Cucumber Basil Smash

I can't believe it's October already. I thought I would be ready for some cool fall weather after the sweltering summer we had here in Boston, but I'm a little reluctant to give up the long days and warm evenings on our balcony. I'm sure I'll be embracing autumn with apple picking and spiced cocktails before long. But for now I'm still trying to squeeze a few more summery drinks in.

I don't know what it was about this year, but my backyard garden and the potted plants on my balcony did not thrive. I've only gotten three tomatoes, whereas last year I was freezing huge leftover dishes full of sauce. I tried planting broccoli for the first time, but I clearly didn't know what I was doing and it bolted before producing anything. I trimmed it back and it looks like I might be getting some stalks - we'll see. My zucchini plant put all its effort into one monster zucchini while we were away on vacation and then died. Etc. My basil is one thing that really thrived, and as it flowered I thought I definitely needed to use some in a cocktail.

Cucumber and basil is a really winning combination. I've used it before in my Cucumber Basil Gimlet. Since I'd already done the combo with gin, I reached for vodka instead for this drink. On the one hand, I'm not a huge fan of vodka because I don't think it adds much to a cocktail besides alcohol. But on the other hand, sometimes this is exactly what you want. There's enough great flavor in here that vodka felt like a good choice. Not to mention that Thursday, October 4th is National Vodka Day.

A "smash" is a category of cocktails somewhat similar to a julep. In fact, at one time a Whiskey Smash and a Whiskey Julep were basically the same thing - whiskey, sugar, and mint. But a Smash has come to include lemon juice or other citrus as well. Think of it as boozy flavored lemonade. The "smash" part comes in when you muddle your herbs and/or fruit. It's a fun drink template to play around with. Try it with your favorite spirit and some different flavors and see what you can come up with!

Cucumber Basil Smash

2 oz. vodka
3/4 oz. lemon juice
3/4 oz. simple syrup
3 slices cucumber
6 basil leaves

Combine cucumber, basil, and simple syrup at the bottom of a shaker and muddle gently to bruise the basil and release juice from the cucumber. Add vodka and lemon juice and fill shaker with ice. Shake until chilled and strain into a rocks glass filled with ice. Garnish with a cucumber slice and a basil flower.

Mocktail: Strawberry Balsamic Lemonade

This week's big baby-related activity was stroller shopping. We went to a little boutique baby store in Brookline because we heard they had a good selection of the brands we were interested in. We'd walked about three steps into the store when we were pounced upon by an eager employee looking to help us. As an introvert and cheapskate, I generally prefer to shop by myself rather than having someone hover over me, but since this was a whole new world for us, we reluctantly told this smiling woman - Pattie - what we were looking for.

All I can say is, thank God for Pattie. Strollers and carseats are complicated. There is no way my husband and I would have been able to figure out which strollers were compatible with which carseats, which ones came with toddler seats, which ones needed adapters, etc. You would think that between the two of us, a PhD and an MD, we would be able to at least figure out how to fold a stroller frame, but we were still fumbling with most of them after the third time Pattie showed us how to do it. And let's not even get into carseat installation. There's never been a time in pregnancy when I was more in need of a drink.

Alas, the hard stuff is still eleven weeks away, but at least I can make a refreshing mocktail to banish a bit of the summer heat and unwind post-stroller shopping. I've been seeing far too many beautiful strawberries around not to have them end up in a glass somehow. This is a pretty simple recipe, but it's quite tasty and the color is stunning. Muddled strawberry and basil brighten up an average cup of lemonade, and a syrup made with balsamic vinegar gives it a beautiful depth and tang. It's a wonderful summer drink.

As for the stroller saga, it's not over yet... this weekend we're headed to Babies 'R' Us to look some more. Pray for me.

Strawberry Balsamic Lemonade

2 strawberries, sliced
6 basil leaves
1 oz. balsamic syrup*
1 1/2 oz. lemon juice
5 oz. club soda

Combine strawberries, basil, and balsamic syrup in the bottom of a shaker or mixing glass and muddle to bruise the basil and release the juices of the strawberries. Add the lemon juice and a few ice cubes and stir briefly to chill and dilute. Strain into a rocks glass filled with ice. Top with club soda and stir gently to combine. Garnish with a fanned strawberry and some basil leaves.

*For balsamic syrup, combine equal parts water, sugar, and balsamic vinegar in a saucepan and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for about five minutes, stirring occasionally. Let cool completely before using. Also good on salads!

Basil Cranberry Julep

The Mint Julep may be a classic, but it isn't really a cocktail I crave very often. It's just so very sweet, without much to balance it out. I used to think I'd only ever want one during the Kentucky Derby; I've been forced to amend that statement after a visit to Houmas House Plantation outside of Baton Rouge, Louisiana, where we sipped Mint Juleps while touring the beautiful gardens at sunset. A Mint Julep can be perfect in the right setting.

Despite my Mint Julep misgivings, I like the idea of trying some variations on the simple mint-sugar-bourbon mixture, and this one from Nick Caruana of The Straight Up looked like a perfect candidate. It swaps out the mint for basil, the bourbon for mezcal, and the plain simple syrup for a cranberry syrup, which I already had made up for my Autumn Cranberry Old Fashioned.

Like a traditional Mint Julep, this cocktail dances dangerously close to being too sweet. The mezcal really helps provide some balance in this respect, as does the slight tartness of the cranberry syrup. It's still not my favorite, but I'm really glad I made it. One of the most remarkable things about it is how very much like a julep it tastes, even with its unique ingredients. I could definitely find a situation or two in which this would be the perfect cocktail to sip. Nick points out that Derby Day and Cinco de Mayo usually fall quite close together - I think I know what I'll be drinking this year.

Basil Cranberry Julep

2 oz. mezcal
1 oz. cranberry syrup*
1/4 oz. agave nectar
6 basil leaves

Add basil leaves and agave nectar to the bottom of a julep cup and muddle gently. Add the mezcal and cranberry syrup. Fill the cup with crushed ice, mounding it on top. Garnish with two basil leaves and some fresh cranberries, if desired. Drizzle about 1/4 oz. cranberry syrup on top.

*For cranberry syrup, Nick recommends reducing cranberry juice in a saucepan and adding sugar. You can also simmer fresh cranberries in equal parts water and sugar until they begin to break down. Crush them with a spoon and then strain the syrup. Either way, let it cool completely before using.

Recipe from The Straight Up.

Bufala Negra

I've had this cocktail bookmarked for a long time. It just sounded so unusual: bourbon, basil, balsamic vinegar, and ginger beer. The flavor is incredibly interesting. Unlike the Strawberry Balsamic Smash, where a mere hint of balsamic vinegar enhanced the other flavors of the cocktail, the Bufala Negra is all about the balsamic. After I took my first sip, I wasn't sure I liked it. Then I took another, and another. As my palate slowly got used to the flavor, I enjoyed it more and more. When you roll it around on your tongue, you can pull out the savory notes of basil and balsamic.

The recipe specifies good aged balsamic vinegar, and I'd abide by that. In my experience the cheaper ones tend to taste more acidic, where as more expensive ones are sweeter and more flavorful. It could make all the difference in this cocktail. Plus, balsamic vinegar keeps forever and isn't something you use large quantities of, so it seems like a worthy splurge.

History: The original Bufala Negra was invented by Jerry Slater of H. Harper Station in Atlanta. His recipe uses a balsamic syrup instead of straight vinegar. John Greco of Philip Marie in Greenwich Village created this adaptation. As far as the name, I believe it means "black buffalo" in Portuguese.

Bufala Negra

1 1/2 oz. bourbon
1/2 tsp. simple syrup
1 tsp. balsamic vinegar
4 basil leaves
2 oz. ginger beer

Muddle basil with simple syrup in the bottom of a shaker. Add bourbon and shake with ice until chilled. Strain into a rocks glass filled with ice. Top with ginger beer. Using a teaspoon, gently drizzle balsamic on top (most of it will sink). Garnish with a sprig of basil. Be sure to stir before you sip.

Recipe adapted from the New York Times.

Coy Mistress

Had we but world enough, and time

This coyness, Lady, were no crime

We would sit down and think which way

To walk and pass our long love's day.

My mom flew up to Boston for my dissertation defense. After she sat so patiently through an hour-long talk, wondering what on earth allopatry and ΦST were, I really thought she deserved a cocktail. It is hot today in Boston, so something light and fizzy was a must. She's a big vodka drinker (apparently it's not hereditary) and isn't into minty drinks or ginger beer, so that nixed a lot of the ideas I had offhand. So we created a summery concoction together that we both really enjoyed. I wanted to name it in her honor. She's a researcher in 17th century literature, and she suggested "Coy Mistress" after one of Andrew Marvell's most famous poems.

History: I'm going to let my mom take this one:

"Andrew Marvell was a 17th century British metaphysical poet (1621-1678), whose works one scholar has called 'liminal.' Here's an 'in-between' cocktail perfect for a hot summer day in Boston, particularly after a grueling dissertation defense. Marvell's famous poem 'To His Coy Mistress' epitomizes the beauties (and heat) of a torrid affair, to be cooled off by a healthy dose of vodka, St. Germain, lemon juice, simple syrup, and muddled basil. Try it, and see if you still feel 'coy.'"

Well said, Mom.

Coy Mistress

2 oz. vodka
3/4 oz. St. Germain
3/4 oz. lemon juice
1/2 oz simple syrup
4 basil leaves
2 oz. club soda

Muddle basil in a shaker with simple syrup and lemon juice. Add St. Germain and vodka. Shake with ice until well chilled. Strain into a rocks glass filled with ice. Top with club soda and stir briefly. Garnish with a lemon slice and a sprig of basil.

Cucumber Basil Gimlet

If there is anyone out there who has been eagerly awaiting a new post, I apologize for the delay. I'm two weeks away from defending my dissertation, and needless to say, it's been busy! I finally sent my second chapter to my committee today, and celebrated by making a Cucumber Basil Gimlet.

I don't remember exactly where the inspiration for this cocktail came from. I saw the name in passing somewhere and made a note of it. I didn't even look up the recipe; the idea was straightforward enough, and it sounded like a lovely combination of flavors. So once the basil on my patio was mostly recovered from my best attempts to let it wither and die, I plucked a few leaves and experimented with proportions.

This is a lovely summer drink, and it stands out amid a list of other summery recipes I have lined up for the next few weeks in that it is not at all fizzy (although now that I think about it, you could amp up the lime juice and simple syrup, add club soda, and make a gin-basil Mojito sort of cocktail... hmm). It doesn't go down too quickly, but it's still citrusy and refreshing. Great for an evening on the porch.

For those of you who have time for that sort of thing.

Cucumber Basil Gimlet

2 oz. gin
1/2 oz. lime juice
1/2 oz. simple syrup
5 slices cucumber
5 basil leaves

Add cucumber slices and basil leaves to a shaker with lime juice and simple syrup. Muddle until leaves are bruised and cucumber is broken up. Add gin and ice. Shake until well chilled. Double-strain into a coupe glass. Garnish with a slice of cucumber and a sprig of basil.

Victoria & Albert

While I was away, I missed the roundup of the May Mixology Monday recipes. Here it is, over at CocktailVirgin. As I predicted, my Cuauhtémoc was not the only Mexican-themed Manhattan recipe, though it was the only one that used tequila; Chris at ABarAbove created the rum-based Teotihuacan. Another one I'm looking forward to trying is Rated R Cocktails' Chinatown Moll. Well, to be honest, I'd try them all if I had the ingredients. I hope I have time to come up with something for MXMO XCVII, because I love the idea of working with local ingredients.

Today's recipe is one of my mom's favorite cocktails. My parents live near a location of New Orleans' wonderful Martin Wine Cellar, and periodically come home from tastings or shopping trips with cocktail recipes. My mom made this one and was instantly wowed. And I can see why. It's bright, floral, fragrant, and just the tiniest bit bitter. It's a lovely cocktail.

The original recipe called for only 1 oz. of grapefruit juice, but I felt the drink was too sweet and unbalanced. Increasing it to 1 1/2 really helped, in my opinion. This is also only the second vodka cocktail I've featured on this blog; I already mentioned that I'm not really a big fan of vodka in general. Even as I drank my Victoria & Albert, I couldn't help but wonder what it would taste like with some gin instead.

So, vodka lovers... can you recommend a vodka and/or a cocktail that might change my mind?

Queen Victoria and Prince Albert on their wedding day.

History: This recipe comes from a Square One vodka handout titled "Cocktails for Italian Cuisine," and doesn't appear to exist anywhere else. There's a version of the handout on the Square One website, but it doesn't have the Victoria & Albert on it.

The namesake for the drink is clearly the "it" couple of the 1840's and 50's, Queen Victoria and Prince Albert. They had a very romantic relationship, and Victoria was heartbroken when Albert died of typhoid fever at age 42, after 21 years of marriage. Victoria wore black for the rest of her long life, and she had the servants lay out Albert's clothes for the next day every evening until she died. Their relationship is depicted in the recent movie The Young Victoria, with Emily Blunt as the queen and Rupert Friend as Prince Albert. Perhaps this is a fitting inspiration for a cocktail that is very sweet, with just a touch of bitterness at the end.

Victoria & Albert

2 oz. vodka

1 1/2 oz. grapefruit juice

1/2 oz. Aperol

1/2 oz. simple syrup (or less)

4 basil leaves

Put basil leaves at the bottom of a shaker and muddle until bruised. Add remaining ingredients and ice. Shake until very cold. Double-strain into a coupe glass, and garnish with a grapefruit twist and a basil leaf.

Recipe adapted from Square One Vodka.