lemon peel

Negroni + Sazerac = Negroniac

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Ok, bear with me a moment because I want y’all to think about this before you read any further: What if one were to combine a Negroni with a Sazerac? Think about it.

Did you stop and think about it?

Okay.

Fireworks, explosions, singing choruses, high school bands waving banners and cheerleaders flipping through the air right? YES. This could honestly be the best tasting Serious Cocktail I’ve ever created.

This cocktail is especially fantastic if you are able to get that St. George Absinthe Verte. I’ve said it in the My Home Bar page of Home Bar Girl, but this Absinthe is the most delicious one in the world, IN THE WORLD! It’s an herbal paradise with a bouquet of lemon grass, basil, mint, fennel and other herbs.

Really though, the whole idea of combining these two classics was just too good to remain in my head and I had to know! Remember, I keep Negroni bottled so I can use it for occasions such as these. Also keep in mind that the measurements are exact! Too much Rye and the drink is way off!

Negroniac

  • 1 3/4 oz Negroni
  • 1 1/4 oz Rye (Redemption used here)
  • 2 Dashes of Regans’ Orange Bitters
  • St. George Absinthe Verte Rinse
  • Lemon Peel

Rinse rocks glass with Absinthe and chill. In tin, combine Negroni and Rye over cracked ice. Stir and strain into chilled glass. Express and discard Lemon Peel. Santé!

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Remember, every week is #NegroniWeek!

Brunch Bonanza: Golden Light

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

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Golden Light at a Fancy party. Doesn’t it look Fancy?

I originally created this drink for Home Bar Girl Presents: A Party several weeks ago but have since realized that I love it as a Brunch or Afternoon cocktail. It’s so fresh and refreshing but still complex! The Celery Bitters and St-Germain work very well with the other mix of flavours. Enjoy!

Golden Light

  • 1 oz Smooth English Gin (Plymouth or Mayfair)
  • 1 oz Apple Brandy
  • 3/4 oz St-Germain
  • 1 oz Apple Juice
  • 1/4 oz Lemon Juice
  • 1 dash Celery bitters
  • Apple Slice or Lemon Peel

In tin, combine Gin, Apple Brandy, St-Germain, Apple Juice, Lemon Juice and Celery Bitters over ice and shake baby, shake! Double strain into coupe and garnish with Apple Slice or Lemon Peel. Cheers!

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Golden Light at Home. It still looks fancy!

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Yummm! 

Variations on a Theme: Negroni Bianco

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The Negroni Bianco: So many Variations, so many options, so little time. After acquiring some Cocchi Americano and Salers Aperitif, I knew, I just knew that I would be destined to make at least a dozen Negroni Bianco Variations in a very short amount of time. Don’t worry, I won’t force you to read through all of my trials and tribulations, just the top 4.

These cocktails are all stirred on cracked ice and served up.

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Variazioni #1: Salers Bianco

  • 1 oz Mayfair London Dry Gin
  • 1 oz Dolin Dry
  • 1 oz Salers Aperitif
  • Celery Bitters

The Salers and Celery Bitters really shine through on this one. Very Herbaceous, very Gentian, very Provençal.

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Variazioni #2: Mt Tam Negroni

  • 1 oz St George Terroir Gin
  • 1 oz Cocchi Americano
  • 1 oz Dolin Blanc
  • Lemon Peel

St George Terroir Gin is the star of the show here. Cocchi Americano and Dolin Blanc create a nice undercurrent of subtle flavours upon which the supremely awesome Mt Tam botanicals rest.

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Variazioni #3: New York Negroni

  • 1 oz Dorothy Parker Gin
  • 1 oz Dolin Dry Vermouth
  • 1 oz Cocchi Americano
  • 2 dashes of Orange Bitters

This totally tastes like what any serious Martini-type New Yorker would drink if they wanted a different cocktail. Dorothy Parker comes through first, Dolin Dry second and then Cocchi Americano and Orange Bitters. Sublime.

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Variazioni #4: DiLuna Negroni

  • 1 oz Plymouth Gin
  • 1 oz Dolin Dry
  • 1 oz Suze
  • Lemon Peel

I’ve made it a habit of ordering this particular variation at bars which serve Suze and on multiple occasions have been asked by the bartender, “Wow! Did you make this up?” Yes, yes I did. One bartender at Marco’s in Brooklyn even strongly suggested that I name it before someone else does.

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Enjoy these variations and please submit any of your own in the comments or send them to homebargirl@gmail.com!

Improved MarTEAni

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Processed with VSCOcam with f2 preset

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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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.

Brunch Bonanza: Wandering Wasp

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Wandering Wasp

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

Happy Week-end to you all! May this bright and refreshing Bourbon cocktail bring even more joy to your brunching. The name of this drink comes from an incident where my girlfriend and I were trying to chase a wasp out of our apartment and the silly thing just would not leave! It kept wandering from room to room, meandering about. When we finally ejected the wasp through the bathroom window, we needed a drink! Wandering Wasp

  • 2 oz Bourbon
  • 3/4 oz Fresh Grapefruit Juice
  • 1/2 oz St-Germain
  • 1/2 oz Mint infused Simple Syrup
  • 2 dashes of Orange bitters
  • Lemon peel

Combine Bourbon, Grapefruit Juice, St-Germain, Mint Simple Syrup and Orange Bitters in tin with cracked ice. Shake and double strain into chilled Coupe. Express Lemon peel and use as 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.