real talk. it is freaking cold outside. most of the country is being drenched by winter rain at the moment and socal is no exception. it's been raining buckets all day, and i feel like i'm battling a cold so i need a bit of a pick me up. a warming, kick in the pants kind of pick me up. and i know the perfect thing...

hot toddy
serves: 1 cocktail
prep time: 5 minutes
active time: 2 minutes
total time: 7 minutes
ingredients: 1.5 oz rye whiskey (you can sub whatever whiskey you like or have on hand). juice of .5 lemon. 1 tsp brown sugar. 5 cloves. lemon twist. 2 cups hot water.

while your water is heating, make your twist. as soon as you have hot water, place 1 cup of water into your mug to warm it. 

using a vegetable peeler, peel the lemon not top to bottom, but around the outside of the lemon making a curl. try to keep just a bit of the pith on the peel. curl it up with your fingers and it will hold.

take your lemon twist and poke the cloves into it.

once your twist is made and pricked by cloves, dump out the water warming the mug.

place the brown sugar in the bottom of the mug and pour the remaining cup of water into the mug. 

stir well to combine.

add your clove studded twist to the mug. 

pour in the lemon juice and whiskey.

stir well to combine.

serve hot.

xo, a

hot toddy
serves: 1 cocktail
prep time: 5 minutes
active time: 2 minutes
total time: 7 minutes
ingredients: 1.5 oz rye whiskey (you can sub whatever whiskey you like or have on hand). juice of .5 lemon. 1 tsp brown sugar. 5 cloves. lemon twist. 2 cups hot water.
while your water is heating, make your twist. as soon as you have hot water, place 1 cup of water into your mug to warm it.
using a vegetable peeler, peel the lemon not top to bottom, but around the outside of the lemon making a curl. try to keep just a bit of the pith on the peel. curl it up with your fingers and it will hold.
take your lemon twist and poke the cloves into it.
once your twist is made and pricked by cloves, dump out the water warming the mug.
place the brown sugar in the bottom of the mug and pour the remaining cup of water into the mug. stir well to combine.
add your clove studded twist to the mug. pour in the lemon juice and whiskey. stir well to combine.
serve hot. 

friyay is usually my day off. but today, i subbed a class for an instructor who had a sudden obligation. i had a nice morning at home with wes, drinking coffee and researching cocktails and then i headed to the studio. all morning i had this nervous feeling i couldn't shake. i arrived at my class early, excited to teach to a group i don't usually have. five minutes before class, the teacher before me informed me that the speaker was malfunctioning. low tones of my music weren't coming through. making my music, well, lackluster. for a thirty minute spin class. sweet. 

and then i realized it is friday the thirteenth. sounds about right. so i took a deep breath, remembered it was friday and in a few short hours i would have a cocktail in my hand, and i got through it. 

luckily, i'm in for the evening and will be hunkering down to avoid further disaster. with this delicious cocktail in hand. 

i found this vintage cocktail in a really cool cocktail book that wes's mom andrea gave him for christmas. i flipped to the page purely because i thought the name was cute, but i fell for it after reading the ingredients. clean, bright and just a little hint of sweetness. i have some really beautiful fresh marjoram in my little garden at the moment and it was the perfect floral compliment to the gin and lime juice. if you can't find any marjoram in your local store, try subbing lavender or other floral herb you can find. 

in rickey + fresh marjoram
serves: 1 cocktail
prep time: 1 minute
active time: 1 minute
total time: 2 minutes
ingredients: 2 oz gin. 1 tbs lime juice. 1 tsp simple syrup. 4 oz club soda. 5 sprigs marjoram. lime wedge for garnish. 1 cup ice + ice for serving. stainer. 

start by removing the leaves from three of the marjoram sprigs. grab the top of the sprig with one hand and run your index finger and thumb down the length of the stem, removing the leaves as you go. 

in a mixing glass or shaker, combine the leaves, ice, gin, simple syrup and lime juice.

shake or mix until well combined and the marjoram leaves have bruised to release their oils. 

strain the gin mixture over ice into your cocktail glass. 

top off with your desired amount of club soda.

garnish with the remaining sprigs of marjoram and lime wedge and enjoy. 

xo, a

gin rickey + fresh marjoram
serves: 1 cocktail
prep time: 1 minute
active time: 1 minute
total time: 2 minutes
ingredients: 2 oz gin. 1 tbs lime juice. 1 tsp simple syrup. 4 oz club soda. 5 sprigs marjoram. lime wedge for garnish. 1 cup ice + ice for serving. stainer.
start by removing the leaves from three of the marjoram sprigs. grab the top of the sprig with one hand and run your index finger and thumb down the length of the stem, removing the leaves as you go.
in a mixing glass or shaker, combine the leaves, ice, gin, simple syrup and lime juice.
shake or mix until well combined and the marjoram leaves have bruised to release their oils.
strain the gin mixture over ice into your cocktail glass.
top off with your desired amount of club soda.
garnish with the remaining sprigs of marjoram and lime wedge and enjoy.