Herb Infused Cocktail ~ Spicy Grapefruit Margarita

 

Over here at The Oaks bed and breakfast, we love a good margarita, and often the spicier the better.  This month we are bringing to your bar, a Spicy Grapefruit Margarita that is paired with a jalapeno and lemon basil. 

 

               We kicked up the spice a bit by zesting the jalapeno to create more kick with this summer special, and the garnish with the lemon basil just adds a little kick of citrus to an already delicious drink.  Another key component to this drink is to use only fresh squeezed juice.  Juice that grapefruit and lime directly into your shaker cup, when mixing this delightful drink. 

 

               Of course, you can dial up your sweetness and spice by adding more honey or jalapeno or less.  Make this drink your own and enjoy it with friends.  You can even make it a mocktail by removing the tequila and orange liquor.  I would splash in some nonalcoholic  orange bitters to grab that flavor and an additional amount of grapefruit juice to help fill the glass. 

 

Spicey Grapefruit Margarita

Serving size 2 drinks 

½ cup fresh squeezed grapefruit juice

3 TBLS fresh squeezed lime juice

2 TBLS agave or honey

3 oz white tequila

2 oz orange liquor

Salt to rim the glass

Lemon basil for garnish

 

Before you mix your drink prepare your glass.  Rub a lime wedge or grapefruit wedge around the glass and then salt with your favorite option.  Take all your liquid ingredients and pour into a shaker cup that has been filled with ice.  Vigorously shake your drink to mix together.  Then pour it over your salted, ice filled glass.  Garnish with grapefruit, lemon basil, lime or jalapeno slices.

 

               Make this drink your own and mix it up with different bases to find the one you like the best.  Increase the sweetness as you desire or decrease to make your drink more tart.  Mix in additional jalapeno for extra spice or remove it to eliminate all spice.  Either way, this drink will be a summer favorite for sure.

 

               As always please drink responsibly by having a designated driver.  We hope you will let us know if you make this cocktail and tell us which you like it the best.  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 ~ Rosemary Paloma

 

    As we enter into the summer months a cold and refreshing drink on the patio or deck hits the spot after working in the garden, watching sport games or just because.  This months herb infused cocktail is a Rosemary Paloma.

  

    Grapefruit is a winter fruit but can be made into a refreshing drink at any time of the year.  Since our rosemary grows well all year round, why not take advantage of the delicious flavor it provides walking into the summer months.  

    This drink can also be made for a crowd ahead of time for those patio parties or summer bar-b-ques.  We chose to use a darker tequila for this drink to really enhance the rosemary flavor.  The more oaky flavor of the Anejo tequila pulls the rosemary notes from the homemade syrup.  For a lighter version you can use a Silver or reposado tequila.  

    Rosemary Paloma

1 - 1.5 ounces of Tequila

3 ounces of grapefruit juice

1 ounce of rosemary syrup

dash of lime juice

Ice

    Fill a shaker cup with ice.  Top with all the ingredients for the drink and give it a good shake.  Pour into an ice filled glass.  Garnish with a wedge of lime and rosemary sprig.

    This drink is easy to make for a crowd or just a few people.  Of course if you choose to make it a mocktail just eliminate the tequila.  You might even consider adding a splash of grapefruit soda, to add a few bubbles.  

    The rosemary syrup is the standard simple syrup of sugar and water, with rosemary added in from the start.  Let it cool and infuse the flavor longer into the syrup, for a stronger rosemary finish.  The simple syrup will keep in your fridge for up to two weeks. 

    As always please drink responsibly and have a designated driver.  We hope you will enjoy this drink and let us know how you liked it.  Cheers, from the Oaks bed and Breakfast. 

Oregano Infused Paloma ~ herb infused cocktail

    

 

    We are excited about this months cocktail that we have made up for you.  We wanted to have something that would reflect the season of love in a color, and this pink cocktail hit the spot.  Our Oregano infused Paloma is just what the season ordered.  

    We are going to give you two recipes for this post, one for the cocktail and one for the simple syrup.  You can make your simple syrup in advance and with any type of herb you want to feature for additional cocktails or food recipes.  But first a little history over the origins of the Paloma.

    The Paloma was really first found to be paired with Squirt, grapefruit soda, served to guests when entertaining at home.  The simplicity of a little flavored soda and tequila gained popularity as new brands of grapefruit drinks were developed by other manufactures.  To an extent it became the "rum and coke" of the Mexican household.  Squirt found it's place in the fridge like an extra condiment to be used when guests came to call.  We have chosen to "color" our drink with grapefruit juice instead of soda to achieve the pink in honor of Valentine's Day. 

    Oregano is part of the mint family, and was originally grown in Greece. Then traveled North to Rome and on to the East where people in Asia used it for medicinal means.  In some areas it can be grown as a perennial for warmer climates.  While in Northern areas, it might only be grown annual because of the cold weather.  "It was first used by the Greeks.  They believed that this herb was created by the Goddess Aphrodite.  She wanted it to be a symbol of joy gowning in her garden." (myspicer.com/history-of-oregano)

    The Simple Syrup is just that a very simple even ratio mix of water and sugar to create a syrup to sweeten tea or cocktails.  Add in your favorite flavor to make it your own.

Simple Syrup

1/4 cup sugar

1/4 cup water

2 springs of oregano 

1 sprigs of oregano diced - to release the oils and flavors

Cook on the stove top until the sugar is dissolved fully.  Let cool and add to your drink of choice.

    Now lets get to the good stuff.  We first salted the rim of our glass. We used the remainder of the grapefruit to "wet" the rim so the salt would stick.  After measuring out all the liquid we mixed everything together in a shaker 3/4's full of ice.  Shake it up and pour into your glass.  Top off the drink with a splash of club soda.  Garnish the glass with a slice of grapefruit and a sprig of oregano.

    You can make your drink a mocktail by eliminating the tequila with all club soda. Or go about it in a more traditional route and use Squirt for the additional bubbles.  I would watch the sugar level on this adaptation if you still plan to use the simple syrup.  Sweeten to your desired taste. This would make for a refreshing summer drink as well as a pink holiday drink in winter. 

Oregano Infused Paloma

2 oz. Tequila Blanco

4 oz. Grapefruit juice

1 oz. Oregano simple syrup

Club Soda

Add everything but the club soda to your shaker and shake to combine.  Pour into your cup and top off with a splash of club soda.  Enjoy with chips and guacamole. 

Give us a shout when you try this drink for yourselves.  Mix it up and share your images on social media, be sure to tag us while enjoying your mixer.  Until then Cheers from the Oaks bed and breakfast.