Spice-infused Milk

In a medium saucepan over medium heat, warm two cups whole milk with aromatics, stirring once or twice. Cover pan and let spices steep in milk for 1 hour. Strain and reheat if necessary. Or refrigerate, covered, for up to 3 days; reheat gently before serving.

OATMEAL
3/4 tsp fresh grated nutmeg
OR 1 cinnamon stick
OR pod / seed 1/2 vanilla bean

MEXICAN HOT CHOCOLATE
1 or 2 dried chilis (ancho or chipotle)
1 stick cinnamon
pod / seed 1/2 vanilla bean
[Mix with cocoa]

CHAI TEA
thin slice ginger
6 whole cloves
3 star anise
18 light crush cardamom pods
2 sticks cinnamon
[Mix milk with black steeped black tea]

Spiked Citrus Tea

From Thug Kitchen

• 1 gallon of water
• 4 black tea bags
• 4 white tea bags (if you find white tea with ginger, lemon, and orange flavors in it, that would be legit)
• ¼ - ½ cup maple syrup (this shit can be expensive so feel free to replace it with agave or honey)
• 2 ½ cups whiskey (optional, but who are you kidding)
• ½ cup orange juice
• 1/3 cup lemon juice

Heat the water is a big pot on the stove until you see bubbles forming on the bottom. No need to boil that shit. Add the tea bags and let them chill out in the hot water for about 5 minutes. Pull the bags out and add the ¼ cup maple syrup, the whiskey, and citrus juices. Stir and taste that motherfucker. If you like it a little sweeter, add more syrup. Let the tea cool in the fridge until you’re damn well ready. Serve this shit with ice and slices of oranges and lemons because then it looks classy as fuck.

Watermelon Cucumber Slushie

Thug Kitchen

• 3 pounds of watermelon (seedless is best but some seeds are cool)
• ½ cup skinned, chopped cucumber
• juice from 1 lime (about 2 tablespoons)
• 8-10 fresh mint leaves
• ¾ cup coconut or tap water
• 1 teaspoon agave, maple syrup, or honey (optional)
• vodka (optional)

Cut away the rind and chop up the watermelon flesh into pieces no larger than a quarter. You should get about 4 cups. Don’t stress about some seeds, they will get chopped the fuck up in the blender. Just get rid of any big ones you notice. Freeze the chopped watermelon for at least 4 hours or overnight. The watermelon is going to create the slush factor so you want to make sure that shit really fucking frozen.

When the watermelon chunks are frozen add them along with the cucumber, lime juice, mint leaves, and water to a blender and blend until it is all smooth and icy. If you picked out a shitty watermelon you might need to add a teaspoon of a sweetener to make up for the weak melon. Taste it, you’ll know. Trust.

Had a rough day? Replace up to a ½ cup of the water with vodka and get the fuck over it.

Makes about 2 ½ cups of sweet summer slush, enough for 2 people who need to chill the fuck out. Watermelon chunks will stay good in the freezer for at least a month no problem.

 

Mulled White Wine

Martha Stewart Living, January 2012

Serves 6

• 1 orange
• 5 whole cloves
• 3 whole star anise pods
• 1 piece (1 inch) peeled fresh ginger, thinly sliced
• 1 cup water
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1 bottle (750 mL) medium-bodied white wine

Prep Time: 10 minutes / Total Time: 45 minutes
This warming drink has the flavorful depth of the classic red version but is lighter in body. Choose a white that's not too acidic, such as a Viognier or an oaked Chardonnay (wines that are more astringent can develop a harsh edge when heated).
Peel orange in strips using a vegetable peeler, being careful not to remove any pith (the white part). Push cloves into peel.

Combine clove-studded orange peel, the star anise, ginger, water, and sugar in a saucepan over medium heat. Bring to a simmer, stirring to dissolve sugar, and cook for 10 minutes. Remove from heat, and add wine. Let stand for 20 minutes to mull.

Just before serving, gently reheat mulled wine over medium heat until just beginning to simmer. Serve warm.

Cook's Note: Mulled wine can be refrigerated overnight. (Strain at the end of step 2 to prevent the aromatics from overpowering the wine.) Reheat before serving.

Homemade Ginger Liqueur

One Kitchen Kinfe

• 2 ounces ginger root, peeled and cut into thin slices (this was about 2 knobs of ginger for me)
• 1 vanilla bean, sliced in half lengthwise
• Zest of 1 orange
• 1 cu white sugar
• 1.5 cu water
• 1.5 cu brandy (don’t buy anything too fancy or expensive for this – I got a perfectly serviceable 750 ml bottle for $12)

1. Make a simple syrup with the ginger and vanilla: place the sliced ginger, vanilla bean, sugar and water in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to medium low and let it simmer for about 20 minutes, or until the ginger softens. Remove from the heat and let cool. Do not strain.

2. In the meantime, pour the brandy into a glass container. Add the orange zest and, when cool, the syrup (with the ginger and vanilla bean still included). Close the glass jar or bottle, shake, and let sit for a day while the flavors meld.

3. Remove the vanilla bean, close the container again, shake and let sit for another day.

4. The next day, strain the mixture through a coffee filter into a glass container for storage. Almost there! Now just let it rest for one more day to let the flavors mellow out. The next day, make the The Perfect Storm.

Green Tea-Cranberry Spritzer

Martha Stewart

Makes 4

1/3 cup sugar
1/3 cup water
4 green tea bags
1/2 cup chilled unsweetened cranberry juice
Ice
3 cups chilled seltzer

Bring sugar and water to a boil in a saucepan. Cook, stirring, until sugar dissolves. Let cool completely. Steep tea bags in 2 cups boiling water for 2 minutes. Remove bags. Let cool completely. Divide tea, cranberry juice, and the simple syrup among 4 ice-filled glasses. Top with chilled seltzer.

Honey-Vanilla Spritzer

Martha Stewart

Makes 4

2/3 cup honey
1/2 cup water
1 vanilla bean, split and scraped
1/4 cup fresh lime juice
Ice
4 cups chilled seltzer

Bring honey, water, and vanilla bean to a simmer in a saucepan. Cook, stirring, until honey dissolves. Let cool completely. Strain through a fine sieve (there will be some seeds). Stir in lime juice. Divide among 4 ice-filled glasses. Top with seltzer.

Sangria Sprtizer

Martha Stewart

Makes 4

2 cups chilled red wine, such as Gamay
1/2 cup Cointreau (or other orange liqueur)
1/2 lime, thinly sliced
1/2 orange, thinly sliced and cut into wedges
Ice
1 1/2 cups chilled seltzer

Stir together red wine, Cointreau, lime, and orange. Divide among 4 ice-filled glasses. Top with seltzer.

Mango Margarita

Food & Wine

Makes 1 drink

1 cup ice
1 lime wedge
3 ounces silver tequila
1 small mango—peeled, pitted and coarsely chopped (3 ounces)
1 1/2 ounces fresh lime juice
1 tablespoon chile powder, such as Tajin 
2 ounces orange liqueur
1 1/2 ounces agave nectar
3 ounces grapefruit soda

TOTAL TIME: 15 MIN 

Spread the chile powder in a dish. Moisten the rim of a margarita glass with the lime wedge; dip the rim in the chile powder to coat. In a blender, puree the mango. Add the remaining ingredients and blend until smooth. Pour into the glass and serve.

Spiced Brandy Wine

Martha Stewart

Makes 4

1 bottle (750 mL) light-bodied red wine (such as Beaujolais)
3 ounces brandy
1/2 cup sugar
6 whole cloves
4 strips lemon zest (3 inches each)
2 cinnamon sticks
2 star anise

Bring red wine, brandy, sugar, cloves, lemon zest, cinnamon sticks, and star anise to a simmer in a saucepan, covered, over high heat.

Remove from heat; steep for 10 minutes. Strain through a fine sieve. Ladle into 4 mugs; garnish with fresh lemon-zest strips.

Ginger Sidecar

Martha Stewart

Makes 1

    Sugar
    1 orange slice
    2 1/4-inch-thick slices peeled fresh ginger
    1 one-inch piece orange zest
    2 ounces brandy
    1 ounce Cointreau
    2 tablespoons lemon juice
    2 teaspoons pure maple syrup
    Ice

Place sugar on a plate. Run orange slice around the rim of a glass; rotate rim in sugar. Muddle ginger in a cocktail shaker. Add orange zest, brandy, Cointreau, lemon juice, maple syrup, and ice; shake. Strain into glass.

Green Mountain Cooler

Martha Stewart

Makes 1

1 1/2 ounces apple brandy
1 ounce Grade A Vermont maple syrup
1/2 ounce fresh lemon juice
Green apple, sliced

Combine brandy, maple syrup, and lemon juice in an ice-filled shaker. Shake well. Strain into a small ice-filled glass. Garnish with a slice of green apple.

Orange Thing

Southern Living, 2004

    2 cups ice cubes                                               
    1/4 cup vodka                                                  
    2 tablespoons orange liqueur                                   
    1/4 cup fresh orange juice                                     

PREP TIME: 5 MIN.

COMBINE first 4 ingredients in a martini shaker. Cover with lid, and shake until thoroughly chilled. Remove lid, and strain into a chilled martini glass. Serve immediately. Garnish with orange slice, if desired.   

Late Night Orange Reviver

GOOP/Eric Alperin, The Varnish

MAKES 1

1 ounce fresh espresso
1 ounce Grand Marnier Centennaire
a spoonful of freshly whipped cream

Stir the liqueur into the espresso directly in the cup you’ve pulled the espresso shot in. Dollop with the whipped cream and serve. Perfect after dinner, a liquid cupcake.

Ginger Molasses Spiced Punch

Misc. Sources

    2 tablespoons light rum                                        
    3-inch piece ginger cut into thin rings                        
    1 cup molasses                                                 
    1 tablespoon lime juice                                        
    1 cup spiced Puerto Rican rum                                  

In a large saucepan, bring 6 cups of water, light rum, ginger, molasses, and lime juice to a boil.  Reduce heat, and simmer for 20 minutes.  Remove from heat, and let cool.  Strain and chill in refrigerator for several hours.  Add spice rum and serve over ice with lime wedges.

Frozen White Sangria

Misc. Sources

Makes 2 servings

    1/2 peaches                                                    
    1/2 plum                                                       
    3 strawberries                                                 
    1 tablespoon orange juice concentrate                          
    1/2 cup dry white wine                                         
    2 tablespoons brandy                                           
    1 1/2 cups small ice cubes                                     

Chunk peach, plum and strawberries; freeze until hardened.

Mix all ingredients in blender until smooth.  Garnish with fruit.

Chambord the Glace Orange

 

Misc. Sources

    1 tablespoon orange marmalade or 2 slices orange               
    1 1/2 shots vodka                                              
    1 shot lemon juice                                             
    2 shots iced tea                                               
    1 shot chambord                                                
    1/2 shot simple syrup                                          

Muddle orange, if using.  Combine all ingredients.  Shake vigorously with ice.  Strain into ice-filled glass.

My Notes: Yum. Boozy but good. My own photo.

MXF

Chambord Baked Apple Cider

Misc. Sources

    1/2 shot apple schnapps                                        
    1 shot brandy                                                  
    1 1/2 shots chambord                                           
    4 shots apple cider                                            

Heat cider.  Add ingredients and stir.

Sparkling Roasted Vanilla Lemonade

Martha Stewart Living, 2008

Makes 6-8 servings

    10 lemons trim, HCW, no seeds                                  
    1 cup water                                                    
    1 cup sugar                                                    
    1 vanilla bean scrape, save pod                                
    1 1/2-2 cups club soda                                         

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Place lemons, cut side up, in a 12-inch ovenproof skillet or a large baking dish. Sprinkle with sugar, then add the water and vanilla seeds and pod. Roast until edges of lemons are golden brown, about 25 minutes. Let cool.

Squeeze the juice and pulp from lemons into a blender. Remove vanilla pod, and add syrup in the skillet to the blender. Puree, then strain through a sieve into a pitcher, pressing to extract liquid and some pulp.

Fill glasses with ice. Pour 3/4 cup lemonade into each glass. Top with 1/4 cup club soda. (Or cover, and refrigerate lemonade for up to 3 days.)

MY NOTE: Very important to strain thoroughly.

Mulled White Wine Sangria

Martha Stewart Living, 2008

Makes 12 servings

    1 cup water                                                    
    1/2 cup honey (orange blossom)                                 
    Lemon zest (2 lemons) strips                                   
    1/4 cup lemon juice (2 lemons)                                 
    4 whole star anise                                             
    4 sticks cinnamon                                              
    12 whole cloves                                                
    2 bottles dry white wine                                       
    1 cup orange muscat                                            
    1 yellow or green apple core, halve, thin slice                
    1 bartlett pears core, halve, thin slice                       
    2 lemons thin slice CW                                         
    12 kumquats thin slice CW                                      

Bring water, honey, lemon zest and juice, star anise, cinnamon sticks, and cloves to a simmer in a large saucepan over medium heat. Reduce heat to low, and cook for 15 minutes.

To serve cold: Mix spice mixture, wines, and fruit in a large pitcher. Cover, and refrigerate overnight. Transfer to a large punch bowl, and serve with ice. To serve hot: Heat spice mixture and wines in a large pot over low heat until heated through. Add fruit, and divide among mugs.