labor day weekend is upon us. the inevitable symbol that summer is over. sure, we still have a few weeks till fall truly hits, but let's be real, people are moving into autumn mode. myself included. 

there is no denying that days are getting shorter, the light is changing, and the sun is just not as strong. but all is not lost!

you don't have to put that summer drink up on the shelf quite yet. instead of putting your aperol away till the first days of next summer, instead, swap out your vodka for bourbon. mixing in something a little darker, and a little smokier completely transforms your favorite warm day drink to your favorite drink to warm up with. 

bourbon + aperol spritz

serves: 1 cocktail

prep time: 2 minutes

active time: 1 minute

total time: 3 minutes

ingredients: 1.5 oz bourbon. 1 oz aperol. .5 oz simple syrup. 3 oz club soda. smoked lavendar. 1 cup ice or 1 large ice sphere. orange twist for garnish. 

start by filling your serving glass with ice. pour in the bourbon, the aperol and the simple syrup. give everything a good stir. top the drink off with the club soda. 

add in the smoked lavender and garnish with the orange zest.

serve and enjoy. 

xo, a

bourbon + aperol spritz

serves: 1 cocktail

prep time: 2 minutes

active time: 1 minute

total time: 3 minutes

ingredients: 1.5 oz bourbon. 1 oz aperol. .5 oz simple syrup. 3 oz club soda. smoked lavendar. 1 cup ice or 1 large ice sphere. orange twist for garnish. 

start by filling your serving glass with ice. pour in the bourbon, the aperol and the simple syrup. give everything a good stir. top the drink off with the club soda. add in the smoked lavender and garnish with the orange zest.serve and enjoy. 

well, well, well. 

look who finally made time to share some tips and tricks. ME!

things over here at newfoodtuesdayz have really heated up. after two hears of grinding and struggling and very little sleeping, my head is finally above water and i have hired some help. finally, i can get back to the things i love and the things i am good at. and sleeping. 

so my first topic back to tips & tricks is a tool you should purchase for your kitchen. i'm sure you are thinking, what the hell do i need a torch in my kitchen for??? well, let me explain. small torches are a cheap and easy addition to your kitchen that can really open up a whole bunch of cooking options. suddenly, you are able to brûlée. that is just a fancy term for putting sugar on something and then heating it up so much it melts together and caramelizes. you can use your home torch to sear meat or melt cheese or caramelize a meringue. or in this case, you can use your at home torch to smoke some fresh herbs. 

now it is important to know that there are two options for torches. butane torches and propane torches. butane torches are great for your smaller projects. smoking your herbs is a perfect example of a smaller project. for something bigger like brûlée or searing some meat, you will want a propane torch. they burn at a higher temperature. here is a solid BUTANE TORCH. here is good PROPANE TORCH. once you have selected your torch, you will need some herbs. 

you will want to use a study herb with a strong twig like stem. sage, thyme, rosemary and lavender work great. all are wonderful smoked and even better smoked and added to a cocktail. 

once you have selected your herb, it is really easy. torch it. literally.

light it on fire and let the fresh leaves burn till they burn out (it should only take 3-5 seconds). then use as desired. 

xo, a