Tag Archives | signature cocktails

Signature Cocktail #12: Cantaloupe Black Pepper Cooler

By Lauren on April 24, 2013 in Signature Cocktails, Summer

Featuring cooling cucumber, blissfully sweet cantaloupe, and a simple syrup infused with black pepper, this week’s refreshing vodka cocktail is summer in a glass. Carlene Thomas, our wedding wellness expert, shares the recipe.

I can pinpoint my favorite cocktail experience. It involved a drink with melon and icy vodka. It was a humid summer day in D.C., and every time I took a sip, the aroma of sun-ripened melon completely enveloped me. And maybe the person next to me. In an effort not to recreate but rather to pay homage to that drink, I put a spin on it by adding an extra layer of refreshing flavor with lemon and cucumber. A simple syrup infused with black pepper lends a sweet and spicy kick. For an extra boozy treat, soak the cantaloupe balls in vodka before skewering.

Ingredients (makes 1):

1.5 ounces of vodka

Juice of 1/2 a lemon

Several thin strips of cucumber

Melon balls (cantaloupe or honeydew)

1 tablespoon of a simple syrup infused with black pepper

1 basil leaf to garnish

Directions:

To make black pepper simple syrup: Add equal parts sugar and water to a small saucepan and heat to reduce. Add several grinds of black pepper and cool.

To make cocktail: Add ice to a cocktail shaker. Add vodka, simple syrup, and lemon to the container and shake to chill. Layer strips of cucumber to the sides and bottom of the glass. Create melon balls and skewer, topped with a basil leaf.

Photos and recipe by Carlene Thomas for Limn & Lovely

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Signature Cocktail #6: Black Pepper Kumquat Margarita

By Lauren on January 23, 2013 in All Posts, Catering and Food, Signature Cocktails

It’s margarita time! Today, our wedding wellness expert, Carlene Thomas of Healthfully Ever After, whipped up a sophisticated wintry margarita that entices with the pleasantly pungent flavor of kumquats, winter’s unheralded citrus gems, and a sprinkling of smoky black pepper. With sweet, tart, spicy, and citrusy notes in equal parts, this wonderfully complex and layered drink is an ideal signature cocktail choice for the chic and modern bride. Here’s Carlene with all the details.

Winter is the peak season for citrus. While you could buy oranges, it’s time to enjoy a petite and little-known fruit: the kumquat. Kumquats, including the skin, are 100 percent edible. They are tart like lemons but release an addictive sweetness as you chew. Put a spin on a traditional margarita with this little-used ingredient and a spicy dash of pepper on the rim of the glass. A black pepper kumquat margarita is the perfect signature drink for the bride with razor-sharp wit and a thoughtful heart.

Ingredients (makes 2):

1 tablespoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
8 kumquats
3 ounces tequila
3 cups crushed ice
1/2 cup sugar (to make simple syrup)
2 ounces of Cointreau
1 ounce of lime juice

Directions:

Moisten the rims of margarita or cocktail glasses with lime juice. Sprinkle salt and black pepper into a small bowl and dip the glass rims.

To make sweetened kumquats: Wash and puncture kumquats with a fork. Place in a small saucepan and cover with water. Bring the kumquats to a boil, and drain the water. Repeat the process twice. Once you have boiled and drained the kumquats twice, add more water and an equal amount of sugar. Allow the sugar to dissolve over heat with the kumquats. Set aside.

In a blender, finely crush the ice. Add to glasses with the salt and pepper rims. Add syrup and a few kumquats to the glass. In a cocktail shaker, add tequila, lime, and Cointreau. Shake and pour over the kumquat ice.

Photos and recipe by Carlene Thomas

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Signature Cocktail #5: Cucumber-Pomegranate

By Lauren on January 9, 2013 in All Posts, Catering and Food, Signature Cocktails

If some biblical scholars are to be believed, it was a pomegranate, not an apple, with which Eve tempted Adam. This isn’t hard to imagine, as the enticing pomegranate is one of the most luscious, romantic fruits on earth, and it’s currently at its seasonal peak. Created by our wedding wellness expert, Carlene Thomas of Healthfully Ever After, today’s recipe pairs the pomegranate’s tart, ruby-red seeds with homemade cucumber-infused gin for a little sip of heaven that will lift you up and away. Here’s Carlene with all the juicy details on this bright, refreshing drink.

So we’re back in the swing of our day-to-day lives post holiday. Can we ask, where did all this work come from? More importantly, when is the next vacation? Although we can’t be your travel agent for a quick, rejuvenating getaway, we can bring a relaxing spa beverage to your home. In this cucumber-pomegranate cocktail, the tranquil and refreshing scent of cucumber mingles with the bright pop of seasonal pomegranate seeds, which are bursting with healthy antioxidants. Topped with a bit of jewel-like sparkle, this clean cocktail is your spa weekend transport.

Ingredients:

1.5 ounces of cucumber-infused gin
3 drops of bitters
Seltzer to top
1 cucumber ribbon per glass
Pomegranate gems
Shaved ice

Directions:

To make cucumber-infused spirits, slice cucumbers, place in a jar with gin, and seal the jar. Shake occasionally and allow to combine in a cool, dark place for several days.

Make finely shaved/crushed ice using a blender or Vitamix. Slice cucumber ribbons using a mandolin and wrap along the inside of the glass. Mound shaved ice in the glass. Add cucumber gin and bitters together in a separate glass and stir. Pour over the ice and top off with seltzer. Place a sprinkling of pomegranate gems on top of the cocktail.

Photos and recipe by Carlene Thomas

Comments { 3 }

Signature Cocktail #2: Persimmon Champagne

By Lauren on November 30, 2012 in All Posts, Signature Cocktails

Happy Friday, lovely readers! We’re sending you off into the weekend with a vibrant clean cocktail, created for you by our wedding wellness expert, Carlene Thomas, RD. Since persimmons abound this time of year, she decided to put them to good use, choosing the Fuyu variety for today’s recipe. (Distinguished by their squat shape, “flat” bottom, and deep orange color, Fuyus are sweet but not cloyingly so, and they have a mild, pumpkin-like flavor.) We’ll let Carlene describe in detail how to make this mouthwateringly delicious libation, perfect for a wedding toast on a nippy November night!

’Tis the season to break out the bubbly with winter flair! Persimmons are a festive orange fruit with cinnamon spice undertones, and they offer the kind of winter bliss that warms hearts and fights colds with an abundance of vitamin C. This persimmon-champagne mix makes an especially cozy cocktail. Might we suggest snuggling up with your significant other in front of a blazing fireplace beneath a sprig of mistletoe?

Ingredients:

1 tablesppon Fuyu persimmon nectar

Champagne to fill traditional glass

To make persimmon nectar:

Peel 1 persimmon and chop into cubes. Place in a small pot on the stove with water to cover. Cook on medium until the persimmon is easily speared with a fork. Add a spoonful of sugar to sweeten and blend in an immersion blender or a standing blender. Return the purée to the stovetop and allow it to reduce slightly.

To prepare the cocktail:

Add 1 tablespoon of the persimmon nectar to the bottom of a champagne glass. Fill the remainder of the glass with champagne or prosecco and stir. Garnish with a wedge of persimmon so that guests can enjoy the fresh fruit on its own.

Photos and recipe by Carlene Thomas

Comments { 6 }

Signature Cocktail #1: Fennel Orange Sparkler

By Lauren on November 20, 2012 in All Posts, Catering and Food, Signature Cocktails

As craft cocktail aficionados, we heartily believe that every bride deserves to have a splendid signature cocktail served at her wedding. On that note, we’re thrilled to introduce a new bimonthly cocktail series contributed by the lovely Carlene Thomas. A registered dietitian and the media and public relations chair of the Virginia Dietetic Association, Carlene specializes in wedding wellness and helping brides to live healthfully ever after—no dreadful dieting required. You can find her on her daily blog, Carlene’s Figments, which serves up lifestyle inspiration and the freshest tips on how to lead a healthful life. Carlene believes that food and drink should be nutritious, delicious, and packed with flavor, and this ethos will be reflected in her original cocktail creations. Without further ado, here she is to share her first concoction, a bright and bubbly wintertime pick-me-up with seasonal fennel and orange juice.

A cocktail that plays on winter flavors, such as citrus and licorice-like fennel, and has a dash of pure bubbles is the perfect brunch reception drink. While many cocktails rely on sticky-sweet liquors and cocktail juices to achieve flavor, we prefer a clean, bright, and simple beverage. One of the best ways to accomplish a clean cocktail is by creating infused alcohols or simple syrups. A drink light on calories but filled with flavor? We’ll drink to that!

Ingredients:

1 ounce of fennel simple syrup
2 ounces of orange juice
2 ounces of vodka
Seltzer to fill glass
Garnishes: Fennel stalks and orange peel

To create a flavored simple syrup:

Slice desired flavoring agent (roughly 1/2 cup fennel) and add to a small saucepan. Add equal parts water and sugar to the saucepan and bring to a simmer for several minutes until the liquid becomes thick. Strain the fennel from the syrup. This method can be used for nearly any flavor!

To mix cocktail:

In a tumbler, add chilled vodka, fennel syrup, and cold orange juice. Stir to combine. Add chilled seltzer to the glass to fill. Stir lightly to keep the drink carbonated.

Photos and recipe by Carlene Thomas

Comments { 4 }

Fall Cocktails

By Lauren on October 3, 2012 in All Posts, Budget-Friendly, Season

To celebrate the arrival of fall, we’ve rounded up some of our favorite harvest-y cocktails (and cocktail-related goodies). Any one of these would be a seasonal crowd pleaser, and adding a signature cocktail to your bar menu is a nice personal touch. If you’re on a budget, consider offering only beer, wine, and a signature cocktail (or two!) in lieu of an open bar.

PHOTO BY KATE OF COOKIE + KATE

We can’t resist a tropical twist, so we’re dying to try this “sweet but balanced” pumpkin-pineapple cocktail created by Kate of Cookie + Kate. Get the full recipe here.

PHOTO VIA THE KITCHN

An intriguing variation on the traditional Fig Old-Fashioned, this modern recipe from The Kitchn calls for fresh figs, bourbon, maple syrup, and balsamic vinegar.

PHOTO BY JOE VAUGHN VIA SUGAR HOUSE / ILLUSTRATED RECIPE FROM THE RIVER HOUSE RESTAURANT

Originating in Savannah, Georgia, in the 1850s, Chatham Artillery Punch is a Southern favorite. “It is said that the concoction possesses a kick greater than the two brass cannons presented to the Chatham Artillery by George Washington,” states Savannah Style, Savannah’s Junior League cookbook. Originally brewed in ice-filled horse buckets, the traditional recipe called for sugar; lemon; a quart each of brandy, whiskey, and rum; and Champagne.

PHOTO VIA BETTER HOMES AND GARDENS

Learn how to make these fall-inspired cocktail napkins from Better Homes and Gardens.

PHOTO VIA TYLER FLORENCE

Chef Tyler Florence shares his classic hot toddy recipe. Just looking at this photo makes us feel warm and cozy.

PHOTO VIA LIQUOR.COM

If you’re ready for fall but still clinging to the last remnants of summer, then this Fall and Summer cocktail with tequila, fig preserves, orange juice, rosemary sprigs, and ginger syrup is definitely for you.

PHOTO BY MARGARET HOUSTON VIA GARDEN & GUN

Garden & Gun shares this classically rustic recipe for bourbon and ginger ale, a Southern staple.

PHOTO BY RACHEL JANE VIA TWO LOVES STUDIO

Add some sweet love to your water glasses with these heart-shaped ice cubes encasing fresh pomegranate seeds. See the instructional from the original creator, photographer and food stylist Rachel Jane.

PHOTO BY JENNY STEFFENS HOBICK VIA EVERYDAY OCCASIONS

You can’t go wrong with spiked mulled cider, and this recipe by Jenny Steffens Hobick of Everyday Occasions looks especially warm and inviting. The garnishes—star anise, cinnamon, and cloves—are a beautiful touch.