Author Archives: missmojito

Life is Just a Sling of Cherries

Posted on July 23, 2009 | 2 comments

I have been having cocktail dreams about the Sour-Cherry Gin Sling since I read about it thisGin Slings spring over at FoodandWine.com. Being a gin fanatic, I love the idea of mixing a sour-and-sweet syrup with my favorite liquor and a splash of fizz. Doesn’t that sound intoxicating and irresistible? My thoughts, exactly.

The challenge with the Sour-Cherry Gin Sling is that sour cherries have a very short season – in fact, they’re exiting their peak as we speak! So rush to your local farmers’ market and pick up a few pounds of the intriguing fruit – you can make this easy cherry syrup and freeze it to reintroduce yourself to the sour cherry this winter when you’re in need of a pick-me-up.

The end result of this particular gin sling is eminently attractive – fizzy, pink and adorned by a fruity garnish. It’s the perfect cocktail with which to bid farewell to July.

Sour-Cherry Gin Fiz
From FoodandWine.com. Serves 12.

  • 2 cups gin
  • 2/3 cup Cointreau
  • 2/3 cup lime juice
  • 2 1/4 cups sour-cherry syrup (see recipe below)
  • Angostra bitters
  • Ice
  • Sparkling water
  • Lime wheels and fresh cherries, for garnish

In a pitcher, combine the gin with the Cointreau, lime juice, syrup and a few dashes of bitters. Stir well. Pour into ice-filled glasses and top with sparkling water. Garnish with lime and cherries.

Sour-Cherry Syrup

  • 1 pound sour cherries, stemmed
  • 3/4 cup sugar
  • 1 cup water
  • Strips of zest from 1/2 lemon
  • Strips of zest from 1/2 orange

In a large saucepan, combine the cherries with the sugar, water and zests and bring to a boil. Cover and simmer over low heat for 40 minutes. Pass the mixture through a fine strainer, pressing on the solids. Yield should be 2 1/2 cups. Let cool.

For those inclined to match your footwear to your beverage, cherry_shoesI’d recommend something saucy, red and fun to accompany this festive concoction. My vote goes to these cagey red Michael Antonio Selma sandals over at Endless.com.

Posted by Miss Mojito.

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Posted in cocktails, cointreau, gin, shoes, spirits, spring/summer cocktails

No More Room. . . S&C Storage Options, Part II

Posted on July 8, 2009 | 2 comments

As we discovered last week, Miss Mojito is exploring creative storage options for two of her favorite things, shoes and cocktails. And while we’ve already discovered the joys of the rolling bar cart, this week we investigate a much trickier topic: shoe storage.

Every gal struggles with finding a place to put that new pair of shoes. Throwing them in the depths of a closet causes a big mess and makes your footwear hard to find. (Ms. S&C has also discussed her own dilemma in this arena.) And most of us aren’t lucky enough to have expansive closets that fit custom rack upon custom rack of shoes. I needed an option that was at once sturdy and affordable, attractive and useful.

I found my solution at Ikea in the form of the pervasive Expedit bookcase in black.  Each cubby hole fits four pairs of shoes, 2-3 pairs of boots or 4-6 purses.

shoe_storage

And as you can see, the top of the shelf is the perfect spot for hat storage! Of course, not every pair of shoes fits in my bookcase, so I slip the remainder into an over-the-door cloth shoe holder.

Although my particular storage solution works well for me, I can’t help but be tempted by these colorful shoe wheels. I love the idea of spinning the wheel and taking our pick of shoes! Miss Mojito wants to know: do you have any other creative solutions for closeting your footwear?

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No More Room. . . S&C Storage Options, Part I

Posted on July 1, 2009 | 1 comment

Miss Mojito loves her apartment: the little balcony overlooking a busy street, the bright kitchen, the two cozy bedrooms, the great location. But it’s not all rainbows and unicorns chez Mojito. My recurring challenge in apartment life is the lack of storage space. And two of my biggest storage obstacles just happen to be those very topics so dear to our hearts here at S&C: shoes and cocktail fixings. Luckily, I’ve come up with some solutions that work for my apartment lifestyle. This week, we’ll take a look at how Miss Mojito stores her alcohol.

Until recently, I kept my liquor and wine on top of the refrigerator, a less-than-ideal location for several reasons. The heat from the fridge is certainly not good for the health of the drinks, plus the liquor would sit in the full light of a window. Not to mention that I’d love to use this space for extra kitchen appliance storage. What’s a girl to do?

Ideally, I’d have a cool, dark cabinet reserved for liquor storage. This not being an option in my jam-packed abode, I decided to take some inspiration from this Apartment Therapy posting and find myself a portable bar cart. Although my dwelling place is by no means expansive, I still love the idea of having a little cart that I can roll from room to room (and onto my balcony). But seing as the options featured on Apartment Therapy were a bit out of my price range, I had to get creative. After several hours of extensive Internet research, I opted for a compact, slightly retro bar cart from, of all places, Walmart! I must say, I’m more than satisfied with the cart’s cool, glass-and-chrome composition, as well as the under-$40 price tag.

bar_cart

Now, the only thing left to do is stock my bar cart! Miss Mojito wants to know: what are your liquor storage obstacles, and how have you overcome them?

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Getting Sentimental Over Shoes

Posted on June 24, 2009 | 1 comment

A friend who happens to be very in tune with Miss Mojito’s purchasing habits once made the observation that I don’t tend to buy clothes so much as I tend to collect them. And she was at least a little bit correct. I do like to grow and nurture my wardrobe, building it up piece by piece so that I’ll have an outfit ready for any occasion. And if that meant that I had to wait a year before I found occasion to wear the red silk dress with necklace detailing, so be it. Or if a brown jersey cocktail dress with a jeweled tie has remained dormant in my closet for over three years now, that’s alright with me. I just feel better knowing it’s there, at the ready, making my closet more complete.

The same philosophy certainly applies to my shoes. The crown jewels in my footwear collection happen to be two of those pairs that I have never—nay, could never—wear, but for a different reason than you might imagine. The shoes are impossibly small, remarkably narrow, impeccably stylish, and admittedly in need of repair. They also happen to be about 60 years old.

Both pairs of shoes belonged to my grandmother, Bobbie. Based on the fabulousness of these particular pairs of shoes, she certainly shared the same taste for footwear that we here at S&C so value. Both pairs are peep-toe ankle straps, a shoe silhouette that has  retained its popularity today. The black pair, which bears the mark of Paul’s Aristocrats of Brooklyn, is decorated with polka dots and swirls, while the creamier pair is made of satin and tiny rhinestone buckles.

bobbies_shoes

It’s sentimental favorites such as these that turn a wardrobe into a collection, one that inspires memories and a bit of sentimentality. And, on occasion, something to wear, too.

So, what would Miss Mojito sip were she able to cram her feet into these diminutive pumps? Why the Aviation, of course! It’s a classic cocktail concoction that gained popularity throughout Prohibition and into the 1930s, when my grandmother probably wore these shoes.

The Aviation Cocktail
Serves one.

  • 2 ounces gin
  • 1/2 ounce freshly squeezed lemon juice
  • 2 teaspoons maraschino liqueur
  • 1/4 ounce Crème de Violette (optional)
  • Ice

Combine the gin, lemon juice and maraschino liqueur in a shaker with ice. Shake and strain into a cocktail glass. Add a drizzle of Crème de Violette and serve.

*Miss Mojito makes the Crème de Violette optional because some versions of the Aviation omit the liqueur entirely, plus it’s a bit cost prohibitive.

Miss Mojito wants to know: What “crown jewels” are in your closet? Or, rather, in your “collection.”

Posted by Miss Mojito.

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Make Mine a Manhattan

Posted on June 15, 2009 | 3 comments

Strawberries are already on their way out of season, so it’s time we take advantage of them while they’re still in their Strawberry Manhattanprime. The folks at Gourmet had the same inclination, and offered a host of strawberry-inspired ideas in a recent electronic newsletter. My favorite suggestion? Infuse some bourbon with fresh strawberries and bottle up some berry bourbon. Miss Mojito decided to use hers to whip up a batch of Strawberry Manhattans.

To make the strawberry bourbon, hull a pint of strawberries and place in a large bowl. Pour bourbon over the berries (I used a 750-milliliter bottle of Jim Beam because that’s what I had on hand, but I’m sure a liter of some nicer bourbon would work just fine). Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 2-3 days. Strain out the berries and bottle the bourbon. I’m not entirely sure of the shelf-life of this liquor, but I’m guestimating you have a week or so to enjoy the intoxicating strawberry flavors.

Although I am a bourbon fan, I haven’t participated in much Manhattan mixing, and was pleased with the results. After much investigation, we decided on equal parts sweet and dry vermouth as a nice balance for the fruity bourbon. And the strawberry garnish is a necessary addition to fully enhance the fruity flavor. I advise you whip up a batch immediately, before it’s too late!

Strawberry Manhattan
Serves one.

  • 2 ounces strawberry bourbon
  • ½ ounce sweet vermouth
  • ½ ounce dry vermouth
  • 1-2 dashes Angostura bitters
  • Ice
  • Sliced strawberries for garnish

Pour bourbon, both vermouths and bitters into a cocktail shaker. Shake well and pour over ice. Garnish with strawberries and serve.

Posted by Miss Mojito.

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Posted in bourbon, cocktails, S&C categories, spirits, spring/summer cocktails

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Ready for a Reunion

Posted on June 5, 2009 | 5 comments

Miss Mojito will be reunionizing with college friends in Charlottesville this weekend and has been in search of a dress, shoes and a cmaxidressocktail to help prepare for the festivities.

Outfit Requirements: A fun, cool and casual dress (that’s long enough to hide the alarming sunburn marks that are still on both of my legs as a result of my Nags Head vacation over two weeks ago) was my number one requirement. My hope was to find a maxi dress that wasn’t too clingy to match with a pair of comfortable flats.

Outfit Results: I snagged a pearly pair of bone-colored, Pierre DuDSCN1221mas thongs for a cool $24 at Richmond boutique Fab’rik. The flats are a perfect match for my turquoise maxi dress with a braided rope detail, but the best part is that I can pair them with tons of other summer-friendly outfits.

Cocktail Requirements: Blue and orange are the official colors of my alma mater, but I’m coming up empty on ideas for similarly colored cocktails with great flavors.

Cocktail Results: Since I’ve abandoned the color theme, I’m going to focus purely on taste with one of my favorite summer cocktails, the Basil Gimlet. Traditional versions often rely on Rose’s Lime Juice, but Miss Mojito prefers the fresh stuff instead – if you do have some Rose’s on hand, though, it can’t hurt to add a splash. Legend attributes the drink to Sir Thomas Gimlette, who apparently served the concoction to his shipmates in the late 19th century to promote health and prevent scurvy.

I first experienced this herbal version of the gin cocktail at Mas, a tapas restaurant in Charlottesville.

Basil Gimlet
Serves two

  1. In the bottom of a shaker, muddle 1 large handful of basil (torn), with 1 tablespoon superfine sugar using a muddler (or the back of a spoon as a backup).
  2. Add 1 ounce of lime juice, 1 ounce of grapefruit juice and 4 ounces of gin (preferably Tanqueray’s Rangpur version, which is a bit sweeter and has extra notes of citrus).
  3. Add ice and shake well. Strain and serve.

Posted by Miss Mojito.

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Jumping on the Homemade Bandwagon

Posted on May 28, 2009 | Leave a comment

Ever since Miss Mojito started testing tonics and investigating the possibility of homemade tonic water, she’s experienced a growing interest in the make-your-own-ingredient movement. Expert mixologists are well known for creating their own syrups, cordials and the like, but more and more the trend is for at-home-cocktail-imbibers to adapt these techniques for their own kitchens.

In a May 19 article on San Francisco-based blog Yumsugar.com, the poster recalls her experience at a “House-Made Ingredients How-To” class, where instructors Jeff Holinger and Neyah White taught attendees about the value of experimenting with everyday kitchen items—pickle juice, for example—with a waste-not, want-not mentality. The end results are liquors with new and exciting flavors.

And in Michelle Maynard’s May 19 New York Times article, “Ginger Ale Without the Can,” Ms. Maynard has convinced me to try my hand at a homemade version of the soda to integrate into my home bar. A homemade ginger ale and bourbon sounds like it would literally burst with freshness.

Wikihow even provides an easy, 10-step method for creating your own cordials.  With summer upon us, I’m thinking that a cordial made from strawberries or raspberries might be the ultimate refreshment. I’d love to try a dollop in a flute of champagne.

And the prospect of homemade, pomegranate-flavored grenadine is truly exciting. The process of boiling and reducing a mixture of sugar and pomegranate juice couldn’t be more simple, although I might try replacing the two cups of sugar with agave nectar or Stevia natural sweetener. That’s the beauty of homemade ingredients, after all: you can adapt the recipes to suit your needs.

Miss Mojito is eager to know: do you have any home ingredient experiments to share?

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Beach Twists

Posted on May 21, 2009 | 1 comment

A Wednesday-through-Sunday beach vacation with friends from high school and college was the perfect chance to put a multitude of cocktails to the test. It was a relaxing, laid-back affair, so exotic experimentation was not at the forefront of Miss Mojito’s train of thought. Rather, this was an opportunity to mix good ingredients in new and interesting ways with refreshing results.

DRINK: Frozen Margarita blended-margarita
TWIST: Grapefruit Juice
1 cup of tequila, ½ cup lime juice, 1/3 cup Triple Sec and a pitcher full of ice make up a standard batch of frozen margaritas. A ½ cup of pink grapefruit juice adds a splash of color and a touch of tang to this beachy concoction.

DRINK: Salty Dog
TWIST: Lime Juice
2 ounces of gin, a large splash of grapefruit and a salted rim go into a traditional serving of the Salty Dog. We found a ½ ounce or so of fresh lime juice to be a nice addition.

DRINK: Sangria
TWIST: A frozen version
A good friend shared her recipe for a frozen sangria that was the perfect easy beach drink – it was fun, fruity and light enough for some daytime-appropriate imbibing. The night before, mix a bottle of fruity white (we used a pinot grigio), a can of frozen lemonade concentrate and OJ in a bowl. Freeze overnight, then mix and serve the next morning. Repeat as needed to prevent beach-related dehydration throughout the course of your vacation.

Posted by Miss Mojito.

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An Occasion for Mocktails

Posted on May 8, 2009 | 3 comments

Miss Mojito has a confession to make: she has found herself a new favorite drink, and it is NOT a cocktail. The occasion: a baby shower for my sister-in-law (and soon-to-be-born niece). The drink: a fruity mocktail.

Jason Wilson provided the inspiration in his April 5 Washington Post article, “Taking Mocktails Seriously.”  The audience for the mocktail is a sizeable one, not limited solely to mothers-to-be. Imbibers on a budget might find themselves attracted to the mocktail’s relative affordability. Those on a diet might enjoy the favorable calorie count of the liquor-free libation. And others, like Miss Mojito, might just like the drink’s inherent refreshing tastiness!

We took our cues from Mr. Wilson and looked to his “Folic Fizz,” which he DSCN1088adapted from Natalie Bovis-Nelsen’s 2008 book, Preggatinis. We made a few alterations ourselves, and changed the name from the vitaminal-sounding “Folic Fizz” to “Cantaloupe Fizz.” We reduced the sweetness, added a mint garnish and made a big batch for a crowd. The end result is beyond refreshing, with an in-your-face cantaloupe flavor that’s enhanced by the tangy lime and fresh mint. And, for those so inclined, it would transition well to a true cocktail with a shot of gin!

Cantaloupe Fizz
Serves 15

  • 3 cantaloupes
  • 3 teaspoons superfine sugar
  • 8 ounces fresh lime juice
  • 6-7 strawberries
  • 15 ounces lime-flavored sparkling soda water
  • Ice
  • Mint

Cut cantaloupe into chunks and puree in food processor. Strain puree through a fine mesh sieve to extract cantaloupe juice (reserve the “pulp” for another use or discard). Mix cantaloupe juice, lime juice and sugar in a large pitcher. Thinly slice strawberries and add to mixture. Top with sparkling soda water. Serve over ice with a sprig of mint garnish.

Posted by Miss Mojito.

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Footwear and Fun in the Field

Posted on May 1, 2009 | 2 comments

foxfieldThe pounding hooves, blistering sun and lingering scent of bourbon in the air can only mean one thing: Foxfield. Miss Mojito spent this past weekend at one of her favorite springtime celebrations. The Foxfield Races are steeplechase races (distance horse racing with jumps and such) that are basically an excuse for Albemarle County’s biggest tailgate party.

Miss Mojito’s favorite part of Foxfield has, traditionally, been the wardrobe picks. My favorite outfit in the seven years that I’ve attended the races entailed a horse-pattern dress (custom made by Mother Mojito) with a petticoat, cowgirl boots, a straw hat covered in feathers and a matching purse.

Since graduating from college, Miss Mojito has toned down her outfits a bit – but that doesn’t mean she takes the task of dressing for Foxfield any less seriously! With sunny skies and 90 degree temps in the forecast, I snagged a strapless, bohemian-style frock from Off 5th, the Saks outlet store. But what to choose in the way of footwear?

Flops are de rigueur for Foxfield. While standing in the grass all day, you certainly don’t want to find cutout_wedgeyourself in a pair of stilettos. But flats did nothing to accentuate the empire styling of my dress. A 4.5-inch heel was desired–nay, required–to make this particular outfit work. And with a $10 coupon to DSW in hand, I decided that wedges were the way to go. I’ve been coveting a cut-out heel for ages now, so this pair by Madden Girl met multiple shoewear desires. And while they weren’t the most comfortable pair of shoes ever worn, they were most certainly the most comfortable pair of 4.5-inch heels that ever graced Miss Mojito’s feet.

Mint juleps were the libation of choice for this day of fun, but since we encountered that particular concotion just last week, let’s examine another race-friendly drink today. After a bit of research, I discovered that all of the “big” races (the Belmont, the Preakness and the upcoming Derby) have their own signature drinks. So why not Foxfield? I’m taking a nod from Ms. S&C and recommending this festive Bourbon Punch as a contender for the official drink. Foxfield just isn’t Foxfield without a bit of bourbon, and I’m crazy about the addition of tangy grapefruit juice. And though I’ll have to wait until 2010 to give the punch an official test run at the races, there’s nothing stopping me from conducting a cocktail dress rehearsal this weekend!

Posted by Miss Mojito.

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