Skip to main content

Olallie-Basil Elixir of Quietude {Cocktail}

By

I initially mentioned, before we headed off to pick olallieberries, that I had an olallie-basil martini on the brain for later this evening. Friends' responses ran the gamut from: "I'll take 3" to "sharing is caring" and "what time should I be there?"

But one friend's comment really caught my attention - "just don't call it a martini." It launched a virtual conversation that made me realize that I fallen prey to a common misconception myself...

Tacking 'tini' on the end of a word does not a martini make. Think 'chocolatini' and 'appletini' and my woefully ignorant 'olallie-tini.' Okay. So, what does make a martini? A martini is a drink made with gin and vermouth, garnished with an olive. That’s it. Some may substitute gin for vodka, and call it a 'vodka martini,' but many purists would reject this and simply call it a 'cocktail.' There are variations of the classic martini - dry, sweet, medium - but if it isn't mixed with gin, it's not a martini. Understood. 

Then I delved into my copy of Edible Cocktails: From Garden to Glass - Seasonal Cocktails with a Fresh Twist by Natalie Bovis and grew even more confused. She writes, "Not every mixed drink is a cocktail." A Cocktail is spirit  + sugar + water + bitters while a Daisy is spirit + liqueur + citrus. A Fizz is similar to a sour but with the addition of club soda and egg variations. Then there's a Smash and a Swizzle. I'm thoroughly befuddled and I haven't even had a drink yet.

I wanted to create a drink that was summery and herby. So, I can't call this a martinil and I have no idea what category this truly falls into. I will, a la E.B. White, call it an elixir of quietude. Cheers and good night!

4 olallieberries for muddling + 2 for garnish
1 basil leaf for muddling + 1 for garnish
1 part absinthe
1 part rhubarb liqueur
4 parts olallieberry simple syrup
4 parts vodka
splash of freshly squeezed lemon juice
2 lemon wheels for garnish

In pint glass, muddle 4 olallieberries and 1 basil leaf. Add in your liquids, except for the lemon juice. Scoop in ice and top with your shaker. Shake, shake, shake, and shake some more. Strain into your serving glass and garnish with 2 lemon wheels, 2 olallieberries, and a basil leaf.
Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Quick Pickled Red Onions and Radishes

By
If you've been reading my blog for even a short amount of time, you probably know how much I love to pickle things. I was just telling a friend you can pickle - with vinegar - or you can ferment - with salt - for similar delicious effect. The latter has digestive benefits and I love to do that, but when I need that pop of sour flavor quickly, I whip up quick pickles that are ready in as little as a day or two. I've Pickled Blueberries , Pickled Asparagus , Pickled Cranberries , Pickled Pumpkin , and even Pickled Chard Stems ! This I did last night for an upcoming recipe challenge that requires I include radishes. Ummmm...of course I'm pickling them! Ingredients  makes 1 quart jar radishes, trimmed and sliced organic red onions, peeled and thinly sliced (I used a mandolin slicer) 3/4 C vinegar (I used white distilled vinegar) 3/4 C water 3 T organic granulated sugar 1 T salt (I used some grey sea salt) 6 to 8 grinds of black pepper Proce
1 comment
Read more

Aloo Tiki {Pakistan}

By
To start off our Pakistani culinary adventure, I started us off with aloo tiki - potato cutlets. I'm always game for tasty street food. I found a couple of different recipes and incorporated those together for this version. Ingredients 6-8 small red potatoes, scrubbed 1 T cumin seeds 1 T fresh chopped parsley 1/2 t ground coriander 1 t minced garlic Procedure Boil the potatoes until they are tender. Drain and let cool. Mash the potatoes. Traditionally they are mashed without their skins. I left the skins on. In a small pan, toast the cumin seeds on high heat until the begin to give off an aroma and begin to darken. Remove from heat and transfer to a plate to keep them from cooking any more. Blend all of the spices into the mashed potatoes, then shape into small patties. If you wet your hands, the potato mixture won't stick to them. Heat a splash of oil in a large, flat-bottom pan. Dip each patty into beaten egg and carefully place in the oil. P
9 comments
Read more

Meyer Lemon Custard-Filled Matcha Turtles #BreadBakers

By
#BreadBakers is a group of bread loving bakers who get together once a month to bake bread with a common ingredient or theme. You can see all our of lovely bread by following our  Pinterest board  right here. Links are also updated after each event on the  Bread Bakers home page .  We take turns hosting each month and choosing the theme/ingredient. This month Stacy of Food Lust People Love  is hosting and she wrote: "Your bread can be large, as in one big animal, or small - animal-shaped rolls. Use your imagination! Points for flavor and shape!" If you are a food blogger and would like to join us, just send an email with your blog URL to Stacy at foodlustpeoplelove@gmail.com. Here's the animal-shaped bread basket from the #BreadBakers... Beef and Sweet Onion Dim Sum Pandas from Karen's Kitchen Stories Bird Bread Rolls from Ambrosia Easter Bunny Buns from Cook with Renu Ham and Cheese Elephant Rolls from Food Lust People Love Hedgehog Bread from Making Mir
15 comments
Read more