The Bean Goose Biscotti - a cocktail recipe by Michelle Hartsell Cocktail Engineer

This cocktail is really tasty.  Just like dessert with a kick.  Goes nicely with biscotti!

To build the cocktail add to a shaker 1/3 filled with ice:

6 oz. fresh squeezed orange juice
3 oz. Fretti Biscotti Famosa liqueur
3 oz. good quality vodka

Stir and strain into a martini glass.  Makes (2) awesome cocktails!

The Tipsy Toucan - a cocktail recipe by Michelle Hartsell Cocktail Engineer

In the mood for something tropical?  On a nice mild and sunny day this one fits the bill nicely.  This is easy and yummy.

Prepare your cocktail glass:
Crush some coconut wafer cookies on a plate.
On a separate plate drizzle some agave nectar.
Swirl the rim of your cocktail glass in the agave nectar and then in the crushed coconut cookies to rim the glass.

To build the cocktail in a shaker 1/3 filled with ice add:
1.5 oz coconut flavored rum
1.5 oz pineapple flavored rum
1 oz key lime juice
1 oz coconut milk
some fresh grated nutmeg

Shake and then strain into the prepared cocktail glass.  Garnish with a pineapple chunk.

Enjoy responsibly!

The Douglas Fir Sapsucker - a cocktail recipe by Michelle Hartsell Cocktail Engineer

There is a shop near us in downtown Campbell, called Redemption, that sells locally made products.  One of these is a Douglas Fir tea by Juniper Ridge.  As well, I recently had the opportunity to have a gin-based cocktail that was made with Douglas Fir syrup at a restaurant near us called The Table (they have some nice craft cocktails on the menu).  I figured I could make a simple syrup based on the tea, as opposed to going out and harvesting fir needles, so here is my take of a Douglas Fir syrup based cocktail.  As the Douglas Fir is so aromatic, I didn't feel the need to add additional flavorings to the syrup.

Douglas Fir Tips Simple Syrup

Brew 1 cup double strength tea with the Douglas Fir Tips 

Add 1 cup of the brewed tea and 1 cup of sugar to a small pot

Bring to a soft boil and simmer for 20 minutes

The Douglas Fir Sapsucker cocktail

In a shaker half filled with crushed ice add

• 1 oz of the Douglas Fir Tips simple syrup
• 1 1/2 oz of plain vodka (I used Skyy)
• 1 1/2 oz of dry gin (I used Bombay Sapphire East)
• 2 oz of fresh squeezed Meyer lemon juice

Stir vigorously then strain into a cocktail glass.  Garnish with a spring of rosemary, a twist of Meyer lemon and a twist of lime.

Leftover simple syrup will store well in the refrigerator.  

If you'd like to read about the birds, including the Sapsucker, that Douglas Fir trees support here's a good reference:  http://www.fs.fed.us/pnw/pubs/gtr285/ 

Cheers!

Tequila Mockingbird - a cocktail recipe by Michelle Hartsell Cocktail Engineer

We have an over abundance of navel oranges on our tree out back so I thought it would be nice to use one for a cocktail (these are large oranges!).  This drink is a take on the traditional Tequila Sunrise normally served over ice.  I prefer most cocktails to be served chilled but without ice because the flavor is diluted as the ice melts.  


To build the cocktail to a shaker 1/3-filled with crushed ice add:

2 oz. Tequila Reposado (I used Herradura in this one)
1 oz. Cointreau Liqueur
3 oz. fresh squeezed orange juice

Shake and strain into a martini or cocktail glass.  

Add one teaspoon of Grenadine syrup and let it float to the bottom - thereby creating the sunrise.  Garnish with an orange peel twist.

You can read up on the novel "To Kill a Mockingbird" here:  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/To_Kill_a_Mockingbird 

With apologies to Harper Lee!  Makes one vitamin C-rich cocktail.  Enjoy!

The Bubbly Bell's Vireo - a cocktail recipe by Michelle Hartsell Cocktail Engineer

Hello 2016!  Sometimes, it's nice to have a cocktail that's lighter in alcohol.  This one fits the bill nicely and is also festive due to the sparkling wine.  This one is easy.  To build the cocktail add one cube of brown sugar to a champagne glass, add 1/2 ounce of Benedictine liqueur and then top with a nice rose sparking wine.  Happy New Year!  

Three French Hens - a cocktail recipe by Michelle Hartsell Cocktail Engineer

You may have been expecting this one...

It's made with French (Vive La France!) sourced ingredients - Lillet, Grey Goose Vodka, and Grand Marnier.  To build the cocktail add the following to a shaker filled 1/4 with cracked ice:

2 1/2 ounces of Lillet Rose Apertif Wine
1 ounce of Grey Goose Vodka
1 ounce of Grand Marnier liqueur

Strain into a coupe glass and garnish with an orange twist.  If you'd like the cocktail more on the dry side, increase the Lillet by 1/2 ounce and decrease the Grand Marnier by the same.

Lillet is a nice apertif served over cracked ice on its own - especially the white or rose - in the warmer months.  As in this case, it can also make a nice base for a cocktail.

Bonus holiday cocktail - the Candy Cane cocktail by Sandra Lee from Food Network (a past favorite of my in-laws!):
http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/sandra-lee/candy-cane-cocktail-recipe.html 
Note:  I have substituted unflavored vodka in place of the vanilla flavored rum and it worked very nicely.  Try to find the old fashioned candy canes made with sugar (no corn syrup).

As always, enjoy responsibly.

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays!

Two Turtle Doves - a cocktail recipe by Michelle Hartsell Cocktail Engineer

This is easy and more of a dessert cocktail.  Just layer 10ml each in a tall shot glass of 1) Chocolate Liqueur (I used Godiva brand), 2) Smirnoff Kissed Caramel flavored Vodka, and 3) Frangelico (hazelnut flavored liqueur).  It will taste very much like the candy!  Ho, Ho, Ho!

A Partridge in a Pear Tree – a cocktail recipe by Michelle Hartsell Cocktail Engineer

Have you ever noticed how many different birds are mentioned in the holiday classic "The 12 days of Christmas"?  Well, here's a cocktail to the first one.  I have two versions for you.

To build the cocktail add to a shaker with crushed ice:

2 1/2 oz of Absolut Pear Vodka
1 oz of either Pear Brandy (for a more traditional martini flavor) or 1 oz of Pear Liqueur (if you like a sweeter cocktail)
Juice from 1/2 a well ripened meyer lemon

Shake and strain into a martini glass

Garnish with a dash or two of cinnamon

That's the cocktail!

You can read more about the traditional Christmas song on wikipedia:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Twelve_Days_of_Christmas_(song) 

Happy holidays

The Prickly Pear Cactus Wren (Margarita) – a cocktail recipe by Michelle Hartsell Cocktail Engineer

A work colleague has Prickly Pear Cacti in her yard in Santa Cruz and the fruits are now in season so I was lucky enough to be given a bag.  Getting to the fruit on the inside is tricky and there are several websites showing how it's done safely.  We had about 14 fruit and yielded about 10oz of the juice for this cocktail.  It's amazingly sweet and brightly purple-red colored.  You can also find the juice frozen in some stores in parts of the U.S.A!  If you don't have access to prickly pear fruit juice you can use strawberry juice instead.

Glass prep:  Rim two martini or cocktail glasses in agave nectar then in kosher salt.

In a cocktail mixer add
1 1/2 oz. fresh squeezed lime juice
4 1/2 oz. fresh Prickly Pear Cactus juice (or frozen if you don't have fresh)
4 oz. tequila blanco (I used Milagro brand)
2 oz. Cointreau

Shake over crushed ice and pour into the prepared glasses.  Yields 2 brightly colored and naturally sweet cocktails!

Here's a link to juicing instructions for prickly pear fruit (only do this if you are comfortable you can do it without getting hurt - else buy the frozen prepared juice/pulp):  http://www.instructables.com/id/How-to-eat-prickly-pear-aka-cactus-fruit-aka-tunas/

Note we used a juicer machine once we extracted the edible pulp from the inside of the fruit and that worked fine in place of a food mill.

The Wild Wild Turkey

Come on, you knew this one was coming!  Yes, in keeping with the U.S.A. tradition of Thanksgiving and the ubiquitous Turkey entree, we have to have a cocktail that celebrates the fowl part of the holiday.  Therefore, this cocktail will use the good-olde-American whiskey called Wild Turkey.  It's a Kentucky straight bourbon whiskey - very Old West while hailing from the East (since 1855)!

This is a sipper cocktail that is nice to have while cooking that holiday bird or dressing the tree.


To a double glass add:
2 oz of Wild Turkey Whiskey (81 proof - you have work to do!  101 proof just won't cut it...)
about a half ounce of fresh squeezed orange juice
about a half ounce of fresh squeezed lemon juice
a good squeeze of honey

Stir then garnish with orange peel and a stalk of lemon-thyme in a maraschino cherry.  Add a couple of 'ice-cubes' (the non-water kind).

That's the drink - Gobble, gobble!

The Magnificent Hummingbird (Margarita) – a cocktail recipe by Michelle Hartsell Cocktail Engineer

I was daydreaming about Baja Mexico when I came up with this one.  This margarita will give you a tingle on your lips from the cayenne in the rimming sugar/salt. 


Rimming mix:
2 tbsp coarse sea salt
2 tbsp brown sugar
mix above then dust with cayenne pepper and mix again

Shaker:
Fresh squeezed tangerine juice (3 oz)
Fresh squeezed lime juice (1 oz)
2 1/2 oz of good quality 100% blue agave reposado tequila (I used Herradura)
1 oz of Agavero liqueur

Garnish:
cilantro
jalapeno pepper

To build the cocktail:
Rub some cilantro in your hands to release the oils and then rub the inside of the glass well with the crushed cilantro.   Rub rim of glass with left over lime and then rim in the sugar/salt mix.  Shake the cocktail over crushed ice then strain into your prepared glass. Garnish with a bit of chopped cilantro and a couple of jalapeno rings.

Notes:  

If you can't find Agavero you can use Damiana or Cointreau or another Agave nectar liqueur. If you want a spicier cocktail you can sprinkle some cayenne into your shaker.

The Magnificent Hummingbird (Eugenes fulgens) is a native of Mexico and extends from the southwest U.S. into central America.  




If you want to know more about the Eugenes fulgens see this scientific paper at https://sora.unm.edu/sites/default/files/journals/condor/v089n02/p0357-p0363.pdf.

Cheers!

The Red-Eyed Raven – a cocktail recipe by Michelle Hartsell Cocktail Engineer

For this cocktail I got my inspiration from a recipe off of the Weight Watchers website for a mulled apple cider with some twists on the spices, juices, ratios and of course the addition of rum.  I used "The Kraken" black-spiced rum in this recipe.  This is a monsters and eyeballs drink and not for the faint of heart!

In a large pot combine

64oz of 100% apple juice

3 cups of cranberry juice (100% juice)

1/2 cup of pomegranate juice (100% juice)

* all above with no sugar added

Add

2 sticks of whole cinnamon

3 whole cardamom pods

1/2 whole nutmeg

1 tsp whole cloves

1/2 tsp whole white peppercorns

Bring to a simmer and keep on low heat for 30 minutes.  Strain into a crock pot to keep warm during a party or else just strain out the mulling spices and keep on a low heat on the stove.

To rim the cups pour some honey on a saucer and a pack or two of pop rocks (pumpkin patch orange flavor if you can find it) into a separate saucer.  Dip the cup into the honey and then swirl in the pop rocks.  You need the honey to make the pop rocks stick to the rim.  If you can't find pop rocks you can rim with a nice cinnamon-spiced sugar.

Add 1 to 2 oz of "The Kraken" black-spiced rum to a cup that has been rimmed with pop rocks and then 5 to 6 oz of the mulled apple-cranberry-pomegranate cider.  Garnish with a small skewer of two maraschino cherries that have been spiked with one whole clove each (the ‘eyes’).

And that's the Halloween cocktail!  Enjoy responsibly and have a spooktacular Halloween.  

Cheers!

Special Halloween Cocktail - coming soon!

Stay tuned for a special Halloween holiday inspired cocktail coming this Friday!