Herb Infused Cocktail ~ Cucumber Watermelon Gin and Tonic

    What says summer better than fresh cut watermelon?  How about combining it with some home grown cucumbers from the garden, and add a sprig of mint.  You have a great, refreshing summer cocktail or mocktail.  This one is easy to make as either one.  

    Now you might be wondering how to get that great watermelon flavor into your drink.  It's easy, cube it up and blend until there are no more chunks.  The longer part in this process is going to be straining the liquid from the left over pulp.  At least it was for us since, our strainer has pretty small holes, just enough for the liquid to pass through. I would not skip this step, since it helps to make the drink so much smoother.

    All of the ingredients are pretty simple and straight forward.  Everything is fresh and can come directly from your garden.  All except for the gin, since that might be easier to purchase.   Never fear, a garden is not a requirement on this drink.  It's just another tool in your belt that you can use to help you know where your food comes from.  

    After you blend your watermelon up it's as easy as pouring the rest into your pitcher.  This drink is made in a big batch for all your friends to enjoy at the summer bar-b-que or book club.  In my video I did make it a single drink so use those math skills and reduce or expand to make this drink for the number of people you are looking to serve. 

Cucumber Watermelon Gin and Tonic (serves 8)

8 cups of watermelon cubed and blended

4 ounces fresh lime juice (about 4 limes)

1 cup Gin

1 cup thin sliced cucumber

1 TBLS Agave or honey

1/2 cup mint leaves

1 cup tonic water (optional)

Cut and blend up your watermelon.  Cut and squeeze your limes.  I double squeeze mine.  Place in the juicer skin down, squeeze.  Then fold over and squeeze again. Add in the remaining ingredients of Gin, lime, honey, cucumber, and mint. You can add the tonic at this point if you are ready to serve.  If not serving immediately hold off until you are.  You don't want the bubbles to fade away. 

    You can make your pitcher look extra beautiful by including the cucumber and mint directly in there.  I would also add lime slices and watermelon slices for a little extra flare in the cup.  I lined my cup with the cucumber and placed a small sliver of watermelon at the bottom of the glass.  You can "decorate" your glass however you desire.  

    Your friends and family will thank you for creating this drink for any occasion.  It's like summer in a glass.  As always please drink responsible and have a designated driver. Cheers!

Herb Infused Cocktail ~ Lemon Lavender Gin Rickey

 

    Spring is in the air and summer is coming in fast.  Before the heat hits we wanted to share a delicious and refreshing cocktail with you, using fresh lemons and lavender.  I know what you might be thinking, lavender is great for baths and relaxing but it can also be a wonderful herbal addition to your cocktail.  Lavender has the ability to relieve anxiety and depression which makes it a wonderful addition to our cocktail of the month.  

    This cocktail springs from a traditional Gin Rickey and adds in a little extra punch.  Instead of using limes we are using lemons and adding in the relaxing lavender as a garnish for little bit more interest.  Now this cocktail can be made for everyone, with the addition of a little honey.  We prefer to lean more towards the tart side and skip the honey and just enjoy the flavors shaken together.  You can make it how you like it and enjoy with friends on these cooler summer nights.

Lemon Lavender Gin Rickey

Serves 2

3 ounces Gin

4 ounces fresh squeezed lemon juice

2 TBLS Honey (Optional)

4 ounces sparkling water

2 sprigs of Lavender

2 lemon wedges

Add the Gin, lemon juice and honey, if using, to a shaker cup filled with ice.  Shake until well mixed and the outside of the cup is cold to the touch.  Pour over two ice filled glasses. Top off with the sparkling water of your choice.  Garnish with the lemon wedge and sprig of lavender.  

    We think no matter which way you put this drink together you will enjoy the flavors.  Add a little sweet to cut the tart of the lemon or leave it alone and enjoy the refreshing coolness as you drink.  This drink is going to make those summer nights that much more refreshing. 

    As always please drink responsibly and have a designated driver.  Until next time, Cheers!

Herb Infused Cocktail ~ Citrus Basil Gin

 

Summer is in full swing, and the garden at The Oaks Bed and Breakfast, is bursting with colors and flavors that remind us regularly of summer.  The tomatoes are slowly turning red, which is amazing considering how much rain we have gotten this Spring and early Summer.  The new herbs are coming in great, and I can hardly wait to enjoy all of them in new dishes and cocktails.

 

               This month I really wanted to feature St. Germain as one of the liquors in our cocktail and set out to find just the right mix to bring out the flavor of the Summer.  Basil is one of our all time favorite Summer herbs and does not disappoint in this mix.  The jalapenos really come out in this drink as well.  The longer you let the basil and jalapeno set in the Gin the stronger the flavor will be.  You could even go so far as to let it steep overnight if you really want to experience the flavor of those two items.

 

               The grapefruit adds a bit of tart to counteract the slight sting of the jalapeno in each sip.  The basil just adds that bit of Summer you are looking for on those warm Texas evenings sitting on the porch or back deck.  This drink is simple to make but complex in the flavors.  You won’t want to miss this one!

 

Citrus Basil Gin

 

2 ounces Gin

3-4 sliced jalapeno

4-6 basil leaves

2 ounces Grapefruit juice

1 ounce St. Germain

Club Soda (optional)

 

Add your jalapeno, basil and gin to a shaker cup and muddle the leaves and slices down to release the flavor.  Let the mixture sit for at least 15 minutes.  Depending on how strong you want the basil and jalapeno to be.  Add ice to your shaker cup, then add in St. Germain and grapefruit juice.  Give it good shake.  Pour over iced filled, sugar or salt rimmed glass.  Garnish with a sprig of Basil.

 

               St. Germain is one of our favorite liqueurs to use, it is smooth and a little sweet.  Since the elderberries are slowly starting to ripen out along the road, I felt it was time to revisit this French creation.  Not only do we have some basil which is a personal summer time staple, we also have the use of the elderflower liqueur, St. Germain.

               We hope that you will enjoy this refreshing summer cocktail and as always drink responsibly and have a designated driver. Be sure to check out our video on how we made this drink on our YouTube channel.  Cheers from the Oaks Bed and Breakfast.

Herb Infused Cocktail ~ Gin Sage Paloma

 

    What a month it has been, and I felt like it might never end.  Why does January always seem to take so long to come to its conclusion?  At long last we have made it and now it's time for another new herb infused cocktail from the Oaks Bed and Breakfast, by the Tipsy Oak Lounge. 

    We did a twist on a classic Tequila drink and made it with Gin instead and let me tell you it does not disappoint.  The sweet and sour of the grapefruit mix well with the Gin in this paloma to make a smooth and refreshing drink. 

    The one thing I think I will do differently from my video is make my simple syrup a sage infused simple syrup.  Sage has a great smokey flavor and with just muddling I did not feel that alone brought it out enough.  However, adding it to the syrup would do wonders, along with a little more grapefruit juice.  A one-to-one ratio on the grapefruit to Gin I think would be best.  This is going to look like a little more juice or less Gin.  

Gin Sage Paloma

1.5 ounces Gin

1.5 ounces Grapefruit juice

1/2 ounce sage simple syrup

Splash of Club Soda or Sparkling Water

In a shaker cup muddle some sage at the bottom.  Fill with ice.  Add in all liquid except Soda or Sparkling Water.  Give it a good shake.  Pour into a salt rimmed glass, top it off with Club Soda or Sparkling Water, and garnish with grapefruit slice and sage. 

    This is a great drink to have on any day of the week and can of course be made into a mocktail by excluding the gin and adding more Sparkling Water.  Be sure to stop by the Tipsy Oak Lounge to enjoy your herb infused cocktail.  As always please drink responsibly and have a designated driver. 

Herb Infused Cocktail ~ Sparkling Cucumber Mint Gin

 

    We have another great refreshing summer drink for you to enjoy, using two of the most prolific items to be grown in summer.  Cucumber and mint!  Together they make great combination of flavors that are simply refreshing in this months herb infused cocktail from The Oaks bed and breakfast.  

    Simple to make yet refreshing to drink.  The use of Gin as the alcohol and the sparkling water are the perfect combination to quench your thirst on these hot Texas summer days.  The mint simple syrup ads a touch of sweetness that brings out the flavor of the mint throughout the drink.  We did make this one ourselves from the mint in the garden, so we know you can too.

    I'm sure there are easier ways to slice the cucumber very thinly, so if you figure that out let me know.  We just used a knife and made the cuts as thin as possible.  The use of a Collins glass makes the cucumber stand out, when lined against the glass.  

    Here is what we did to put this drink together. 

    Sparkling Cucumber Mint Gin

1 ounce lime juice

1 ounce mint simple syrup

2 ounce gin

3-4 ounce of sparking water of choice

Line your glass with thin sliced cucumber. Pour all of the liquid into a glass and stir to mix the flavors.  Top off the glass with ice.  Garnish with mint. 

    That's all there is to this months cocktail.  A very easy drink to mix as well as enjoy.  Grab those cucumbers slice them then and mix up some drinks for your next get together.  Of course you can always enjoy this months cocktail at the Tipsy Oak Lounge any Thursday - Saturday from 4-8 pm.  We will be more than happy to mix this drink for your enjoyment.  

    As always please drink responsibly and have a designated driver.  Until next months cocktail, Cheers!