Herb Infused Cocktail ~ Thyme Whiskey Limoncello

     

    March is here at last and we are ready for all that this month happens to bring with it.  Vacations, Spring break and hopefully a little rain.  To start the month off in a celebratory mood, we will be serving up our cocktail of the month, a Thyme Whiskey Limoncello.  Of course, we used our favorite Irish whiskey for this drink, Telling Single Pot Whiskey.  But you can use your favorite Whiskey or whatever you happen to have on hand.  Of course we chose an Irish whiskey in remembrance of St. Patrick’s Day. 

St. Patrick is the patron saint of Ireland, who when he was just 16 years old, was kidnapped and brought to Ireland as a slave.  He managed to escape but returned to convert the Irish to Christianity in 432 ce, and is recorded with opening churches, monasteries and schools during his thirty years on the island.  He is said to have used the shamrock to explain the Trinity, and is also said to have driven snakes from Ireland.  The Irish community celebrates the day as a religious feast day and it became Americanized in 1732 led by parade, “wearing of the green,” and dying rivers green, just to name a few.  

In continued celebration with St. Patrick, we selected Irish Whiskey as our base for our cocktail of the month and are excited to share it with you this month.  Please note here are a few more tips to make your drink the way you want it when making it on your own.  If you like your drink on the sweeter side, add in an ounce of simple syrup.  Do not have any Limoncello, just add more fresh squeezed lemon juice.  Make your drink the way you want it and use your favorite whiskey. 

Thyme Whiskey Limoncello

Serves 1

2 ounces Teeling Whiskey

1 ounce Limoncello

½-¾ ounce fresh squeezed lemon juice

One sprig of thyme

Pull off the thyme leaves directly into your ice filled shaker cup.  Add in the whiskey, limoncello and lemon juice.  Shake until the outside is cold.  Pour into an ice filled glass.  Garnish with lemon rind and fresh thyme. 

This cocktail is great to sip and enjoy under the moon light, with friends.  Enjoy your drink with a hearty Irish stew or Seafood chowder.  Ask for it by request when you stay at the Oaks Bed and Breakfast or for any special event.  

Please enjoy responsibly and have a designated driver.  Cheers!

Herb Infused Cocktail ~ Rosemary Smoke

 

With cold weather ahead for our Texas winter and this week being especially chilly, with even a bit of snow in the forecast, we have whipped up a tasty smoky drink for our herb infused cocktail of the month.  What makes the smoky flavor come out in this drink, is actually burning a little bit of rosemary into the glass you plan to serve your drink in.  I'm sure the flavor and strength of the smoke will be different based on how green your rosemary is.  Just use caution and be careful not to light your house on fire when preparing this drink.  Use a surface that is non-flammable and maybe some rosemary that is a little on the green side.  

Since ours was fresh cut, our rosemary proved to be a little difficult to light and gather smoke, but we managed to make it happen.  While you are preparing the drink, start off by capturing the smoke in the glass.  Light your rosemary and place on a non-flammable surface and top with serving glass.  This will hold in the smoke while you prepare your drink.  

Now I like a little tarter in my drink, so I used more lemon juice, so based on your flavor preference feel free to increase or decrease to fit your needs.  Our recipe is a starting point for your enjoyment.  We also used Jack Daniels as our whiskey today, but you could use a rye based, which will make for a different flavor in your drink.  

Rosemary Smoke

1 ounce Whiskey

3/4 ounce lemon juice

1/2 ounce rosemary simple syrup

splash of bubbly drink

Burn a little rosemary and cover with your serving glass.  In a shaker cup combine your whiskey, lemon juice and simple syrup.  Shake until the outside starts to condensate.  Flip your smoky cup oven and add in some ice.  Pour your drink over the ice and give it a little splash of a bubbly drink.  Garnish with a sprig of rosemary.

The bubbly drink you select can be your own as well.  Sweeter maybe go with a ginger beer.  A little drier club soda or tonic water.  We use some sparkling water, mostly because we always have that on hand. Now personally I do not enjoy the smoky smell of the drink when sipping, but the flavors together make for a delish drink of choice.

As a reminder we make our simple syrup from scratch.  This time be sure to add in a few springs of rosemary while cooking. One to one on the water to sugar and you have a great flavored syrup for your drink.

Mix and match to find your favorite way to serve this simple drink.  Enjoy with friends around the fire pit this winter and let us know how you like it.  As always enjoy your drink responsibly and have a designated driver.  Cheers!

Herb Infused Cocktail ~ Basil Honey Strawberry Smash

 

Strawberries and watermelon are the fruits of summer. Nothing says summer like a cool refreshing cocktail made from fresh strawberries and beautiful summer basil. With three types of basil growing in our garden our choices are plentiful and tasty. The honey in this drink is hot honey so it adds a kick of spice and a little sweet at the same time.

 

A key point for this drink is to muddle the strawberries, honey and basil until it’s almost liquid. This will help to mix the strawberries, basil and honey with the bourbon better once it is all combined. If you do not happen to have a muddler you can use a wooden spoon to break everything down.

 

Basil Honey Strawberry Smash

 

3-4 fresh or frozen strawberries

4-5 basil leaves

1/2 ounce hot honey

1 1/2 ounces bourbon or whiskey

Ice

 

Muddle together strawberries, basil and honey until liquid. Add in bourbon or whiskey. Mix well and top with ice. Garnish with strawberry and basil. These measurements are for one drink, add more for multiple drinks.

 

             

The hint of spice is just perfect in this drink for those who like an easy extra kick with their cocktail. Make this a mock tail by adding in club soda or sparkling water instead of bourbon. We selected a mix of purple basil and green basil for our drink to mix our basil flavors together.

 

This is a great drink to make as a batch to enjoy with friends on the upcoming holiday. As always enjoy responsibly by having a designated driver. Cheers!

Herb Infused Cocktail ~ Irish Maid

 

    To help with the St. Patrick's Day celebrations we are sharing a cocktail recipe from our friends at Teeling Irish Whiskey.  If you remember we visited their distillery while in Ireland last year and really enjoyed the tour and tasting at the end of the tour.  We wanted to bring back their whiskey in our cocktail this month to help celebrate the day.  

    Teeling's shared this recipe for the Irish Maid from a local bar named the Dead Rabbit, and creator Jack McGarry. We added in the addition mint, since it is an herb infused cocktail.  I thought about dill but felt that would not be the best flavor combination with the St. Germain.  We love St. Germain, and would use it almost every cocktail if we could but alas we much change it up.  The elderberry liquor is just so pleasant to drink or mix.  

    Irish Maid

2 ounces Teeling Small Back Irish Whiskey

3/4 ounces Lemon Juice

3/4 ounce Simple Syrup

1/2 ounce St. Germain

2 Cucumber Slices

4-5 Mint leaves

    Muddle the cucumber and mint leaves in the bottom of a shaker cup.  Add all the remaining ingredients.  Shake and strain into a glass over ice.  Garnish with a cucumber slice and mint. Enjoy!

    This drink is simple to make and fantastic to enjoy.  Each of my taste testers wanted another glass, to enjoy. Make this drink for your friends and they might never leave.  Be sure to check out our video on YouTube and let us know what you think.   

    We hope you enjoy this drink, since it is quick and refreshing.  This is a single served option, adjust for larger batches for more drinks.  As always please drink responsibly, have a designated driver.  We hope you enjoy the Irish Maid this St. Patrick's Day. Slainte!

Let's Eat ~ Foster's Place

 

    Foster's Place located at 15244 SH-11, Pickton, TX, is a long standing local restaurant that has seen it's fair share of regular customers and those that stop in for a pint and a burger.  Foster's currently has hours, Saturday 11 a. m. - 10 p. m., Sunday 11 a. m. - 9:30 p. m., and Monday 4 p. m. - 9 p. m.  Bring the whole family or just your friends to enjoy a meal or live music, most weekends on Saturday night.  The spring and summer are get times to visit as well, with their outdoor dining options, and a great stage to see those who come out to play some tunes.

    The core menu at Foster's is made up of pizza, wings and burgers.  You can select your pizza from an option they have put together or build your own.  Same with the burgers, they have three selected options or you can build your own.  All of their beef comes from local butcher, Rail 19 and much of their produce also comes from local growers.  Foster's strives to use, people in the community to provide the freshest ingredients for their customers. 

    Along with the core menu Art has created daily specials that will be a little more creative and fun for your dining experience.  These daily specials are always changing so it makes each visit worth the time.  We had a poblano chicken mac and cheese, which was from the specials menu and it was delicious. You could taste the peppers and the cream sauce on the mac and cheese was just perfect.  

    We also enjoyed Foster's Fries as our starter, that are made from a special cut potato so diners can experience the softness of the potato with a bit of crisp on the end.  Plus the homemade Foster's seasoning on the fries makes them just perfect.  The seasoning can be purchased at Foster's or at Lander's Creek in Sulphur Springs.  You might want to pick some up to place in some stockings for this holiday season. 

    That's not all you can get from Foster's.  If you enjoy craft beer, this is the stop for you.  They regularly do a nightly beer special and they feature a wide variety of choices from around the state.  The fun does not stop there, they can customize a pack to go home with you at the end of the night mix and match the beers you tried or bring  home something new.  Either way you will no be disappointed with your choices in restaurant or at home.  

  Foster's also happens to carry a large variety of whiskey for the whiskey lover in your house.  If you want something a little stronger for your visit and have a designated driver, be sure to try something new when you stop in.  We have sent guests down there for that reason alone, and they enjoyed their entire visit.  Art and his staff are attentive and ready to help answer any questions you might have.  Art loves to visit with his guests and will probably stop by your table when  you stop in for a bite to eat.  Be sure to check their Facebook page for Holiday hours, since the big days this year are on the weekends.  After the holiday's for sure plan your next night out for lunch or dinner to Foster's, or on your next stay while at The Oaks.