Tuesday Toast: The Dutch Mule

Is it Friday yet? To cope, concoct a cocktail for tonight. This recipe is straight from one of my favorite spots in town: Del Frisco's Grille. Has anyone else noticed how 'in' grapefruit juice is right now? This twist on a Moscow Mule is fabulously easy to make, so you get to spend more time drinking it.

The Dutch Mule

Ingredients:

• Nolet’s Silver Gin 1.5 oz.
• Ginger Beer 4.5 oz.
• Garnish - 1 Mint Sprig & 1 Slice of Red Grapefruit for each cocktail
• Directions: Fill wine glass 3/4 full with ice, add gin and ginger beer. Place grapefruit slice into glass and add mint sprig.

I can do that.

Cheers.

Tuesday Toast: Watermelon-Mint Cocktail

Maybe you're in need of a mid-week cocktail hour, maybe its grocery shopping for cocktail hour, I want to make sure you're prepared with the weekly Tuesday Toast. One of my favorite things about summertime?  It's finally watermelon season again. St-Germain had me at hello during Savor Dallas, so let's mix it up with some watermelon for a summertime sipping cocktail.

 

 

A Taste of Summer: 

• 1.5 ounces vodka
• 1 ounce St-Germain Elderflower Liqueur
• 2 ounces watermelon juice (purée 3 slices of watermelon without rind in a blender)
• 5 mint leaves
• 1/2 ounce lime juice
• 2 teaspoons of white sugar (or 1/2 ounce agave nectar)
• 1 watermelon slice for garnish
• 1 mint leaf for garnish

• Pour ingredients into shaker with ice, cover, and shake well for 10 seconds. 
• Pour into a tall glass.
• Garnish with watermelon and mint.

Cheers. 

Tuesday Toast: Blackberry Kir Cocktail

Maybe you're in need of a mid-week cocktail hour, maybe it's grocery shopping hour, I want to make sure you're prepared with the weekly Tuesday Toast. This week's recipe will transport you from smoldering Texas summers to breezy French cafes. The first time I sipped on a Blackberry Kir was in Paris, France on my post college graduation backpacking trip through Europe. I had the waitress to detail every ingredient in it so I would be able to recreate it in the states.

Right from the French waitress's mouth: a Blackberry Kir is a combination of sweet-tart blackberry liqueur and the elegant flavor of sparkling rose wine (I've also had it with some plain ol' white wine - still amazing).

•     Pour 2 tsp. black currant liqueur (recommended: Creme de Cassis) into each champagne flute.
•     Muddle blackberries or blend blackberries with the black current liqueur. Add to champagne flute.
•     Top with sparkling rose. 
•     Voilà! One bottle of sparkling rose wine serves six people.

Cheers.