shaken

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.

Volver-2

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.

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.

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!

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!

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.

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 Espolón 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.