Category: vodka

vodka

Dirty Shirley | The Boozy Version of a Childhood Favorite

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The Dirty Shirley is the boozy version of the Shirley Temple, a childhood favorite of many. To make a Dirty Shirley, you'll only need 4 ingredients: vodka, Sprite, grenadine syrup, and a maraschino cherry.

I bet you’ve heard of the infamous mocktail called the Shirley Temple. It’s an iconic drink and rightfully so. But today I’m talking about the grown-up version: the Dirty Shirley.

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 Shirley Temple is *the* quintessential mocktail in my opinion. This famous nonalcoholic drink has maintained its popularity from its creation in the 1930s. There are several stories about who created this drink and where it was created, but all versions are clear about who it was created for: Shirley Temple.

While we don’t know which bartender in which restaurant created it originally, we do know that someone somewhere made Shirley Temple her own special drink while she was eating dinner out with her parents. Some say that Shirley was whining a bit because her parents got to enjoy special drinks like Old Fashioneds and some leave that anecdote out. Personally I envision Shirley politely raising her little hand and asking the waiter for her own special concoction. Fill in the unrecorded details as you want.

Just as the exact history of the Shirley Temple drink is a bit fuddled, the exact recipe is unclear, too. Some recipes use lemon-lime soda while others use ginger ale. There’s even a recipe out there that uses orange juice. However, there are two non-negotiable ingredients: grenadine and a maraschino cherry.

But what is grenadine? It’s a bar ingredient easily recognized by many thanks to its bright-red hue, and yet few people I’ve talked to know what it is. The common assumption is that it’s a cherry-flavored syrup. This is probably due in large part to its connection with the Shirley Temple which is always garnished with a cherry. It’s an understandable assumption. But grenadine is a pomegranate-flavored syrup. Yep. Google it.

I LOVED ordering Shirley Temples as a kid. I remember them being a really special treat when we would go out to eat. And while I would still definitely slam a Shirley Temple now, a Dirty Shirley is more my style.

The Dirty Shirley is the boozy version of the Shirley Temple, a childhood favorite of many. To make a Dirty Shirley, you'll only need 4 ingredients: vodka, Sprite, grenadine syrup, and a maraschino cherry.

When you make your Dirty Shirley, you can make it with your liquor of choice, but I opt for vodka. Vodka’s got a really clean, bright taste that blends in nicely. If you’re not wanting to taste the alcohol in a drink, use vodka.

A quick note about grenadine brands. The most commonly-known and widely-available brand is Rose’s. It’s what I first bought. But over the years, I’ve become exposed to more brands and I’ve also raised my standards a bit. Rose’s will do if that’s what you have. BUT if you haven’t invested in any grenadine yet, you should get Barsmith’s grenadine or Liber & Co’s grenadine. Both of them use real pomegranate juice, pure cane sugar (not corn syrup), and only use natural coloring. Barsmith’s ingredients are even non-GMO.

Barsmith is the brand in my fridge now and its definitely more tart and less red than Rose’s. I really like it. When I run out, I’m gonna give Liber & Co a try. I’ve heard great things about their other syrups so I’m sure their grenadine is great, too.

Feel free to experiment with this classic Dirty Shirley recipe. Add some lime juice or orange juice for a fun twist. I cut the grenadine amount in half and subbed in some of my cherry pit simple syrup. It was reeally good. You can also try making it with lemon-lime La Croix or Spindrift if you’re trying to watch your calories and sugar intake

If you make a Dirty Shirley, be sure to tag on me on Instagram –> @girlandtonic_

The Dirty Shirley is the boozy version of the Shirley Temple, a childhood favorite of many. To make a Dirty Shirley, you'll only need 4 ingredients: vodka, Sprite, grenadine syrup, and a maraschino cherry.

Ingredients for a Dirty Shirley

  • 1 1/2 oz vodka
  • 3/4 oz grenadine
  • 8 oz (1 cup) lemon-lime soda or ginger ale
  • cherry, to garnish

How to Make a Dirty Shirley

Add ice to a Collins glass or another tall glass. Pour in the vodka, the soda, and the grenadine. Stir to combine. Garnish with a cherry. I used a fresh cherry, but the traditional recipe calls for a maraschino cherry.

Learn how to make a Dirty Shirley with 3 ingredients.

Dirty Shirley

A boozy version of the Shirley Temple.
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 1 min
Course Drinks
Servings 1

Ingredients
  

  • 1½ oz vodka (can sub white rum or gin)
  • ¾ oz grenadine
  • 8 oz lemon-lime soda or ginger ale
  • 1 cherry, to garnish

Instructions
 

  • Add ice to a Collins glass or tall glass.
  • Pour in the vodka, the soda, and the grenadine.
  • Stir to combine.
  • Garnish with a cherry.

Notes

Traditional recipes call for Sprite or ginger ale. Pick whichever you prefer.
For the garnish, I used a fresh cherry, but the traditional recipe calls for a maraschino cherry.
Keyword ginger ale, grenadine, Sprite, vodka
gin

Cucumber Basil Refresher | A Magical Gin Cocktail with Fresh Cucumber Juice

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This Cucumber Basil Refresher combines fresh cucumber juice, basil, & club soda for a perfectly refreshing cocktail. Make it with gin or vodka and sweeten it up a touch with a splash of simple syrup.

When I set out to make a drink last night, this Cucumber Basil Refresher is not what I had in mind. It’s hot here in Texas so I was craving something refreshing. I originally wanted to make a cucumber margarita but when I realized I didn’t have any limes, I switched gears. I got on Instagram and started scrolling through my feed until I saw something that caught my eye. I saw this recipe by City Gal Cocktails and I got so excited because the main ingredient was pineapple juice! I definitely have that from making my Easy Colada. Sweet.

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! 

Buuuut then I saw that I needed lime juice for that recipe, too. Shoot. It’s okay. I’ll just make a classic Tom Collins. Those are always refreshing. Only…. NO LEMONS EITHER! What’s going on?! I had no limes and no lemons to speak of– can I even call myself a home mixologist? Of course there are plenty of cocktails that don’t call for citrus juice, but all the bright & refreshing ones do. I hung my head a bit as I opened the fridge for one last futile scan of its contents.

Cucumber. I have half of a cucumber! Yes yes, I can work with this. Usually, I muddle cucumber slices to impart their flavor in a drink, but since I was going to need liquid besides liquor, I pulled my juicer out of the pantry.

This is the exact juicer I have and I really, really like it. It’s easy to clean and has never clogged on me. Two musts when it comes to investing in a good juicer. It was actually a birthday gift from my longest-time bff (hi Han, ilu!) and she bought it so that I could incorporate fresh juices into my cocktails. Y’all. Get you friends who support you in your crazy endeavors like starting cocktail blogs.

You don’t need a juicer to make this recipe, though. If you’ve got a blender, that will work! Pour the gin (or vodka, tequila, or water if you want a mocktail) in the blender and add the cucumber & blend until you make a puree. Cucumbers have a high water content so it shouldn’t seize up on you. However, if you’re using a blender instead of a juicer, only use about 1/3 of the cucumber if you’re wanting only one Cucumber Basil Refresher. When I used my juicer, I went ahead and juiced the half cucumber that I had and stored the rest in a mason jar to give my daughter as a special treat with breakfast.

Once you’ve made the gin/cucumber puree, you’ll have to strain it using a fine mesh strainer like this one. Push on the pulp to squeeze every last drop out. You should be left with about 2 1/4 ounces.

This Cucumber Basil Refresher combines fresh cucumber juice, basil, & club soda for a perfectly refreshing cocktail. Make it with gin or vodka and sweeten it up a touch with a splash of simple syrup.

When I took my first sip of the cocktail, it was good but it needed to be a little brighter. Ugh, if only I had a dang lemon. I opened my fridge back up and suspiciously eyed the bottle of lemon juice.

I know, I know. I said in this post to ALWAYS use fresh citrus juice. But since I was only wanting a splash, I knew the bottled juice wouldn’t kill the cocktail. I may have had to eat my words as I drank my Cucumber Basil Refresher but you can’t call me dishonest.

This Cucumber Basil Refresher combines fresh cucumber juice, basil, & club soda for a perfectly refreshing cocktail. Make it with gin or vodka and sweeten it up a touch with a splash of simple syrup.

If you have a lemon, use the lemon. But if you need to use bottled lemon juice, I won’t tell if you won’t.

Also, I’ve gotta give my mom a quick shout out because she’s the real hero of this story. After all, she’s the reason I had the cucumber to begin with. She grew it in her garden and it tasted simply divine. But since you probs don’t have homegrown cukes at your disposal, store-bought will work just fine.

Cheers!

Ingredients for a Cucumber Basil Refresher

How to Make a Cucumber Basil Refresher

Add the gin and basil to a cocktail shaker and gently muddle the leaves. Add in the fresh cucumber juice, lemon juice, simple syrup, and ice. Shake well. Strain into a lowball glass filled with ice. Top off the rest of the class with the club soda. You may have to take a few sips to make room.

Cucumber Basil Refresher

A refreshing cocktail with fresh cucumber juice and basil. Use with gin or vodka!
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 7 mins
Course Drinks
Servings 1

Equipment

  • juicer or blender
  • cocktail shaker

Ingredients
  

  • 1 ½ oz gin (or vodka)
  • ¾ oz fresh cucumber juice* (see note about how to make it)
  • ½ oz simple syrup
  • 6 fresh basil leaves
  • ⅛-¼ oz lemon juice
  • 1+ oz club soda or sparkling water

Instructions
 

  • Add the gin and basil to a cocktail shaker and gently muddle the leaves.
  • Add in the fresh cucumber juice*, lemon juice, simple syrup, and ice.
  • Shake well.
  • Strain into a lowball glass filled with ice.
  • Top off the rest of the class with the club soda. You may have to take a few sips to make room.

Notes

*You can make fresh cucumber juice using either a juicer or a blender. If you’ve got a blender, here’s what to do:
Pour the 1.5 oz of gin (or vodka) in the blender and add a 1/3 of a cucumber & blend until you make a puree. Cucumbers have a high water content so it shouldn’t seize up on you. If it does, you can add the simple syrup and lemon juice in, too, to help it blend better. Once you’ve made the gin/cucumber puree, you’ll have to strain out the pulp using a fine mesh strainer like this one. Push on the pulp to squeeze every last drop out. 
MOCKTAIL OPTION: Leave out the alcohol and use either extra cucumber juice, lemon juice, or club soda in its place.
Keyword basil, beet simple syrup, cucumber, gin, lemon juice, vodka
gin

Hype Girl Cocktail| A Brilliant Cocktail & Mocktail

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The Hype Girl Cocktail is a simple fruity drink that's not too sweet. Make it with gin or vodka for a delicious cocktail or leave it out for a mocktail that won't make you miss alcohol. The tart raspberries and bitter grapefruit are balanced by the earthy sweetness of beet simple syrup. Add some grapefruit sparkling water and this drink will get you pumped about life in no time.

Just like a real-life hype girl, this Hype Girl cocktail recipe is sure to get you fired up. It’s bright, bubbly, and unique and is a drink that I think most everyone would enjoy. There’s even a mocktail version that’s bomb.

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! 

Before we go talking about the drink, though, what is a hype girl? A hype girl is the life of the party, your number one fan & supporter, the friend that can get you pumped about anything.

I think most people have a hype girl in their life. My mom’s definitely my OG hype girl but I’ve got several others, too. I have a handful of friends who constantly cheer me on and root for me, especially in this blogging business.

The Hype Girl Cocktail is a simple fruity drink that's not too sweet. Make it with gin or vodka for a delicious cocktail or leave it out for a mocktail that won't make you miss alcohol. The tart raspberries and bitter grapefruit are balanced by the earthy sweetness of beet simple syrup. Add some grapefruit Bubly and this drink will get you pumped about life in no time.

My inspiration for the name of this cocktail comes from my friend Ashley. Ashley feels like my own personal hype girl, especially when it comes to Girl & Tonic. But really, she’s encouraging and supportive of all women. She even has an account on Instagram called @theneighborhoodhypegirl. It’s a great account to follow if you need some positivity & pep talks dropped in your social media feed. Ashley– thanks for supporting me and my cocktail blog even though you don’t drink. This mocktail’s for you!

My recipe inspiration came in the form of a pint of raspberries that were on the last few days of life and yet were still incredibly tart. I needed to use them up somehow and figured a cocktail would be a great use (naturally). I looked around in my fridge to see what else needed to be used up. Grapefruit juice… a lonely can of grapefruit Bubly.. oh, yeah, I can make this work.

How to make a mocktail with Bubly | This Hype Girl mocktail is made with grapefruit Bubly, fresh raspberries, grapefruit juice, and beet simple syrup.

To tone down the raspberries and the grapefruit, I knew I’d need some kind of sweetener. Simple syrup is the obvious choice but I figured I’d stay on the pink trend and utilize the bag of beet powder hanging out in my pantry. Using beet simple syrup not only makes your drinks a gorgeous magenta color but it also provides a touch of earthiness that keeps your drink from tasting overly sweet. You could definitely make the Hype Girl cocktail or mocktail with traditional simple syrup, but beet simple syrup is way more fun.

This cocktail tastes great with either vodka or gin. Gin lends a more botanical feel while vodka’s clean taste highlights the raspberry and grapefruit. Use whichever you prefer. Or try both versions and tell me which one you like more in the comments!

If you’re needing some pep in your day, mix yourself up a Hype Girl Mocktail. And when you’re ready to unwind at night, mix up the cocktail version.

If you’re interested in other mocktails, these Girl & Tonic recipes can be easily turned into mocktails by skipping the alcohol:

Easy Colada

pineapple juice + coconut water + Demerara syrup

Jam Mocktail

jam + flavored sparkling water + herb + citrus juice

grapefruit juice + beet simple syrup + passionfruit sparkling water

Cero Miedo

guava nectar + lime juice + jalapeño basil syrup + chili powder + club soda

Golden Pothos

tonic water + lemon juice + turmeric + cardamom syrup

Ingredients for a Hype Girl Cocktail and Mocktail

  • 1 1/2 oz gin or vodka (omit for mocktail)
  • 3/4 oz grapefruit juice
  • 4 raspberries
  • 1/2 oz beet simple syrup (here’s the easy recipe)
  • 3-5 oz grapefruit sparkling water (like Bubly or La Croix)

How to Make a Hype Girl Cocktail and Mocktail

Pour the gin or vodka and grapefruit juice into a cocktail shaker. If you’re making a cocktail, just skip the gin. Add the raspberries and gently muddle them. No need to destroy them–just smoosh them a bit. Add the beet simple syrup and a generous amount of ice. Shake well.

If you don’t want raspberry seeds in your drink, you’ll need to “double strain” it. You’ll need a small strainer like this one.

Hype Girl Cocktail and Mocktail | This delicious and refreshing drink is perfect for getting you pumped up. It's a perfect blend of tart, bitter, sweet, and bubbly.

Fill your cocktail glass with ice. Hold the strainer over your glass while you pour the drink from the cocktail shaker. This should catch the raspberry bits.

Top off the rest of the glass with the grapefruit sparkling water and stir. Garnish with a grapefruit slice.

Hype Girl Cocktail and Mocktail | This delicious and refreshing drink is perfect for getting you pumped up. It's a perfect blend of tart, bitter, sweet, and bubbly.

Hype Girl Cocktail and Mocktail Recipe

A fruity drink that's not too sweet. Make it with gin or vodka or leave it out for a refreshing mocktail.
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 3 mins
Course Drinks
Servings 1

Equipment

  • cocktail shaker or lidded mason jar
  • small strainer

Ingredients
  

  • 1½ oz vodka or gin (omit for mocktail)
  • ¾ oz grapefruit juice
  • 4 raspberries
  • ½ oz beet simple syrup *see note for recipe
  • 3+ oz unsweetened grapefruit sparkling water (add more for mocktail recipe)

Instructions
 

  • Add the liquor (optional), grapefruit juice, and raspberries into a cocktail shaker.
  • Gently muddle the raspberries, just enough to smoosh them a bit and release the juice.
  • Add the beet simple syrup and a generous amount of ice.
  • Shake well.
  • Double strain** over a cocktail glass that's been filled with ice.
  • Top off the rest of the glass with the grapefruit sparkling water and stir.
  • Garnish with a grapefruit slice. 

Notes

*Don’t be intimidated by the beet simple syrup. It’s actually quite easy and will only take you a few minutes. Check out the recipe here.
 
**To double-strain, you’ll need a small strainer (like this one). Hold the strainer over your glass while you pour the shaken cocktail. This will catch all the raspberry bits. You can omit this step if you don’t mind the raspberry seeds in your drink.
Keyword beet, beet simple syrup, gin, grapefruit, grapefruit juice, raspberries, sparkling water, vodka
vodka

Desert Elixir | An Earthy & Refreshing Coconut Water Cocktail for Death Valley Nails

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The Desert Elixir is an earthy and refreshing coconut water cocktail created in collaboration by Girl & Tonic for Death Valley Nails. Drink it tart or make it sweet by adding a pinch or two of sugar.

I get excited about every cocktail recipe I post but this coconut water cocktail is extra special to me. The Desert Elixir is a cocktail I created in collaboration with Death Valley Nails. When they reached out to me a few weeks back and asked if I would be interested in working with them, I actually squealed with delight. And maybe stomped my feet a few times. And probably jumped, too.

Death Valley Nails is my FAVORITE nail polish brand ever. Eh-var. I mean, before I tried DVN, I never felt particularly loyal to a brand of nail polish. If I liked the color, I bought it. Cool.

But y’all… y’all. This company will change the way you ~feel~ about nail polish. Besides the fact that their polish is the highest-quality nail polish I’ve ever used (I’ll rant about that later), it’s ten-free (!), cruelty-free, nontoxic, mixed by hand, and most is vegan. They just launched an amazing new line called Dust to Dust and some of those polishes utilize unused cattle bones from a farm. While these products are not vegan, they bring great worth and honor to the parts of an animal that are typically discarded after processing.

Alright, now for my rant. Saddle up. I am definitely not the kind of girl that goes to a salon for a manicure. However, I love to have my nails painted. But do you know the worst part about painting your nails? WHEN THEY CHIP TWO DAYS LATER. I’ve bought a lot of nail polish over the years, always hopeful that this will be the brand that lasts more than 36 hours. I’ve bought OPI, Essie, and other expensive options. I kept them because I assumed they were the best out there on the market.

Enter DVN. My friend Jenn actually started the company a little over a year ago. I’ve known her for years and she’s an artist and a creative through and through. She’s also incredibly kind and genuine. [Fun side note: The first time I ever had a Manhattan was with her at a bar in downtown Houston called Poison Girl.] When I heard that she had started a nail polish company, I was really interested. I bought my first bottle almost a year ago but truthfully, I was mostly doing it to be supportive of a friend. I already have low expectations for nail polish and seeing that it was 10-free and nontoxic had me skeptical.

I try to be eco-conscious and naturally-minded when it comes to products, but oftentimes natural and environmentally-friendly beauty products are sub-par. They just can’t perform as well as their chemical-laden competition. But Death Valley Nails has changed that narrative.

They. don’t. chip. Nope. They don’t. I’ll never forget the first time I wore it– i went 13 days before I got my first chip. WITHOUT a topcoat. Uh-huh. I finally took it off around 15 or 16 days but only because my nails were growing out. Otherwise, I would’ve been happy to leave it on even longer. I’ll also note that I’m rough on my nails. I use them as built-in Swiss army knives and I don’t wear gloves when I garden or do dishes. And they stay in pristine condition for well over a week every. time.

AND the polish stays glossy. The topcoat is incredible, but the polishes stay glossy on their own, too. It also dries and sets much faster than my other polishes. I mean, what kind of sorcery is this stuff? I’m truly amazed and will tell the world about DVN until forever.

Here are my current color crushes:

Gator’s Tongue

Burnt Sienna (wearing this now!)

High Plains

Traveller

Yellow-Bellied Sapsucker

Vegasville

Ouzle– a tri-thermal that changes color!

Death Valley Nails also makes candles. They come in vessels that are handcrafted using cement and natural pigments and can be used long after the candle is gone. How awesome is that? Zero-waste and more bang for your buck. The candles are also made with 100% soy wax. I’ve purchased many polishes from DVN but I haven’t bought a candle yet. I reeeally want to buy one! The Orange Blossom + Honey and the Cardamom + Cedar are particularly calling my name. You pick your vessel first and then your scent. You can browse the scent options here.

Now that I’ve hopefully convinced you to make a Death Valley purchase, we can talk about the collab. When you get your polish (or candle) in the mail, you’ll also get one of these beautiful postcards designed by Houston-based artist Sarah Beth Baca:

The idea was to make it easier for us to connect to one another in these strange and socially-isolated times. I love the idea of sending this Desert Elixir recipe to a friend so you can both share a drink together. We plan on having one postcard for each season.

When Death Valley Nails asked me to create a cocktail for this summer, I knew it had to be one that would appeal to the masses (not too sweet) and would be easy to make (ingredients can be found at all grocery stores). I also wanted to make sure it was versatile and could be made with a variety of liquors– not everyone keeps a well-stocked liquor cabinet!

So, here is the Desert Elixir, the refreshing and earthy coconut water cocktail. I hope it keeps you and a friend cool this summer. ❤︎

The Desert Elixir is an earthy and refreshing coconut water cocktail created in collaboration by Girl & Tonic for Death Valley Nails. Drink it tart or make it sweet by adding a pinch or two of sugar.

Ingredients for the Desert Elixir

  • 2 oz vodka or gin or rum
  • 3/4 oz freshly-squeezed lime juice
  • 6-8 mint leaves
  • 1/8 teaspoon sugar or 1/4 oz simple syrup– optional
  • 1+ oz sparkling coconut water (if you can find it with lime, get it!)
  • 1-2 dashes of Angostura bitters- optional

How to Make the Desert Elixir

Add the mint leaves and the vodka to a cocktail shaker. Muddle the leaves until they’re bruised. Add in ice, the lime juice, and the bitters. Shake well, about 30 seconds. This will further infuse the mint. Strain into a lowball glass that’s filled with ice. Top off the rest of the glass with the sparkling coconut water.

The Desert Elixir is an earthy and refreshing coconut water cocktail created in collaboration by Girl & Tonic for Death Valley Nails. Drink it tart or make it sweet by adding a pinch or two of sugar.

Desert Elixir

The Desert Elixir is a refreshing coconut water cocktail made in collaboration with Death Valley Nails and Sarah Beth Baca.
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 3 mins
Course Drinks
Servings 1

Ingredients
  

  • 2 oz vodka or gin or rum
  • 3/4 oz lime juice
  • 6-8 mint leaves
  • 1+ oz sparkling coconut water
  • 1-2 dashes Angostura bitters (optional)
  • ⅛ teaspoon sugar (or 1/4 oz simple syrup) (optional)

Instructions
 

  • Add the mint leaves, the vodka, and the sugar* to a cocktail shaker.
  • Muddle the leaves until they're bruised.
  • Add in ice, the lime juice, and the bitters.
  • Shake well, about 30 seconds.
  • Strain into a lowball glass that's filled with ice.
  • Top off the rest of the glass with the sparkling coconut water.
  • Garnish with a sprig of mint and a lime slice.

Notes

*Coconut water is slightly sweet to begin with. If you prefer sweet cocktails over tart ones, add 1/8 teaspoon of sugar (or 1/4 oz of simple syrup).
If you can find sparkling coconut water with lime, it takes this cocktail up a notch!
Keyword Desert Elixir, lime, mint, sparkling coconut water

Love the mint in this Desert Elixir? Check out the Campari To-Kill-Ya and the South Side.

vodka

The Novelist’s Garden | A Botanical & Bright Custom Cocktail for Maddie Deer

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The Novelist’s Garden is a custom cocktail I made for Maddie over at MaddieDeer.com. We recently connected on a Facebook group for female bloggers. I announced to the group that one of the services I offer is designing custom cocktails for brands and Maddie was one of the first people to reach out to me. You can check out the post that I made for her here.

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! 

Maddie Deer is a lifestyle blog that covers topics like vegan and plant-based recipes, vintage finds, DIY & crafting, travel, and fitness. She also blogs about the book writing process–she’s written a novel and is now working on her second one, hence the Novelist’s Garden. My favorite posts of hers at the moment are her 6 Superfoods to Add to Smoothies and her spring book list. I’ve recently gotten back into reading for pleasure so I love seeing what other people are reading.

I really love Maddie’s aesthetics. I had a pretty good idea of which direction I wanted to go in terms of her custom cocktail after just browsing her site, but to gain more insight into her and her brand, I sent her my Custom Cocktail Word Board. Maddie then selected several words from different categories that she felt best described her brand.

Some of the words she chose were earthy, steady, and sophisticated. If you’re familiar with her blog, you’ll see those words really align with her vibe. Let me know in a comment if you think The Novelist’s Garden does, too.

This is the cocktail I imagine Maddie sipping on while she works on her novel, surrounded by her plants in beautiful Portland, Oregon. The Novelist’s Garden is whimsical and bright with a touch of effervescence. Maddie loves plants so I wanted to utilize as many fresh herbs as possible. The basil and lavender lend a warm botanical feel without being overpowering. To impart a bit of Maddie’s refined and yet approachable style, I added a drop of orange blossom water. The bubbly citrus sparkling water keeps things light and lively.

It has been a dream to work with Maddie. She’s genuine and down-to-earth. I’m sure you’ll pick up on those vibes real fast when you browse her blog.

Maddie, thank you for trusting me to create a cocktail tailor-made for you and your brand!

The Novelist's Garden is a bright and botanical cocktail that is perfect to enjoy outdoors. The basil, lavender, and orange blossom pair perfectly with citrus to create an earthy, sophisticated drink. | cocktails with lavender | herb cocktail recipes | orange blossom water | cocktails with basil | drinks alcohol recipes | drinks with vodka | garden cocktail party | garden drinks

Ingredients for The Novelist’s Garden

  • 2 oz vodka (gin is also great in this & creates a more botanical feel)
  • 3/4 oz freshly-squeezed lemon juice
  • 3/4 oz lavender simple syrup- here’s my homemade recipe
  • 5-7 fresh basil leaves
  • splash of citrus sparkling water (unsweet)
  • 1 drop of orange blossom water– optional but it adds a floral perfume touch

How to Make The Novelist’s Garden

  1. Add the basil and vodka into a cocktail shaker and muddle the leaves. you don’t need to destroy them–just bruise them well so that they release their oils.
  2. Add a generous amount of ice, the lemon juice, the lavender simple syrup, and the DROP of orange blossom water (literally a drop, the stuff is potent. To do this, I dip a swizzle stick into the bottle and then dip it in the cocktail shaker).
  3. Shake well, 20-30 seconds.
  4. Strain into a coupe glass.
  5. Add a splash of lime sparkling water.
  6. Garnish with an extra sprig of basil.

The Novelist’s Garden

A custom cocktail created for MaddieDeer.com. This cocktail is botanical, whimsical, and bright.
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 3 mins
Course Drinks
Servings 1

Ingredients
  

  • 2 oz vodka or gin*
  • ¾ oz freshly-squeezed lemon juice
  • ¾ oz lavender simple syrup (see the note on how to make your own)
  • 5-7 basil leaves
  • splash citrus sparkling water unsweetened
  • 1 drop orange blossom water** (optional)

Instructions
 

  • Add the basil and vodka into a cocktail shaker and muddle the leaves.
  • Add a generous amount of ice, the lemon juice, the lavender simple syrup, and the DROP of orange blossom water*.
  • Shake well, about 20-30 seconds.
  • Strain into a coupe glass.
  • Add a splash of lime sparkling water.
  • Garnish with an extra sprig of basil.

Notes

*Using gin in place of the vodka will create an even more botanical feel.
**To do this, I dip a swizzle stick into the bottle and then dip it into the cocktail shaker.
To make your own lavender simple syrup, check out my recipe here.
Keyword basil, lavender, Novelist’s Garden, orange blossom water, sparkling water, vodka

If you enjoy using herbs in your cocktails check out these other recipes:

Desert Elixir

vodka + mint + lime + sparkling coconut water

earthy & not very sweet

South Side

gin + mint + lemon + simple syrup

Campari To-Kill-Ya

tequila + Campari + mint + orange + lime + soda