Grab some kumquats while you still can and make this sweet and sour mojito…it’s simply the best! Like a summer/winter mashup of flavor. I also love how these are so easy to prepare for a crowd. Just muddle a bunch of kumquats with mint, pour into a pitcher and stir in the other ingredients. When serving, add ice to the glass to chill the drink as you pour.
Fresh concord grapes are the best – they’re so rich & luxurious…way better than the regular varieties you that you find the rest of the year. Such a strong flavor and gorgeous shade of purple – definitely one of the best seasonal fruits to try. It’s not too difficult to make an amazing cocktail with such a great flavor, but I love how this one mixes the fall fruit with the brightness of cachaça – one of my favorite liquors made from fermented sugarcane.
Vacations aren’t quite vacations until you down a few of these, right? My only gripe with piña coladas is the goopy and syrupy consistency of traditional recipes and the icky bottles mixers. This version is so light and uncomplicated that you can whip them up any day of the year! I like using the two types of rum when I have them, but it’s totally fine to just use what you have.
Also, I’m totally in love with my Margaritaville blender. I swear, I burst out laughing when I first saw it for sale and thought who the hell would buy that?! I did, and I haven’t looked back. It takes blended drinks to a (previously unattainable) resort-quality level. It’s really hard to find good recipes for the machine, so I try to work it into my recipes when I can. For this recipe, add the liquids to the blender and set it to make three drinks and you’ll come out with two large cocktails.
I love this twist on a classically fun cocktail. The New Orleans classic was invented by Henry Ramos in the 1880s where the bars would have lines of people shaking the fizzes to keep up with the demand. Shake it like mad to create the perfect froth – 12 minutes to be exact! I kept it going for 5 or 6 minutes and thought it was perfect. Enjoy!
Eggnog has a very distinct flavor, and you may know a few people who just aren’t the biggest fans. I mixed up this cocktail as I was playing with a few new flavor combinations, and I was stopped dead in my tracks. The earthiness of the raisins really mellows out the rich eggnog (which happens to be a great selling point to those who happen to be eggnog averse!) Sprinkle some nutmeg or cinnamon on top for a festive presentation.
3 ounces eggnog
1 ½ ounces spiced rum
½ ounce raisin simple syrup
Grated nutmeg or cinnamon as a garnish (optional)
Add eggnog, rum and simple syrup to a martini shaker with ice and shake well. Strain into a martini glass and sprinkle cinnamon or nutmeg on the top, if desired.
