdays drifting around in a pool, drink in hand (or in an inflatable cup holder, what’s wrong with that?) while spending a few days in Palm Springs. For most of my 20-year birthdays, I somehow coordinated almostÂ all of them to happen at bowling alleys and I’m a person who likes traditions so if I could somehow work it out that all of my 40’s are spent in castles in Europe I’d very much like that.

But I’m not in the pool today. It’s too hot. While it might seem that the best way to counteract the scorching heat would be toÂ live in the pool, I find that when temps creep almost to 120Â°F, the water ceases to be refreshing. The water, too, is hot.

So the backup plan is to escape to the air-conditioned comfort of the house, draw the shades, and make myself a beverage to cool off with. Sweet, icy drinks are no good when it’s this hot out. Anything with a high sugar content right now makes me cranky and gives me a headache, and that’s the last thing you want when you have guests that are around trying to celebrateÂ you. (Cake, by the way, does not count in this category.) So instead I batched up a savory, spicy syrup (because spicy is actually good for you when it’s hot out. Look at Indian food.) and mixed it up with some bourbon for a refreshing punch. Spicy bourbon punch is refreshing? Read about that argument here on Serious Eats when I just recently batched this drink up.

For now, I’ll park myself next to a large window, occasionally glance outside and remind myself it’s too hot to breathe and enjoy my cocktails in air-conditioned comfort. Happy weekend folks (and Happy Father’s Day to all you Dad’s out there)!

For the Five-Spice Syrup:

1 teaspoon whole Sichuan peppercorns
1 whole star anise pod
1 (6-inch) cinnamon stick or 2 (3-inch) cinnamon sticks
5 whole cloves
1 teaspoon whole fennel seed
1 cup water
1 cup granulated sugar

Toast Sichuan peppercorns, star anise, cloves, and fennel in a dry, medium skillet over medium heat, tossing and stirring frequently until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add cinnamon stick, sugar, and water and place over medium high heat. Cook, stirring, until just starting to boil. Cover and remove from heat. Let rest for 2 hours. Strain into an airtight container. Five-spice syrup will last up to two weeks in the refrigerator.

For 4 Cocktails:

6 ounces bourbon, such as 4 Roses Yellow Label
3 ounces Five-Spice Syrup (see above)
2 ounces fresh juice from 2 to 3 limes
8 ounces club soda
Lime wedges for garnish

In a pitcher, combine bourbon, 3 ounces Five-spice syrup, and lime juice. Stir well. Add club soda and stir gently. To serve, fill rocks glasses with ice, pour in 4-3/4 ounces of the cocktail and top with lime wedges.

The sweet, savory, and pungent flavors of the Five Spice Syrup are an excellent pair to the rich, slightly sweet bourbon. And when you add in the lime juice and club soda, the whole cocktail gets loosened up a bit and really is quite refreshing.

Monday Booze News making a mountain out of beer, ceramics replace your wine glasses, and a drumstick Tiki glass

June 15, 2015 by elana Leave a Comment

Low Rent Cocktail of the Month: Shark Toof

June 12, 2015 by elana Leave a Comment

Did you know there are only 23Â days left until Shark Week?! Because this is a thing! Get the foam fins ready! Set your DVR to record whatever programming will be on! Make… a cocktail!!!!!

In the spirit of made up holidays and network cable’s ability to hypeÂ just about anything,Â this month I’m priming you with the exact kind of cocktail you need to watch sharks turn into zombies and then rip apart other sharks and then talk about shark feelings. July is right around the corner folks, so let’s do this! Low Rent Cocktail style!

So you spend more time in front of the t.v. and less time in your home bar/kitchen/beach themed utility room, this drink helps you out by starting with a Starbucks run. Depending on where you live, you can either make the base vanilla, or if you’re feeling pretty tropical that day, coconut cream. And since I like to feel tropical every day, you’re going to spike that with a hefty dose of light rum.

But what about the sharks?!

To truly enjoy your shark viewing experience, get out the bag of blue gummy sharks and let those guys dive right into your drink. Feel free to use a cocktail pick for your harpoon.

1 small (“tall”) vanilla or coconut blended beverage (get whipped cream and stir that into the drink too)
2-3 ounces of light rum, such as 10 Cane Rum
handful of Gummy Blue Sharks

Your choice: throw the rum into your plastic cup and add the sharks, or if you’re feeling fancy, pour it all into an oversized Margarita glass and have your sharks swim on top.

The Low Rent Cocktail series is an occasional column on Stir and Strain where the boundaries of “good taste” are pushed to the limit, or more often than not, pushed out the window. Enjoy at your own risk.

Monday Booze News Female flavored whisky, get stoned from your cocktails, and you can thank Carrie for your excellent drinks

June 8, 2015 by elana Leave a Comment

Monday Booze News Negroni Week 2015, more tiny hamsters doing cute things with alcohol, and the best hangover cure

June 1, 2015 by elana Leave a Comment

Negroni Week 2015 Cocktails the Moorish Dance and a Coconut Coffee Negroni

May 29, 2015 by elana 2 Comments

Sometime over the past 6 months the Negroni cocktail became my go-to drink at home. Maybe it’s the simplicity in the recipe, or the rush of the bitter with the sweet. Maybe I just got tired of making Manhattans.

Making a nightly Negroni meant that I rapidly ran out of certain ingredients like sweet vermouth. And Campari. So when I couldn’t make it to the store to stock back up, I started to get a little clever with the bitter and the sweet elements (the gin, of course, always stayed the same).

I’m also talking about the Negroni cocktail today because next week is Negroni Week! It’s not just an excuse to drink this cocktail, but there’s also a great cause behind it. You can read all about that right here.

Last year IÂ switched out the gin with mezcal, but this year we’re keeping the gin but adding in some extra flavor goodness. Like coconut. And coffee.

St. George Spirits put out this NOLA Coffee Liqueur a little while ago and I’ve been obsessed with getting a bottle. I could drink this stuff straight, but today I’m using the liqueur in lieu of sweet vermouth in the first Negroni variation. This Negroni combines that bittersweet, robust coffee liqueur with toasted coconut infused gin and a touch of Campari (and don’t worry, if you feel you haven’t the time for another cocktail project I’ve got a pretty simple variation below too). It’s more of an after-dinner drink, or actually, a pretty amazing weekend brunch cocktail (or breakfastÂ cocktail if you prefer).

Coconut Coffee Negroni

Toasted Coconut Gin

1 cup coconut flakes
1 cup Martin Miller’s Gin

Set your oven to 350Â°F. On a cookie sheet, spread out the coconut flakes in an even layer. Place in the oven for 7 to 10 minutes. Let cool and move to an airtight container (I used a wide mouth canning jar). Cover with the gin, seal, and let sit out overnight. The next day strain through a coffee filter into a new, clean airtight container (I often use old liquor bottles).

The Cocktail

1 ounce coconut infused gin
1 ounce St. George Spirits NOLA Coffee Liqueur
3/4 ounce Campari

In a double rocks glass with a large ice cube, pour in coconut infused gin, coffee liqueur, and Campari. Stir 15 seconds to chill and serve.

Now, for those of you who’d like something with a little fewer steps, I give you this Negroni variation. Basically I ran out of most of the ingredients one might need to make one and ended up with this. It’s still got a nice bite and the Zucca does the double duty of being both semi-sweet and bitter with a little more orange-y bitterness from the orange bitters.

The Moorish Dance

1-3/4 ounce gin, Ford’s used here
1-3/4 ounce Zucca
2 dashes orange bitters, Regan’s No.6 used here
orange peel for garnish

In a double rocks glass with a large ice cube, pour in the gin and Zucca. Add the dashes of bitters, stir 15 seconds to chill and express the oils from the orange peel over the drink. Add the zest for garnish.