Because my container garden is bursting with mint and basil (and thyme, and oregano, and marjoram), I immediately decided those would be my herbal notes. Vodka: check. Slightly sweet? Honey. Smooth? How about lime and soda to cut the booziness?

Basil, mint, and honey await their bath of icy vodka and lime

There isn’t much to the prep. Throw basil and mint – just the leaves – into a shaker (I used about three sprigs each) and muddle with a tablespoon (or more) of honey and the juice of one big lime (or two smaller limes, if they are drier). Fill the shaker with ice, then top up with vodka (or gin) to the level you think is appropriate (more on Fridays, less on Mondays). Shake until it looks like this (all frosty):

Frosty!

Then, strain into cocktail glasses for an “up” version, or into ice-filled highballs that you top with club soda, like this:

Finished BMHC

Variations on herbs, booze, sweeteners, and the citrus are heartily encouraged! On the first crisp fall day, I am think grapefruit and rosemary!

I know the name isn’t all that clever, but with the autumn weather nigh, my thoughts often wander back to my college days. I was no BMOC, but I probably would’ve really appreciated this cocktail as an alternative to the swill I drank in blissful ignorance.

Anyway, Happy Friday early (I’m off tomorrow!) – enjoy this delicious libation while the summer lingers a bit longer!

Brandy Sidecar

I think Brandy gets a bad rap.

I am not really sure why, either.  I mean, it seems to be relegated to the smoking jackets-and-snifters crowd or drunks passed out on the sidewalk.  There is a middle ground, and I think it comes in the form of several old-school cocktails.  The first of these is the Sidecar, which has a sophisticated, yet accessible quality to it.  I am not sure where the name comes from (I read something about it being named for a US Army captain), but I like to think of it as a good, reliable vehicle for a good time. Something about the sweetness of the orange liqueur mixed with the deep flavors of the brandy, highlighted with the fresh spark of the lemon juice makes for a perfect concoction. I can’t guarantee that you’ll gain any stability from this sidecar, but after one or two, you shouldn’t be driving a motorcycle, anyway. Enjoy, and happy weekend early!

Recipe:
4 parts brandy
1 part triple sec
1 part lemon juice

Mix all ingredients in a cocktail shaker filled with ice. Strain into a cocktail or coupe glass and garnish with a twist.

I admit that I’ve tried a few “apple-tinis.”
You know, those unnaturally green cocktails made with artificially flavored sour apple schnapps and vodka, garnished with a maraschino cherry?  Any time I’ve tried one, I’ve always thought, “why am I not just eating a sour apple Jolly Rancher candy instead?”  I didn’t set out to make a better, more natural version of this cocktail, but I think I ended up doing so.

When the weather turns chilly in late September/early October, I start to crave certain flavors.  Pumpkin.  Winter squash.  Cranberries.  Brussels sprouts.  Apples.  I usually manage to make an apple-picking trip every year, which usually coincides with a purchase of a bottle of applejack from the liquor store.  For those of you who have not tried this lovely potable, it tastes like a home-grown version of Calvados.  In short, it is potent, apple-y, and delicious – the love child of bourbon and apple cider.  Somehow, it is also infinitely mixable, as in the Jack Rose cocktail, which is one of the staple drinks of the golden age of booze; I’ll post about that one, if anyone is interested (just let me know in the comments section).

At any rate, I wanted to make a cocktail using non-alcoholic, sweet apple cider, but didn’t want drink it hot, spiked with rum, as I’ve done before.  What we wanted was an icy apple cocktail, served up.  What to do?  Well, this was a mere experiment, but uh…this is pretty damn delicious:

Fill a cocktail shaker with ice.  Add:
2 parts applejack or calvados
1 part pressed apple cider
1/2 part sweet (red) vermouth
1/2 part lime juice (half of one lime for two cocktails)

Shake vigorously until the shaker is too cold to hold and then strain into a cocktail glass.  Garnish with a sliver of apple coated in cinnamon sugar. Serve immediately; try not to guzzle.