lemon juice

Golden Age of Quackery

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I named this one after the notion of a 19th-Century-Cure-All because this drink has everything meant to cure ailments: Bourbon, Honey, Ginger, Lemon, Apples and Fernet! I nearly called it “Patented-Cure-All” but with the preProhibition Cocktail revival we’re having, I felt this name was a bit better. 🙂

Golden Age of Quackery

In tin, combine Bourbon, Bushel & Barrel, Honey Ginger Juice, Lemon Juice over ice and shake. Double strain into rocks glass with ice. Float Fernet on top.

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Bonus: The Golden Age of Quackery is also awesome hot! Add 1 oz Water, make sure not to boil the liquids and still float the Fernet on top after you’ve poured the rest into a mug.

You’re So Kind: Berentzen Bushel & Barrel

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Bushel-&-Barrel

The very kind people at Berentzen USA have sent me several bottles to taste and review: Icemint Schnapps, Pear Liqueur and Bushel & Barrel. They’re so kind. Aren’t they kind? BERENTZEN, YOU’RE SO KIND! Each bottle is fabulous and totally bursting with flavour but I’m going to start with Bushel & Barrel cause this is America and nothing screams AMERICA more than Bourbon and Apples.

I’ve gotta be honest, this is truly delicious stuff! Upon opening the bottle, crisp, clear Apples come through, then the more complex spices from Kentucky Bourbon settle into your nose. It’s an awesome experience.  First taste also begins with Apple, fresh juicy Apple from Berentzen’s Apple Liqueur and then a bit of spicy kick from Bourbon. Again, awesome. At 60 proof, it’s neither too strong to use in cocktails, nor too weak to drink on the rocks. In fact, everything about this liqueur is super smooth and just right.

If this is the future of flavoured whiskey, then I am so happy to be taking part in the revolution. Bushel & Barrel is by far the best one I’ve ever had and honestly, everything Berentzen makes is outstandingly tasty. (This is the part of the post where you throw that nasty cinnamon flavoured whiskey out the window. There, I said it.)

And now, some Bushel & Barrel cocktails:

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American Rose (Jack Rose Variation)

  • 1 1/2 oz Bushel & Barrel
  • 1/2 oz Applejack
  • 1/2 oz Lime Juice
  • 1/2 oz Grenadine
  • Lime Wheel

In tin, combine Bushel & Barrel, Applejack, Lime Juice and Grenadine over ice. Shake and double strain into coupe, garnish with Lime Wheel.

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Obstacle Three

  • 1 1/2 oz Rye
  • 3/4 oz Averna Amaro
  • 1/2 oz Bushel & Barrel
  • 1/2 oz Carpano Antica
  • Maraschino Cherry

In tin, combine Rye, Averna, Bushel & Barrel, Carpano and stir over cracked ice. Strain into coupe, Maraschino cherry garnish.

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People Watching

  • 2 oz Cocchi Americano
  • 1/2 oz Bushel & Barrel
  • 1/2 oz Cynar
  • 1/4 oz Lemon Juice

In tin, combine Cocchi Americano, Bushel & Barrel, Cynar and Lemon Juice over ice. Shake and double strain into coupe. Splash of Soda or Champagne on top.

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Julian Franco

  • 1 1/2 oz Bourbon
  • 1/2 oz Bushel & Barrel
  • 1/2 oz Raspberry Liqueur
  • 1/4 oz Chartreuse Vert
  • Apple Peel

In tin, combine Bourbon, Bushel & Barrel, Raspberry Liqueur and Chartreuse. Stir over cracked ice and strain into coupe. Apple Peel garnish.

Well, that’s it for now! I’ve definitely got more recipes for Bushel & Barrel and will post them in the future! As for the Pear Liqueur and Icemint Schnapps, I’ll be reviewing them soon! This has been You’re So Kind, the post where someone nice gives me a bottle and I review it!

The Oldest Living Confederate Widow

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This drink is possibly the greatest version of a Gin Sour to ever exist. Ever. It’s truly refreshing, so very dangerous and I want to drink them all year round! I got the recipe from Angel NegrĂ­n, my mentor in Birmingham, AL who got it from Toby Malone at the Violet Hour in Chicago. It’s a fabulous cocktail and “super healthy” as Angel likes to say. Get ready to shake, shake, boogie!

The Oldest Living Confederate Widow

  • 2 oz Plymouth Gin or Bombay Dry Gin
  • 1 1/4 oz Honey Syrup*
  • 1 oz Lemon Juice
  • 2 dashes of Orange Bitters
  • 2 dashes of Absinthe or Pernod Pastis

In tin, combine ingredients over cracked ice and shake, baby, shake! Strain into coupe. Feel the awesomeness. Try not to take down the whole cocktail in one big gulp, ok?

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*Honey Syrup: I like to make my Honey Syrup in a 1:1 ratio and shake it until the honey has dissolved. I find that if you heat the water and honey, some of the awesomeness in the honey is lost.

Improved MarTEAni

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photo by Virginia Linzee. Makeup Artist extraordinaire. 

While at a lady Tea Party for ladies today, I made my own improved version of Pegu Club’s MarTEAni. This is already a fantastic cocktail and my improvements simply consist of using a Whole Egg instead of Egg White and adding St-Germain.

Improved MarTEAni

  • 1 1/2 oz Black Tea Infused London Dry Gin*
  • 3/4 oz St-Germain
  • 1/2 oz Lemon Juice
  • 1/2 oz Simple Syrup
  • Whole Egg
  • Lemon Peel

In tin, combine Gin, St-Germain, Lemon Juice, Simple Syrup and Egg. Dry shake vigorously for appoximately 30 seconds to emulsify egg. Add ice and shake vigorously again.

*Black Tea Infused London Dry Gin: place approx 1/4 cup of loose tea into a 750ml Bottle of Gin. Shake, then let sit for approximately 2-3 hours occasionally shaking. Strain and bottle.

Gin-Gin Crisp + Crispin Pear Cider

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Gin-Gin-Crisp

So a month ago I bought some Crispin Hard Pear Cider. Being a fan of their Hard Apple Cider, I could not wait to taste this bottled goodness! But then, it sat in the back of the fridge whilst I made Raspberry Liqueur, a ton of drinks with Salers Aperitif, entered a Bourbon Manhattan competition and tried to find the best Negroni Bianco Variation. (P.S. I may have found it and will post my discovery soon!)

Well today, I could not take it any more! I had to open that bottle! And Ohhhhhh sweet Stars, this Pear Cider is so wonderful. Made from 100% Pear juice, the Crispin Pear is so dry and crisp and California and PEAR and muhhhhhhhhhhhh. I would literally drink this every day if it wouldn’t kill me. Best of the Best. Five Stars.

But, being the Home Bar Girl that I am, I immediately thought about how to use it in a cocktail. What came to me was: Gin, Ginger, Lemon, Pear. WHOOP! This drink is truly crisp and delicious while still being Autumnal! High Five! We did it!

Gin-Gin Crisp

  • 2 oz Smooth Gin (Plymouth Gin used here)
  • 1 oz Ginger Liqueur (Domaine de Canton used here)
  • 1/2 oz Lemon Juice
  • Crispin’s Pear Cider or other Pear Cider suitable cider will do
  • 2 Dashes Angostura Bitters
  • Lemon Peel

In tin, combine Gin, Ginger Liqueur and Lemon Juice over Ice and shake baby shake. Strain into Collins glass with ice, pour Pear Cider on top and add 2 dashes of Angostura Bitters. Express Lemon Peel and garnish.

Brunch Bonanza: Jaune Jaune Fizz

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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.

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.

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!

Fred & Ginger

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Perhaps my favourite tequila cocktail of all time.

This is perhaps my favourite Tequila cocktail of all time. I was going to name it “Swing Time” but then my brilliant girlfriend suggested “Fred & Ginger”. Just like the greatest American dancing-duo, this cocktail is smooth, exciting and timeless. 

Fred & Ginger

  • 2 oz EspolĂłn Reposado Tequila
  • 3/4 oz Domaine de Canton
  • 3/4 oz Honey Syrup
  • 3/4 oz Lemon Juice
  • Two dashes of Regans’ Orange Bitters
  • Cucumber Wheel

Whilst watching Swing Time add ingredients to tin over cracked ice. Shake & strain into chilled coupe. Cucumber wheel garnish.

French Ambassador

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French Ambassador

I will find any excuse I can to make a Gin cocktail like this. Give me Gin, Chartreuse, Pernod and Lemon juice all year long!

French Ambassador

  • 2 oz Mayfair London Dry Gin
  • 3/4 oz Chartreuse Jaune
  • 3/4 oz Lemon Juice
  • 3/4 oz Honey Syrup
  • Pernod Pastis rinse
  • Lemon peel

Rinse rocks glass with Pernod Pastis and chill glass. Combine Gin, Chartreuse Jaune, Lemon Juice and Honey Syrup in tin with cracked ice. Shake and strain into glass over one big rock. Express Lemon peel and use as garnish.