Blackberry Rum Bramble

2015-09-022015-10-30 / Dani DeLuna / 2 Comments

When I was a youth back in Marin County, California, my family and I used to go to a nearby creek and pick Blackberries from the bushes in late Aug – early Sept. Every year, I think about those hilarious times of fumbling through the brambles, trying not to get too many cuts, and gathering as many berries as we could hold. Then we’d take our treasured fruit back to my mom, who would cook them into a cobbler. (Wow, I sound really provençal right now.)

Ahhhh, childhood.

Anyone up for a late season Blackberry Bramble? Yes? Not just any Bramble though, a Rum Bramble in a Mule cup!

I got this nice Mule cup from my friend Drinks and Ink at my birthday, thanks dude!

Blackberry Rum Bramble

2 oz Denizen Aged White Rum
3/4 Lemon Juice
1/2 Cinnamon Bark syrup
7-8 Blackberries
2 dashes Angostura Bitters (optional)
Garnish: Lemon Peel

Combine Blackberries, Lemon juice, and Cinnamon Bark syrup and muddle. Add Rum and shake over cracked ice. Dirty pour contents of shaker into Mule cup.

Scrumptuousness in a mug y’all. Cheers!

Fernet Francisco: the Great American Amaro

2015-08-312015-08-30 / Dani DeLuna / 1 Comment

I am really pumped to write about this superb bottle of Fernet Francisco! I have been waiting to get my hands on this stuff for months y’all!

If you follow me on Instagram, you know that I just went to the San Francisco Bay Area to visit my dad and have a nice, relaxing holiday. While I was there I took a lot of Dramatic Landscape Photos, drank ALL of the Wine, and got the incredible bottle of Fernet Francisco that you will have the privilege of looking at in the following photos.

Isn’t the label great? Totally dig it.

Fernet Francisco is made with 12 plants native to the San Francisco Bay Area in California. This makes me truly excited because: 1. I am from the Bay Area (duh, we get it gurl), 2. Using plants from a specific area will give a strong sense of Terroir, 3. I knew it had to be super complicated and tasty!

Due to the fact that I was taking my bottle on an airplane, I wasn’t able to taste it until I got back to Brooklyn. When I cracked it open, I was totally expecting to have a similar experience to that time I first smelled a bottle of St. George Spirits Terroir Gin (also made with botanicals from where I grew up. I cried.)…

…I didn’t cry but I was instantly transported back to the Bay Area through the wonderful aroma of Fernet Francisco!

Tasting Notes:

Nose: Mint hits you in the face with a really fresh and pleasant aroma, not like menthol, but more like you just spanked a Mint bouquet. Super duper fresh! This awesome Mint experience is followed by Eucalyptus, Bay Laurel, grasses and spices.
Taste: Chamomile, dryness, more Mint, Wild Fennel, Eucalyptus, Cinnamon, some other spices I can’t figure out.
Finish: very dry, very wide, woody somehow. I LOVE THE FINISH. Why do I love this dry-wide finish? Because I am always looking for a way to dry out Cocktails and Fernet Francisco is really going to do that.

On the back, the recommended cocktail is The Francisco with 2 parts Fernet Francisco, 1 part Ginger Beer, and a squeeze of Citrus on the rocks.

The first Cocktail I made with Fernet Francisco was what I like to call an “Amor y Amargo” type drink, where the only ingredients are Amari, Liqueurs, Vermouths, Bitters, etc. I knew I wanted to use Dolin Dry as the second ingredient, and from the back of my brain the word “CYNAR!” came shooting forth like a lightening bolt!

The Full Winona

1 1/2 oz Fernet Francisco
1 oz Dolin Dry
1 oz Cynar
2 dashes Regans’ Orange Bitters
Garnish: Lemon Peel

Combine ingredients over ice and stirrrrrrrr. Strain into double Rocks glass over ice. Express Lemon peel and garnish. Dark and complicated just like Winona Ryder and everyone’s relationship to her. Luv u gurl.

Next I knew that I wanted to make a Black Manhattan variation, swapping out the Averna for Fernet Francisco and adding some of those super complicated Hella Bitter Citrus Bitters. Y’all, this drink is MAGNIFICENT! It’s truly one of the greatest Manhattan variations I’ve ever tasted because the flavor arcs keep going and changing and oh my god! You take a sip and just sort of sit there for awhile, so your brain can process all the stuff that just happened.

Russian Hill

1 1/2 oz Rittenhouse Rye
3/4 oz Carpano Antica
1/2 oz Fernet Francisco
1 dash Hella Bitters Citrus Bitters
Garnish: Lemon twist

Combine ingredients over ice and stirrrrrrrr. Strain into coupe. Express Lemon peel and garnish. Why Russian Hill? Manhattan variations are usually named after a neighborhood/boro and Russian Hill is a San Francisco neighborhood where Fernet Francisco comes from.

You can’t wait to get your hands on this Fernet Francisco, right? I can’t wait to drink another Russian Hill! Cheers to Fernet Francisco for creating a truly great American Amaro!

On Holiday in the SF Bay Area

2015-08-242015-08-24 / Dani DeLuna / 1 Comment

Hi y’all! I’ve been on holiday/visiting my Dad in the San Francisco Bay Area and woooooooah, I am having the best time! As you all probably know by now, I’m from Marin County which is north of San Francisco, so any chance I get to come back home is a chance I will take.

I’ve been posting most of my adventures on Instagram (including a lot of Dramatic Landscape Photos) and thought I would share a couple of highlights here on Home Bar Girl.

Part of my Dad’s Wine collection and most of his amazing Record collection. There are loads of first edition Rock albums in here. Priorities are definitely straight!

And speaking of Wine, I’ve been drinking tons of Wine since I got here but this Bodkin Sparkling Sauvignon Blanc? OH MY GOOOOOOOD! Possibly the most exciting thing I’ve tasted in a long time! POSSIBLY? NO! TOTALLY! Notes of Celery, Green Apple, Citrus and other magical goodness + bubbles. Can’t handle it!

On Saturday, I did break my Wine Only streak and hit up a couple of places in the City (we Bay Area people refer to SF as “the City”), starting with Tacoliscious. They make literally the greatest Carnitas Tacos I’ve ever had, delicious Tequila cocktails like this one made with Blanco Tequila, Canteloupe, Lemon Grass (!!!!!), and salsa with MINT!

It was to die for!

Then a couple of friends and I booped over to Smuggler’s Cove because RUM BABY YEAH! It’s like if you went to a Pirate ship at Disneyland but then was somehow more adult + loads of Rum! Pictured here is their Three Dots and a Dash and it was deeeeeeeelicious.

This morning my Dad and I went to have lunch at Assemble in the Marina area of Richmond. Well, literally next door to us was a Rally show full of German cars modded out for racing! I love cars so for me it was totally awesome!

During lunch I had a lovely Rosé Brut. Yes Way Bay Area Rosé!

After all of that, I hopped on BART (which is waaaay more chill than the NYC Subway, btw) and strolled over to Lake Merritt in Oakland. Yes, this is the photo from the top of the post, but I thought we should look at it again. Soooo pretty.

Then I headed off towards Boot & Shoe Service, my fave spot in Oakland but was deterred by Alchemy Bottle Shop, the most beautiful shop in all the land. Look at this organization! Look at the bottles!

Well, sadly I was thwarted because Boot & Shoe Service closes from 2-5pm on Sundays to prep for dinner. HOWEVER, I kept walking east and came upon a magnificent Wine Bar called Ordinaire. I’ve been on a Dry French Red kick for awhile now (years actually) and the Wine Dude recommended a Languedoc by Julien Peyras. Holy cow, the nose was super briney, but then fruits exploded, followed by herbes and DIRT! I LOVED IT! I also got this magnificent cheese plate with the best Cow/Goat combo from Vermonty and some other tasty business.

Ahhhhh, the Bay Area. So charming, so dramatic, so wonderful.

Plane Drinking

2015-08-192015-08-19 / Dani DeLuna / Leave a comment

Just flew back home to the San Francisco Bay Area for a holiday with my dad. I had the immense pleasure of riding First Class and after getting up at 4:15am, was so glad to be able to sleep on the plane. I was also treated to a couple of tasty drinks.

A really big glass of Dry Champgane. Yesssss.

A Gin & Tonic with Bombay Sapphire and a lil lime wedge. This is perhaps the perfect drink for flying. It is cool, refreshing, sophisticated, and well, GIN!!

Cheers to all and may your end of summer travels be delicious!

Never Trust A Sailor

2015-08-172015-08-15 / Dani DeLuna / Leave a comment

Happy hot August nights to you all! My, we’ve had a lot of Rum lately over here at HomeBarGirl, haven’t we! Well, now that National Rum Day is over, I’ve got a tasty albeit unusual Gin cocktail for us.

The inspiration for this cocktail was “What can I do with Carpano Antica + Old Tom Gin, while keeping it Tropical?” I made the drink, realized that it was missing something, turned around to look at my glassware, and there was the St. George Absinthe Verte! Thanks again you beautiful bottle of Absinthe you!

This cocktail is tart & refrescando, complex yet mellow, a bit astringent, with some nice spices from the Carpano Antica and Falernum.

Never Trust A Sailor

1 1/2 oz Hayman’s Old Tom Gin
3/4 oz Carpano Antica
1/4 oz Velvet Falernum
3/4 oz Lime Juice
St. George Absinthe Vert Rinse

Rinse a coupe with Absinthe and chill. Combine remaining ingredients over ice and shakety-shake-shake. Strain into coupe. No garnish.

Thank you magnificent ingredients, you are all so very tasty. Cheers.

National Rum Day 2015

2015-08-142015-08-13 / Dani DeLuna / 1 Comment

I’ve made so many Rum cocktails since I started this blog that I can’t even count them all. With all those #TikiTheSnowAway drinks last January, to a million Daiquiris, to various and sundry Rum cocktails, I am constantly asking myself, “where’s all the Rum gone?” I thought perhaps those crazy Monkeys from the “Blame the Monkeys” series had drunk it, but no.

It was I who guzzled the Rum!

This sunday is National Rum Day, so let’s give a huge round of applause for the glorious Rums you’ve got in your Home Bar! Here’s my lil tribute:

Brugal Extra Dry is probably the closest I’ve got to a standard light Rum, yet way more delicious than most. It’s excellent in Daiquiris, Piña Coladas, and anything light, bright and fruity. Hailing from the Dominican Republic, Brugal Extra Dry is aged and has a wonderful nose of Coconut, Toasted Marshmallow, and Pineapple/Citrus.

Cocktails: DKO Punch, Classic Daiquiri, Pineapple Cinnamon Daiquiri

Denizen Aged White Rum. I’ve probably used this one at least 2x more than all other ones because it this White Rum has loads of flavor. With grassy, banana, and pineapple/citrus notes, Denizen White Rum really packs a punch. I love using it in shaken fruity Tiki cocktails but also stirred drinks. LUV U DENIZEN.

Cocktails: DD’s Shrunken Skull, Golden Banana Grog, Captain Corcoran

Yes, the House of Angostura makes more than just bitters! They make several killer Rums and a delicious Amaro too! I got this Rum to replace the beloved Flor de Caña 7 (my liquor store switched Rums on me!) and though not quite as smooth, the Angostura 7 makes up for that smoothness with versatility. Totally tasty and has a short, wide finish which makes it really useful for Tiki/Tropical cocktails. Angostura 7 is also great if you’re going to be making a drink with an Amaro, Liqueur or another ingredient with a longer finish.

Cocktails: Blame the Monkeys No. 3, DD’s Shrunken Skull

The funkiest one of my bunch, Smith & Cross Navy Strength Jamaica Rum is UNBELIEVABLE! Literally unbelievable. It’s so damn good. It is also 1/2 of the greatest split base of all time! I think about it every time I want a drink to get a little bit wild. Tons of fruity funk right in your face and a beautiful finish + that Navy Strength for bite! CHOMP!

Cocktails: Gamekeeper’s Grog, Seafarer’s Sour, West India Docks, Orgeat Gabor

If you’re into Rum and haven’t yet checked out the Ministry of Rum, you best head over there and get into it. A very tall man named Ed Hamilton has catalogued nearly every Rum on earth and used his vast knowledge to start a line of his own Rums. I just got this Demerara Hamilton 151 after Lemon Hart went RIP and It’s like 1000x better, no lie! The Tiki gods will bless you when you get this Rum.

Cocktails: my version of a Painkiller, Jet Pilot, Cobra’s Fang

Last but definitely not least, Berkshire Mountain Distillers Ragged Mountain Rum. Now, I got this during that trip to the Berkshires back in the spring but DID NOT OPEN IT! Why didn’t I open it? Because it’s a Rum which has been aged in Bourbon casks for the purpose of actually tasting like Bourbon! It’s Bourbon Rum! I tasted it at the distillery and was Bourbon during the first wave, then the Rum hits you on the way down your throat. Totally out of sight! Totally magnificent. It totally won a Double Gold at the SF Spirits Awards. Boom! I wanted to wait til the autumn for this one, so look for it in some drinks soon!

Hope you’ve enjoyed Home Bar Girl’s lil tribute to National Rum Day! Let’s all make some tropical cocktails to celebrate! Cheers!

#RumForTheHills: Painkiller

2015-08-122015-08-11 / Dani DeLuna / 1 Comment

National Rum Day is this Sunday y’all, and what better way to celebrate than with one of the best Tiki drinks ever! As I mentioned in my Hamilton Tiki Takeover post, I went to a Caribbean restaurant the other night for a Ministry of Rum tasting & Tiki party, and had several stunning Painkillers made by the incomparable Shannon Mustipher.

I can’t get this drink out of my head, it will not leave me alone! So I decided to try to make one at home and see how it turned out. It turned out pretty damn good although Shannon’s is better!

The main difference between my Painkiller and Shannon’s is that she has Pusser’s Rum and I do not have an English Navy Rum. To overcome this challenge, I decided to mix two Rums together: Angostura 7 Year Rum and my newly acquired Hamilton 151 Rum to up the proof and give the drink that Navy Rum bite.

It was a good combo!

Never forget the Nutmeg y’all. The Nutmeg is everything for this magical drink!

Painkiller-4

I followed the Painkiller recipe from Beachbum Berry’s Total Tiki app while keeping in mind that I was using two Rums. I also made a last minute decision to add some Angostura Bitters to the mix for complexity. Yummmm.

Home Bar Girl’s Painkiller

2 oz Angostura 7 Year Aged Rum*
1/2 oz Hamilton 151 Overproof Demerara Rum**
4 oz unsweetened Pineapple Juice
1 oz fresh Orange Juice
1 oz Coconut Cream
2 dashes Angostura Bitters
Garnish: Orange wedge, Pineapple chunk, Cinnamon stick, grated Nutmeg, Hawaiian surfbort

Combine ingredients with a lot of crushed/cracked ice and shake it baby! You want this drink to be really frothy. Dirty pour (don’t strain, pour ice and all) into Tiki mug. Garnish with all of the things.

*If you have Pussers Rum or an English Navy Rum, use 2 1/2 oz.

**This Hamilton 151 Demerara Rum is the shit. It blows Lemon Hart out of the water. I AM NOT KIDDING.

This drink will literally make you feel like you’re on vacation, so get ready for some Tropicaaaaaal breezes! Happy Rum times to you all! If you have any Rum cocktails that you would like to share on Instagram, use the hashtag #RumForTheHills.

Sage Rose

2015-08-102015-08-09 / Dani DeLuna / 1 Comment

Y’allllllll, I don’t usually have Jameson in My Home Bar but my girlfriend brought a 375ml bottle home after a business trip. Now, whenever we go out to a dive bar, concert, or somewhere that isn’t a cocktail bar, we usually just order Jame-o on the rocks. It’s great on its own and it hits the spot every time.

But after getting more Sage from the farmer’s market, it hit me that I could make a sort of Irish Rose with muddled Sage! This is the perfect cocktail to make with Jameson or any other Irish Whiskey you may have in your Home Bar. Simple and supremely delicious.

Honestly, this is one of the tastiest Whiskey Sours I’ve ever had.

Sage Rose

2 oz Jameson or similar Irish Whiskey
3/4 oz Grenadine
3/4 oz Lemon Juice
5 Sage Leaves
Garnish: Sage

Combine Lemon Juice, Grenadine, and Sage leaves in tin and muddle. Add Irish Whiskey, ice and shake. Double strain into double Rocks glass over ice. Garnish with Sage.

Delicious Whiskey cheers to you all!

Cocktail Styling in Lucy’s Magazine

2015-08-072015-08-07 / Dani DeLuna / Leave a comment

Y’all, I’m really damn proud of what I’m about to tell you!

A few months ago, my best friend Belinda Martin (the most sensational Fashion Stylist ever) and I were having a “two Rosé” lunch at a French restaurant. Yes, a “two Rosé” lunch is what you think it is, and nearly every time we have one, we come up with an inspirational idea.

Belinda told me about a shoot she was planning with floral head dresses, brightly coloured dresses, and I was like, “oh hey gurl, what if we used some of my drinks in the shoot with pretty glassware and flowers for garnishes!” She was way into it! YES!

So a couple of weeks later, we booped up on to her roof with a crew of really talented people and shot some very sensational photos. It was hot as all hell and due to the reflective nature of the silver-painted-roof, we were burnt to shit.

Actually, haha, that day is what inspired the drink Sunburn Club.

Katy & Belinda getting Megan ready. Note Katy’s righteous shoulder sunburn.

Daphne looking cool as a cucumber with a fabulous Summer Martini.

Always have your drinks ready to go before a shoot. Then you don’t have to freak about ingredients.

Camera ready Aviation with makeup brushes.

Well, the photos were so totally awesome that we got our editorial featured in Lucy’s Magazine Volume 16 and we even got the cover! Enjoy a few of the photos here and check the rest out on Lucy’s website or go get the magazine!

A Negroni with a pink Rose garnish and a Floral Julep.

A blue Daiquiri with a white Hydrangea garnish and the most outrageous head piece I’ve ever seen. MAGNIFIQUE!

Title shot for the editorial piece, “Je Rêve des Fleurs” translates to “I dream of flowers.”

I’m so excited about this and so grateful to have worked with such amazing people!

Rob Gullixson – the most excellent photgrapher
Belinda Martin – stylist and SHE MADE THE FLORAL HEADPIECES!
Katy Albright – Makeup maestra
Daphne Zelle – Model supreme, dancer
Megan McNally – Model supreme

and of course myself and my lil cocktails. I guess this means I’m now a cocktail stylist soooooo…hire me! jkjkjkjk. (sort of. no really.)

*All photos from Lucy’s Magazine are via Lucy’s Magazine. Go pick up a copy today!

MonteNegroni

2015-08-052015-08-05 / Dani DeLuna / 1 Comment

Y’all, it hit me a couple of days ago that I’ve been making a lot of rather difficult Rum based Tiki drinks. I’ve made them because I love them so very much and I’ve made them because I’ve been in a Tropicaaaaaaaal mood. Well, now that it’s August and my mind is shifting towards Autumn, I wanna make something simple.

Something easy breezy (cover girl). Something stirred.

MonteNegroni-2

Something in a sexy vintage tumbler with an orange peel.

Something like a Negroni. Yes, exactly, I want a Negroni but let’s swap the Campari for Montenegro and keep the Carpano Antica. Perfect.

MonteNegroni

1 1/4 oz Plymouth Gin
3/4 oz Carpano Antica Formula
1/2 oz Amaro Montenegro
Garnish: Orange peel

Combine ingredients over ice and stirrrrrr. Strain into a fancy tumbler over ice, express Orange peel and garnish.

Yessssssssss. Thank you beautiful ingredients, you’re so very inspirational. Remember, every week is #NegroniWeek.

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