Herb Infused Cocktail ~ Fig Thyme Shrub

 

The end of summer is rapidly approaching, and we do not want to let go just yet.  To help ring out the summer and celebrate the start of fall, our cocktail this month is a Fig Thyme Shrub.  I know what you are thinking, what the heck is a shrub.  Well shrub is basically a mixture of sugar, vinegar and fruit that sets overnight to create a “drinking vinegar.”  Now, do not walk away just yet! These flavors together will make a sweet and tangy drink that will satisfy your taste buds and make you come back for more. 

 

The combination of sweet and tangy will have your taste buds seeking out more of this delicious drink.  With fresh figs from our tree and the hint of thyme, you are sure to enjoy this cocktail.  Keeping summer alive a little longer with just a hint of fall flavors is a great way to end the day when that cool summer breeze hits off the back deck.

 

The set up does take a little longer since the flavors have to meld together at least overnight in the fridge.  This drink is worth the wait.  Find some delicious figs and add them together with your vinegar, sugar and thyme and let it sit overnight in the fridge. That way when you arrive home from work, your cocktail is almost ready to go.  Below are the exact details of how to put your drink together.

 

Fig Thyme Shrub

To make the shrub:

2 cups of diced fresh figs

¾ cup sugar

1 cup apple cider vinegar

10 sprigs of fresh thyme

 

Cocktail:

1 ½ ounces vodka

½ ounce fresh squeezed lime

1 ½ ounces fig thyme shrub

2 ounce club soda/sparkling water

Fig and thyme for garnish

 

Make the shrub in a plastic or glass bowl, cover and refrigerate overnight.  Strain the liquid through a fine mesh strainer and discard the thyme and figs when finished.  To make the cocktail add crushed ice to a glass.  Add the vodka, lime and shrub; stir to combine.  Add the club soda or sparking water, stir again.  Garnish with fig and thyme!

 

You can keep any of the extra shrub in your fridge for up to two weeks.  If you want to make this a mocktail, include more club soda or sparkling water to replace the vodka.  As always drink responsibly and have a designated driver. Cheers!

Herb Infused Cocktail ~ Old Fashioned

 

    March is right around the corner and we are celebrating the month with a classic Whiskey drink, the Old Fashioned.  Since we are making this for the Oaks Bed and Breakfast, our drink would not be complete without an herb resting on the side, and what better herb than rosemary to bring out the flavor of the whiskey. Once again we used one of our favorite whiskeys, from Teeling Irish Whiskey.

    The Old Fashioned is thought to originate around the early  1800's and were further adapted in later years.  The "“old-fashioned cocktails” referred to a general style before becoming synonymous with a particular drink," according to the website www.provi.com.  You can read their full article about the history on the link.  Basically consumers were not familiar with the term cock-tail, and soon found that ordering these mixed drinks proved to be a new way to consume some of their favorite whiskeys and bourbons.

    The Old Fashioned was born and still lives on today as a classical way to enjoy these libations. 

The Old Fashioned 

2 ounces Whiskey

1 bar spoon cherry syrup

1 bar spoon simple syrup

2-3 dashes of bitters

Orange peel

Bourbon Cherry

Rosemary sprig

Mix together your drink in a tumbler filled with a large ice cube or in a mixing cup.    You can mix in the glass you plan to serve your drink in or mix in a separate cup then pour over your ice.  Add all liquid ingredients together.  Garnish with orange peel, rosemary and cherry.  Enjoy!

    This drink is simplistic in the ingredients that it uses, while having a fantastic mix of complex tastes.  The perfect way to finish your night by the fire or watching the sunset.  As always please drink responsibly and have a designated drive. Cheers!

Herb Infused Cocktail ~ Pomegranate Champagne Spritzers

 

    To help ring in the New Year, we decided to select a cocktail that would have a few bubbles, since the New Year brings out all the sparkles and joy of making it around the sun one more time.  This drink is so simple to make and can be done in a big batch if you choose.  

    The flexibility of the sparkles makes this drink an easy one to fix directly to your taste buds.  We had a lovely sparkling wine to mix with ours, since I'm not the biggest fan of champagne.  I know, I'm sure I'm one of a few people who don't like champagne.  

    Based on what you select for your sparkling drink will determine how sweet your drink is.  The sweeter your wine or champagne the sweeter your drink.  The more dry your wine or champagne the drier your drink will be.  You get the idea.  

    Taylor this drink to your taste, that way you can get exactly what you want to drink to celebrate your next big event.  Since Pom is pretty much found year round now, you can enjoy this drink at any point in the year.  Here is how to make it.

Pomegranate Champagne Spritzer

1 oz. Fresh squeezed Orange Juice

2 oz. Pomegranate juice

6 oz of Champagne or wine of choice

    Pour everything into a high ball glass that is filled with ice.  Garnish with a fresh slice of orange, rosemary and mint.  You could go a little crazy and add some pomegranate to your glass as well.  Enjoy!

    It's that simple, the most amount of time spent is squeezing the orange juice from the fresh orange.  One medium sized orange should yield enough juice for a single serving of this cocktail.  Be sure to ask about our cocktail of the month on your next stay at The Oaks bed and breakfast, they will soon be the featured drink of the month.  

    Until then please drink responsibly and always have a designated driver.  Cheers from the Oaks bed and breakfast.

PS.  if you want to have see an herb featured this year in our cocktail series please be sure to drop us line at info@theoaksbandb.net.  We can't wait to hear from you.  

Herb Infused Cocktail ~ Rosemary Cranberry Margarita

 

Tis’ the season to be merry and drink with friends. At least if that’s your style and you enjoy the occasional adult beverage while entertaining or having dinner. For our herb infused cocktail series this month we are bring you a little bit of holiday flavor from the cranberry.

 Cranberries are an amazing fruit that makes an appearance as whole fruit mostly in the month of December. They are related to blueberries and were eaten by sailors to help prevent scurvy. I’m not sure I would eat them raw outside of a baked good or dried but I guess in a pinch to prevent illness I could choke some down.

 At least in this recipe they are cooked down to add flavor to the simple syrup. Along with fresh ginger the simple syrup is what really adds a punch to this drink. The combination of the sour with the bite of the ginger gives the cocktail a tangy yet enjoyable finish.

 

Rosemary Cranberry Margarita

 1 oz simple syrup

3/4 oz grand Marnier

1 oz tequila

Juice of two limes

 

Add everything into a shaker cup filled with ice. Shake until the cup is cold. Pour into a salt or sugar rimmed glass. Garnish with a sprig or rosemary and some of the cranberries from your simple syrup.

 

Cranberry Ginger Simple Syrup

Equal parts water and sugar

Handful of cranberries

Couple slices of ginger

 

Cook over stove top until boiling. The amounts needed are based on how many drink you are planning to make.

You can watch me make this drink, and not remember all my words at our YouTube channel.  I tried hard but failed miserably this month; I promise I practiced.   

 The great part about this cocktail is that it can be made in a large batch and served when ready. While you are planning that holiday party be sure to use a designated driver and always drink responsibly.  Have a great Holiday Season from the Oaks bed and breakfast.  

Herb Infused Cocktail ~ Rosemary Pomegranate Smash

    

    One of my all time favorite fruits is a pomegranate.  I know they are a lot of work to be able to enjoy but I truly feel like they are worth every bit of time it takes to help those seeds escape the hold of the shell.  I remember sitting on my grandparents back porch in California slowing making my way through the fresh pomegranate from the tree in their yard.  I was always too impatient to wait until all of the seeds were released to start eating, so I ate as I peeled away the membrane.  Now I take the time to put in all the work and then eat the fruits of my labor.  

    

    I could not pass up the chance to feature this wonderful fruit in my cocktail this month.  Even though we live in America and can seem to get any fruit or vegetable we want any time of the year, despite the season.  Pomegranates have stayed the course and maintained their seasonal insurgence to the grocery stores mostly in the fall.

    The great thing about this drink is how easy it is to prepare and how easily you can adjust the flavors to fit your taste buds.  If you want it to be a little more tart add a little more lemon juice and pomegranate juice.  A little more sweet, add a bit more of the rosemary simple syrup.  No matter how you choose to make this drink we think you will enjoy every sip.

Rosemary Pomegranate Smash

3/4 ounce Rosemary Simple Syrup

1/2 ounce Lemon Juice

2 ounces Pomegranate juice

2 ounces bourbon

Add everything to a shaker full of ice.  Shake everything up to mix and chill well.  Pour into a tumbler filled with ice.  Garnish with a bit of rosemary.  We also placed pomegranate joules at the bottom of the glass.  

    

    We hope that you enjoyed this simple and seasonal cocktail.   Our desire for you is to feature it at your next party and then share your enjoyment with us.  As always please drink responsibly and have a designated driver.  Cheers, from the Oaks bed and breakfast.  

Herb Infused Cocktail ~ Pumpkin Old Fashion

 

    With all the crazy behind the big, orange squash, the pumpkin.  I figured we would jump on that band wagon and flavor up our drink this month with a little bit of pumpkin spice.  The Pumpkin Old Fashion is a little change up to a traditional Old Fashion but fits well with the season. 

    The addition of orange and pumpkin syrup help to enrich the flavor of the bourbon selection.  I probably should have chosen a bourbon that has a few more citrus notes, but since I sent the Husband to retrieve the bourbon, beggars can't be choosers.  

    I also chose to use a pre-made syrup for this drink to reduce the amount of sweetness, so more of the citrus flavor would pull through the end notes.  But to add a bit more sugar to the drink, a homemade syrup is easy and flavorful.  

    Here is how we put together the Pumpkin Old Fashion.

    Pumpkin Old Fashion

1/2 Ounce Pumpkin syrup

2 dashes of orange bitters

1 orange slice

2 ounces Bourbon

Splash of Club Soda (optional)

Garnish with cinnamon stick and orange slice

    Add the orange slice, bitters and pumpkin syrup to the bottom of an old fashion glass.  Muddle the orange and syrup together.  Once done, add in the ice and top with the bourbon.  If you want, we want, add a bit of club soda to finish off your drink.  Use the cinnamon stick to stir the flavors together. Garnish with a cinnamon stick and orange slice.  

    We let our drink sit a little while before finally consuming it and the flavors really melded together really well.  I think that muddling the orange a little more and adding a part of the cinnamon stick to the bottom would help to bring the flavors together faster.

    As always please drink responsibly and use a designated driver.  Until next month, enjoy your latest Herb Infused Cocktail from the Oaks bed and breakfast.  Cheers!

Herb Infused Cocktail ~ Honey Rosemary Bourbon

 

    Welcome to this months addition of our herb infused cocktail series.  I'm so excited about this drink, because one of our previous guests are partners in the distillery, Still Austin, that makes the Bourbon we are featuring.  I have been waiting for the weather to cool down, which it has but not nearly enough for true fall feelings, to share this drink.  Needless to say I could not wait any longer.  

    The honey rosemary syrup is so simple and delicious to make for this drink, I want to find other ways to use it in the kitchen.  I think we might be baking up something special using this syrup.  The rosemary really pops in the honey, while the honey ads just the right amount of sweetness to this drink.  

    Of course if you like your drinks a little sweeter just add a little bit more of the honey syrup.  Not to much, otherwise the sweetness will become over powering.  Our goal is to meld all the flavors into one.

    Rosemary is such a strong flavor on its own, that the honey and the bourbon help to mellow it to just the right amount.  The garnish of a rosemary spring and an orange peel bring out the look of this simple cocktail, just in time for fall weather and sipping around the camp fire.

Honey Rosemary Syrup

1/2 cup Honey

1/2 cup Water

2-3 springs rosemary

All all the ingredients into a small pot and cook until boiling.  Let set for about 10 minutes to cool.  Then add to your drink.

Honey Rosemary Bourbon

2 1/4 ounces of Bourbon 

4 tsp. of honey rosemary syrup

2-3 shakes of bitters

Pour everything into a shaker filled with ice.  Shake until the outside of the shaker is very cold.  Add to your tumbler that is filled with ice.  Garnish with a sprig of rosemary and orange peel.

    Be sure to check out our YouTube channel for an easy to follow and quick video on how we made this drink.  As always please enjoy your drink responsibly and use a designated driver.  Until next time, Cheers from the Oaks Bed and Breakfast. 

Herb Infused Cocktail ~ Rosemary Orange Cooller

     

    This month our herb infused cocktail features rum and rosemary for a light refreshing summer drink.  The process to make this drink takes a little more time, but is worth the wait in the end.  Rosemary is such a versatile herb that can be used in cooking, mixing drinks and aromatherapy.  

    As an herb rosemary retains is fragrance even when dried.  Which makes it the perfect complement to any grilled or cooked meat, or for a relaxing scent in the bath.  In many Mediterranean cultures, rosemary is thought to bring luck to newlyweds, and baskets of the herb are offered to couples at their weddings.  Rosemary is a fairly hearty herb and can usually withstand most cold weather.  

    We use it as a visual addition at the Bed and Breakfast along our guest parking, leading up to the garden area.  When it blooms rosemary has a beautiful light purple flower.  It's a beautiful compliment to any garden space.

    This cocktail, has a tasty and simple flavor but is a little complex in its creation.  Caramelizing the orange slices, with the rosemary will make your home smell amazing for days after your party.  Plus it has the added benefit of bringing a different flavor to your drink from simply using fresh slices of citrus.  The added sweetness of caramelizing the oranges makes this drink perfect for summer.  

Rosemary Orange Cooler

2 oz White Rum

6 sprigs of Rosemary

4 slices of orange or other citrus

1 tsp. Sugar

Slice your oranges into disks or quarters, depends on the look you are going for in a garnish.  Dip your slices into the sugar, and add to a heated pan to caramelize for about two minutes.  Add rosemary to the pan as well.  Once done, add the orange slices to a shaker cup and muddle with a fresh sprig of rosemary.  Add in the white rum, sugar and ice.  Shake until the drink is cold.  Pour the cup over a glass of fresh ice, and garnish with a orange slice and a fresh rosemary sprig. 

    We hope you like this drink and are able to make it at your next party.  The above recipe is a single serving but you can make it in a larger batch for a bigger event.  As always please drink responsibly and have a designated driver. Cheers!

Herb Infused Cocktail ~ Strawberry Basil Lemonade

    

     This month we wanted to feature a drink that brought out a bit of the American spirit.  What shows that more than a Lemonade.  This light and easy summer drink can be made for one or twenty.  So grab your friends and blend it up, everyone is sure to like this cocktail.

    You can customize your drink to fit your taste.  How you make your lemonade will determine how your drink is flavored for you.  We like our homemade lemonade to be a little bit more tart than sweet, so we add a little less sugar than maybe you would like.  Customize your drink to your tastes, we give you the starting points and you can work from there.

    If you enjoy the taste of strawberries, add a few more to your drink to really bring out the flavor.  It is pretty easy to make it what you want for you and your guests.  The simplicity is the best part of this drink, but the flavor and easy of creation, it a crowd favorite.

Strawberry Basil Lemonade

3 Lemons

1/4 cup sugar

1 cup warm water

4 strawberries

1/8 cup fresh basil

2 ounces Vodka

    Squeeze your lemons directly into a pitcher or blender.  Add in the sugar and warm water.  Stir till the sugar is dissolved.  Add in the strawberries, basil and vodka.  Mix until everything is well blended.  Pour over a sugar rimmed glass of ice for a added touch.  Garnish with a small strawberry, and basil.  Or a small slice of lemon and basil.  Enjoy with friends responsibly.  

    I felt liked we over blended ours, I should have stopped a little sooner.  The use of an immersion blender could also help reduce the "foam," but I really wanted to have that basil broken up.  Although I was disappointed with the froth at the top of the cup.  I should have strained it better to get a prettier cup, but did not think of that until later.  Either way the drink was smooth and refreshing.  You could not really taste the vodka in this drink, so you know it was a good mix.  

    As always, you can make it a mocktail, by eliminating the vodka and just using the above ingredients for your strawberry lemonade.  I would say, this recipe could easily make for two people so make your adjustments for the number of people and enjoy!  Always have a designated driver.  Cheers! 

Herb Infused Cocktail ~ Citrus Basil Margarita

 

    This month for our herb infused cocktail series we are featuring basil.  We currently have four kinds of basil in our garden and each one produces a different flavor to this wonderful herb.  We love to use it is summer dishes, that are cooked as well as those that use the herb raw.  For this this drink we chose two of the varieties to muddle in our mix.

    Basil has been used in the past to help ease stomach issues but the most common use of basil is to make pesto.  Pesto is such a delicious condiment for food use, that while in season you could hardly make enough.  Although it can be time consuming to make pesto, the end result is worth the wait.

    Today we are not making pesto but rather a citrus basil margarita.  Who does not like to make a Margarita to help cool down on those warm summer nights? 

Citrus Basil Margarita

8-10 Basil leaves, muddled

1 medium Lemon

1/2 Lime

1 oz. Tequila

1 oz. Simple Syrup

    Place your basil leaves in the bottom of your shaker cup.  Muddled them quite a bit to release the oils and flavors from the basil.  Squeeze in your lemon and lime.  Add in the Tequila and simple syrup.  Top it off with ice.  Shake until the container is frosted.  Strain  your liquid into a salt rimmed glass.  Garnish with basil and lime.  Enjoy!

    

    As usual if you want to make your own simple syrup, we recommend making it was some basil as well to really bring out the flavor of the basil in the drink.  We love basil so that is what we did when we made this drink.

    We hope that you enjoy this version of a margarita, so simple and refreshing.  If you want to make it a mocktail, just add more lemon and lime, and withhold the tequila.  Enjoy responsibly and always select a designated driver.  Cheers from the Oaks bed and breakfast!

Herb Infused Cocktail ~ Mint Julep

     

    May has just started and with the beginning of May comes three amazing sporting events the combined, entitled the Triple Crown.  In recognition of one, the Kentucky Derby, our herb infused cocktail this month is a mint julep. 

    The mint julep is now know as the staple drink for the Kentucky Derby but truly had it's start in the south as a morning drink.  The light and refreshing flavor of the mint combined with the bourbon helped to carry people through the day right from the start.

    This drink is truly simple to make.  With just three ingredients you can make this drink more about presentation, and let the taste speak for it's self.  The use of a copper or silver cup, helps to keep the drink cold long after the ice has melted. 

Mint Julep

8-10 Mint leaves, muddled

1/4 ounce simple syrup

2 ounces Bourbon

crushed ice

    Muddle your mint leaves in the bottom of a silver or copper cup.  Add in your crushed ice to the top of the container.  Pour over your simple syrup and bourbon.  Add in additional crushed ice, then garnish with mint leaves.  Enjoy!

    The simplicity of this drinks makes it even more enjoyable with a crowd while watching the fastest two minutes in sports go by, while cheering for your favorite horse.  We used Evan Williams for our drink, but you can use your favorite bourbon to mix this cold and refreshing beverage for your next event.  

    We hope to hear about how you mixed your drink.  Drop us a comment on here or social media and tell us your mixing journey.  As always please drink responsibly and have a designated driver.

Cheers! 

    

Herb Infused Cocktail ~ Hugo Cocktail

    

    Our herb infused cocktail for this month is once again featuring St. Germain, an elderberry liquor, that is just so yummy we had to use it again.  The addition of mint, really helps to bring this drink to the top of the list for Spring time enjoyment.  We plan to make these drinks for our Easter dinner celebration later in the month. 

    I like the versatility of the Hugo Cocktail because you can make it to your taste.  If you want your drink to be a little sweeter then use a sparkling wine more in line with a Moscato.  Now if you prefer to let more of the sweetness come from the St. Germain then I would use a drier sparkling wine such as Gruet Brut NV.  This wine is made in New Mexico, but has roots in France, from where the family came from with the tradition of the Champagne families knowledge of creating sparkling wine.  The drier sparkling wine will really help to make the St. Germain flavors stand out in this drink.  Of course if you want a little bit of sweet with the dry you can never go wrong with a good Prosecco.  A good Prosecco can be used to create multiple drinks to enjoy at most any meal. 

    This cocktail is not only delicious but very simple to make.  No extra time is needed to create a simple syrup or infuse the liquor with the additional flavors of the mint.  It is best to make this cocktail as you go along instead of in a big batch.  So line those glasses up and get ready to create magic with this each drink.

Hugo Cocktail

1 oz. St. Germain

3 oz. Sparkling Wine

1 oz. Club Soda

Fill a glass with ice.  Pour in your portions for the drink, swirl the glass a bit.  Top it off with a sprig of Mint for garnish.  Then enjoy with family and friends.

    We hope you enjoy this cocktail as much as we did.  Please remember to drink responsibly and select a designated drive.  Please share your pictures of your group enjoying this cocktail with us on Social media.  Cheers!

Sage Germain Sour ~ Herb Infused Cocktail

    

    Hello and welcome back to our herb infused cocktail series, a new month has arrived and with it we have a festive drink to share with you, that dovetails a wee bit with the holiday that comes mid month.  In honor of St. Patrick's day we have selected an Irish Whiskey based drink to make with one of the herbs currently growing in our garden.  

    Upon a recent visit to Ireland, my husband and I toured the Teeling Irish Whiskey distillery in Dublin.  I kind of  had to twist his arm to go, because we are not personally whiskey drinkers but we both loved the tour and subsequent tasting, so much that I wanted to feature their whiskey in our drink, instead of another well known Irish Whiskey.  We really enjoyed our tour and even brought home whiskey to share with friends and family.  The tour was well worth the visit!

    

    This cocktail is unique in that it also uses a liquor that is derived from the Elder flower.   St. Germain is an artisanal French liquor that can be used in other cocktails, which we might feature at a later point.  Over here at the Oaks we are big fans of the elderberry, which grows from the elder flower, and has a myriad of medicinal uses and has been known to help reduce the amount of days a person is ill, while having the flu or a cold, when taken as elderberry syrup. 

    The herb we are featuring this month is sage.  Sage is well know in cooking of game birds, sausage and items roasted in the oven for a long period of time.  The slow release of heat, pulls the flavor from this herb, and brings a wonderful taste to the food.  There are a few different sage varieties one can plant, and they typically have beautiful purple flowers when in bloom. 

    We are using sage in two different ways for the cocktail, one is in the honey syrup and the other is fried, and placed as a garish.  The Honey Sage syrup is easy to make:

1/2 cup honey

1/2 cup water

3-5 destemmed sage leaves

Put everything into a pot and and cook until the honey is dissolved.  Once dissolved let it cool and sit over night before mixing into the drink.

    Now for the main cocktail.  For most Irish whiskey cocktails you want to use small batch whiskey, it's going to give the drink a stronger flavor and help add to the taste of the overall drink.  The honey sage syrup and St. Germain help the curb the bite of the whiskey in this particular cocktail.

2 oz Irish Whiskey

3/4 oz lemon juice

1/2 oz Honey Sage syrup

1/4 oz St. Germain

Add all the ingredients into a shaker with ice and shake.  Strain into a glass and add some fresh ice.  Garnish with the deep-fried sage leaf.  Enjoy!

    We hope that you will try our latest herb infused cocktail.  Be sure to let us know if you happen to try this drink.  Tag us on social media and remember to always drink responsibly and have a designated driver.

    Slainte