Thirsty Thursday: Strawberry Ginger Smash with Homemade Ginger Beer

In case you didn't know, the Hubs (and me, technically...I'm more of an assistant) is a home brewer.  We've been brewing for several years now.  It's a fun if periodically frustrating hobby (like most hobbies, probably), that gives you a tangible result in the end...that can also get you buzzed.  Earlier this year we decided to branch out from our usual beermaking to make some spicy ginger beer from an extract kit we found at our local homebrewing store.

The full packet makes 16 Liters, so we bottled four 2-Liters, and then put the rest in the fermenter with some yeast.  The yeast gobbles up some of the sugar and converts it to alcohol, and boom...you have hard ginger beer.

BOOM, is right...since we decided to use champagne yeast.  Which not surprisingly, makes the bottles fizz up like crazy when you open them...much like a bottle of champagne.

Anyway, aside from those incidents, it's tasty stuff...providing you like ginger. Like, REALLY like ginger.  This stuff will go up your nose and make you cough.

Much like the other super-spicy ginger beer, Q, this makes an excellent moscow mule. Or Dark & Stormy  But since we've already made those here before, I wanted to try something a little different.

INGREDIENTS: (per cocktail)
4 hulled strawberries
1 tsp honey
5-7 mint leaves (note: I think this would be equally delicious with basil)
1/2 lime juice
3-4 oz strawberry infused vodka 
8 oz homemade ginger beer 
Crushed ice

DIRECTIONS:
Place the strawberries, mint, and honey in the bottom of the glass and muddle with a wooden spoon.  Then top with crushed ice.

Add the lime juice, vodka, and ginger beer.  Garnish as desired.  Kick back and enjoy with a nice cheese plate.

Featured cheese: Mango Ginger Stilton

Slainte!

Thirsty Thursday: Moscow Mule

My last trip down south, my buddy Dre introduced me to Q Ginger Beer.  If you like ginger, you will LOVE this stuff. If you don't like ginger...well, you should probably steer clear.  There was a time when I thought Gosling's was intense.  This stuff...man.  If the first sip doesn't make you cough, you're a tougher mother than myself.  Big, bold, peppery, the heat of ginger, all in a fizzy cold soda. It's crazy.

Dre's sweet handmade man-cave bar in the background.

So Dre made me a Moscow Mule with Q, and I was hooked. I immediately went to Target & picked some up when I got home and made drinks for The Hubs & I that next week. (Note: I do not have the fancy copper mugs. Sorry.)

INGREDIENTS: 
Large glass
crushed ice (our new fridge dispenses crushed ice. I'm so spoiled now.)
1-2 oz lime juice (start w/1 oz, and if you need a little more to offset the burn of the ginger beer you can add more)
2 oz vodka (we like 360 Vodka, made in Missouri!)
6 oz Q ginger beer

DIRECTIONS:
Pour lime juice & vodka over ice.  Top with ginger beer and add lime wedge for garnish. Enjoy!

Note: I also had a killer Bloody Mary this same trip. So if you're flying through New Orleans (MSY), stop by the Atrium Bar (D Terminal) and ask for one.  (I am easily bribed by lots of free pickled snacks in my drinks, obviously.)

Thirsty Thursday: The "Honey I'm Home" (Ginger Honey Pineapple Cocktail)

Our friends recently decided to host a throwback 50s style cocktail party, and it was SERIOUSLY fun.  I talked about the jalapeno bacon deviled eggs that we brought in an earlier post, but now it's time to talk about the COCKTAILS!

Everyone was tasked with bringing a bottle of booze, while the host provided an assortment of mixers and garnishes.  There was a wall of classic cocktail recipes for those who wanted to play mixologist.  Me, I was happy with a good ol' amaretto sour (coincidentally, one of the only "hard liquor" cocktails I would drink in college. I know, I'm such a girl.)

My friend Chelsea created this signature cocktail to accompany the theme of the party.  Many thought it was a little heavy on the ginger but I LOVED it.

INGREDIENTS:
2 oz honey-pineapple vodka
2 oz tonic water (could alternately use sparkling/seltzer water for a fizzy version...or even just ginger ale)
1 oz honey ginger simple syrup
fresh pineapple, honey & turbinado sugar (to garnish)

DIRECTIONS:  
In a shaker, mix the vodka and simple syrup with ice and shake to combine.  
Dip the rim of the glass in a small plate of honey, and then subsequently into a small plate of sugar to create the sugared rim.  
Fill the glass with ice, pour in the vodka mixture, and top with tonic water, and then garnish with a slice of pineapple.

Enjoy!