Olallie-Basil Elixir of Quietude {Cocktail}

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.

Comments

Connecticut Lobster Rolls, Canned Lobster Bisque, and a 2019 Henry Fessy 'Maître Bonhome' Viré-Clessé #Winophiles

This month the French Winophiles group is looking at affordable wines from Burgundy. Host Cindy of Grape Experiences wrote: "Burgundy, or Bourgogne, is known for its wines of Chardonnay and Pinot Noir... as well as Aligote, Gamay, Sauvignon, César, Pinot Beurot, Sacy, Melon in lesser quantities. Many of the well-known wines are quite expensive, but there are plenty of values to be found." Read her invitation here. And there won't be a Twitter chat for this event, so you will have to dive into the articles themselves to read about our pairings and findings. Here's the line-up... Wendy Klik from A Day in the Life on the Farm enjoys Domaine Chevillon Chezeaux Bourgogne Hautes Cotes de Nuits, 2018 Paired with a Maple Pecan Chicken . Camilla Mann from Culinary Adventures with Camilla shares her love of Connecticut Lobster Rolls, Canned Lobster Bisque, and a 2019 Henry Fessy 'Maître Bonhome' Viré-Clessé. Jeff Burrows of FoodWineClick! explains why we should Look t...

Homemade Lorna Doone Cookies #SundayFunday

Today the Sunday Funday group is celebrating childhood favorites. Thanks to Stacy of Food Lust People Love , Sue of Palatable Pastime , Rebekah of Making Miracles , and Wendy of A Day in the Life on the Farm for coordinating this low-stress group. Today Stacy is hosting and she's given us the following prompt: "Childhood favorites. Did you have a favorite dish growing up? It could be something your family cooked or a restaurant dish, even a Chef Boyardee canned good or packaged ingredients like Rice-a Roni or mac and cheese. Recreate THAT dish from SCRATCH for this event." Here's the #SundayFunday childhood favorites line-up... Chili Mac from A Day in the Life on the Farm Ham and Mushroom Breakfast Burritos from Making Miracles Homemade Lorna Doone Cookies from Culinary Adventures with Camilla Homemade Wonder Bread from Karen's Kitchen Stories K-Mart Sub Sandwiches from Palatable Pastime Kempakki Dosa from Sizzling Tastebuds Meat Chilly Fry...

Quick Pickled Red Onions and Radishes

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...

Culinary Adventures with Camilla

Search This Blog