Herb Infused Cocktail ~ Pomegranate Bliss Martini

    

     Love is in the air, or at least the card and chocolate companies want you to think so. Personally, I feel that love can and should be celebrated all year long.  Afterall, it should not be something you take for granted or celebrate only when the calendar tells you to do so.  Even though that is how I feel I still wanted to create a cocktail this month that brought out the feelings of love.  The only way I knew how to make that happen was with color.  

While pink is not my favorite color, it does demonstrate qualities of love and has people feeling like they are feeling the love, when drinking this delicious mixture.  A simple yet elegant drink with a bit of mint, makes for a wonderful and flavorful drink to enjoy while dining.  The pomegranate really sings in this one, and gives a lovely tart but also sweet finish.  

While this drink is served in a martini glass it holds none of the traditional martini flavors or alcohols in the mix.  It is strictly of its own making.  While made in a shaker cup, you could possibly pour and stir, if that is your preferred way to drink and serve a martini.  Today we are shaking, and then pouring our drink into our preferred glass.  

The glass ware used to serve a martini has become an iconic piece of drink couture, and was originally designed to help keep the contents cold, and away from warm hands.  This elegant v-shaped glass really became all the rage in the mid 1920’s and could be found all over the world, and made more popular with the desire for people to imbibe in gin.  Either way, the v-shaped glass has become known as a martini glass to patrons the world over.

Pomegranate Bliss Martini

¾ ounce Pomegranate Juice

  1 ½ ounces  Vodka

½ ounce Cointreau

½  ounce Fresh lime juice

Mint for garnish

Place mint in the bottom of the shaker cup and muddle.  Add ice and the remaining ingredients.  Shake until the outside of the cup is cold.  Pour into martini glass. Garnish with fresh mint leaves.  If you would like  your drink to be a bit sweeter add in ¼ to ½ ounce simple syrup. 

This drink is so simple to make and great to share with others.  You may be wondering if you can substitute out Cointreau with Grand Marnier, and I would say no, unless you are ready for the color of your drink to change.  Grand Marnier is a darker, more amber colored liquor while the Cointreau is clear.  Let the pomegranate shine in this drink and keep the Grand Marnier for another time.  

Herb Infused Cocktail ~ Spiced Herbed Margarita

 

    The holiday season is fully upon us and we have a special holiday drink for you to share with your friends and family.  This can be made as a mocktail as well, so everyone can enjoy this holiday drink.  Do not let the spices pull you away from this one, they can be strained out completely but also offer rich flavor if they sit within the liquid for a bit after mixing.  I have made this as a batch or individual drinks, so it has flexibility for your holiday party.  

    What could be  more festive than a drink with cinnamon and cranberry to enjoy around the dinner table, fire pit or just while visiting at your next holiday party.  We have made it our own special way and so can you.  Do not be afraid to mix it up and test out different variations to discover the flavor combination that you love the best.  

Spiced Herbed Margarita (makes 2)

2 ounces Cranberry Juice

2.5 ounces Pomegranate Juice

2 ounces Tequila 

3/4 ounce Triple Sec

Cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and cayenne pepper

1-4 dashes of Orange bitters

First run an orange slice around the rim of your glass and then roll your glass in coarse sugar combined with the spices above.  Fill your rocks glass with ice.  Add all the other ingredients into your shaker cup filled with ice.  Shake it really well, to help the spices spread throughout the drink. Once done, strain over your rocks glass.  

    You can leave your drink just like that and enjoy throughout the evening.  Or here are a few additions to add for a little extra pop.  Top your glass off with some ginger beer or sparkling water for a little bit of a bubbles.

    To make this into a mocktail, remove the tequila and triple sec, top your drink off with sparkling water, and add in a bit of simple syrup or honey to add a little sweet to the bitterness of the fruit.  

    This is a fun and simple cocktail that can be your signature holiday drink for the season.  Mix up the juice options with orange juice or sprite to change it just a bit to make your own unique drink.  This is sure to be a crowd pleaser, so be sure to make it as a batch. 

    Please be sure to drink responsibly and have a designated driver.  Happy Holiday's from all of us at The Oaks Bed and Breakfast.  We hope your holiday season is festive and full of laughter and joy.  Cheers!

Herb Infused Cocktail ~ Lemon Basil Elderflower Sake Cocktail

    

     For our Asian themed dinner I wanted a cocktail that had a unique flavor and taste from the area. Sake was my first choice to mix with others to make a cocktail our guests would enjoy. The addition of the Elderflower liquor and Brut Champagne brought it all together. 

     Of course, to add in our herb choice, I went with Lemon Basil to add in a bit more lemon flavor. The real star of this drink just might be the pomegranate juice. The juice gives the drink a distinct pink color with a little extra tart. 

     While there are a lot of liquids that go into this drink, the portions we have for mixing today make two. Grab your sweet heart and make up something to celebrate. You will want to mix this one up, and love it. 

 Lemon Basil Elderflower Sake Cocktail 

Serves 2

 

6-10 Lemon Basil leaves 

2 ounces Sake 

1 ounce Elderflower liquor 

1 ounce pomegranate juice 

1/2 ounce fresh lime juice 

Brut Champagne 

 Muddle your lemon basil in your shaker cup before adding the liquid. This will help to release the flavors. Once muddled add all the liquid except champagne. Give it a good shake, pour into champagne flutes about 3/4 full. Top with champagne and garnish with lemon or basil. 

 If you are looking for a little sweeter version of this drink, then you could top off with a Prosecco or Moscato. Overall, it is pretty dry but still refreshing. By using a champagne flute you have a more measured drink. As always please drink responsibly and have a designated driver.

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 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.