Hey friends!

Memorial Day has come and gone, so I guess it's unofficially summer. I thought we could all use a cocktail recipe today. Or three. You know, whatev.

Since moving to LA, the land of exceptional Mexican food-- whether it be from a fancy schmancy spot that serves duck confit tacos, or a food truck that's just posted up on my block-- I have become a margarita enthusiast. I always enjoyed a little tequila and citrus, but I never sought out variations as much as I have in the last year. Probably because out here, margaritas aren't composed mostly of sour mix and bartender bitterness. Here, they take that shit pretty seriously.

So I figured I should, too. I also had a hankering for a spicy drink and decided DIYing it for a blog post was probably a better idea than going to a bar at 2PM on a Thursday (still unemployed over here, obviously!)

So, without further ado, here's three different margaritas made with simple ingredients, a little muddling, and a fair amount of love and booziness. Enjoy!

Now that our garden is in full-bounty full-swing, I find myself adding cucumbers, basil and jalapeños to anything and everything I can. Of course, I thought, this should include vodka and gin.

We picked up a handle of Tito's Handmade Vodka and Right Gin because (A) they're delicious and (B) both are made from corn, unlike many vodkas and gins, making them gluten-free! Being allergic to alcohol with wheat in it was what caused Matt to figure out he had food allergies in the first place-- he'd occasionally stray from his usual (rye) whiskey cocktails and before you know it, he'd be short of breath and his skin all splotchy. It's slightly terrifying, witnessing this, and makes you want to ensure it never happens again. And though it's been an arduous task for him to cut out wheat across the board, it's been well worth it to watch his complexion brighten and even his demeanor change.

So, that being said, this vodka and gin was a great choice to infuse because it's a smooth, blank canvas. You can buy flavored vodka all day-- but it's never quite as good as when you do it yourself.

Happy Tuesday!

If you're anything like me, you still have some booze kicking around from Labor Day weekend. Perhaps it's a bottle of Rose that swayed you by the label... or perhaps it's a box of white zinfandel someone rightfully abandoned on your counter when the party was over.

I promise that there will be a lot more cocktail recipes and beer recommendations in your future round these parts.
I mean, it seems like it's my duty to share the boozey goodness I uncover on a weekly basis.
And usually, it's just delicious beer or wine that I enjoy rather than cocktails (top summer brews include Abita Strawberry, 21st Amendment's Hell or High Watermelon, Harpoon Mid-Summer Fling and Magic Hat Elder Betty...told you I am a beer advocate).

But every once in a while, I want to get fancy in the drink department and whip something up that includes a few ingredients and a bit of time.

I went to a vodka tasting a while back for Square One Organic Vodka. While I loved every variety I sampled, I was partial (as I always am, stemming from my Bath & Body Works Cucumber-Melon body-spray-shower days circa 2001) to the Cucumber flavor.
At the tasting, they paired this with some fancy schmancy watermelon soda.

So. What's a girl to do without a said soda or a juicer?
Buy a big honking watermelon half, strain it, and dedicate it to cocktails, that's what.
This refreshing vodka pairs so well with the sweetness of the watermelon, it's seriously a match made in summer cocktail heaven.
It takes a bit of time, but this drink is work every ounce of it. I swear.
Happy Holiday week, happy summer, happy Tuesday, happy drunk time. Whatever your reason, cheers.

As I mentioned yesterday, today is kind of a big deal for Matt and I.
And, yeah, I know once we're married, our "dating anniversary" won't matter as much. But for now, this day (which is really just the anniversary of the day I landed in Los Angeles and got Matty drunk and planted a kiss on him. Very romantic stuff) is a pretty valid landmark along our little voyage. We've been through a lot together. And sometimes it's nice to have a day designated to reflect upon that.
I'll take just about any excuse for nostalgia. And celebratory drinks. If you hadn't noticed.

One thing Matt and I often hear from friends is how "good of a pair" we are. I'm tech savvy. He likes to work with his hands (and threatens to throw his computer into traffic about once a week). He thinks teasing is a valid form of flirting. I think he is 100% correct (and he should shut his stupid fucking face about it).
He knows how to iron.
I...do not (total professional over here).
He can cook. I can (now, also) cook. We're both all about weird ingredients and trying new things.
He knows with a look when I need a hug.
I know with a grunt when he needs some space.
I wouldn't go so far to call our impending union perfect, but... let's just say we compliment each other really, really well.

Another two things that go together really, really well?
Jameson Irish Whiskey and pickle juice.
Yup. You heard me right.



So, by now I am sure 99% of my audience is familiar with our shot of choice. I've been talking about it for over two years now. We did so many of them at my birthday party a few years back, they were added to the Franklin Cafe brunch menu the following week (yep, taking total credit for that one. You're welcome, Southie.)

But for those of you who have never indulged in this terrific union, I encourage you to give it a shot.
I am not a whiskey drinker. I am also not a die-hard pickle fanatic either (I like them, sure, but before trying this shot, pickle juice wasn't really at the top of my list for, you know, drinking).
But, something about these two just work together.
Sometimes the best of pairings are those that simply work together without any explanation.
And those that get you drunk.
Both of which, I suppose.... can be said for Matt and I as well.
Ah, love.
Cheers.

Hello hello.
Back with more libations and smiles. Tis the season, is it not?

First, a Public Service Announcement:
If you're living in a major metropolitan area, especially my fair city of Boston, I highly recommend that you subscribe to emails from Thrillist and Urban Daddy for upcoming events, restaurant openings, and otherwise entertaining shit that does not involve the dive bar on your corner.

It was all thanks to an email from Thrillist back in August that I became privy to the fact that there was a full-fledged, craft distillery right down the road from my own front door. GrandTen has been open for a while now, and when they put the finishing touches on their tasting room in August, I knew we had to check it out. I reached out to the GrandTen guys directly regarding a tour, and received a super-nice, personal email back from Spencer, one of the co-founders of GrandTen, telling us to "come on by" any Tuesday evening or Saturday.

Of course, a while went by since the summer, with Matty and I traveling and generally forgetting about the liquor pilgrimage I had inquired about. And then, I saw GrandTen's flagship gin at our local liquor store, and I knew I had to reach out to Spencer again and go see this place for myself.

So I missed Tuesday Boozeday, but I can't leave you completely sans-midweek-alcoholic-treats, can I?

Of course not. And I had previously alluded to frozen alcohol last week, so I definitely could not leave you all out in the cold (pun absolutely intended).



So, without further ado, here's the quickest, yet also slowest (freezing time) cocktail recipe ever

What they're Made of:

• 1 cup white wine
• 2 T sugar
• 1/2 cup blackberries

How they're Made:

• Blend all ingredients together in a blender
• Pour into popsicle molds (or Dixie cups the old-fashioned way)
• Freeze for at least 4 hours, preferably overnight
• Wine for breakfast?

"I mean, I suppose I will go either way, but I would really prefer if there were some sort of schedule of arranged drinking activities for us to abide by." 

Back again with another not-even-mid-week alcoholic treat for you!

Over the weekend I bought mini-popsicle molds, so next week be prepared for me to hop on the "poptails" train like some of my favorite bloggers recently.

But, in the meantime, we have a lot of champagne in the fridge (I don't know if you heard, there was cause to celebrate a few weeks ago when we returned home from vacation. And our friends are alcoholics awesome), and a lot of fruit about to turn. I also got a handy immersion blender for my birthday that I have been using to prep just about everything, so this was a no-brainer. And a great change from the usual sparkling-wine-and-citrus combo we all indulge in every weekend (right?!)

I know. It's only the day after Monday. And most of you are sitting at a desk, trying to tackle a surely insurmountable workload. But my former boss used to have a saying that I still reference quite often. It was:

"Fuck Tuesdays."


So, in the spirit of my long-lost colleague and most-hated weekday, I have decided on a new feature that I will try to present each week: Tuesday Boozeday. Sometimes, a cocktail recipe; sometimes just a "try this NOW!" beer or wine recommendation, but always, a swift slap in the face of Tuesdays and a nod toward the ever-impending weekend.

We made these delicious blender drinks while on vacation on Lake Michigan. Made with berries straight from a farm stand off the side of Blue Star Highway, it was the perfect afternoon refreshment as we watched the waves roll in from the deck of our vacation house.

As of late, my other half Matty has been trying (with all his might) to avoid wheat products. He doesn't have Celiac disease or anything, but has decided to give it a go for a while, to see if he notices a difference in his overall mood. For a kid who was cranking out pasta dough a few months ago, this is no small feat. By proxy, as the one who is cooking a lot of the time, I am somewhat abhorring to his new diet. We're eating a lot of rice noodles these days.

Perhaps, at some point I'll post a story about a favorite place of mine that is downtown (like Kingston Station) or Back Bay (Lucca...!) or somewhere other my hood, but for now, I'll regale you with a recommendation for another Dorchester haunt - Ledge in Lower Mills.