Posts in cocktail
friyay happy hour: cucumber whiskey mule

i don't know about you, but my week was full and productive. now that i'm settling into my new teaching routine, i'm finding the times in my day where i can really get things done. so this week wes and i got down to business reorganizing our tiny kitchen for mass productivity and preparing the garden and side yard for shorter days and colder weather. 

wes really put in some work the last few days in addition to working full time. so after he tilled our garden he was handsomely rewarded with a cold cocktail.

this remix on the moscow mule is a great way to change it up if vodka isn't your thing or if you are a lover of whiskey.

cucumber whiskey mule
serves: 1 cocktail
prep time: 2 minutes
total time: 4 minutes
ingredients: 2 oz whiskey (i used a rye). 1 tsp simple syrup. .25 c ginger ale. 1 inch section of a cucumber. 5 mint leaves + extra sprig for garnish. 1 cup ice. copper mug optional but advised. pint glass. muddler. 

first slice a thin piece of cucumber to garnish your mug. then peel and half your cucumber. remove the seeds and dice the cucumber into tiny pieces. about .25 inches square. roughly chop the mint.

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combine the simple syrup, cucumber and mint in the bottom of a pint glass. muddle the mixture together to smash the cucumber and release the oils from the mint.

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pour the whiskey into the pint glass and mix well. 

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if you don't like too much mint in your drink, you can strain your cocktail over a glass of ice. otherwise, pour your whiskey mixture straight into your mug.

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fill the glass to the brim with ginger ale. 

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garnish with mint and cucumber slice and serve. 

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xo, a

cucumber whiskey mule
serves: 1 cocktail
prep time: 2 minutes
total time: 4 minutes
ingredients: 2 oz whiskey (i used a rye). 1 tsp simple syrup. .25 c ginger ale. 1 inch section of a cucumber. 5 mint leaves + extra sprig for garnish. 1 cup ice. copper mug optional but advised. pint glass. muddler.
first slice a thin piece of cucumber to garnish your mug. then peel and half your cucumber. remove the seeds and dice the cucumber into tiny pieces. about .25 inches square. roughly chop the mint.
combine the simple syrup, cucumber and mint in the bottom of a pint glass. muddle the mixture together to smash the cucumber and release the oils from the mint.
pour the whiskey into the pint glass and mix well.
if you don't like too much mint in your drink, you can strain your cocktail over a glass of ice. otherwise, pour your whiskey mixture straight into your mug.
fill the glass to the brim with ginger ale. garnish with mint and cucumber slice and serve. 

friyay happy hour: kumquat whiskey sour

one of the jobs that i currently have is driving two freshman girls to and from dance class. it ranks really high on my list of things i enjoy doing because the girls are awesome, it is close to my house and they keep me connected to what is going on in the community. not to mention, one of them gave me a giant bag of kumquats to play with last week. 

this week was hectic. prepping for my new october teaching schedule and the change of the season really had me craving whiskey. 

unfortunately, the southern california weather did not get the memo that summer is upon us and it's been HOT so i still wanted a crisp, bright, cooling cocktail. no clue why, but after my yoga class today i had to have a whiskey sour. 

the kumquats were the perfect substitution for the traditional lemon juice because they are sweeter and less additional sugar is needed. and after you squeeze the juice, the skins are delicious to eat. 

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kumquat whiskey sour
serves: 1 tall cocktail
time: 5 minutes
ingredients: 2 oz whiskey. 4 oz water. 2 oz kumquat juice (about 1 cup kumquats, sliced and juiced). 1 oz sugar. 1 cup crushed ice. collins glass. 

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in a medium bowl, whisk together the water, kumquat juice and sugar until the sugar is dissolved.

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pour the sour mix, whiskey and ice into the collins glass. 

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stir well to combine. 

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garnish with kumquat and serve. 

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xo, a

kumquat whiskey sour
serves: 1 tall cocktail
time: 5 minutes
ingredients: 2 oz whiskey. 4 oz water. 2 oz kumquat juice (about 1 cup kumquats, sliced and juiced). 1 oz sugar. 1 cup crushed ice. collins glass.
in a medium bowl, whisk together the water, kumquat juice and sugar until the sugar is dissolved.
pour the sour mix, whiskey and ice into the collins glass.
stir well to combine.
garnish with kumquat and serve.