Category Archives: Drinks

Aperol Spritz Sorbet

Perfectly frozen in orange rind

You only need three ingredients to make the frozen cocktail of your dreams. Perfect as a palette cleanser at the start of a meal or a sweet treat following one.

3 Key Ingredients:

Aperol

Prosecco

Orange Juice

Sweet v. tart. In my version, I used the orange I scooped to make my own freshly squeezed orange juice. This is going to create a tart sorbet as there is no added sugar. If you’re craving something sweeter, add sugar to taste or your favorites store bought oj.

Aperol Spritz Sorbet

Ingredients:

  • 1/2 cup of orange juice
  • 1/4 cup of Prosecco
  • 1 TBSP of Aperol

1. Cut oranges in half, and scoop out as much of the fruit as possible.

2. If making orange juice, add to a blender until completely liquid. Strain with a fine mesh strainer to remove pulp.

3. Mix ingredients. Combine all ingredients together. Amount of aperol may be increased to taste, just remember this may affect how well it freezes.

4. If preparing without a blender, pour into the scooped orange rinds until full. Freeze over night, serve and enjoy!

5. If preparing with ninja creami, pour mixture into a pint container freeze over night. Mix on sorbet option until creamy and smooth. Scoop into orange rinds and enjoy immediately or freeze and enjoy!

brown sugar espresso martini

3 ingredient timeless staple

My favorite espresso martini is only 3 ingredients. It’s also dairy free, vegan and doesn’t require any sticky simple syrups.

Brewing the espresso.

To eliminate simple simple syrups or liquors I brew the espresso directly over the brown sugar. I used this Breville Espresso Machine but there are other ways to brew delicious espresso at home.

If you have a Nespresso. I’ve tried and loved these Double Espresso Scuro vertuo pods.

If you have a stove top moka pot, or greca, cafetera etc. This is the most cost effective option. Rather then brewing the coffee over the, add brown sugar to the base of the moka pot prior to brewing, a la a cafe cubano.

Shaking & pouring.

The success of this cocktail hinges on how it’s shaken. This why I don’t like to batch espresso martinis. I’ll defer to the experts to explain how to shake a cocktail.

brown sugar espresso martinis

Ingredients:

  • 1 TBSP of dark brown sugar
  • 4 TBSP of ground coffee beans
  • 1 1/2 ounces of vodka

1. Brew espresso over brown sugar. Once done brewing whisk rapidly to ensure the sugar is fully dissolved.

2. Allow espresso to cool, closer to room temperature. Do not shock freeze by placing in the freezer.

3. In shaker add ice, espresso and vodka. Shane vigorously for 10-15 seconds until the shaker is cold to the touch.

4. Strain and pour into chilled glass.

2022 Drink of the Summer

Raspberry + lychee liquor + coconut cream + rum = too many delicious things to call it something catchy

Ingredients:

  • 1 1/2 ounces of raspberry juice
  • 1 ounce of coconut cream
  • 1 1/2 ounces of rum
  • 1 1/2 ounces of lychee liquor
  1. Raspberry Juice: Add 8 ounces of fresh raspberries into a blender with 1/2 cup of water. Blend until fully incorporated. Strain with a fine mesh strainer removing all seeds.
  2. Add above listed ingredients in a shaker with ice. Shake, strain & enjoy.

Raspberry Pomegranate Lemonade Margarita

Ingredients:

  • 1 cup of pomegranate juice
  • 2 lemons, chopped
  • 1/2 cup of raspberries
  • 3 TBSP of agave
  • 1 cup of water
  • 2 oz of tequila
  1. Raspberry Pomegranate Lemonade. Add chopped lemons, raspberries, pomegranate juice, and agave into pitcher or French press.
  2. Throughly mix together and place in fridge for at least 4 hours but overnight for best results.
  3. Strain & add 1.5 ounces of tequila per serving!

frozen aperol spritz

Early contender for drink of the summer.

Ingredients (per 1 serving)

  • 2 oz of aperol
  • 6.3 oz of Prosecco
  • 8 oz of orange juice
  1. Add aperol, Prosecco, and orange juice to a shallow freezer safe pan or sheet. I used loaf pan.
  2. Mix to combine ingredients.
  3. Freezer overnight or until flaky icy texture is achieved.
  4. Scrap frozen mixture with ice cream scooper.
  5. Add to blender and plus for short bursts of time, be sure not to over blend as this will melt the mixture.
  6. Serve & enjoy!

Strawberry Pineapple Coconut Frozen Margaritas

Ingredients:

  • 1 cup of tequila
  • 2 cups of frozen pineapple
  • 1 cup of fresh strawberries
  • 1/4 cup cream of coconut
  • 1/8 cup of lime juice
  • 1/2 cup of ice

Serving size, 4.

  1. In a blender, combine tequila, frozen pineapple, strawberries, cream of coconut, lime juice, and ice.
  2. Combine until fully incorporated.
  3. Serve & enjoy!

brutal blackberry gin smash

Alexa, play Sour by Olivia Rodrigo.

Ingredients:

  • 5-7 blackberries
  • 1 ounce of orange juice (freshly squeezed if possible)
  • 1.5 ounces of gin
  • Sparkling water
  • Muddler
  • Strainer
  1. Place blackberries in cup & middle until extremely juiced.
  2. Add orange juice & gin.
  3. Strain blackberry mixture over fresh cup with ice.
  4. Top with sparkling water.
  5. Garnish, serve & enjoy.

Red Devil Margarita

Ingredients:

  • 1/8 of a jalapeño, chopped
  • 1 1/2 ounces of tequila
  • 3 ounces of blood orange juice
  • .5 ounces of lime juice
  • .5 ounces of agave
  • 2 red mini sweet peppers (optional)
  • Ice
  • Muddler
  • Shaker & strainer
  1. For extra spicy drinks. Soak your tequila in jalapeños overnight.
  2. Muddle jalapeños. Add jalapeños & tequila to a glass. Muddle for 2 minutes. Strain into shaker.
  3. Add blood orange juice, lime, and agave.
  4. Shake & strain.
  5. Garnish with sweet peppers.

Spiked Crème Brûlée Latte

For when you’re it’s too cold for an espresso martini but you’re not a fan of hot toddy’s.

I too am enthralled with espresso martinis, but winter is here, and with that perpetual coldness.

Crème brûlée syrup. Here’s an alternative hot espresso based drink which is a dupe for a Starbucks holiday mainstay. The crème brûlée syrup is surprisingly simple. Save what’s leftover for your morning cup.

Rum based. A deviation from the base liquor of a espresso martini simply because the complexity and richness of rum pairs best with the crème brûlée syrup.

Spiked Crème Brûlée Latte

Ingredients:

  • 1/2 cup of granulated sugar
  • 1 1/2 cup of water
  • 1 TSP of vanilla extract
  • 2 shots of freshly brewed espresso
  • 1.5 ounces of dark rum
  • 1/2 cup of oat milk (or dairy/ non-dairy milk of your choice)
  1. Crème brûlée syrup. Heat pan at medium-high heat. Add water and stir in sugar. Stir until dissolved.
  2. Once mixture begins to bubble and brown, approximately 7-10 minutes later, remove from heat. Stir frequently with long spoon or whisk.
  3. Place majority (approximately 95 %) of syrup in heat safe container and allow to cool.
  4. Creme Brûlée Crumbles. On a baking sheet or plate lined with parchment paper, pour our remain syrup.
  5. Spread out with spatula. Allow to cool and harden.
  6. Once hardened, torch with kitchen torch to brûlée. Allow to cool and harden again.
  7. Once fully cooled, crumble with sharp knife into small pieces.
  8. Assemble drink. Add espresso, rum and syrup into mug. Stir.
  9. Top with frothed milk and crumbles.
  10. Serve & enjoy!

Pumpkin Cream Cold Brew

Join me in being basic by making these until December 1st.

2020 forced me to take a hard look at my coffee consumption. I’ve found that many of the coffees I enjoy can be made at home.

This Pumpkin Cream Cold Brew dupe is made for the average person to make. It incorporates all of which you love from coffee shop and makes it even better.

What I tweaked. This recipe is less sweet and has stronger pumpkin flavor. Also, it is a fluffier texture. I opted to sweeten it with something you’re more likely to have in your pantry.

Milk Substitutes: I too typically utilize milk alternative when it comes to my coffee. Plant and nut milk (and even fat free cow’s milk) were less successful in achieving the “foam” texture.

Pumpkin Cream Cold Brew

Ingredients:

3 TBSP pumpkin purée

2 TSP of confectioners sugar

1 TSP of vanilla

1 TSP of pumpkin pie spice (or a dash of cinnamon, ginger & nutmeg )

1/2 cup of heavy cream

1/2 TBSP of water

10 oz of cold brew coffee

  1. In blender, combine pumpkin purée, confectioners sugar, vanilla, pumpkin pie spice, heavy cream and water.
  2. Blend until fully incorporated.
  3. Top on cold brew, serve & enjoy!