Amaro Lucano Affogato

I have had the opportunity to travel to Italy on quite a few occasions, some for work, some for school, and others for pleasure.  After every trip I have felt a part of myself shift - and with each shift I would make a promise to myself to keep a part of the Italian life in my day to day life.  Some trips it was Spritz culture, some a dedication to Italian gardens and lengthy summertime lunches, and others it was the architecture of Italy's legendary cities.  

This summer I have been reminiscing about those trips to Italy, and enjoying Amaro Affogatos drizzled in Amaro Lucano, the quintessential Italian Amaro.  It's truly amazing how one bite can instantly transport me back to Italy, the feeling of being young and excitable, and the latent promise of Italian summers.  

Drizzle Amaro Lucano and a shot of espresso over a few scoops of vanilla bean gelato (the best one I can find in the market), and serve with a slice of fresh orange, a waffle cookie, and a generous pinch of macadamia nut toffee.  Serve alongside a glass of Amaro Lucano, which dates from 1894 and the recipe for which is still a closely guarded family secret.  It is pure heaven.  

Enjoy!

Amaro Lucano Affogato

1-1/2 oz Amaro Lucano

1 oz Espresso

2 Scoops Vanilla Bean Gelato

2 Tbs Macadamia Nut Toffee

Orange Slice to Garnish

Waffle Cookie to Garnish

Add gelato to a glass, and drizzle with amaro and espresso.  Crumble the macadamia nut toffee on top, and garnish with an orange slice, and half a waffle cookie.

Macadamia Nut Toffee

1/4 Cup Chopped Macadamia Nuts

1/4 Cup White Sugar

Add the sugar and nuts to a nonstick pan on low heat.  Let heat slowly as to not let the nuts burn, stirring occasionally.  After about five minutes the sugar crystals will begin to liquify, stir carefully to coat the macadamia nuts evenly.  When the sugar is completely melted, transfer the toffee to a sheet of tinfoil and let cool for about 10 minutes.  Crumble before serving.  

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Paloma Sorbet Floats

I'm continuing my summer trend of imbibing only frozen drinks.  It's working out well.

Frozen Palomas have always been one of my favorite on-menu summertime orders, and I wanted to try to re-create it at home but deconstructed into a sorbet float.

The extra benefit to making drinks at home is that you can adjust the garnishes as much as you want - extra salt - yes please - extra Exotico Reposado - yes please - a kick of chili powder - oh, yes please!

The sorbet is extremely easy to make, it requires fresh grapefruit juice, fresh lime juice, and a bit of simple syrup.  Make sure to freeze your ice cream maker cylinder overnight so it's cold enough to properly freeze the sorbet, and when it's done transfer to a bowl to set in the freezer.

You can serve this cocktail in any vessel, but I like the idea of serving it in a coupe similar to a champagne float.  Add two scoops of sorbet to each glass, top with Exotico Reposado, soda water, and then garnish with a sprinkle of sea salt and a lime wedge to make a glass of summery heaven.

I hope you enjoy this recipe as much as I do.

Paloma Sorbet Float

2 Scoops of Grapefruit Sorbet
1 oz Exotico Reposado
1 oz Soda Water
Sea Salt
Lime Wedge
Optional: Ancho chili powder or Ancho chili liqueur to taste

Build in a cocktail coupe, and garnish with a sprinkle of sea salt and a lime wedge.  Serve with a small spoon.  

Grapefruit Sorbet

4 cups Grapefruit Juice
2-1/2 Limes - Juiced
1 oz Simple Syrup

Chill in the refrigerator, and then add to an ice cream maker.  Let run for 30-40 minutes, then transfer the sorbet to a bowl and place in the freezer to set overnight.  

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This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of Exotico Tequila. All opinions are 100% mine.

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Watermelon Tequila Snowcone

We’ve officially entered the part of summer where I want everything frozen – namely frozen cocktails.  This cocktail is inspired by the snowcone variations I’ve been seeing at some of my favorite bars, including Katana Kitten and Dante NYC – and by a classic highball recipe from Rosie Schaap.  Fresh watermelon pairs gorgeously with the main boozy ingredient in this cocktail -  Exotico Tequila Blanco – and the squeeze of fresh lime cuts the sweetness of the syrup perfectly.  Could there be a more perfect summery treat?  I think not.

This cocktail is super simple and makes a delightful boozy snowcone that is delightful on a hot day.  You’ll need to prep the watermelon syrup ahead of time in order to let it cool, and this batch will prepare plenty of syrup for a summer of watermelon tequila snowcones!  Enjoy!

Watermelon Tequila Sno-cone

1-1/2 oz Exotico Tequila Blanco
1 oz Watermelon Syrup
1 Lime Wedge
Lime Zest to Garnish

Build over shaved ice, and garnish with a squeeze of fresh lime, lime zest, and a small spoon.

Watermelon Syrup

4 Cups Fresh Watermelon
1 Cup Sugar

Cut watermelon into cubes, and puree in a food processor or a blender.  Strain into a medium sized pot and add sugar.  Simmer on medium heat until the syrup has reduced slightly.  Let cool and transfer into glass jars.  Will keep in the refrigerator for up to one month.

Enjoy!

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This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of Exotico Tequila. All opinions are 100% mine.

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Rosé Season Entertaining

In case you haven't noticed, it's gorgeous out there.  It's officially rosé season, and it's time to load up your fridge for the duration of the summer.

I love a glass of crisp, extra dry rosé, but sometimes a girl needs some bubbles!  Fret not, dear imbibers, not all bubbles require a champagne budget - there are so many amazing sparkling wines that won't break the bank.

One of my favorites as of late is Santa Margherita Sparkling Rosé, a delightfully dry wine that is wonderful for sipping in the afternoon or mixing into a summery cocktail.  It is made with a combination of Glera grapes (typically used to make Prosecco), Chardonnay, and Malbec to add color and richness.  The wine it self is not too sweet and has a slight flavor of red berries and toasted brioche.

While Santa Margherita is delightful on its own, I also tried it in a summery cocktail, a variation on a Negroni Sbagliato, but with Hendrick's Gin, Aperol, and a splash of sparkling wine.  Served over a large king cube and garnished with an edible flower, this might be a perfect summer tipple.

Unusual Sbagliato

1 oz Hendrick's Gin
1 oz Aperol
1.5 oz Santa Margherita Sparkling Rosé

Combine gin and Aperol in a mixing glass with ice.  Stir until chilled, and strain into a low ball glass with a king cube.  Top with Santa Margherita Sparkling Rosé and stir.  Garnish with an edible flower.
Enjoy!

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This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of Santa Margherita. All opinions are 100% mine.

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Watermelon Frozé

Yeah, yeah, yeah, the heat has broken and we are moving from the dog days of summer and into fall.  I hear you.  I'm going to keep drinking Watermelon Frozé anyway.  (And I know you want some, too). 

This recipe is extremely easy, and is wonderful when you serve it in those cute little mini watermelons.  Seriously, there is nothing I love more than drinking boozy beverages out of fruit vessels.  Nothing.

But I digress.  The trick to froze greatness is selecting a fruit-forward rosé - one with a darker color (and a lower price point).  After all, each rosé has its place in the world: some deserve a place in a wine glass un-tainted by fruit and additional booze, and some deserve a place in a blender with sugar, mint, and frozen watermelon. 

The day before, open that bottle of $9 rosé (seriously, don't spend more than that) and pour it into a large vessel such as a pie dish or a casserole dish and stick it in the freezer.  Carefully, cut the tops off of your mini watermelons, and scoop out the fruit making sure not to puncture the watermelon rind.  Place the fruit in a bowl and freeze overnight.

Day of, add all of the ingredients to a blender and blend with ice.  Garnish with fresh orchids and a sprig of fresh mint! 

Cheers!


Watermelon Frozé

1 750ml Bottle of Rosé, Frozen Overnight
2 Mini Watermelons, Fruit Removed and Frozen Overnight
1 Cup Mint Simple Syurp
1/4 Cup Fresh Lemon Juice

Add frozen rosé, frozen watermelon, simple syrup and lemon juice to a blender.  Add ice and blend until smooth.  Pour into carved out mini watermelons, and garnish with a fresh orchid and a sprig of mint. 

Mint Simple Syrup

1/2 Cup Water
1/2 Cup Sugar
1/2 Cup Fresh Mint

Add water and sugar to a saucepan and bring to a boil.  Stir until sugar is completely dissolved.  Add mint and let sit for 10-15 minutes.  Remove mint, and let cool.

Also - big thanks to Imbibe Magazine for featuring my Watermelon Frozé photo in their summer #imbibegram round up! 

Gooseberry Fitty Fitty Martini

One of the best surprises I had this summer was realizing we have gooseberries growing in our new front yard (did I tell you we left New York?  We left New York).  By late summer they were a dark red color, and bright and tangy to eat.  I have made a few things with them this summer, but my favorite is this Gooseberry Fitty Fitty Martini.

This cocktail was inspired by the vermouth service at New York's Caffe Dante, where they pour chilled vermouth over frozen grapes as to not let the vermouth dilute while you enjoy the drink.  In my opinion, Martinis deserve the same attention to temperature - they need to remain consistently cold, but with out dilution, and certainly without a "cocktail stone" that will be sure to break that vintage crystal coupe.

I put the gooseberries in the freezer, and tested a few martini options with the frozen gooseberries at the bottom of the glass.  My hands down favorite combination for this cocktail is half vodka and half Lo-Fi Dry Vermouth made from a white wine base and infused with fennel, coriander, cardamom, elderflower, cherry, anise, and chamomile. 

Both of the Lo-Fi vermouths, sweet and dry, are really incredible - I cannot recommend them enough.  They are fantastic poured over a king cube or stirred into a simple cocktail (I say simple because you want to let these vermouths show off a bit).  For this cocktail I used Purus Vodka, a clean tasting Italian vodka made from organic grains and water sourced from the Italian Alps.  This particular vodka works well in this cocktail because it lets the vermouth play the lead role. 

This cocktail has quickly become one of our new house favorites - and is worth spending hours harvesting those sweet little gooseberries when they become full and ripe.  I have a Tupperware container full of the little berries stashed in the freezer with hopes of rationing them through the winter. 

I imagine this cocktail could be easily re-created using fresh currants or small gooseberries found in the market - just pop in them in the freezer the night before you plan to imbibe. 

Gooseberry Fitty Fitty Martini
Created by Gastronomista

1.5 oz Purus Vodka
1.5 oz Lo-Fi Dry Vermouth
1/4 cup Frozen Gooseberries

Place frozen gooseberries in the bottom of a coupe, and set aside.  In a mixing glass, stir the vodka and vermouth with ice until chilled, and strain into the coupe over the gooseberries. 

Enjoy!

Deconstructed Dark & Stormy

Indian Summer is upon us - which means they days are still hot and the nights are still warm and magical.  September can still be brutally hot - surprisingly hot - the only reprieve being cold beverages!

One of my favorite summer cocktails is a Dark and Stormy - a complex but refreshingly simple cocktail that is always a crowd pleaser.  The classic recipe calls for Ginger Beer, Gosling's Rum, and Lime, but a little kick of ginger liqueur takes this drink to the next level. 

This summer I started making Deconstructed Dark and Stormy's with Crabbie's Original Alcoholic Ginger Beer, Rum, and home-made Limeade popsicles (which were incredibly delicious on their own too).  The deconstructed version is also incredibly easy to make, and always a crowd-pleaser!  There is something so delightful about having a popsicle dunked into your cocktail!! 

I hope you enjoy these as much as I do.

Deconstructed Dark and Stormy

1 Limeade Popsicle
3 oz Gosling's Black Strap Rum
6 oz Crabbie's Original Alcoholic Ginger Beer

Pour rum into a highball glass, add limeade Popsicle, top with chilled Crabbie's Original Ginger Beer and enjoy!

Limeade Popsicles

1 cup Fresh Lime Juice
1 cup Demerara Sugar
5 cups Water

Put sugar and one cup of water in a small pot and bring to a simmer.  When all the sugar has dissolved remove from heat and let cool.  Add remaining water and lime juice and mix.  Pour into Popsicle molds and freeze overnight.

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This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of Crabbie's Alcoholic Ginger Beer. All opinions are 100% mine.

Thank you for supporting the brands that make this blog possible.