As I have gotten older, I have gotten more interested in cocktails. It's not that I like wine and beer less, it's more that I enjoy all the wildly different flavors and fantasies that come with a mixed drink.
When I was growing up, in the 70's, my parents, like most people at the time, had a fully stocked bar. I was intrigued by all the bottles and paraphernalia that went along with mixing drinks -- but I never saw it in action very often. Mom and Dad seemed most partial to simple drinks like the gin and tonic -- which I still think is the perfect, quintessential summer drink.
It will sound funny to say, but some of my fascination has to do with the martini glass. I love the shape. It is sensual, fragile and a touch exotic all at once. It just looks so lovely when you hold it. It's the kind of glass you can look knowingly over at your date and create some happy innuendo for the evening. My first exposures came via the now somewhat overexposed Cosmopolitan (Sex and the City or no, this is still one of my favorites, if made well) and the Blue Agave Margarita that is made at Frontera Grill -- which I like to think of as the martini of margaritas. Drinks that come in martini glasses are all the rage these days, and fashionably expensive in most of my favorite restaurants. I began to wonder if it was possible for me to tackle some of these on my own. After browsing through Epicurious, it became clear that quite a few yummy looking drinks could be made with pretty simple tools. So, tonight I finally got my act together and purchased my first two martini glasses ever -- along with as cocktail shaker -- so that I could try out a first drink: a Grapefruit Gimlet.
Grapefruit Gimlet (serves 2)
1/4 cup Ruby Red Grapefruit Vodka
1/4 cup vodka
1/4 cup lime juice
2 tbsp. simple syrup
2 lime slices
Ice
Put the first 4 ingredients in the shaker and add ice. Shake for 8 seconds and strain into glass. Garnish with lime slices.
If I had been a wise woman, I would have chilled the glasses before I poured the drinks, or doubled the portions, because it only works out to about 4 ounces of beverage/glass, and the glass itself warms the drink up pretty quickly.
Otherwise, this drink earned a thumbs up from both the consenting adults in the house hold. If you like grapefruit, this one is worth trying out!
When I was growing up, in the 70's, my parents, like most people at the time, had a fully stocked bar. I was intrigued by all the bottles and paraphernalia that went along with mixing drinks -- but I never saw it in action very often. Mom and Dad seemed most partial to simple drinks like the gin and tonic -- which I still think is the perfect, quintessential summer drink.
It will sound funny to say, but some of my fascination has to do with the martini glass. I love the shape. It is sensual, fragile and a touch exotic all at once. It just looks so lovely when you hold it. It's the kind of glass you can look knowingly over at your date and create some happy innuendo for the evening. My first exposures came via the now somewhat overexposed Cosmopolitan (Sex and the City or no, this is still one of my favorites, if made well) and the Blue Agave Margarita that is made at Frontera Grill -- which I like to think of as the martini of margaritas. Drinks that come in martini glasses are all the rage these days, and fashionably expensive in most of my favorite restaurants. I began to wonder if it was possible for me to tackle some of these on my own. After browsing through Epicurious, it became clear that quite a few yummy looking drinks could be made with pretty simple tools. So, tonight I finally got my act together and purchased my first two martini glasses ever -- along with as cocktail shaker -- so that I could try out a first drink: a Grapefruit Gimlet.
Grapefruit Gimlet (serves 2)1/4 cup Ruby Red Grapefruit Vodka
1/4 cup vodka
1/4 cup lime juice
2 tbsp. simple syrup
2 lime slices
Ice
Put the first 4 ingredients in the shaker and add ice. Shake for 8 seconds and strain into glass. Garnish with lime slices.
If I had been a wise woman, I would have chilled the glasses before I poured the drinks, or doubled the portions, because it only works out to about 4 ounces of beverage/glass, and the glass itself warms the drink up pretty quickly.
Otherwise, this drink earned a thumbs up from both the consenting adults in the house hold. If you like grapefruit, this one is worth trying out!
I do love citrus, so I will have to try that out the next time I'm buying vodka.
My mouth's watering as I read this post!
Nom nom; wish I had one now!
grapefruit cocktails are hot right now. great summer cocktail, indeed!
cheers,
DIA
I had pancreatitis (gallbladder - ugh) at Christmas - so no alcohl for at least a year. I am not a big drinker anyway (literally one or 2 a year) but I do love the fruity cocktails. I discovered through Groupon that there is a shop in Los Gatos Ca (K have a daughter that lives in Palo Alto that I try to visit every couple of months - 3 is too long to go to see the grands) that sells nothing but fruit drinks & smoothies & tea drinks & mocktails. it's aboout 15 miles away but, if we can fit in a visit, I'm going to drag them all along!
Yum! We're getting some beautiful summer weather and have vacation coming up - I'll definitely be trying this soon! :)
If you ever find yourself at the Matchbox, try my two favorites drinks, a Sidecar or a Brandy Manhattan.
Sounds wonderful! I will have to try one this summer for sure.
Hey, I just wanted to de-lurk a moment to pass on a good tip I use sometimes. If you've forgotten to put your glasses in the fridge (I have a bartender friend that swears by this) you can fill your glass with ice cubes and enough cold water to cover them, while you shake your drink. Pour out ice, pour in cocktail and voila! Cold martini!