Hungry Couple: Strawberry Thyme Gin Fizz and a Giveaway!

Strawberry Thyme Gin Fizz

Oh this is the lovely Anita at her finest please check out this crafted Not So Simple ART over at Hungry Couple: Strawberry Thyme Gin Fizz and a Giveaway! and of course enter to WIN!  Contest closes tonight at the stroke of midnight :)

Happy Thirsty Thursday! GINSANITY CHAPTER X: You can never sparkle too much {Elderflower Citrus Sparkler}

Elderflower Sparkler

Happy New Year.  LOL.  I don't think I ever said that.  I am cautiously optimistic for 2013. 
Happy Thirsty Thursday... 1st one for the year.
Even though I'm on a diet for another 15 lbs [at least]I still enjoy my special cocktail treats.  This one was very special indeed, combining all of my favorite things and looking SOOOOOO pretty.

What is it? I called it an Elderflower Sparkler.  It was sweet & citrus-y with a hint of pine needles.... Florida at Christmas :)

WHAT YOU NEED:

3 slices/rounds each of orange, lemon & lime

1 & 1/2 ounce lemon OR Orange not so simple syrup

1 ounce gin

1 ounce St. Germaine

Ice

3 ounces Champagne {brut}

St~Germaine, Gin & Champagne
Can you go wrong?

WHAT YOU DO:

GENTLY Muddle 1 slice orange, lime and lemon with not so simple syrup in a shaker [do half of each flavor if you have them on hand!]. Add gin, St. Germaine and a little ice. Shake well and strain into glass.

Pack with ice and top with Champagne garnish with remaining fruit. Sip & Stir.  Repeat.

ENJOY [you are welcome]

HAPPY WORLD GIN DAY! GINSANITY CHAPTER IX: Quick Ruthie get the flag.... it's Happy Hour! {Basil French 75}

Basil French 75

OK, so much to my chagrin I had no mint today for my Happy Hour.... have I told you when I was growing up my folks actually had a flag they hung every summer evening that said Happy Hour?  LOL, I kid you not.  I would kill for that flag.


Anyhow, back to my mint conundrum...


So, I called my friend/neighbor Barbie.... NOPE
I accosted PopPop... is he growing it yet?  NOPE


DAMN.
Plan B.
Basil....
So, fistful of basil, lemons and some champagne I Google for an assist and who woulda thought it.... 
MARTHA came through.


BASIL FRENCH 75 
{only very slightly modified}
thanks & credits to Martha Stewart

WHAT YOU NEED:

5 basil leaves

2 slices lemon in quarters

1 ounce simple syrup

2 ounces gin

1/2 ounce lemon juice

Ice

4 ounces Champagne {brut}

WHAT YOU DO:

Muddle basil leaves with 1 lemon slice and simple syrup in a shaker. Add gin, lemon juice, and a little ice. Shake well and strain into glass. pack with ice and top with Champagne.

Your are Welcome. You SURVIVED the day & I was waiting with an awesome idea.

GINSANITY CHAPTER VIII: This'll Cherry, I mean Cheer, You up! {Cherry Gin Fizz}

Cherry Gin Fizz

DONE.

J'ai fini.

Stick a fork in me.

oh? it's only Thursday?
GEEZ.
Oh wait!
It's THIRSTY Thursday.
and this is my new little friend the Cherry Gin Fizz
It's easy like Sunday morning....
hehe, I know, that was cheesy.
I'm tired.

WHAT YOU NEED:

{1 part = 1 ounce when drinking alone 

---although you're never drinking ALONE, I'm with you in spirit}

1 part maraschino cherry juice {I know, zero health benefits but I think they now use something besides the carcinogenic Red dye #9 or whatever it was}
1 1/2 part Gin {there's the healthy stuff}
4 parts club soda
sugar for the rim

WHAT YOU DO:
BEFORE I made the drink I put my 1 part cherry juice in a shallow bowl to dip my glass in before sugaring the rim.... not necessary but I think it sticks better with the juice than just water.
Fill shaker with ice, add ingredients, shake vigorously before straining into your prepared glass....

can you say AH? Wake me when it's Friday....

p.s.  Don't forget, MY SEA SALT GIVEAWAY ends at 11:59 EST TONIGHT.... don't miss it... share this post for 2 extra entries {we are VERY close to adding the GRILL RUB COLLECTION!}

GINSANITY Chapter VIII: Southside Cocktail {Guest Blog by Anita from The Hungry Couple}

I'm very excited to say that I have a guest blogger today.... Anita from The Hungry Couple.  {applause, cheers} When Anita accepted my invitation to share their latest Gin Cocktail with my readers I was REALLY excited because you see, The Hungry Couple was one of the original blogs I started following and so it's like inviting "an old friend" over to help you bake.... or in this case to help you mix cocktails.  I originally started following their blog because we are similar.... good food {some healthy/some notsomuch} & of course good drinks.... both at home and out {and not necessarily in that order}.  That's my kind of couple :)

Anyhow, Anita is an awesome blogger and photographer {recent recipient of the FoodBuzz nod, need I say more?} and I hope you will check out their blog BUT enough from ME, I'm honored to introduce to you, Anita and the....

Southside Cocktail

Hello Young Grasshopper fans! First I'd like to thank Heidi very much for inviting me to her blog in sunny Florida for a Gin-sanity guest post. She and I are still getting to know each other as bloggers but anyone who has a separate cocktail section on their site is pretty much OK with me. I'm always impressed by the fact that she has a husband, three children and a career as an attorney but still finds time to cook and blog. I'm exhausted just thinking about it. Ours is a peaceful existence with two mature humans, a quiet dog and a well stocked liquor cabinet. Speaking of which, I hope those kids have been sent off to play because we're going to be discussing some hard liquor here today, folks.


We get inspired to invent or recreate drinks in lots of different ways. For example, a while back we were watching an Iron Chef America episode where the secret ingredient was mint and one of the chefs served a minty cocktail. We're big fans of mint drinks and any cocktail containing copious amounts of it is sure to get our attention. The drink in question that day was the Southside Cocktail and research into its history points to it being around since the 1920's but with the exact origin up for debate. Some say it originated among the gangs on the south side of Chicago. Others say it was among the lounge tables at the 21 Club in New York. Most agree its currently the summer sipper of the Hamptons crowd and the beautiful people. Well...we're beautiful, too. Serve it up!

Per Serving:
2 oz. Gin
1/2 oz. Lemon juice
1/2 oz. Simple syrup
Large handful of fresh mint

Add all the ingredients to a cocktail shaker and muddle the mint with a muddler or the back of a wooden spoon. Add ice cubes and shake well. Pour into a chilled martini glass and garnish with a sprig of mint and/or a wedge of lemon. To make the Southside Fizz version of this drink, simply top it off with 3 to 4 oz. of club soda.

Please check out our blog, Hungry Couple, for lots of other drink and food inspirations. And once again, thank you Heidi for giving me the honor of being here today. Cheers!

Ginsanity Chapter VII: Love is All Around {One Flew South in ATL International Review}

I have these days I call Mary Tyler Moore days.... I buzz through them smiling at everyone, saying Hi to strangers, kissing babies [well maybe not kissing babies]. Anything seems possible on my MTM Days.... but not necessarily everything.... for instance yesterday.  A total MTM Day except I didn't get my standby flight to get home at a reasonable hour;  BUT because it was an MTM Day I wasn't pissed that I had run from Concourse A to Concourse E for this disappointment.  I simply went to the ladies room, chucked out the salad I had bought from a kiosk in Albuquerque "just in case" and I headed into One Flew South.  

Ginsanity Chapter VI: Thursday Bloody Thursday or Fluer de Pom if you insist on a pretty name

LONGEST.  WEEK.  EVER. 

I know you've been dying for a new Gin concoction so I got busy.... and I wanted you to have today so you could stop at your booze emporium for anything you are missing ;)

WHATCHOOOO NEED:
St~Germain {what do u mean you haven't gotten yet?}
Gin {doesn't need to be Saphire but I'd go a step above well}
Pom {Pommegranate juice}
Lime juice or a couple limes to squeeze
a mint leaf to make a wish on.... I'm wishin' it was Friday ;)

WHAT YOU DO:  Fill your cocktail shaker with ice, add 1 part St~Germain, 1 part Gin, 2 parts Pom & 1 part lime juice.  SHAKE it like Richard Simmons was cheering you and then strain into your chilled Martini Class or just drink it from the shaker if you feel like I do.... is it Friday yet?

Ginsanity Chapter V??? I've lost count {Strawberry Basil Chill}

Don't worry, I'm not just baking muffins over here.... I'm very aware it's Saturday night.  In fact I'm stepping away and enjoying my new creation once I shoot this off.... This is an awesome drink, the basil gives it an earthy feel and it's crisp and really fresh.  LOVE IT.  I did plan ahead A BIT.... before I cooked dinner and made my muffins I muddled my basil, strawberries and simple syrup and let them "steep" for an hour or two... nice but not required.

Ginsanity Chapter IV ...will the madness never end? {Indian Summer Recipe}

So, we hit David's Club at the Omni last weekend where I had my first exposure to St~Germain and it was in combo with.... yup, GIN.  And as much as I enjoy this in a fancy glass, it WILL be fabulous in a plastic cup poolside this summer as well....


WHAT YOU NEED:
1 part Gin
1 Part St~Germain
2 Parts Limeaid
LOTS of ice


{multiply as needed to fill your red solo cup}

Ginsanity Chapter III {Pimms No. 1 Cocktail}

I love Pimms.


I was first introduced to Pimms in Holland traveling with my friend, Olga, and then again it surfaced when I was at Oxford.  I've never heard many people talk about it "stateside" BUT you can get at any ABC Liquor Store and I've really just always loved it.


It's a subtle liquer, syrupy {don't recommend a shot of it} and sorta spicey & citrusy.  It's from England and is.... wait for it.... yes, GIN based.  Perhaps this was where the ginsanity began. 


Who knows, you really just need to try.... trust me 


WHAT YOU NEED:
PIMMS No. 1
1.5 oz. Pimms
6 oz. Ginger Ale
1/4 lemon sliced thin


WHAT YOU DO:
Pack highball glass with ice, add 1.5 oz. Pimms then fill with ginger-ale.  Garnish with lemon slices. Stir & sip.


Ahhhh, it's Friday.  Just kidding.  But it IS almost Thursday.....

What's up with the Gin Heidi? {Maggiano's Signature Aperitif Recipe}

And it was purty too ;)

Well, as my staycation continues I wanted to keep you abreast of my favorite drink of the day.... Maggiano's Signature Aperitif. I loved it. And it featured Gin again.... Mel would be so proud. I'm really digging the Gin though. Not sure why I thought I didn't like it.... because I do. Although I don't think I'd drink it all night but for an Aperitif it's quite de-lovely.


So for this one you need....
Pack a rocks glass with ice then add
1 oz. Gin
1 oz. passion fruit liqueur
1/2 oz. Campari
2-3 oz sour mix to fill

Can you say Gin Mojito? {Bootlegger Recipe}

Can you say Gin Mojito?

Well, start practicing.... had an awesome cocktail at the Wreckers Sports Bar at the Gaylord Palms lat night that I NEED to share :)

Hendrick's Bootlegger

2 oz Gin

1 oz Simple Syrup

1 lime

1/2 dozen mint leaves

Club Soda

You know the drill.... Muddle  6 or so mint leaves with 1/2 lime and 1 ounce simple syrup in a cocktail shaker  2 ounces Gin add a couple cubes and shake  Pour into highball and pack with ice, top with club soda.  

SUPER CRISP Ahhhhhh