2 1/2 ounces of fresh juiced apples (you will need 4 apples. 3 for the juicing and 1 for the slicing and munching while preparing the cocktail)
1 ounce of cinnamon simple syrup
1/4 ounce of fresh lemon juice
2 ounces of vodka of choice
Method
For the juicing
In an Omega Juicer, juice three green Granny Smith apples. Set aside or chill in refrigerator until ready to use. The juice is best if used 24-48 hours after juicing when using a cold-pressed juicer. If the fresh juice isn’t cold pressed the recommended use time is immediately.
For the cinnamon syrup
In a sauce pan over medium heat dissolve equal parts beet sugar and water. Three ounces of water to three ounces of sugar, for example. Raise heat to a boil for about one minute. Add two tablespoons of ground cinnamon. Cinnamon sticks will work too but I only have ground cinnamon at the moment. Boil for another minute and then lower the heat to simmer for a few more minutes. Stir occasionally. Set aside to cool.
Slice apples for the garnish. Dipping your slices in fresh lemon juice prevents browning from oxidation. Place on a sealable container and refrigerate until ready to use. A plastic wrapped plate will work too. Then, add all ingredients to a mixing tin. Add ice. Stir or shake. Usually shaking with citrus is the best choice but if you are unable to shake ingredients for whatever reason, a good stirring will do. Shake and strain into the glass.
Glass: coupe (The glass used for this cocktail is a Crate & Barrel Camille Long-Stem Champagne Coupe Glass.)
Garnish: apple slice
Garnish: lemon juice dipped apple
Bar Chef Notes: Lemon juice prevents the apple from browning due to oxidation. If you prefer, do a double strain which aids in removal of residual ice and pulp presenting a clearer cleaner cocktail. This one, pulp and ice crystal and all for me is best, surprisingly. A teaspoon of apple cider vinegar gives extra zing, should you be inclined.
Please enjoy responsibly and be of the legal drinking age.
Where to buy the goods? You know, stemware, juices, ground cinnamon and stuffs..
I cup of Whole Foods 365 brand frozen black cherries
1 frozen packet of PITAYA Dragon Fruit
1 scoop of VEGA Vanilla Protein & Greens powder
2 tablespoons of Vital Proteins hibiscus beauty collagen powder (this one contains 120 mg of Hyaluronic Acid, which is great for your joints – confirmed by my running coach). The hibiscus flavor adds a unique taste and flavor to the mix. That certain something.
1 cup of 365 Whole Foods unsweetened vanilla almond milk
10+ PRI Manuka honey for the rim of the glass or any honey will do. Manuka has that extra extra.
2 Tablespoons Navitas Organics cacao nibs for the rim of the glass and to blend into smoothie. A little more doesn’t hurt though. These are considered nature’s dark chocolate chips and a superfood. Add a great texture and earthy flavor to the smoothie.
Method
Take a tablespoon of cacao nibs and grind them in a coffee grinder. Alternatively, you can place them in a zip-lock style bag and crush them with a mallet. Then, pour the crushed cacao nibs onto a plate. Roll the rim of the glass in manuka honey (scoop some honey with a spoon – use plastic or wood as metal can affect the enzymes in the honey) and then roll it in the cacao nibs. Place the glass in the refrigerator to chill until needed.
In a blender, in my case the Cuisinart To Go cylinder, add all ingredients. Blend until smooth. Remove the glass from the refrigerator and pour smoothie inside to enjoy.
Where To Buy:
*This is an affiliate link and I may receive commissions from purchases.*
2 1/2 ounces of Amaretto (make your own from my almond liqueur recipe here)
3 dashes of Angostura aromatic bitters
Settled Angostura garnished foam. Small shiny bubbles.Egg whites and coil. This coil is larger than I usually use. This one was in the space I was working. Second visual. You don’t need a coil to get foam like this. Shaking harder is necessary.Last bit of foam before letting the cocktail settle.
Remove the coil from the strainer. Place into a mixing tin. Crack the egg and remove the egg yolk adding the whites to the tin. Dry shake the egg until soft peaks form. In another mixing tin add raspberries. Muddle. Then add raspberries with all other ingredients to the egg white foam. Dry shake some more. Remove the coil and add ice. Shake until the tin is cold. Double stain using a fine strainer to eliminates any particulates. Three dashes of Angostura bitters once the foam settles. Swirly swirl a design.
* Bar Chef Notes: an excellent foam can be achieved without a coil. A longer shake is required. Express citrus peel. Aquafaba can be a substitute for vegan version.
Today’s drink? Amaretto on the rocks with an orange twist. Essentially, it’s an almond liqueur. This liqueur is made in my California kitchen, not in Italy. Despite that, I still feel a little Italian when I enjoy it. You may feel the same way too.
Before we start making it, what is amaretto? Amaretto is a nutty, vanilla-tasting liqueur with a slightly bitter flavor and a cherry finish. The first amaretto was said to be made in the 1500’s by a couple in Saronno, Italy. It is recommend to be consumed as a digestif or shaken with an egg white for a sour cocktail. It can also be served neat, on the rocks (my choice today), alongside coffee, or with scotch (one of my favorites).
Making your own amaretto can impress your guests. I have brought this and my Irish cream (premium content recipe coming soon) to many a dinner parties and given them as hostess and holiday gifts. The rich bottled goodness could be mistaken and rival those on the shelves in our markets, proving a perfect toast to perfection. If I so say so myself..
For the almond liqueur
Ingredients:
1 gallon water
6 cups of sugar
1 x 16 ounces of dark corn syrup
1 Tablespoon of decaf coffee
2 ounces of vanilla
3 ounces of almond extract
2 pints of vodka
Method:
Combine water, sugar and corn syrup and boil for 50 minutes. Add instant coffee and cool. When cool add extracts and vodka. Store in a glass jar with a lid or vessel of choice.
For the drink
2 ounces of almond liqueur
Orange twist
Pour 2 ounces of almond liqueur over ice. Express twist and rim the glass. Toss peel into glass.
Glass: bucket glass
Garnish: neatly trimmed orange peel (show and tell making of orange peel garnish click here)
Please drink responsibly and be of the legal drinking age
Morning Mocktail. Vodka Optional. This is the mocktail category though..
1 bunch of celery (organic or from your garden is best)
1 medium knob of fresh ginger
1/2 English cucumber with skin
Squeeze of fresh lemon
Pinch of pink Himalayan salt
KOS Pantry green spiralulina
I use an Omega cold press juicer. You can use any juicer but the cold press juice lasts longer. A blender and cheese cloth could also work.
Feed all washed ingredients into the juicer as directed, except the lemon. Pour juice into bucket glass. Squeeze the juice of the fresh lemon. Sprinkle salt and stir. Sprinkle green spirulina.
Cut two large sweet potatoes (one yellow and one orange) with the skin on. Roast in the oven until soft. Once cooked, remove from the oven and let them cool. They can cool in the pan. Peel the skin, cut into chunks, and place them into a zip-lock style storage bag or sealable freezer safe container. Freeze overnight.
In the Cuisinart To Go cylinder, add all ingredients in no particular order. Blend on high. Top with Thompson raisins and three marshmallows. I light the marshmallows with a butane torch for a campfire feel. Sprinkle pecans on top.
Pro tip: toast the pecans slightly
Bar Chef Notes: Pecans don’t provide as much protein (about half) as almond butter or peanut butter, but when combined with nutritional yeast… Substituting with other nut butters will alter the taste of the recipe. This smoothie is a warm, fun, filling, and delicious treat that can be enjoyed on the go as a meal replacement or for adding fat and calories to your diet. Regardless, with every sip, you’ll crave more. A spoon is recommended. I always like a spoon.
Did you know vanilla extract is versatile? It’s not just for baking – you can also use it in cocktails, smoothies, and more! Sometimes, I like to mix it with vodka to create a delicious vanilla vodka recipe, or even use it as bitters. The amazing aroma it adds is an extra bonus! Making your own vanilla extract is easy – it’s like magic in a bottle. Who said vanilla was boring? It’s anything but “vanilla”.
Ingredients
8 vanilla beans pods
8 ounces of vodka
Magic takes time. One ounce of vodka to one vanilla bean is my best ratio to date. Split each individual vanilla bean pods with a pairing knife and scrape sticky seeds with the back of the knife (they will stick to the knife) and then scrape into the bottle’s lid. After, add the open vanilla pods to the bottle. Then comes the good stuff. Add the vodka. Cap and shake. Write the date on a piece of hot pink duct tape (my go-to) and stick it to the bottle. Make sure all pods are covered. If pods aren’t covered completely standing upright (which mine are not) side resting is best. Store in a cool dark place for a least a month. I chose my spice cabinet. An empty clean Roku gin bottle makes a pretty vanilla bottle don’t you think?
Label and date. One month and this is what the vanilla looks like. I needed to sneak some for a bourbon clarification.
What will you need? A blending machine, frozen pineapple chunks (I am a big fan of the 365 Whole Foods brand), water, rosemary, beet sugar, granulated white sugar, kumquats to make the 8-kumquat crystal sugar syrup, and one for the garnish (totaling 9 kumquats). Additionally, tequila, limes, smoked salt, rosemary sprigs, a pan, and a glass. A few spoons are also helpful.
2 ounces of Asombroso Silver Tequila
1/2 ounces Rosemary Simple Syrup
1 juice of fresh squeezed lime and the skin of that same lime
1 1/2cups of frozen pineapples cubes
3 pieces of kumquats and heaping tablespoon of crystallized sugar from that batch of 8 kumquats syrup
For the 8 Kumquats Syrup
8 kumquats
1/2 cup of beet sugar
1/2 cup of water
juice of a whole lemon (if it isn’t that juicy, use two or three) if you don’t have lemon lime is great too
1/8t of Himalayan pink salt (little more is better)
You will need to boil the kumquats in water. After boiling for two minutes, they will need to be strained using a colander. Repeat this process several times – boiling, waiting two minutes, and straining. After that, add the softened kumquats (the reason for the boil/repeat) to the pan with sugar and water. Let them cook on medium heat until the sugar begins to crystallize or take shape. There is some science in cooking terminology here. Crystallize – what a great word. Reduce the heat to a simmer and squeeze a whole lemon. Stir well. The fruit and sugar will begin to form a thick jelly consistency. The sugar will be in larger, chunkier, and perhaps clumped-together sugar crystals. This crispy, chunky, gelatinous mixture is a good thing.
This is how the syrup should look.After sitting in the cooling, seeds and all will be blended with the drink.many things happen almost always at once when making drinks
For the Rosemary Syrup
4 ounces of water (1/2 cup)
1/2 cup white granulated sugar
3-5 sprigs of Rosemary. Depend on how full and how strong you would like your syrup.
Place ingredients into a pan. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 30 minutes. Keep in mind the longer you steep the stronger the rosemary flavor. Strain your springs out of sugar water with a mesh drainer. Let syrup cool before adding to drink.
Toss all ingredients into a blender and blend until smooth. Pour into a smoke salted rosemary glass.
Glass: bucket glass of choice
Garnish: three slices of a fresh kumquat
Add smoked salt sugar and rosemary to a saucer. Mix together. Rim a glass using citrus or agave and dip the glass rim into the salt rosemary mixture until evenly coated. Toss a pinch over your shoulder. Right hand left shoulder. For luck.
