Watermelon margarita

Heirloom watermelons and I have got a few things going.  I think I'm smitten with their red ripe juice, and their pretty bulky bodies. Even the seeds have something sassy to say to me. So I blended them up and shushed them with fresh lemon, tequila and simple syrup. 

Omit the tequila and simple syrup if you just want a variation of a watermelon cooler. These watermelon margaritas are delicious, simple, and refreshing. 

The heirlooms available to me are moon and stars (gorgeous!) and Charleston grays. 

Watermelon margaritas

Yield: 2 margaritas

Ingredients:

2 cups watermelon, optional to remove seeds, plus a few small wedges for garnish

1/4 cup simple syrup (directions below)

handful ice cubes

freshly squeezed lemon juice from 1/2 of a large lemon

3 oz tequila

Directions:

1. Fill a low-ball cocktail glass with ice and water. Set aside. 
2. Cut up the watermelon from the rind into large chunks, remove the seeds if desired, and place into a blender. 
3. To the blender add in 1/4 cup simple syrup and ice cubes.
4. Top with freshly squeezed lemon juice and tequila.
5. Blend together until combined well. Meanwhile remove the ice and water from the cocktail glass. 
6. Strain into chilled cocktail glasses, garnish with a few ice cubes and a watermelon wedge. If the seeds are left in they will fall to the bottom, but they give a nice flecked appearance when served immediately.

Note: to make simple syrup add an equal part water and an equal part sugar in a small saucepan. Heat the sauce pan over medium-low heat stirring until the sugar dissolves completely. Remove from heat and allow to cool. Store in a glass jar in the fridge for several weeks. 

A Manhattan cocktail

This is a a slightly spicy version of a classic Manhattan cocktail. Ginger is steeped and simmered in 1 cup of water, and 3/4 cup of demerara brown sugar to make a gingered simple syrup. The simple syrup can last in the fridge for several weeks. I store mine sealed in a ball jar. Making simple syrup is easy. Combine 1 part water with equal parts sugar. I add less sugar, and never notice.

The cardamom bitters add a little something special.  Readers, I must confess. I had made this fine cocktail and then placed it on a coaster on top of the coffee table. I thought, "this deserves blogging." So Neeli kicks her feet up, laptop on lap, bottom on couch, and extends her feet and then watches in slow motion as she knocks over the drink. Clumsiness at its finest. In the pic above, there are two Manhattans. The hubs happily gave me his. Feel free to omit the honey. The dry vermouth adds a bit of balance.

A Manhattan with gingered simple syrup and cardamom bitters
Adapted from a classic Manhattan; yield 1 beverage

Ingredients:
2 oz rye, such as Bulleit Rye
1 oz gingered simple syrup (see note below)
1/2 oz dry vermouth (sweet vermouth is usually preferred) I like Dolin Vermouth
1-2 dashes cardamom bitters (Scrappy's bitters are featured here)
honey (optional)
maraschino cherry

Directions:
1. In a shaker (or other suitable vessel good for mixing drinks without spilling) add ice, and then the rye, gingered simple syrup, vermouth, and bitters. Shake for 10 seconds. If you are opposed to shaking, stir everything together until chilled and combined.
2. In a martini glass, add the cherry, and line just under the rim with a a bit of honey. Strain the drink into the martini glass, and serve immediately. Oh yum.

Gingered simple syrup
Yield: 1 cup of simple syrup

Ingredients:
4-5" segment of fresh whole ginger, chopped into 1/2 inch slices. I also use a microplane and grate about 1" whole.
1 cup water
1/2 cup to 1 cup sugar (I used demerara brown sugar)

Directions:
Combine all of the ingredients in a small sauce pan and bring to a simmer for about 15-20 minutes. Let it cool down, and strain into a ball jar, or other glass jar. The syrup will keep in the fridge for a few weeks.

Top Shelf Margs

Is there anyone else that gets super annoyed when ordering a margarita at an upscale dining restaurant and then served a super-sized syrupy drink made from lime juice concentrate? I'm less offended, and much less picky, when it involves patio sitting and nacho eating. However, a good margarita should have some bite from the tequila and only use freshly squeezed lime. 

So that covers at least two of the key ingredients: tequila and fresh lime juice. Many recipes feature triple sec or Cointreau (a fancier French triple sec), ice, and salt. I'm a bigger fan of Cointreau, as it lends a dry, just sweet enough finish, but I think any triple sec will do.  Salt or no salt? I prefer no salt, it is not bringing out any flavor essences, or adding depth. The addition of salt to the rim of a glass is often zealously overdone. On one too many occasions, I've scraped the salt off the rim of the glass to find it measuring out to about a teaspoon. Salt is good for a lot of things, but in my opinion, keep the salt out of these top shelf margs. 

I recently picked up a bottle of Don Julio Anejo, which is a quite good sipping tequila. Armed with my Williams and Sonoma Bar Guide book, a new Boston mixer, and the proper ingredients I have been attempting various versions of a classic margarita (more to come). My suggested pairing is for serving these margaritas whilst waiting around for the Tex-Mex chili gravy enchiladas (you're welcome, Sara Wobs). 

Margaritas

Adapted from Williams and Sonoma The Bar Guide

Yield: 1 drink, approx 3.5-4 oz

Ingredients:

2 fl oz tequila such as Don Julio Anejo

2-3 tbsp triple sec, such as Cointreau

freshly squeezed lime juice from about 1/2 a lime (depends on size)

ice

mint or basil for garnish along with a wedge of lime. 

Directions:

1. In a Boston mixer, or other cocktail mixer, mix all ingredients together except garnishes. When I did not have a mixer, I just used a Mason jar that I could shake the crap out of.

2. Shake back and forth until well mixed. Pour into a chilled glass, add a few ice cubes, and garnish with some lime slices, and mint or basil if you wish.

Side note: do you ever buy mint or basil from the market or grocery store to add to a few dishes, and then it gets piled under several other things, and it comes up later black and moldy? I often add them to drinks as a garnish. 

Rum Swizz

Yesterday, I was scanning my reader sipping on a huge glass of water chock full of crushed ice, when I came across David Lebovitz's ice post. His musings on expat life in Paris always draw me in, and his recipes are fantastic, but his post was hilarious to me because it was a post totally on the novelty of ice. The comments generated below his post show a fierce defense of ice all the time, or bewilderment. Ice, a problem, really? I had to appreciate the care and awareness in which he writes after acquiring an icemaker.

When abroad, ice was something to miss. There are few countries like the US that have such a married love affair with ice (and lots of it) + beverage (of your choice).  Ice, in cubed or crushed form, was one of those things that were annoying to miss because it's convenience and luxury were never noticed until the freezer revealed your stash as a dozen teaspoon sized cubes. Now, I appreciate how novel unlimited ice feels.

Which brings me to my next refreshing, porch-sitting (and in those cute shoezles pictured above), watch the sun go down, and feel the heat let up a bit cocktail: the rum swizzle. And make that with lots of ice.

Rum Swizzle
Yield: 1 drink poured into a Collins or pint glass. A Mason jar would showcase this drink nicely.
2 oz of dark rum
freshly squeezed juice of half a medium lime, plus a lime round for garnish (can sub in lemons)
1 tbsp Cointreau or triple sec
1/2 cup ginger beer or ginger ale

Fill a cocktail shaker 2/3 full of ice and pour the rum, lime juice, and Cointreau over the cubes. Shake together a few times. Pour this mixture into a glass, filled to the brim with ice cubes. Top with a lime slice, ginger ale, and give it a quick stir with a swizzle or straw. Serve immediately.

p.s. I have my eye on these ice cream recipes. Shoezles. What?! It rhymes with noodles.