Tag Archives: citrus

Thirsty Thursdays | Kentucky Saint |La Petite Grocery

18 Sep

Happy Thursday again, friends! I hope the upcoming weekend holds promise for being fun and relaxing for you. I am here to tell you about another ingredient that may fit right in to said weekend.

 

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This beverage is called the Kentucky Saint and the recipe is courtesy of La Petite Grocery, a James Beard award-winning restaurant on Magazine St. in New Orleans. Mr. Homemaker and I took a day trip to NOLA earlier this summer (for fabric shopping and eating), and this is where we chose to have a late lunch. Thank goodness we did because the service was friendly, the drinks were refreshing, and the food was delicious.

That afternoon, I went and purchased the ingredients that were listed on the menu. But no matter what ratio I tested, it didn’t taste quite right. So I sent an email to their bar manager, Julia (who happens to be from my hometown), and she graciously provided me with the official recipe. And the missing ingredient? A splash of orange juice.

As I mentioned last week in the Thirsty Thursday post, this is the recipe I originally purchased the St. Germain liqueur for. So now you have two excuses to buy some 🙂

This cocktail makes bourbon taste good even to the bourbon-averse among us. It has just the right amount of sweetness and citrus to compliment the bourbon. I didn’t think I would like this one but surprisingly, it is now a favorite.

Give it a try and let me know if you find it as much of a palate-pleaser as I do.

 

Looking for a few other refreshing cocktails? Try one of these:

La Recolte

Meyer Lemon Drop Martini

Cuba Libre

Absolut Stress

Blood Orange Martini

 

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Kentucky Saint

  • 1 ounce Noah’s Mill bourbon (or other bourbon of your choice)
  • 1/2 ounce St. Germain liqueur
  • 1/2 ounce Aperol
  • 1/2 ounce freshly squeezed lemon juice
  • 1/2 ounce orange juice (original recipe called for 1/4 ounce)
  • 1/4 ounce simple syrup

Combine all of the ingredients in a cocktail shaker and fill with ice. Shake vigorously until the outside surface of the shaker is frosty.

Strain into a martini glass straight up or pour over ice in a rocks glass.

Garnish as desired and enjoy!

 

Courtesy of La Petite Grocery.

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Thirsty Thursdays — Blood Orange Martini

13 Feb

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Howdy, friends! I hope this post finds you well and warm. It sure has been chilly here in South Alabama! That means we have been spending a lot of time indoors and I have been doing a lot of baking, cooking, knitting, and sewing. I promise I will show you more of the fruits of that labor, but first I think you need to quench your thirst with one of these tasty and in-season cocktails (and wouldn’t it be perfect for a Valentine’s dinner in?).

My husband and I recently returned from a much-needed week in the Caribbean and I have spent all week longing for that warmth and sunshine! Luckily, this drink helps to quench that desire just a little bit.

If you aren’t familiar with blood oranges, don’t feel bad. I didn’t know they existed until about 2 winters ago. They are similar to a regular orange in taste and outward appearance, but the fun part is that the flesh and juice varies from pink to red, hence the “blood” descriptor. Funny thought, in medicine we have a tendency to name things (even gross ones) after food. For example, a flat brown birthmark is called a cafe-au-lait spot. In the case of blood oranges, we have a food item named after a part of the body…

I hope everyone enjoys their Valentine’s Day!

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Blood Orange Martini
Serves 2

4 ounces good-quality vodka (I used this one made from sweet potatoes)
1 ounce orange liqueur (I used a blood orange liqueur, Solerno)
5 ounces blood orange juice (from 2-3 oranges)
1/2 ounce simple syrup
Blood orange twists for garnish

Combine all liquid ingredients in a cocktail shaker filled with ice. Shake to combine. Strain into two chilled martini glasses and garnish with orange twists. Enjoy!

Inspired by The Hungry Mouse.

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Thirsty Thursdays — Strawberry Mint Lemonade Two Ways

6 Jun

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Happy Thursday, everyone!  One more day until the weekend!!  Since you all seem to like these Thirsty Thursday posts so much, here’s another one.  I found this recipe inspiration from Jessica on How Sweet It Is — she has tons of great drink recipes so hop over there if you get a chance… or get thirsty.

I am providing both an alcoholic and an unleaded version of this beverage because I think it works perfectly both ways.  I could see this being incorporated into your next summer cookout, bridal/baby shower, picnic, day at the beach, etc.  We all know strawberry lemonade is a divine thing but adding mint gives it just a hint of herbal freshness — definitely not over the top, though, so don’t worry!

My only modification from the original recipe was to add a bit more water because I found it to be a little concentrated (but I didn’t strain mine).  Feel free to adjust it according to your own tastes and depending on how sweet your berries are.  Enjoy!

 

Strawberry Mint Lemonade Two Ways

Yield: About 4 cups

 

2/3 cup granulated sugar
1 cup water
1 1/2 cups fresh lemon juice
1 1/2 cups sliced fresh strawberries
1/3 cup fresh mint leaves

Variation:  citrus vodka (optional)

Combine sugar and water in a microwave safe measuring cup and microwave on high at 1 minute intervals until sugar is completely dissolved.  Or be fancy and heat it in a small saucepan over medium heat, whisking until the sugar is dissolved.  Regardless of your method, cool the simple syrup in the fridge for about 10 minutes.

Put the strawberries and mint in a blender and  puree until liquified. Add in the lemon juice and simple syrup and puree until combined. At this point you can choose to keep the mixture thick with the fruit puree, strain half of it to lighten it a bit or strain all of it to remove the strawberry pulp. It’s up to you! Pour the mixture into a pitcher and refrigerate for 20 minutes until cold. Serve over ice.

For variation, add 1-2 shots of citrus vodka to each serving (depending on size of glass and stress level of consumer).  Enjoy!

 

Adapted from How Sweet It Is

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