Volver

/ Dani DeLuna / 3 Comments

Volver-1

Feliz Cinco de Mayo 2016 y’all! I’ve decided to post this drink from a couple of years ago cause it’s one of my faves. Salud!

…

Yes. Yes! YEAAAAAASSS! I’ve been waiting for a post like this. This is the post where I get to talk about Penélope Cruz and my own personal Tequila Challenge.

First, the Tequila Challenge. Well, here I am, a California Mexican American living in New York City and let me tell y’all, people don’t take Tequila seriously here. In fact, most of my friends usually shudder at the mention of Tequila. “Ohhhhh, I can’t have Tequila, it makes me act crazy.” “Noooooo, I’ll never have Tequila again, last time I did, I blacked out and got into a huge fight at a bar in the LES.” Sure, sure you did sweetie. Honestly, for a city that loves to drink obscene amounts of whiskey and rum, people seem to get week in the knees as soon as I suggest having a drink with Tequila.

Well you know what? Tequila doesn’t really affect you any differently than Vodka, Gin, Rum or even Whiskey. You’ve just had awful Tequila or you just take SHOTS. In fact, I’m sure you’ve had so many “shots” of José or Patrón and after having all these SHOTS of Tequila, you felt a little bit crazy. You probably felt a little bit violent. You maybe even blacked out.

You’ve been drinking Tequila wrong.

My Tequila Challenge is to encourage us Home Bar Girls and Dudes to enjoy Tequila served “up”, “short”, “neat” and “on the rocks” in the same way we’d drink Gin, Whiskey, or even Aged Rum. Good Tequila is delicious, flavourful and much more fun to mix with than something bland and boring like Vodka. We should consider making cocktails with Tequila to be an art form, not some lame excuse to get drunk as quickly as possible. Sip Tequila, don’t shoot it.

Second, Penélope Cruz. There isn’t really much to say, she’s like the sexiest lady who has lived in the past 40 years and she seems like she’d be a helluva lot of fun to have Tequila cocktails with. When I made this drink for my girlfriend, she tasted it, I asked her what we should name it and she said, “SOMETHING TO DO WITH PENÉLOPE CRUZ.” Ok, you got it babe. We decided to name the drink Volver porque nosotros amamos Pedro Almodóvar y Penélope Cruz para siempre.

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Volver

  • 1 oz Reposado Tequila (I love to mix with Espolón Tequila)
  • 1/4 – 1/2 oz Ancho Chile infused Reposado Tequila*, depends on how spicy you like it 🙂
  • 1/2 oz St-Germain
  • 1/2 oz Punt e Mes
  • 2 Dashes Orange Bitters
  • 2 Pineapple Chunks

In tin, muddle pineapple and add remaining ingredients. Shake, shake, shake over cracked ice. Double Strain into rocks glass over one big rock. Salud!

*For the Ancho Chile infused Tequila: place one dried Ancho Chile Pepper into a Medium sized Mason Jar, fill with Reposado Tequila and let steep for approximately two hours. Strain. Seriously Nice Spice.

Brunch Bonanza: Jaune Jaune Fizz

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Jaune-Jaune-Fizz-1

Welcome to Brunch Bonanza. The segment where we talk about brunch cocktails!

Now here’s a fizz I can really get behind, in front of, underneath…AHEM. In the Brunch tradition of having a Fizz with a Whole Egg, here’s a floral, citrusy, honey filled wonderland. The *French word for yellow is “jaune” and so the Jaune Jaune Fizz has two yellow ingredients in it: Chartreuse Jaune and Lemon Juice. To this add Gin, a Whole Egg, Honey Syrup and well, I’m over the La Lune! Let’s have at least two of these at Brunch, mmmk?

Jaune Jaune Fizz

  • 1 oz London Dry Gin (Mayfair used here)
  • 3/4 oz Chartreuse Jaune
  • 3/4 oz Lemon Juice
  • 1/2 oz Honey Syrup
  • 2 dashes of Orange Bitters
  • Whole Egg
  • Soda
  • Lemon Peel

In tin combine Gin, Chartreuse, Lemon Juice, Honey Syrup, Bitters and Whole Egg. Dry Shake until your arms are about to fall off. Add ice and shake again for at least 20 seconds. Add around 1 oz Soda to Collins glass, then double strain contents of tin into glass. Add ice to glass and top with soda. Express Lemon Peel and garnish. Cheers.

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Lusciousness in a glass. Can’t stop the FIZZ.

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WOOOOOO.   

*If you’ve noticed, I absolutely love French liqueur and aperitif flavours. Love them, love them, love them forever.

Ruby Road Cocktail

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Ruby-Road-2

Well, I made that Homemade Raspberry Liqueur and this is the first drink I’ve put it in. Tart, Minty, Fernet-y, Raspberries. I’m gonna drink 10,000 of these… or until I run out of Raspberry Liqueur.

Ruby Road Cocktail

  • 1 1/2 oz London Dry Gin (Mayfair used here)
  • 1 oz Homemade Raspberry Liqueur or St. George Raspberry Liqueur (or just really tasty Raspberry Liqueur, you get the idea)
  • 3/4 oz Lime Juice
  • 1/2 oz Mint infused Simple Syrup
  • 1/4 oz Fernet Branca
  • Lime Peel

In tin combine ingredients over cracked ice and shake, shake, shake. Double strain into coupe. Express Lime Peel and garnish.

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Homemade Raspberry Liqueur

/ Dani DeLuna / 2 Comments

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Freshly made Raspberry Liqueur. Sexy.

I know, I know, everyone and their best friend Shoshanna is “hand-making” something right now in ‘merica. Whatever, I am not deterred by this trend! In fact the whole reason I decided to make Raspberry Liqueur was because I had nearly a whole bottle of Vodka to get through and I really DON’T drink Vodka. Plus, I mistakenly bought some Raspberries out of season and though eating them wasn’t the greatest idea, I knew I could extract their supreme Raspberry flavour with a lil’ sugar and alcohol.

This is literally the first time I’ve ever made liqueur so deal with my janky-ass recipe. If you’d like to read some really legit articles about making your own liqueur, go here. If you don’t care and like to fly by the seat of your pants, here we go!

Ingredients:

  • 1 750ml Bottle of Vodka (don’t get terrible Vodka, you will taste the nastiness)
  • 6 oz of Raspberries
  • 1 1/2 cups Turbinado Sugar
  • 1 Medium sized Mason Jar

Instructions:

Day 1: add 3 oz Raspberries to Jar and cover with approx 1/2 cup sugar, then nearly fill jar with Vodka. Shake several times that day.
Day 2: strain, add remaining Raspberries to jar and cover with sugar. Shake a bunch again.
Day 3: strain again, add more sugar and vodka to cover Raspberries. Keep shaking. Never stop shaking.
Day 4: strain again and mash berries to get all liquid out. Add more sugar, Vodka or Water to taste.

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Mashed Raspberries with all of the goodness leached out of them. 

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Sensational. You did it! 

Yummmm. There you go. One sad looking bottle of wilted, pale looking Raspberries later and one hefty, luxurious bottle of Homemade Raspberry Liqueur.

Happy leaching!

Home Bar Gurls: Rio del Oro

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This is Home Bar Gurls, the segment where another Home Bar Girl or Dude sends a recipe!

Rio del Oro

Today’s recipe comes from Eleni Crush, a fellow Californian, trendsetter and writer living in Brooklyn, NY. Eleni likes wine, Greek food and delicious cocktails! Don’t we all?

Rio del Oro

  • 2 oz Bourbon
  • 3/4 oz Lemon Juice
  • 3/4 oz Agave Nectar
  • 2 dashes of Scrappy’s Aromatic Bitters
  • Rosemary Sprig

Combine ingredients in tin. Shake and strain, serve on the rocks with Rosemary Sprig.

Have a recipe you’d like to be featured? Please send a recipe, cocktail photo and a bit about yourself to homebargirl@gmail.com.

Wood & Salt aka Adventures in Nashville

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Wood-&-Salt-1

‘Tis the season for Old Fashioneds and plenty of them.

Recently, I went to visit my mother (heretofore referred to as Mamoo because that what we call her, that is what the Community calls her) in Birmingham, AL and we took a little trip up to Nashvegas, TN. Nashville is a special place, a ridiculous place and a delicious place. In fact, when I mentioned that instead of going to the ATL or the Beach, we should go to Nashville, Mamoo was like, “Um hun, what? What’s in Nashville?”

I feel like most of the country has no idea about the totally awesome country music wackyness mixed with totally cutting-edge-cool-cash-money-$$$ amazingness which is the Nashville food and cocktail scene. It’s Americana mixed with tender love and care. In otherwords, Nashville is really good at ripping other things off.

The best example of this is the whole, “Handmade in Brooklyn”, ahem, cough, “Handmade in Nashville” revival. Even in downtown Nashville, Mamoo and I found Acme, a giant warehouse sized diner-cum-grocer full of “this product was handmade just outside of town at a farm we know.” Not to knock it, this Home Bar Girl is ALLLLLL about the locally made goods. Just funny. Super funny that no matter where you go in America, if there are people who like to burn money, they will totally buy “Handmade in X” products.

I am definitely one of those people.

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And so I bought this incredible Bourbon Smoked Sea Salt by Bourbon Barrel Foods at Marché in East Nashville, who btw, makes perhaps the GREATEST french toast in all the land. Croissant french toast y’all. I mean, I just can’t.

This salt is LEGITIMATELY FANTASTIC. The smell alone is like bacon mixed with bourbon mixed with crack. IT’S CRACK Y’ALL. I cannot wait to use it on everything in sight. I will use it on steaks, I will use it on French toast, I will use it on dessert.

AND I WILL DEFINITELY USE IT IN AN OLD FASHIONED WITH MAPLE LIQUEUR AND BLACK WALNUT BITTERS. Yeeeehaw.

Wood & Salt

  • 2 oz Bourbon or Rye
  • 1/2 oz Maple Liqueur
  • 1 Barspoon Brown Sugar or Demerara Sugar (but brown sugar is like a knockout!)
  • 2 dashes Black walnut Bitters
  • 1 dash Orange Bitters
  • Pinch of Bourbon Smoked Sea Salt
  • Orange peel
  • Maraschino Cherry

Build in glass: first add sugar, bitters and maple liqueur. Stir until sugar is dissolved. Next, add Whiskey and ice, stir again. Express orange peel and garnish with cherry. Lastly, sprinkle a pinch of Bourbon Smoked Salt on top of ice. Santé! Try not to die from the amazingness.

How to Make: The Last Word

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via Munchies on YouTube.

One of the great comebacks from the Prohibition era. Please give me ALL the Last Word cocktails.

  • 3/4 oz Gin
  • 3/4 oz Chartreuse Vert
  • 3/4 oz Maraschino Cherry Liqueur
  • 3/4 oz Lime Juice

Shake and strain into coupe. Super refreshing!

Classic Cocktails: Diamondback Cocktail

/ Dani DeLuna / 2 Comments

Diamondback

I’ve got a couple of things to say about this drink:

1. With the exception of Old Fashioneds and Sazeracs, “Build-In-Glass” drinks should ALWAYS be in Mason Jars. If you’re just gonna pour everything into the drinking glass, stir it a few times and serve it, don’t use a fancy glass. Use a Mason Jar! Same goes for any drink with a Dirty Pour (everything from the shaker goes straight into the cocktail, ice and all), or any type of Smash. I know that living in the deep South for ten years may have influenced this point of view, but I stand firmly in my beliefs!

2. The Diamondback Cocktail packs a particularly powerful punch! It’s a knock out for sure! Especially if you were to use a spicy rye like George Dickel Rye. Well, WOO! You just might shoot off like a rocket! This drink is a great slow sipper due to its boozy boozy qualities. Remember kids, Chartreuse Vert is 110 Proof.

3. In keeping with my current obsession for Autumnal Cocktails, well, the Applejack is HAPPENING in this drink. Diamondback Cocktail

  • 1 1/2 oz Rye
  • 3/4 oz Laird’s Applejack
  • 3/4 oz Chartreuse Vert
  • Maraschino Cherry

Build in glass with ice. Stir a few times and garnish with Maraschino Cherry. Easy peasy, definitely NOT breezy. Good luck! You’ve been warned.

Brunch Bonanza: King Snake Flip

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King Snake Flip

Welcome to Brunch Bonanza. The segment where we talk about brunch cocktails!

First off, let me say, I will take ANY excuse to have an egg drink. I looooove egg drinks. They are smooth, nutritious, creamy and delectable. They are also pretty dangerous, meaning that I want to drink several of them in a row.

There’s a long history to flips and egg drinks, even dating back to Harry Johnson’s Bartender’s Manual in 1882. If you get the chance, read it. Just the section about how to set up the bar and make customers feel welcome is inspirational. This particular cocktail is my variation on the Rattlesnake Cocktail from the Savoy Cocktail Book.

King Snake

  • 2 oz Gin
  • 3/4 oz Lemon Juice
  • 3/4 oz Simple Syrup
  • Pernod Rinse
  • Whole Egg
  • Peychaud’s Bitters

Rinse coupe with Pernod and chill glass. In tin, combine Gin, Lemon Juice, Simple Syrup and Egg. Shake the shit out of it for around 20 seconds or until egg has emulsified (this is called a Dry Shake). Add cracked ice and shake again vigorously. Double strain into coupe. Drop a few drops of Peychaud’s Bitters on top of the beautiful egg foam and swirl them around with a toothpick.

Enjoy and Happy Brunching to you all!

“The Lord’s Been Good To Me”

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The-Lord's-Been-Good-To-Me

You may be thinking, “ummm, this Home Bar Girl is a little obsessed with Bourbon.” Well, now that it’s Autumn I sort of can’t help myself! I want to use bourbon all the time, errrry day, errrry night.

The name for this drink is from a song in Johnny Appleseed, a Disney animated short released in 1948. As a child, I watched Johnny Appleseed countless times and loved to sing along to this song. Upon taking the first sip of the cocktail and tasting the apple notes, the cartoon rushed back to me. Ah, memories.

“The Lord’s Been Good To Me”

  • 1 oz Calvados
  • 1 oz Bourbon
  • 1/2 oz Honey Syrup
  • 1/4 oz Cynar
  • 2 dashes of Orange Bitters
  • Maraschino Cherry

In tin, combine Calvados, Bourbon, Honey Syrup, Cynar and bitters. Stir and strain into chilled coupe. Garnish with Maraschino Cherry.