Month: February 2020

tequila

Passionfruit Paloma w/ Beet Syrup

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– Easily make this cocktail a mocktail by skipping the tequila. –

Passionfruit Paloma made with tequila reposado, grapefruit juice, sparkling passionfruit water, and beet simple syrup.

I’ve never been a big fan of a Paloma but this Passionfruit Paloma may have redeemed them. I like tequila and I like grapefruit soda, but putting together in a cocktail leaves me… grossed out. The last time I had one was in a casino in Reno. I lived in The Biggest Little City for a span (absolutely loved it) and had been raving to my friend about being able to get free drinks in the casinos. She came in town & off we went with $40 in hand.

Disclosure: Some of the links below are affiliate links. If you buy a product via my affiliate link, I will receive a commission. This is at no additional cost to you. I only recommend products I actually like! 

Turns out, drinks aren’t free when you order them from the bar. I ordered us both a Paloma, because what was I thinking?, and they were awful. We hunkered down at the Blackjack table to drink our disgusting drinks because we paid for those dang things. But not all was lost. I mean that both figuratively & literally– we each hung on to twenty-five cents.

Passionfruit Paloma made with tequila reposado, grapefruit juice, sparkling passionfruit water, and beet simple syrup.

A traditional Paloma has tequila, grapefruit soda (like Fresca or Jarritos), and lime juice. I opted for grapefruit juice to bring that flavor upfront. I still needed to get that fizz from somewhere and I found it in the perfect form of unsweetened passionfruit sparkling water. The beet syrup brings a hint of earthy sweetness to the drink and imparts the stunning color.

Don’t be intimidated by the beet syrup. I got a huge bag of beet powder from Walmart for under $10. Beet powder is great for upping the antioxidant power of smoothies and for dying baked goods a range of pink shades. I recently used it to dye the icing of my daughter’s vanilla birthday cake. Only one party guest asked what the icing was flavored with, and he guessed cinnamon, so I’d say that it won’t make your recipes too beet-y. I’m not entirely health & wellness conscious but if I have the option to use something artificial or natural, I’m gonna opt for natural.

If you’re looking to make a *small* investment in your barware, consider buying a giant ice cube mold. A bigger ice cube is going to melt slower and make your drink a little colder. Plus they look cool & profesh.

Passionfruit Paloma made with tequila reposado, grapefruit juice, sparkling passionfruit water, and beet simple syrup.

The Ingredients for a Passionfruit Paloma

  • 1 1/2 oz. tequila reposado (skip this & make a great mocktail)
  • 1 oz. grapefruit juice
  • 1/2 oz. beet simple syrup
  • unsweetened passionfruit sparkling water (Aldi’s PurAqua Belle Vie brand is fantastic)
  • slice of grapefruit of lemon to garnish

How to Make a Passionfruit Paloma

Fill a cocktail shaker with ice, tequila, grapefruit juice, & beet syrup. Shake well to combine. Pour into a low-ball glass with ice. Top off with your passionfruit sparkling water. Alternatively, you can “float” the syrup for a more layered effect but honestly, the taste is more uniform if you shake it with the other ingredients.

Passionfruit Paloma with Beet Syrup

A unique twist on the Paloma, this Passionfruit Paloma uses passionfruit sparkling water in place of grapefruit soda and beet simple syrup to sweeten it up.
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Prep Time 3 mins
Course Drinks
Servings 1

Ingredients
  

  • 1½ oz tequila (skip this to make a mocktail)
  • 1 oz grapefruit juice
  • ½ oz beet simple syrup (see note for recipe)
  • 2+ oz passionfruit sparkling water (unsweetened)

Instructions
 

  • Fill a cocktail shaker with ice, tequila, grapefruit juice, & beet syrup.
  • Shake well to combine.
  • Pour into a lowball glass with ice.
  • Top off with your passionfruit sparkling water.

Notes

Check out the easy recipe for beet simple syrup here.
Keyword beet, grapefruit juice, paloma, sparkling water
Passionfruit Paloma made with tequila reposado, grapefruit juice, sparkling passionfruit water, and beet simple syrup.
simple syrup

Beet Simple Syrup

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Beet simple syrup made with beet powder

Using a vegetable in a cocktail basically makes it healthy, right? This beet simple syrup is an easy way to bring some earthy depth and striking color to any drink.

Disclosure: Some of the links below are affiliate links. If you buy a product via my affiliate link, I will receive a commission. This is at no additional cost to you. I only recommend products I actually like! 

The beet flavor is not overwhelming so even if you’re not a fan of these hot pink roots, you can still get behind adding them to your drink. You can buy huge bag of beet powder from Amazon or Walmart for around $10. And while this recipe only called for 1 teaspoon, there are a ton of other ways to incorporate beets into your life.

Beet simple syrup made with beet powder

You can mix the beet powder in smoothies, yogurt, or baked goods. It’s a great way to dye cake icing. Or put it into brownies for a hidden boost of antioxidants. I actually just made some beet juice ice cubes and can’t wait to incorporate them into a drink. Beets are high in folate, fiber, potassium, manganese, iron, and vitamin C. And although I can’t prove that all these nutrients will make their way into your cocktail glass, the beet simple syrup will at least make it look beautiful.

Beet simple syrup made with beet powder

The Ingredients for Beet Simple Syrup

  • 1/4 cup sugar (or honey!)
  • 1/4 cup water
  • 1 teaspoon beet powder

How to Make Beet Simple Syrup

Add all three ingredients to a small saucepan. Bring to a boil to dissolve the sugar. Pour into a small container like a mason jar. Let it cool completely before you put the lid on and stick it in the fridge.

Wondering what to put this magenta magic into? Check out my Passionfruit Paloma.

Royal Rose - Organic Simple Syrup

Beet Simple Syrup

Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 2 mins
Cooling time 15 mins
Course Drinks
Servings 4 ounces

Equipment

  • small saucepan
  • lidded container

Ingredients
  

  • 1 teaspoon beet powder
  • ¼ cup sugar (or honey)
  • ¼ cup water

Instructions
 

  • Add all three ingredients to a small saucepan and heat until the sugar is dissolved.
  • Stir or whisk until the beet powder is fully incorporated.
  • Pour into a small container like a mason jar. Let it cool completely before you put the lid on and stick it in the fridge.

Notes

Beet simple syrup should keep for about a month in the fridge.
Keyword beet, simple syrup, sugar
gin

The Classic French 75

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The classic French 75, a champagne cocktail.

The French 75 is a classic, classic cocktail. It’s one of the first cocktails I ever had and it was ordered for me by one of my dearest friends. It’s her go-to drink and honestly, she IS a walking French 75. Tall & blonde, bright & effervescent, feminine & sophisticated, but man, she can pack a punch. Cheers, Colleen. You powerhouse, you.

Disclosure: Some of the links below are affiliate links. If you buy a product via my affiliate link, I will receive a commission. This is at no additional cost to you. I only recommend products I actually like! 

This gin & champagne cocktail dates back to the early 1900s and gets its name from the 75-millimeter Howitzer field gun that was used by both the French and the Americans in World War I. I’m no gun expert but apparently this thing had a pretty mean kick to it. So it seems the French 75 is appropriately named– it is BOO-ZY, I tell ya.

When I make a French 75, or any cocktail with champagne, I prefer to purchase the little mini bottles. I love champagne as much as the next person, don’t get me wrong. But it almost always gives me an instant headache so I never finish a bottle of the stuff.

Simple cocktails, or all cocktails IMO, call for a garnish. Twist a strip of lemon peel around a straw to help it hold a curl while you assemble the rest of the drink. I know I need to up my garnish game and I plan on spending my daughter’s next nap time watching some YouTube tutorials. We all gotta start somewhere. You can use a traditional vegetable peeler or special citrus zester. I found this teeny red box grater at Hobby Lobby for a couple bucks and it is surprisingly extremely sharp.

Another great place to find fun garnishes is the dollar store. I think I got a pack of 8 of those sparkly hearts for a buck. These would be the perfect garnish for a Galentine’s Day cocktail. And the foiled paper straws just take it all to the next level.

There are a few ways to make a French 75 but typically, the components are gin + sugar + lemon juice + champagne. I’ve had them with vodka in place of gin, honey syrup instead of sugar, and with a couple dashes of Angostura bitters. It seems the recipe below is the most commonly used one, but make it however you want.

The French 75 is a classic cocktail for a reason. With only 4 ingredients, this champagne cocktail is incredibly easy to make. Make it this Valentine's Day.

The Ingredients

  • 1 1/2 oz gin
  • 3/4 oz simple syrup
  • 3/4 oz fresh lemon juice
  • 2-3 oz champagne

The How-To

Fill a cocktail shaker with ice and add the gin, simple syrup, and lemon juice. Shake well. Strain into a champagne glass and top off with champagne. Garnish with a lemon peel and cheers yourself for being so classy.

French 75

A classic gin cocktail with champagne and lemon. It's simple, sophisticated, and fun.
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 3 mins
Course Drinks
Servings 1

Ingredients
  

  • 1½ oz gin
  • ¾ oz fresh lemon juice
  • ¾ oz simple syrup
  • 2-3 oz champagne or sparkling wine

Instructions
 

  • Fill a cocktail shaker with ice and add the gin, simple syrup, and lemon juice.
  • Shake well.
  • Strain into a champagne glass and top off with champagne.
  • Garnish with a lemon twist.

Notes

If you don’t know how to make simple syrup, find the easy recipe here.
Keyword champagne, french 75, gin, lemon, prosecco, simple syrup, sparkling wine
The French 75 is a classic cocktail for a reason. With only 4 ingredients, this champagne cocktail is incredibly easy to make. Make it this Valentine's Day.
Solomon's Bazaar
gin

Solomon’s Bazaar | An Alluring Spiced Gin Cocktail

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Solomon's Bazaar | An exotic Opihr spiced gin cocktail with orange, rosewater, cardamom, and honey.

The ingredients in Solomon’s Bazaar are a little more exotic and the flavor profile’s more sophisticated but this drink is still far from difficult to make. Besides, once you invest in some of these ingredients, your home bar will go from basic to impressive. You might even find yourself inspired to experiment with them.

Disclosure: Some of the links below are affiliate links. If you buy a product via my affiliate link, I will receive a commission. This is at no additional cost to you. I only recommend products I actually like! 

Solomon's Bazaar | A Gin Cocktail. An exotic Opihr spiced gin cocktail with orange, rosewater, cardamom, and honey.

The particular brand of gin that I used makes the drink, in my opinion, but I think any brand could work. Opihr was my inspiration for this gin cocktail and I built everything around it. It’s considered an oriental spiced gin and uses spices and botanicals meant to evoke the tastes & aromas of exotic spice markets: black pepper, cardamom, and ginger from India, cubeb from Malaysia, coriander seed from Morocco, cumin from Turkey, bitter oranges from Spain, angelica from Germany, juniper from Italy, and grapefruit peel.

Opihr gets its name from the legendary port that flourished during the days of King Solomon; it was renowned for its gold, silver, pearls, ivory, apes, peacocks, and sandalwood.

Solomon's Bazaar | An exotic Opihr spiced gin cocktail with orange, rosewater, cardamom, and honey.

The backstory behind this gin inspired me to create an exotic gin cocktail that could recreate the experience of walking through an ancient Middle Eastern spice market. Luckily for you, you won’t have to wade through bustling streets to find what you need. Amazon Prime leaves with you no excuse to recreate the exotic and sophisticated Solomon’s Bazaar.

A gin cocktail made with Opihr spiced gin, rosewater, orange juice & zest, cardamom bitters, and honey.

The Ingredients for Solomon’s Bazaar

  • 1 1/2 – 2 oz. gin (if you live in the Lonestar State like me, Opihr can only be found at Spec’s)
  • 1/2 oz. freshly-squeezed orange juice
  • 1/2 oz freshly-squeeze lemon juice
  • zest from an orange
  • 1/2 oz honey simple syrup
  • 1/4 teaspoon rosewater (it’s potent- always err on the side of too little)
  • a couple dashes of cardamom bitters

How to Make a Solomon’s Bazaar

Zest half an orange over your cocktail shaker. Add ice. Pour in gin, juice, & honey syrup. Carefully add a quarter teaspoon of rosewater. You can always add more if you want but I have ruined many a drink by accidentally using too much. Add two dashes of cardamom bitters (or traditional aromatic bitters if its what you have). Shake shake shake. Strain into a coupe glass. Sip & find yourself transported to the markets of Opihr.

Solomon's Bazaar | An exotic Opihr spiced gin cocktail with orange, rosewater, cardamom, and honey.

Interested in making another gin cocktail? Check out the Gimlet, a French 75, Down the Bunny Trail, or a Gin Campari Sour.

Solomon’s Bazaar

An exotic spiced gin cocktail meant to evoke the experience of strolling down the aisles of a spice market.
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 3 mins
Course Drinks
Servings 1

Ingredients
  

  • 1½-2 oz spiced gin
  • ½ oz freshly-squeezed orange juice
  • ½ oz freshley-squeezed lemon juice
  • zest from an orange
  • ½ oz honey simple syrup (see note for recipe)
  • â…› teaspoon rosewater
  • 1-2 dashes cardamom bitters (can sub aromatic bitters)

Instructions
 

  • Zest half an orange over your cocktail shaker.
  • Add ice. Pour in gin, juices, & honey syrup. Carefully add â…› teaspoon of rosewater and two dashes of cardamom bitters.
  • Shake well.
  • Strain into a coupe glass.
  • Garnish with orange zest.

Notes

If you don’t have spiced gin, traditional gin will do. I really do recommend Opihr for this specific recipe though.
For the honey simple syrup recipe, click here.
Keyword cardamom, ginger beer, honey, lemon, orange blossom water