Cuisine: Cocktails

Basil Mint Gimlet

My friend Corina gave me these absolutely beautiful raspberry monogrammed linen cocktail napkins. They are from The Monogrammed Home in San Marino, California. Anyway, my husband made me this Basil Mint Gimlet, which is puts a fresh spin on the traditional gimlet. You can use either vodka or gin. It’s so light and refreshing.

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  • Prep: 5 mins
  • Yields: Makes 1 cocktail

Pink Panties

We had dinner at our friend Ginger's house and she made me this vodka based cocktail called Pink Panties, mainly because she liked the name! It's light and refreshing. I dare you to try it!

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  • Prep: 5 mins
  • Yields: 1 Serving

Cranberry Margarita

I love cranberry juice and drink a lot of it. I do not really like margaritas because they are too acidic. I decided to try this bright and vibrant Cranberry Margarita recipe. The tart cranberry juice, lime, and tequila are lightly sweetened with a splash of triple sec or orange liqueur.

By Leslie Blythe

  • Prep: 5 mins
  • Yields: Makes 1 cocktail

Aperol Spritz

From the Hamptons to Lido Isle, the hot “new” drink is the Aperol Spritz, a bright orange spritzer traditionally served in a wine glass with several cubes of ice and a slice of orange.

By Leslie Blythe

  • Prep: 5 mins
  • Yields: Makes 1 cocktail

Bourbon Soaked Cherries

We went to the farmer's market and found these beautiful fresh cherries and decided to preserve them. It's only 3 ingredients - cherries, sugar and bourbon. You can use these Bourbon Soaked Cherries in a Manhattan or spoon them with their syrup over ice cream for an adult dessert. They will last a year in the refrigerator.

By Leslie Blythe

  • Prep: 30 mins
  • Cook: 15 mins

The East Villa Cocktail

Grapefruit and vodka is no new pairing, not by a long shot; the Salty Dog is a testament to that. If, like us, you have a winter crop of grapefruit, then finding new uses for this fruit is a great thing. The East Villa cocktail is a variation on an old theme—a lighter, fresher, herbal take on the classic Greyhound. Rosemary gives this an herbal edge while the sparkling grapefruit soda (you can use plain soda water) gives this drink a a lift that evokes summer coolers, well into fall and winter.

By Leslie Blythe

Rhubarb Fizz

This refreshing drink calls for rhubarb-infused simple syrup for flavor and sweetness, tart lemon juice as a foil to the sweetness, gin for depth and strength, topped up with sparkling wine. Perfect for the spring and summer, this is a little like a fruity French 75, on the rocks.

By Leslie Blythe

  • Prep: 10 mins
  • Cook: 5 mins
  • Yields: 4 - 6 cocktails

Army Navy

The Army Navy, a World War II era cocktail, first appears in print in David Embury's The Fine Art of Mixing Drinks, and Embury described it as a Gin Sour that uses orgeat instead of simple syrup, which is almond-flavored syrup from Italy or France. 

By Leslie Blythe

  • Prep: 5 mins
  • Yields: Makes 1 cocktail

Ramos Gin Fizz

The Ramos Gin Fizz, aka Ramos Fizz or New Orleans Fizz, is a cocktail which consists of gin, cream, egg white, soda water, orange flower water, fresh lemon juice, fresh lime juice, and sugar (or simple syrup). It is meant as a breakfast drink. As a fizz, it is served in a collins glass with no ice.

By Leslie Blythe

  • Prep: 10 mins
  • Yields: Makes 1 cocktail

All That Fizz

A popular drink in the 1970s, All That Fizz is a gin lovers Whiskey Sour. Light and refreshing, this easy to make cocktail is unusual in that it is dry shaken first and then shaken with ice. A top off of club soda puts the "fizz" in All That Fizz. While this drink's base alcohol is gin, a smoky coating of Scotch on the inside of the glass along with a frothy egg white are welcome flavors reminiscent of a Whiskey Sour.

By Leslie Blythe

  • Prep: 5 mins
  • Cook: 10 mins
  • Yields: Makes 1 cocktail