Ginger-Spiced Paloma

Just over a week left to wrap up all the holiday preparations - and if you're like me, you need a little boost to get you through the home stretch.

I think tequila has a unique "lifting" effect - perhaps because it reminds me of being on a vacation that involves a beach, a swimming pool and temperatures north of 80 degrees.

Throw in one of my new favorite things - Domaine de Canton Ginger Liqueur, some of the season's best citrus - fresh ruby red grapefruit and you have a signature cocktail to warm up any holiday gathering.

This recipe created by Nate Wales, general manager of La Paloma in St. Helena, CA, is perfection in a glass.

Ginger-Spiced Paloma

• 1 1/2 oz Herradura Silver
• 1/2 oz Domaine de Canton Ginger Liqueur
• 1 1/2 oz fresh grapefruit juice
• 1/2 oz fresh ginger juice (simple syrup infused with fresh ginger) 

Combine all ingredients and shake with ice. Pour into a Collins glass, and top off with a grapefruit soda like Jarritos Toronja. Garnish with a candied ginger slice and/or wedge of grapefruit.

 Salud!

Kentucky B & B

Assuming there's a bit of that Fancy Bourbon left over from last week's happy hour starter, here's a very easy way to polish it off.

You'll only need two additional ingredients and hopefully one of them is already in your produce drawer. Bourbon, Benedictine and a generous twist of lemon = the Kentucky B & B.

I like this drink for a few reasons - only one of which involves having the main ingredient on hand. The other reasons are it's stiff which suits the chilly autumn nights upon us, and it involves a unique tasting liqueur.

If you have never tried the aromatic blend of herbs and cognac know as Benedictine you should. Originally created in 1510 to revive tired Benedictine monks - I'm thinking it can "revive" us too.

Kentucky B & B

• 2 oz bourbon whiskey
• 1/2 oz benedictine herbal liqueur

Pour ingredients in a shaker filled with ice, strain into snifter and garnish with lemon twist.

You can also serve this drink "neat" - which means you just pour it into a glass.

For a few additional drink recipes involving Benedictine - go here.

Cheers!

The Bee's Knees

As I was looking for another use for the fancy gin I purchased last week, I came across this delightful concoction - The Bee's Knees.

Apparently the original recipe dates back to the 1920's, but I like this updated version I found in Epicurious which includes an infusion of fresh lavender.

Plus, I think it's just fun to say bee's knees, bee's knees, bee's knees...

If you live in the SF Bay Area, you might be interested in this list of local establishments mixing up drinks with contain honey.

The Bee's Knees

• 1/4 cup hot water
• 1 teaspoon dried lavender blossoms
• 1/4 cup honey*
• 6 tablespoons gin
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice

Mix hot water and dried lavender blossoms in a bowl. Let steep 5 minutes. Whisk in 1/4 cup honey. Strain into another bowl. Add 3 tablespoons of the honey syrup, gin, and lemon juice; strain into cocktail shaker with ice. Shake well and strain into 2 chilled Martini glasses.

*Rather than using a supermarket brand honey, I highly recommend tracking down a high-quality, hand-crafted variety for this drink. It will provide added depth to the flavor and give you one more excuse to get out and support your local farmer's market.

Cheers!

Fig Tree

I don't just like figs, I love them. I'm drawn to them on menus but can't recall ever seeing them on a drink list before. A recent visit to this place revealed a cocktail that really knocked it out of the park - the Fig Tree.

Now, before you think I'm suggesting an alcoholic version of a Fig Newton, let me clarify that the fig here refers to the leaves only which impart a delicate yet distinct flavor.

The other interesting ingredient, and new to me, is Velvet Falernum. Widely used in a host of tropical drinks, this sugarcane-based liqueur with botanicals, almonds and cloves really kicks up the flavor factor.

The drink list above indicates Nolet's gin but I used Death's Door because these people recommended it. And quite frankly, if you're spending $50+ on a bottle of booze the only thing you need to be mixing it with is ice - if you mix it with anything at all.

Fig Tree

2 oz Gin

1 oz Velvet Falernum

1 oz fresh lime juice

1/2 oz fig leaf infused simple syrup

Fig leaf simple syrup: Place 4-5 fresh fig leaves in a sauce pan with 1 cup of sugar - I like using raw or brown sugar for added depth, and 1 cup of water. Simmer for 20 minutes and allow to cool completely.

Add all of the ingredients to a shaker filled with ice, strain into stem glass and garnish with a twist of lime.

Now tell me, what's not to love about figs?

El Chalan

I love a good Pisco Sour (and this place makes one of the best) and every time I have one it reminds me I need to research other Pisco-based cocktails. Mission accomplished - I think I found an excellent one!

Pisco, a grape brandy from Peru or Chile, is a distinct spirit and flavors vary wildly from brand to brand. Some are reminiscent of tequila or pepper and smoke, some are caramel while others impart a toasted nut flavor.

And then there's the aromatic vs nonaromatic features of the grape varietals used and how that affects your drink recipe. So before you go shopping for Pisco, check out this article for a nice overview.

Now on to the happy hour starter of the day.

El Chalan

Makes 1 drink

Adapted from Enrique Sanchez and Megan Hines of La Mar Cebicheria Peruana in San Francisco.

• 3/4 ounce reposado Tequila
• 3/4 ounce pear liqueur
• 1/2 ounce puro Torontel pisco like Vinas de Oro
• 1/2 ounce Lillet Blanc
• 2 dashes lemon bitters
• Lemon twist, for garnish

Instructions: Place all ingredients, except the garnish, in a mixing glass. Add ice and stir for about 15-20 seconds. Strain into a chilled cocktail glass. Add garnish.

It's fun to consider the inspiration for naming cocktails too. Especially when you uncover possibilities like this - El Chalan - a cool, hot, sexy Latin cowboy. I'm sure I should research the term further and use a reputable site - not Urban Dictionary. But I don't want to. This one works just fine for me.

¡Salud!