Champagne Mojito
1 oz white rum .5 oz simple syrup (see note) .5 oz fresh-squeezed lime juice 2-3 sprigs fresh spearmint 3-4 oz sparkling wine (A dry Spanish cava works well. Segura Viudas is an excellent affordable option. Please don’t use Cooks or another rock-bottom cheap brand) Fresh or frozen strawberries, blueberries, or raspberries. Fruit can be left whole, but if the strawberries are large, slice them. Crushed ice Note: To make simple syrup, heat equal parts sugar and water until the sugar melts. Allow to cool. Keep refrigerated and use within 1-2 weeks. Don’t buy bottled...
Read MoreThe Berry Patch
1.5 oz white rum .5 oz simple syrup ‘Mojito’ Mint Strawberries, raspberries, or blueberries ½ lime, fresh-squeezed Optional: Soda or sparkling wine Reserve one mint sprig or berry for garnish. Squeeze lime into a cocktail shaker and add the other ingredients. Gently crush the berries and herbs with a muddler. Shake over ice and strain into a cocktail glass. Top with soda or sparkling wine if desired, then add garnish. Watch a video about the Berry Patch...
Read MoreFruit-Infused Vodka
Got a bumper crop of raspberries, blueberries, strawberries, or blackberries? Or, for that matter, any kind of fruit? You can make your own flavored vodka by filling a jar with clean, loosely packed berries and then pouring in as much vodka as the jar will hold. Gently crush them with a wooden spoon to release the juice, then seal and store in a cool dry place for a week. Strain it and use it in your favorite cocktails, or add simple syrup (equal parts sugar and water, heated until the sugar melts and allowed to cool) to taste to make a liqueur. Either way, keep it refrigerated and enjoy it...
Read MoreBlueberry Smash
First, I have an announcement to make. Flavored vodkas are an abomination that should be stricken from cocktail menus worldwide. I am horrified to see one cocktail menu after another dominated by blueberry vodka, black cherry vodka, green apple vodka, and, I’m sorry to say, fluffed marshmallow vodka. Putting flavored vodka in a glass with some canned fruit juice or soda, artificially-flavored cocktail syrup, and sugar on the rim does not a cocktail make. These drinks look like they were invented by people who had their first adult beverage at Applebee’s and never looked back. Please,...
Read MoreBlueberries
The trick with blueberries is that they put out very shallow roots that form a mat of fibrous threads very near the soil surface. Most of us know that blueberries like acidic soil, but what we forget is that they need a great deal of organic matter and regular water. So before you even think about bringing blueberries home, choose a site that gets plenty of sun and that you will realistically get around to watering, even in the summer. Putting them right in the middle of your vegetable garden might be a good way to go. It’s a common practice to use peat for blueberries; if you’re...
Read MoreBooks by Amy Stewart
The Drunken Botanist
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