maybe it is just that time of year, but i'm struggling this week. i've been grinding pretty hard both physically and creatively since twenty-seventeen started and i believe it is starting to wear me down. i tell my students all the time, when you are tired, rest. when you need to recharge, listen to your body. listen to your mind. so i gave myself yesterday off.

today, i continued my recharge with an epic yoga class with friends and now i'm hunkering down on my couch with this warming cocktail while stormageddon rages outside my window. i suggest you get home asap and do the same! 

pomegranate + mint hot & cold
serves: 1 cocktail
prep time: 5 minutes
active time: 5 minutes
total time: 10 minutes
ingredients: 1 green tea bag. 1 cup hot water. 2 oz gin. 1 oz pomegranate simple syrup (recipe to follow).1 oz lime juice. 5 mint leaves + extra sprig of mint for garnish. 2 lime slices for garnish. muddler. strainer. mug of choice. 

start by combining your tea bag and water in your mug. allow the tea to steep for 3 minutes. 

while your tea steeps, muddle your mint in the bottom of a glass. add the gin, simple syrup and lime juice to the glass and shake or stir well to combine. 

remove the tea bag from the tea. 

using your strainer, pour the gin mixture directly into your tea. 

stir well to combine. 

garnish with lime slices and mint and serve. 

pomegranate simple syrup
serves: 1 cup liquid
prep time: 1 minute
active time: 5 minutes
inactive time: 20 minutes
total time: 25 minutes
ingredients: 1 cup sugar. 1 cup pomegranate seeds. 1 cup water. 1 small sauce pot. 

combine all the ingredients in the sauce pot. 

bring the liquid to a boil.let the liquid boil until the sugar is dissolved. about 3-5 minutes.

remove the pot from the heat and allow to cool to room temp.

strain and use or store in the fridge for up to a month.

xo, a

pomegranate + mint hot & cold
serves: 1 cocktail
prep time: 5 minutes
active time: 5 minutes
total time: 10 minutes
ingredients: 1 green tea bag. 1 cup hot water. 2 oz gin. 1 oz pomegranate simple syrup (recipe to follow).1 oz lime juice. 5 mint leaves + extra sprig of mint for garnish. 2 lime slices for garnish. muddler. strainer. mug of choice.
start by combining your tea bag and water in your mug. allow the tea to steep for 3 minutes. while your tea steeps, muddle your mint in the bottom of a glass. add the gin, simple syrup and lime juice to the glass and shake or stir well to combine. remove the tea bag from the tea. using your strainer, pour the gin mixture directly into your tea. stir well to combine. garnish with lime slices and mint and serve. 

pomegranate simple syrup
serves: 1 cup liquid
prep time: 1 minute
active time: 5 minutes
inactive time: 20 minutes
total time: 25 minutes
ingredients: 1 cup sugar. 1 cup pomegranate seeds. 1 cup water. 1 small sauce pot.
combine all the ingredients in the sauce pot. bring the liquid to a boil. let the liquid boil until the sugar is dissolved. about 3-5 minutes. remove the pot from the heat and allow to cool to room temp. strain and use or store in the fridge for up to a month. 

it's another cold and drizzly day in socal, but it is not dampening my friday mood! we made it through another hectic week and it's time to warm up with a nice, stiff drink. 

every time i stumble upon some blood oranges at the store i pick them up, just in case they are the last of the season. so of course i've got twenty blood oranges that now need homes. 

enter the classic old fashioned. it's sweet spiciness is the perfect compliment to the mild but vibrant blood orange. they are a match made in cocktail heaven. 

blood orange old fashioned
serves: 1 cocktail
prep time: 2 minutes
active time: 2 minutes
total time: 4 minutes
ingredients: 2 oz bourbon (you can sub other whiskey you have on hand). 1 tsp sugar. 1 tsp blood orange juice. 3 dashes aromatic bitters. 1 tbs water. 1 large ice cube or 1 cup of ice. blood orange twist & violas for garnish. old fashioned glass. 

start by combining the sugar, blood orange juice and bitters in the bottom of your old fashioned glass. 

combine the sugar and liquid till the sugar dissolves. 

if you are having trouble dissolving the sugar, add a bit of your water a little at a time until the sugar dissolves. 

pour the whiskey into your dissolved sugar mixture and mix well to combine.

add in your blood orange twist and ice. 

garnish with violas and serve. 

xo, a

blood orange old fashioned
serves: 1 cocktail
prep time: 2 minutes
active time: 2 minutes
total time: 4 minutes
ingredients: 2 oz bourbon (you can sub other whiskey you have on hand). 1 tsp sugar. 1 tsp blood orange juice. 3 dashes aromatic bitters. 1 tbs water. 1 large ice cube or 1 cup of ice. blood orange twist & violas for garnish. old fashioned glass.
start by combining the sugar, blood orange juice and bitters in the bottom of your old fashioned glass.
combine the sugar and liquid till the sugar dissolves. if you are having trouble dissolving the sugar, add a bit of your water a little at a time until the sugar dissolves.
pour the whiskey into your dissolved sugar mixture and mix well to combine.
add in your blood orange twist and ice.
garnish with violas and serve.