And to continue in our floral spirit after enjoying the Nasturtium and Arugula salad, here’s a cocktail with spirit and a dash of rose water.

ROSE IN THE HAND

1 1/2 oz Junipero gin
Dash of rose water
3 oz Fever-Tree tonic water
Ice
Lemon wedge
Mint sprig
Straw

Add gin and rose water to a tall glass and stir.  Fill the glass with ice and stir well.  Top with Fever-Tree tonic and stir one more time. Garnish with the lemon wedge and mint and a straw.

Photo Credit: Pink Rose Petals by Catharina77 is licensed under CC0 Public Domain

Garden Cocktails: Pinky’s Paloma

Pinky is a fantastic floral designer in Los Angeles () and fills her clients’ homes with color from the garden.  We like her so much we’ve named a cocktail for her.

PINKY’S PALOMA

Serves 1

2 oz. blanco tequila

1 1/2 oz freshly squeezed pink grapefruit juice

1 1/2 oz freshly squeezed tangerine juice

1/2 oz Pierre Ferrand dry curacao or Cointreau

1 oz sparkling water

Tangerine wheel and a sprinkle of sea salt for garnish

Mix first 4 ingredients in a mixing glass with ice, strain into a rocks glass filled with crushed ice, top with sparkling water and sprinkle with a pinch of sea salt.  Garnish with tangerine wheel.

Photo Credit: Grapefruit Cocktail, Creative Commons, cocktail shaker, cocktail glasses, cutting board, and fruit including lemons and grapefruit by Pro Flowers is licensed under CC by 2.0 

After enjoying Suzi’s recipe for Pasta Meyer Lemon, use any leftover citrus juice to make this delicious cocktail.

Garden Cocktails: Meyer Lemon Sidecar

2 oz rye whiskey

1 oz triple sec

½  oz Meyer lemon juice

¼” wide strip Meyer lemon peel

Ice for shaking

Fill shaker with ice.  Combine rye, triple sec and lemon juice and pour over ice.  Shake well and strain into cocktail glass.  Serve garnished with the lemon peel.

Photo Credit: Cocktails, Creative Commons, Skylon, South Bank, London by Ewan Munro is licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0

Garden Cocktails: Holiday Edition

You have so much going on during the holiday season, but you need something special for yourself while you sit down, relax and enjoy all the work you have put into making everyone happy.  You could make a second one for someone and continue to spread the happiness.

WINTER  ICE CHAMPAGNE COCKTAIL

Serves 1

¾ oz Hendricks Gin

¾ oz freshly squeezed lemon juice (from your garden!)

½ oz simple syrup (1:1 sugar to water)

3 oz your favorite champagne or sparkling wine

Shake first three ingredients with ice.  Strain into a coup or champagne glass and top with champagne.

Photo Credit: Champagne Tower, Creative Commons, champagne tower by kenichi nobusue is licensed under CC by 2.0 

Garden Cocktails: The Windfall

This autumnal cocktail takes some initial work, but really: you won’t be disappointed. Daisy the cocktail maven came up with this in order to use the season’s windfall of apples and Meyer lemons.

Ingredients:

• 1 oz apple infused bourbon (see recipe below)
• 1 oz Calvados or Apple Brandy (Laird’s is the best brand)
• 1/2 oz fresh Meyer Lemon Juice
• 1/2 oz Simple Syrup
• 5-6 fresh mint leaves
• 1 sugar cube

In a double rocks glass combine all ingredients and gently muddle, taking care to thoroughly crush the sugar cube, but not pulverize the fresh mint. Top with crushed or shaved ice, add a straw and garnish.

Apple Infused Bourbon:

Slice 2-3 apples and pour a bottle of bourbon over them and allow to sit at room temperature for at least 24 hours. Strain and store.

Photo Credit: Garden Cocktail, Creative Commons, Cynar Rye Smash by Kevin O’Mara is licensed under CC BY-NC-ND 2.0

Garden Cocktails: Backyard Fig Margarita
Pick some figs from your little tree in the back yard, or get them from the Farmers’ Market…

BACKYARD MARGARITA

1 ½  oz. silver tequila
½  oz. fig simple syrup (it’s easy, you can make it)
½ oz. Cointreau or Triple Sec
¼  oz. fresh lime juice

Combine all ingredients and shake with ice. Strain into an ice-filled glass and garnish. With a lime wedge on a pick with a fig wedge.

Fig  Simple Syrup
1 pint figs
2 cups water
1/2 cup sugar

Remove the stems from the figs and cut into quarters.. Bring the figs, sugar and water  to a boil, lower the heat and simmer until the syrup has reduced by half. Let cool to room temperature and strain into a clean glass jar.

Photo Credit: Pinterest