Drinking at Home in Brooklyn

My favorite thing about Wednesdays is the New York Times Dining and Wine section. A few weeks ago, I saw a recipe for Cara Cara Citrus Liqueur that caught my eye. For those of you who are unfamiliar with Cara Caras, they are a cross between a naval orange and grapefruit. They have a beautiful red hue and and a pleasant sweet flavor. Needless to say, I was pretty excited when I saw the recipe turn up in the Times. I have been meaning to make it for a little while and finally got around to it this weekend. I stayed pretty true to the recipe since it was my first time making it although I did make a few alterations.

The recipe calls for 8-10 oranges, which should yield 1 cup of strained juice. Maybe my oranges were just particularly juicy but I used only 5 oranges and got a yield of 2 cups of strained juice. Since I had more juice than expected, I reduced the sugar amount from 4 cups to 3 cups.

I kept one batch of the liqueur unadulterated and simple: citrus rind, juice, sugar, and vodka. For the other batch, I thought it would be interesting to add in a little cinnamon to add a little depth of flavor. If it works out, I may experiment with some other spices and flavors—cloves or nutmeg could be interesting and it would also be fun to try infusing some herbs such as basil or mint. Things to try next time!

The liqueur needs about a month or two to fully develop its flavors so this is not a recipe for the impatient. On the plus side, the recipe does produce quite a high yield so your efforts should keep you well supplied for awhile. Check back here in a about a month for an update and Cara Cara-infused cocktail recipes!

Cara Cara Citrus Liqueur

Adapted from the New York Times, April 4, 2012

Ingredients

• 5 Cara Cara oranges
• 3 C. sugar
• 1 C. water
• 3-4 C. vodka
• 3-4 cinnamon sticks (optional)

Directions

1. Sterilize 2 glass quart jars, with lids, by running them through the dishwasher or immersing them in boiling water for 10 minutes. With a vegetable peeler, remove the peel, not the pith, from 4 or 5 oranges. Place 1 1/2 ounces of peel in each jar. If desired, add cinnamon sticks to one or both jars.
2. Juice all the oranges to yield about 2 1/2-3 cups of liquid. Press the juice through a fine strainer to remove pulp and seeds. You should have about 2 cups.
3. In a small saucepan, bring the sugar and 1 cup water to a boil. Add the juice to the sugar syrup in a steady stream, stirring continually. Bring the flavored syrup back to a boil, then pour half into each jar.
4. Allow the mixture to cool completely (this can take awhile). Pour 1 1/2-2 cups of vodka into each jar. Cover and shake the jars well, then tuck them into the back corner of a closet. After one month, strain the liquid. Pour the citrus liqueur into decorative bottles with caps or corks. It will be ready to drink, but will become even more flavorful after another month.

Yield: 2 quarts.

Total Time: 2 hours.

Active Time: 30-40 mins.

Source:

Spring is in the air! As such, it’s only fitting to create a cocktail for the occasion. What to make, though? Something floral, something fruity, something light…

I have been looking forward to using the Lavender Simple Syrup I made a few weeks ago in a new cocktail so I did a quick survey of our liquor cabinet to see what I thought would pair well with it. The maraschino liqueur jumped out at me right away—cherries and lavender seemed like a lovely combination. To keep it light, I thought vodka would do the trick. We have this bottle of buffalo grass infused vodka called Zubrowka that we’ve had for years and never seem to use because it’s herbal flavor doesn’t always match other drinks. But, for a springtime cocktail, it seemed just right. To accent the cherry flavor a bit, I incorporated a few sour cherries and a touch of the syrup they were preserved in. This added a nice fruitiness as well as a delightful red hue. I used an Italian variety of sour cherries I found at the nearby Union Market although I’m sure that any quality cherries would do.

La Primavera isn’t for everyone, but more than a few tasters found it’s big, distinctive flavor and bright red color palate-pleasing and addictive. I hope you enjoy it as much as we did!

La Primavera

Ingredients

• 2 oz. vodka (Zubrowka is nice but not necessary)
• 1 oz. maraschino liqueur
• 1 oz. lavender simple syrup
• sour cherries packed in syrup (garnish)
• dash of sour cherry syrup
• splash of seltzer

Directions

1. Measure vodka, maraschino liqueur and lavender simple syrup in a mixing glass. Add a dash of sour cherry syrup. Stir to combine. Pour over ice into an old fashioned glass.
2. Add a splash of seltzer to taste and stir gently to incorporate.
3. Spear 3 sour cherries onto a toothpick. Drop into the cocktail as a garnish.
4. Enjoy!

Yield: 1 drink

Lavender is one of my favorite scents and flavors. It’s like magic in drinks—it brings a wonderful floral aroma to a variety of concoctions. It pairs especially well with gin; the aromatic compounds in the lavender and juniper berries complement each other perfectly. Add a splash to your next gin and tonic!

Lavender is also delicious with lemons. One of my favorite summer drinks is a freshly-squeezed sparkling lemonade sweetened with Lavender Simple Syrup. It is delightful—a truly refreshing beverage on a hot day.

Lavender Simple Syrup is, just as the name implies, quite simple to make. You can use fresh or dried lavender, although keep in mind that you may need to use more fresh buds than dried since their flavor is not quite as potent. It can be a bit of a pain to de-stem the buds but trust me, this syrup is worth it.

Lavender Simple Syrup

Ingredients

• 1 C. sugar
• 1 C. water
• 2 T. dried lavender buds

Directions

1. In a small saucepan, combine the sugar and water. Bring to a boil over high heat.
2. Remove the syrup from the heat and add the lavender buds. Stir to combine.
3. Steep lavender for 1 hour in the syrup.
4. Strain the syrup into an airtight container or bottle. Syrup will keep for at least a month in the refrigerator.

Yield: 1 1/2 C.

Total Time: 1h 5 min.

Active Time: 5 min.

So, I meant to write a post featuring Irish whiskey prior to St. Patrick’s Day but, as you can tell, I am indeed a day late if not quite a dollar short. Despite the date, I do have a lovely drink for you starring Irish whiskey and supported by Grand Marnier, maraschino liqueur, and Angostura bitters. This is a nice drink for the warmer months and felt quite appropriate on a beautiful spring day such as today.

I was inspired to make this drink from a recipe called the Blarney Stone I saw on Epicurious.  The original recipe calls for Pernod in addition to the ingredients listed but I felt that the drink tasted cleaner and fresher without the overpowering flavor of pastis so I decided to skip the Pernod. Adding a splash of seltzer lightens it up nicely and is a variation you may want to try. Happy Spring!

A Day Late and A Dollar Short

Ingredients

• 1 1/2-2 oz. Irish Whiskey
• 1/2 tsp. of curacao (such as Grand Marnier)
• 1/2 tsp. of maraschino liqueur (such as Luxardo)
• dash of Angostura bitters
• orange peel (garnish)
• splash of seltzer (optional)

Directions

1. Combine Irish whiskey, curacao, maraschino liqueur, and bitters over ice in a shaker. Shake and strain into a cocktail glass. If desired, add a splash of seltzer to lighten up the drink.
2. Using a vegetable peeler, peel a half-dollar sized segment of orange peel. Squeeze it gently over the glass to release the essential oils and drop it into the drink.
3. Enjoy!

Yield: 1 drink.

I had some friends over this weekend to try a drink featuring the Ginger Lime Syrup I made last week. I wanted to keep it simple so I made a modified whiskey sour. Since St. Patrick’s Day is just around the corner, and we’re going to need some Irish Whiskey anyway, I thought it’d be fun to go Irish for the spirit this week too.

The ginger adds a nice extra kick to the sour, and the Irish Whiskey (we used Tyrconnell Single Malt) brings another level of smoky complexity. If you don’t have Irish Whiskey on hand, feel free to substitute rye or bourbon—it’ll certainly do the trick.

Gingery Whiskey Sour

Ingredients

• 2 oz. Irish Whiskey
• 1 oz. Ginger Lime Syrup
• 1-2 oz. seltzer
• orange peel (garnish)
• lemon wheel (garnish)

Directions

1. In an old-fashioned glass, measure 2 oz. of whiskey, 1 oz. of ginger lime syrup, and 1-2 oz. of seltzer water. Stir.
2. Using a vegetable peeler, peel a half-dollar sized segment of orange peel. Squeeze it gently over the glass to release the essential oils and drop it into the drink.
3. Add ice to the glass and stir.
4. Fit lemon wheel over the rim of the glass and rotate it around the perimeter once. (This will add a nice lemony flavor).
5. Enjoy!

Yield: 1 drink.

Ginger and lime are a wonderful combination. The spiciness of the ginger and the tartness of the lime compliment each other really well. You can use this syrup in a variety of drinks—it pairs with bourbon or rye nicely—or just have it with sparkling water to make a refreshing soda.

I was inspired to make this after spying a recipe in Tart and Sweet for a key lime and ginger syrup. I made a version following their recipe a few weeks ago and thought I would give it another go making a few tweaks. In their recipe, they call for quartering the limes and boiling them together with the sugar. I found the pith and rind imparted an unpleasant bitterness when kept on and so I opted to segment the limes to create a cleaner flavor. Another modification I made had to do with the ginger. The book suggests placing the grated ginger into cheesecloth and squeezing the ginger juice into the lime syrup. In order to impart a stronger ginger flavor, I put the grated ginger into the pot with the lime syrup and let it steep for an hour before straining out the solids.

The syrup will keep for a month or so in the refrigerator. Look for some recipes featuring this delightful syrup coming soon!

Ginger Lime Syrup

Ingredients

• 4-5 limes
• 1 C. sugar
• 3-4 T. freshly grated ginger

Directions

1. Cut off the ends of each lime. Using a paring knife, carefully cut off the rind and pith.
2. Working directly over a small saucepan, remove each segment of the lime with a paring knife. After removing all the segments, squeeze gently to extract any remaining juice.
   
3. Add 1 cup of sugar to the saucepan. Over medium-high heat, bring sugar and lime segments to a boil.
4. Reduce heat to medium and allow the sugar and lime to cook down for 15 minutes.
5. Meanwhile, peel and finely grate a ginger root until you have 3-4 tablespoons of freshly grated ginger.
6. Off heat, add the grated ginger to the lime syrup. Allow the mixture to steep for about an hour (or at least until the syrup has cooled to room temperature).
7. Strain the ginger-lime syrup into a measuring cup, pressing gently on the solids with a rubber spatula or wooden spoon to extract as much syrup as possible.
   
8. Pour the syrup into a bottle and refrigerate for up to one month. Enjoy your syrup in sparkling sodas or to give a spicy kick to a cocktail.

Yield: 3/4-1 C. of syrup, depending on the juiciness of your limes.

Total Time: 1h 30 min.

Active Time: 30 min.