The Rufous Hummingbird - A cocktail recipe by Michelle Hartsell Cocktail Engineer

Hi, there.  I recently visited the Venus Spirits tasting room in Santa Cruz to see what they had on offer.  Boy was I impressed.  They have a nice selection of Gin, Bourbon and more with some seasonal offerings.  Anyway, I decided to make a cocktail from their Gin #02.   As I wanted to keep this local, I used Lo-Fi Brand Gentian Amaro out of Sonoma (also wonderful).  This cocktail is really fantastic if you enjoy a kind of complex, slightly bitter, citrusy, tad smoky, and moderately sweet straight-up drink.

To a cocktail shaker half filled with crushed ice add

• 4 oz Venus Spirits Gin #02
• 2 oz Lo-Fi Brand Gentian Amaro
• 2 oz Orange Juice
• 2 oz Cranberry Juice
• 1 oz lemon-thyme simple syrup

Shake and strain into two chilled cocktail glasses.  Garnish with a twist of orange peel and a twist of lemon peel.

To make a lemon-thyme simple syrup add several good sized sprigs of lemon-thyme to a 1:1 ratio of water and sugar.  Bring to a low boil, reduce to simmer and cook for 20 minutes.  Once cool strain into a glass container.  Keep in the refrigerator.

Cheers!

The Scarlet Ibis - A cocktail recipe by Michelle Hartsell Cocktail Engineer

 

What to do with fresh raspberries?  Why make a cocktail of course!  This cocktail is fruity and spicy and very nice on a warm afternoon.

Reserve a few raspberries from a 6oz pack for garnish.  Squish the remainder through a sieve to remove seeds and create a pulpy-juice base.  Add fresh squeezed juice from one lime.  This will make more than you need for 2 cocktails and will keep in the fridge for a few days.

To a shaker 1/3 filled with ice add

3 oz. tequila reposado (I used Herradura)
1 oz. Pepper Vodka (e.g. Hanson of Sonoma Habanero)
1 oz. raspberry liqueur (Vedrenne is a good one)

1 oz. Cointreau

1 oz. of the raspberry-lime juice

2 oz. of raspberry juice blend (e.g. Evolution brand)

Shake and strain into two chilled cocktail glasses that have been rimmed w/raspberry-chipotle sale (I purchased mine from D'Olivo in downtown Walla Walla, Washington).  Drop in a couple of raspberries for garnish.  To make it extra festive sprinkle some edible gold glitter in the coupe before straining in the cocktail (I purchased mine from Fancy Sprinkles).

Makes 2 cocktails.

Cheers!

The Scarlet Ibis is a beautiful tropical bird that calls parts of the Caribbean and South America home.  

The Red-eyed Bulbul – a cocktail recipe by Michelle Hartsell Cocktail Engineer

This cocktail has a nice refreshing zing from the lemongrass-jalapeno simple syrup and pepper vodka.  I've made a version of this simple syrup before for a different cocktail but this time I amped-up the use of both the lemongrass and jalapeno to impart more flavor.  

For the simple syrup bring the following to a soft boil and then simmer for about 20 minutes.  I used turbinado sugar which gives the syrup a darker hue but white sugar is good as well.  Once the mixture cools strain it into a glass bottle or mason jar.  It keeps in the refrigerator for a couple of weeks.

lemongrass-jalapeno simple syrup

1.5 cups sugar

1.5 cups water

jalapeno sliced into rings (keep the seeds for more heat, adjust amount to taste)

about 2 inches of fresh lemongrass roughly chopped and split

For the cocktail shake the following over cracked ice

• 1 oz pepper vodka (I used Hanson of Sonoma Habanero vodka)
• 1.5 oz white rum (I used Havana Club)
• 2 oz fresh squeezed lime juice
• 1 oz of the lemongrass-jalapeno simple syrup

Shake and strain into two small cocktail glasses.

Cheers!

The Cedar Waxwing – a cocktail recipe by Michelle Hartsell Cocktail Engineer

This cocktail is a nice one for autumn and winter.  It tastes a bit like drinking an apple pie.  It's easy but you have to find the Dram which is the key ingredient- I can't think of a good replacement.  If you are lucky enough to live near apple orchards then even better because you can make it w/local fresh cider!  This one is dedicated to my friend Becca and I was able to enjoy this one using their local apple cider recently - it was so good!  

I was inspired to make this one after trying a special cocktail from the Cocktail Guru's over at Orchard City Kitchen this fall - I got close!

Add to a cocktail shaker 1/3 filled w/cracked ice:

• 2 oz St Elizabeth's Allspice Dram
• 4 oz Bourbon (I like Birddog small batch premium aged)
• 3 to 4 oz organic apple cider or juice
• Fresh squeezed juice from a lemon half

Shake and strain into a cocktail glass and garnish w/a lemon wheel or lemon peel.  I like the sweetened dried lemon wheels from Trader Joes in the winter.

Makes 2 yummy cocktails.  Cheers and Happy Holidays!

Cocktail Engineering: The Western Tanager – a cocktail recipe by Michell...

Cocktail Engineering: The Western Tanager – a cocktail recipe by Michell...: I picked up some nice fresh peaches and nectarines at the Farmer's market last weekend and started thinking about making a cocktail with...

The Western Tanager – a cocktail recipe by Michelle Hartsell Cocktail Engineer

I picked up some nice fresh peaches and nectarines at the Farmer's market last weekend and started thinking about making a cocktail with a nice peach flavor.  This is a sweet little cocktail that's nice this time of year to go with all the stone fruit are coming in.  So here you go!  

In a cocktail shaker 1/3 filled with cracked ice add:

• 4 oz Ketel One Peach & Orange Blossom Botanical Vodka
• 2 oz Giffard creme de Peche de Vigne liqueur
• 3 oz fresh squeezed orange juice
• a few drops of Scrappy's orange bitters

Shake and strain into two small cocktail glasses and garnish with a sprig of rosemary and a twist of orange peel.

I like the Ketel One brand of flavored vodka because it has no added sweeteners or sugars and is all-natural.  I'd like to take a trip to Holland some day to visit the Ketel One distillery.

Cheers!

The Red Munia

I dedicate this little cocktail to my friend Diana and also in recognition of national heart month - you can read more from the links below.  This little drink is a twist on the French 75 and comes out with a light pink hue for a nice Valentine's Day cocktail.  

Shake the following over ice and strain into two cocktail glasses garnished with strawberry:

• 1.5 oz fresh squeezed lemon juice
• 4 oz Beefeater Pink strawberry flavored gin
• 8 drops of Lavender bitters (Scrappy's, 0.5 oz size bottle)
• Big squeeze of agave

Top w/ Brut Rose sparkling wine.

The Red Munia is also known as a strawberry finch.  It makes it's home in the grasslands of tropical regions in Asia.  You can read more about it on Wikipedia - it's a very pretty bird.

Read about American Heart Month here:

https://www.cdc.gov/heartdisease/american_heart_month.htm
https://www.goredforwomen.org/ 

Cheers!

The Great Spotted Woodpecker – a cocktail recipe by Michelle Hartsell Cocktail Engineer

A nice little fall cocktail...

Into a cocktail shaker 1/3 filled w/cracked ice add:

- 2 1/2 oz. good bourbon
- 1 oz. of Nocello Walnut liqueur
- 1/2 oz. of Trader Joe's vanilla bean infused Maple Syrup

Shake and strain into a cocktail glass.  Makes one sweet and warming little drink.

Apparently, the Great Spotted Woodpecker can crack open a walnut.  I watched a video on YouTube.

Cheers!

The Black Redstart – a cocktail recipe by Michelle Hartsell Cocktail Engineer

Hello, I'm back after a summer hiatus with a nice little spicy and refreshing cocktail.  The only special ingredient you need is the Averna Amaro Siciliano liqueur.  To build this one in a shaker 1/3 filled with cracked ice add:

- 5 oz. good quality white or golden rum
- 1 oz. of the Averna Amaro Siciliano liqueur
- fresh squeezed juice from one small orange
- fresh squeezed juice from one lemon
- a good squeeze of agave nectar

Shake and strain into two ~6 oz cocktail glasses with two or three small ice cubes.  Garnish with one orange and one lemon peel.

The Black Redstart is a bird that can be found in Sicily as well as other parts of Europe.

Enjoy!

The White-cheeked Turaco – a cocktail recipe by Michelle Hartsell Cocktail Engineer

This little cocktail is herbal and a bit bitter and also very refreshing.  To build this drink:  muddle about (6) 1-2" chunks of grapefruit with (6) fresh sage leaves.  Pull out the grapefruit husks and pour into a cocktail shaker - you should have about 2 ounces of juice with the sage leave pieces and pulp.  

To the 2 ounces of grapefruit juice add

• 4 ounces of good gin (I used St. George 'Botanivore' - that said I want to experiment w/other gins to see how the flavor changes).  
• 1 and 1/2 ounces of Chartreuse
• two drops of bitters (Bittercube Bitters 'Jamaican #1 if you can find it).

Shake with ice and strain into two small (4 to 6 oz) cocktail glasses.  Garnish with a slice of grapefruit skin and a small sage leaf.

The White-cheeked Turaco is a beautiful, flamboyant bird that makes its home in the horn of Africa.  

Cheers!

The Cardinal – a cocktail recipe by Michelle Hartsell Cocktail Engineer

This is basically a cosmo made my favorite way - very dry.  You have to follow the ingredients exactly to get one this dry.  Just in time for National Cocktail Day!

To a shaker 1/3 filled with cracked ice add:

5 oz. good quality plain vodka
1 oz. dry curacao
1 oz. fresh-squeezed lime juice
3 oz. 100% juice cranberry juice (no sugar added)

Shake and strain into 2 cocktail glasses garnished with a nice big piece of fresh lemon peel.

Cheers!

The American Goldfinch – a cocktail recipe by Michelle Hartsell Cocktail Engineer

This being winter, the warming cocktails are more on my mind.  So Kentucky bourbon it is!  This is a nice and simple cocktail that you can enjoy while watching an early winter sunset or admiring your first lily bloom of the season.  In this cocktail I used a small batch bourbon called "Bird Dog".  I have to admit, I tried it because I love bird dogs and the dog on the label reminded me of my German Shorthaired Pointer a bit.  To my delight, it turned out to be a lovely bourbon that I plan to keep in the barmoire cabinet for cool night nips.

To build this cocktail with a shaker 1/3 filled with cracked ice add:

4.5 oz good quality bourbon
1.5 oz Dry Curacao (I used Pierre Ferrand)
1 oz fresh squeezed lemon juice
4 oz apple juice (I used an organic Gravenstein juice)

Rub the inside rim of two cocktail glasses w/pinched lemon rind.  Rim w/brown sugar.  Shake and strain into cocktail glasses.  Makes two drinks.

Cheers!

The Brazilian merganser – a cocktail recipe by Michelle Hartsell Cocktail Engineer

This is my take on the traditional Brazilian Caipirinha which is made with rum called Cachaca.  My sister-in-law is from Brazil and has a large collection of Cachacas as you can see in the photo below.  My brother-in-law (her husband) gave me some good guidance in Caipirinha making that he picked up from family and friends and which I'll share with you today.

To prepare the fresh limes wash and cut of the tip and branch ends.  Quarter length-wise then slice off the thin white bitter strip along the center of the lime quarters.  Then slice each quarter in half in the other direction.

For this cocktail I decided to make a simple syrup from dark brown sugar rather than use the traditional super-fine white sugar.  This gives the cocktail a dark color and a slight molasses flavor.  To make the simple syrup bring 1 cup of dark brown sugar mixed with 1 cup of water to a boil then reduce to a simmer and cook for another 15 minutes.  Once cooled pour into a jar.  Any left-over simple syrup should keep for a week or two in your refrigerator.

I used a Cachaca from Patos de Minas, Minas Gerais, Brazil called Leblon.

Prepare the glass:

To an old-fashioned glass add 4 to 8 quarters (depending on the size of your limes) of prepared lime pieces and muddle just to release the juice from each lime piece (crushing once or twice, depending on size, being careful not to press so hard that you release the bitters from the lime pith). Top with crushed ice.

In a shaker partially filled with cracked ice add:
3 ounces of Cachaca (you can use a white rum if Cachaca is not available)
1 ounce of the dark brown sugar simple syrup

Shake and strain into the prepared glass.  Stir.  Garnish with a lime wheel.  Makes one cocktail.

Cheers!

Note:  The Brazilian merganser is a very endangered duck.