Dearie.

Hello forlorn blog. It's been a while. I haven't even kept my promise to try the new and exciting SoCo cocktails below... and I even have a bottle of SoCo. It's mostly due to the lack of fresh lime/lemon in the house, and a rather hectic time schedule, making it hard to concentrate on creating a good cocktail.

I have to admit that I'm absolutely obsessed with the Mojito. Obsessed. So, so, good. There has been much talk about the Mojito around the cocktail blogs I frequent, so apparently I'm not the only one :)

Next summer will definitely see the addition of a mint plant in a tub on my deck. Perhaps I'll even order that Cuban mint that is the authentic Mojito mint.

I've decided, too, that I may have found a nice, easy, bar drink (I generally refrain from "interesting" cocktails at bars, as the generally don't know them, or they're just too complicated, and I don't want to annoy the bartender... especially since most cocktails can go horribly wrong if done incorrectly): A rum and tonic, with a wedge of lime (to squeeze into said drink).

One night as I got lazy making Mojitos (because, really, it's pretty labor intensive, especially as one gets tipsy) I started just refilling my glass with rum, lime, and topping with tonic. By the second time around doing that, the mint flavor is pretty much gone... but it was still tasty! Ergo: new bar drink!

I mean, there's Gin & Tonics, Vodka Tonics... why not a Rum Tonic!

Rum is, after all, my favorite liquor.

Sangria Blanca - Test Run

I did a test run this past weekend using a split of cava - Freixenet, my favorite.

1 cup Brandy (not flavored) Wound up forgetting to buy brandy, so I used the SoCo that I had purchased for cocktails. Wasn't half bad.
1/2 cup Amaretto (vice orange liqueur)
No sugar
1 thinly sliced peach I used a nectarine, which strangely had pink-colored flesh; it was surprising. This time I blanched (to de-skin) before slicing. Next time I think I'll slice, then de-skin each individual slice, in order to get thinner slices)
1 cubed/sliced mango
1 pint raspberries Oops, I forgot. Will remember for next time, though. I'm sure the flavors will go well
Cava

I over-estimated the amount of cava in the split (I'm not sure why I didn't check the mL to cup ratio and then go from there, but a split only has about a cup and a half of liquid) and put in a tad too much SoCo/Amaretto (1/2 cup and 1/4 cup, respectively). It was still tasty, just a little too alcohol-y.

I also added tropical-mix juice. A little more than I would do normally, simply to counterbalance the poor alcohol ratios above. I'll probably add maybe a cup or so to the full recipe.

All in all, the flavors came out great. I really enjoyed the anisette and how it complemented the flavors of the fruit. Definitely a winner.

Sangria Blanca - more thoughts

Okay, so here are my preliminary thoughts on a non-citrus Sangria Blanca

1 cup Brandy (not flavored)
1/2 cup Amaretto (vice orange liqueur)
No sugar
1 thinly sliced peach
1 cubed/sliced mango
1 pint raspberries
Cava

Theoretical method: mix Brandy and Amaretto together, add peach and mango, and let sit. Before serving add raspberries and Cava.

Possible garnish: Use a melon-baller (or other small scooper) to create small scoops of Mango/Tropical/Peach sorbet. (Last time I wanted to attempt this, I could not find a melon baller. Of course, I only looked at the grocery store.) Add a couple to glass to help keep Sangria chilled.

I think the woody flavors of mango will complement the sweet peach/amaretto and tart raspberries, well. Here's hoping!

Adventures in Bad Mojitos

California Pizza Kitchen (Baltimore) wasn't much better. I'm not sure what the deal was, but it definitely was not good. I think they might have confused ginger ale and club soda. I should've gone for one of their "flavored" mojitos.

Sangria Blanca

I'd like to try my hand at sangria. Although there are a lot of recipes out there, they all (for the most part) include orange, and my best friend is allergic to orange... ergo... bad.

Common Themes in Sangra:

• Wine (some used Cava, which I'm interested in doing...)
• Brandy (sometimes flavored)
• Orange Liquor (would have to substitute)
• Fruit (commonly citrus, also apples and peaches)
• Sugar/Simple Syrup
• Fruit Juice/Puree

Heck, I even saw a couple that used rum. Perhaps a light tropical medley - peach, mango, and pineapple. I'm not sure sugar would be necessary in this case. All easily store-bought. I'd love to try it with the cava, too. Mostly because I just enjoy cava, anyway. I think a brandy would be necessary to counterbalance the sweetness. Though, thinking on it, a tot of Amaretto may give it a nice kick as well (complementing the peach, too).

Hmmm. Definitely going to be in my brain. I can't stop by the liquor store today, but perhaps I can hit up the discount wine/liquor warehouse this weekend and mull things over.

Here's a good recipe to play with.

To try:

The random function in CocktailDB leads one down interesting paths.

• Scarlett O'Hara, and of course
• Rhett Butler
• Fox Trot
• Pink Veranda
• Stirrup Cup

Looks like I'll be needing some Southern Comfort.

Poor Cheescake Factory

I went there Friday evening with some friends, and it seems as though they're trying to present themselves in a cocktailian fashion, except they're failing horribly at it.

They had some "classic" cocktails on the menu, which didn't seem classically prepared at all, and none of their "martinis" expressly included gin; none of them. And we're not talking all bastardized -tini drinks, either, because they had several vodka martini choices.

They even had a "007," "Shaken, not Stirred!" martini. How about we go for the real deal and include the Vesper, instead—the true Bond cocktail.

I ordered a Mojito (they actually had it on the menu! so I was initially excited about it), and although it wasn't a horrible drink, the mint portion consisted of flakes of mint floating around the glass, that I occasionally sucked up with the straw. It didn't even use crushed ice, come to think of it, whereas the Gin Rickey did (for some unfathomable reason, note the above where I said how classic cocktails were not classically prepared). Not even a single mint leaf as garnish!

So, okay, maybe it's too much to expect a large chain with a name echoing pin-up girls to make good cocktails. Oh, well.

I've yet to find a cocktailian location in my local area. I'll have to keep an eye out.