Category Archives: Drinks & Cocktails

100 Days Project, Dairy Free, Drinks & Cocktails, Gluten Free, Vegan

Day 50 – Pomgranade Cocktail

Day50

Happy Day 50 Herbivores!!

Today is the 50th day of my 100 Days Project, which means I am half way through. To celebrate  . . . I figured a cocktail recipe was in order.

As I mentioned in my Day 9: French 75 post, gin is my favorite spirit, and I figured I would look for a cocktail that would help use the leftover pomegranate molasses from my Day 46: Pomegranate Glazed Tempeh recipe.  I found a recipe for a gin and pomegranate cocktail on the Fisher & Pykel: Our Kitchen blog . . . PERFECT!!!

I invited a few friends and colleagues around to help me celebrate Day 50, and come up with a good name for the cocktail. To be honest, I thought “Gin and Pomegranate Cocktail” was a bit boring; The Pomgranade was born. The sweet and tart flavors of pomegranate molasses and lime make this cocktail very easy to drink, but the gin eventually catches up with you . . . BOOM!!

If limes are out of season and ridiculously expensive, you can also use lime cordial, but then omit the sugar. If doing this substitution, I recommend Bickford’s Lime Juice Cordial, because it is not as overly sweet as some of them can be.

Pomgranade Cocktail

adapted from: Our Kitchen

MAKES:2

INGREDIENTS

  • 60ml gin
  • 2 tsp sugar
  • 4 tbsp lime juice
  • 2 tbsp pomegranate molasses
  • 1 cup lemonade
  • 1 cup ice
  • Mint to serve

Combine all the ingredients in a cocktail shaker with ice, give it a good shake, pour over ice in a glass, and garnish with a spring of mint.

ENJOY!!

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100 Days Project, Drinks & Cocktails, Gluten Free, Recipes, Vegan (with substitutions)

Day 49 – Earl Gray Hot Chocolate

Day 49

Mmmm . . . there is nothing like curling up with a cup of tea or hot chocolate before bedtime.

That is unless you combine the two!! When I found this recipe for Earl Grey Hot Chocolate on Fisher and Paykel’s  Our Kitchen blog, it was one of those “why haven’t I thought of this before” moments.

I have been in love with tea since I spent time in Australia in 1999-2000, and had some friends who were obsessed with the stuff. I have to admit that one of the highlights of a short trip I took to London in late 2000 was a trip to the main Twinings tea shop. Floor to ceiling shelves full of teas with the lovely aroma of all those tinctures filling the store and pouring out into the busy London street.  I have no idea how people were passing by without coming in for a cup of tea, or at least a brief sniff of the tea perfumed air.

As far as I am concerned adding chocolate to tea, can only be a winning combination. The Earl Grey gave the hot chocolate just that slight earthy, herby flavor and made a delicious night cap.

This recipe can easily be made vegan by using soy, almond, or other non-dairy milk of your choice.

If you are feeling a bit naughty, a shot of vanilla liquor, Frangelico, Baileys, or even a good quality whiskey would probably go quite nicely.

Earl Gray Hot Chocolate

SERVES: 2 small cups or one large cup (my preference)

INGREDIENTS

  • 1 ½ cups milk
  • 1 ½ tsp earl grey tea
  • 4 squares of dark chocolate, or to taste

Combine the milk and tea in a saucepan and gently heat without boiling. Continue heating for approximately 10 minutes. The milk will take on a light tea colour.

Place 2 squares of chocolate into a heatproof glass; you could always put an extra one in. Pour the milk over the chocolate using a tea strainer to remove the tea leaves. Stir the the chocolate into the milk, and serve while still warm.

ENJOY!!

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100 Days Project, Drinks & Cocktails, Recipes

Day 9 – French 75

Day 9

Happy World Gin Day!!

So . . . for those of you who do not know June 15th is World Gin Day, which I figured was the perfect opportunity to use one of my cocktail recipes.

Originally used in the Middle Ages as a herbal medicine, Gin, which happens to be my favorite alcoholic spirit, is now a popular component of many classic and contemporary cocktails.  The main flavor of gin is derived from juniper berries, but the products will vary in origins, styles, and flavor profiles. You will find varieties that are more fruity like Tanqueray No. 10 ,which is distilled with grapefruit and other citrus, or more herbaceous, like Hendricks, which goes perfectly with tonic and cucumber garnish.

The French 75 is a simple classic gin cocktail made from gin, champagne, lemon, and sugar. The cocktail was created in 1915 at the New York Bar in Paris by barman Harry MacElhone, and was named French 75 after the French 75mm Field Gun, because it had such a kick that it felt like being shelled with the powerful gun.

This drink was first made for me by mixologist Tim Etherington-Judge of The Dash of Ginger Bitters cocktail blog. It quickly became a favorite, but one I had never gotten around to trying to make myself. Well . . . there has to be a first time for everything, and that is what my 100 Days Project is all about, so World Gin Day seemed the perfect opportunity to give this one a try.

French 75

INGREDIENTS

  • 2 ounces (1/4 cup) dry gin
  • 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
  • 2 teaspoons superfine sugar
  • Chilled champagne or other dry sparkling wine
  • Cracked ice
  • Garnish: lemon slice
  • Equipment: a cocktail shaker and strainer; a 16-ounce highball glass o champagne flute

Half fill the cocktail shaker with cracked ice, then add gin, lemon juice, and sugar. Shake the mixture vigorously, then strain it into a highball glass packed with cracked ice. Fill the glass slowly with champagne and give it a stir.

ENJOY!!

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