Honeysuckle Infused Mint Juleps

Honeysuckle Infused Mint Juleps

Okay, let's get down to the nitty-gritty people... there are are quite a few things that embrace the essence of the South. Fried chicken, gravy, peaches, biscuits, cobbler, grits, liquor... well, lots of liquor. And the quintessential drink is the mint julep. It's our go-to for parties, derby days, or even while we are just grilling out. So when I made such a big batch of honeysuckle syrup (the recipe I posted yesterday), my mind kept racing with all the possibilities it could be used in. Of course, making a honeysuckle mint julep was first on my list. I mean rose flavored lemonade is fabulous, as well as hibiscus margaritas, why wouldn't a honeysuckle mint julep be just as good? It was sweet with subtle floral notes that balanced perfectly against the fragrant muddled mint + strong-ass bourbon. All you have to do is serve it in a mint julep cup (if you have one) with a lot of crushed ice and sprig of mint, or hey, throw a blossom of honeysuckle just for presentation. Your guests will love it and it would be absolutely perfect for your derby parties... or just a hot, summer afternoon!! Enjoy :)

For the Honeysuckle Simple Syrup:

8C Honeysuckle Flowers (whole, stems + leaves removed)

3C Water

2C Sugar

1C Honey

Pinch of Salt

For the Mint Juleps:

6-8 Fresh Mint Leaves (plus mint springs for garnish)

1-2oz Prepared Honeysuckle Simple Syrup, Chilled

3oz High Quality Bourbon

Crushed Ice

Fresh Sprigs of Mint or Honeysuckle Flowers, For Garnishing

Directions:

1. For the Honey Simple Syrup: Pick through your eight cups of honeysuckle flowers, making sure to remove any stems or leaves that remain…we just want the flower and its’ sweet honey nectar. Place the honey into a large bowl and make the simple syrup. Place the honey, water, and sugar in a medium saucepan and bring it to a boil, and simmer until the honey is completely dissolved. Pour in the syrup into the bowl of prepare honeysuckles and let it cool completely on the counter overnight (covered with plastic wrap) until the flower flavor as steeped into the simple syrup liquid. Strain the honeysuckle flowers out of the infused simple syrup through a fine mesh sieve or cheesecloth into a big bottle. Chill the honeysuckle syrup until cold.

2. For the Mint Juleps: Lightly muddle the mint leaves with the prepared honeysuckle simple syrup in the bottom of a cocktail shaker. Add in the bourbon and shake to combine. Fill a julep cup or glass with crushed ice. Pour the liquid over the ice. Stir until a frost forms on the outside of the cup. Top with more crushed ice and garnish with fresh mint springs (or honeysuckles), and then serve with a straw.

Homemade Summer Honeysuckle Simple Syrup

homemade summer honeysuckle simple syrup

If I could encompass one thing about my childhood... it would probably include the hunt for + the sweet taste of honeysuckles. As I have lived in the South my whole life, once spring came around, the honeysuckle flower bushes began to pop up everywhere you went. There is something so gorgeous, yet simple, of honeysuckle vine weaving in + out of a white picket fence or lining a perfectly manicured lawn. Their scent is intoxicating, almost like a Michael Kors or Marc Jacobs perfume. Its' essence wafts through the air and peer pressures you into taking a deep breath and enjoyin' the smell + the sun. I loved the days that my friends and I would wander the streets of our neighborhood looking for the flowers that we could drain of their sweet honey nectar. We literally would spend hours doing it. Fast-forward 10-20 years and I still get transported back to those years while I'm driving with my top down during the summer. I kept thinking to myself, why can't their be a honeysuckle perfume? a honeysuckle vodka? honeysuckle cookies? honeysuckle everything. Then, I came across a wonderful blog by a good 'ole southern young lady (like myself), Hannah from Honey & Jam. If you haven't checked out her blog yet, I seriously urge you to do so. Her recipes are simple, yet scrumptious and her imagery is phenomenal. She developed a recipe for Honeysuckle Simple Syrup that she used to sweeten her sweet tea (a.k.a. the elixir of the South). I just knew I had to try it. So, I waited a year. Literally, a year, until the honeysuckles would bloom again. The second I saw the flowers starting to blossom, I grabbed my Mountain Man and we went honeysuckle-hunting. I'd say we cruised the streets of Buckhead for over another collecting eight, yes EIGHT, cups of honeysuckle blossoms.

After getting all of our honeysuckles, I took them home and started the simple syrup. I decided to take a different route than Hannah by placing all the blossoms into a large mixing bowl, and then boiling together sugar, water, and honey until a simple syrup was formed. I added the honey because I thought that it would enhance and bring out those natural flavors that I love so much from the flowers. I poured the hot liquid over the flowers and let them steep for at least 24 hours, that way the floral notes would pass into the simple syrup and create a overwhelming moment of honeysuckle joy when used. Once they have infused, simply strain the flowers through a fine mesh sieve or cheesecloth into a pretty jar (making sure to use a rubber spatula to get as much as that sweet-honey-goodness out as much as possible). Then, all you gotta do is store it in the refrigerator until it is cold. Our first drink we made was Honeysuckle Lemonade-- and it was fabulous (and its' recipe will be posted next). But my mind won't stop racing with ideas what you could use this for... honeysuckle mint juleps, honey suckle moscow mules, honeysuckle sweet tea, heirloom tomato salad with fresh buffalo mozzarella drizzled with a little syrup to sweeten it up a bit (instead of balsamic). I mean the possibilities are endless!! I cannot wait to share all the recipes we have been making up using the small component. It's the perfect summer treat!! Enjoy :)

For the Honeysuckle Syrup:

8C Honeysuckle Flowers (whole, stems + leaves removed)

3C Water

2C Sugar

1C Honey

Pinch of Salt

Directions:

1. Preparing the Honeysuckles: Pick through your eight cups of honeysuckle flowers, making sure to remove any stems or leaves that remain…we just want the flower and its’ sweet honey nectar. Place the honey into a large bowl and make the simple syrup.

2.  For the Honey Simple Syrup: Place the honey, water, and sugar in a medium saucepan and bring it to a boil, and simmer until the honey is completely dissolved. Pour in the syrup into the bowl of prepare honeysuckles and let it cool completely on the counter overnight (covered with plastic wrap) until the flower flavor as steeped into the simple syrup liquid.

3. Finishing the Honeysuckle Syrup: Strain the honeysuckle flowers out of the infused simple syrup through a fine mesh sieve or cheesecloth into a big bottle.

4. Chill the honeysuckle simple syrup until cold and serve in lemonade, sweet tea, Moscow mules, mint juleps, and many other drinks! Enjoy :)

Summer Roasted Peach Lemonade with Roasted Peach Puree + Honey Simple Syrup

Summer Roasted Peach Lemonade with Roasted Peach Puree +
Honey Simple Syrup

Summer is officially back... and it's back with a bang. It is so damn hot down here in Atlanta, I can barely even step outside before passing out. I'm literally counting down the days until Autumn returns. Until then, it's time to embrace the heat and enjoy signature cocktails, using the grill, and having cookouts with friends and family. And when I think summer days in Georgia, the first thing that comes to all of our minds are peaches. Peaches, peaches, peaches. Peaches on everything. Since they are just coming into season, I bought two bags of them at the farmer's market yesterday. I knew I wanted to make something refreshing, so I ended up deciding to make homemade peach lemonade. I put my own little twist on it by roasting the peaches with honey and turbinado sugar. I absolutely love roasting fruit, it concentrates their sweetness and gives off the most luxurious syrup. After you roast them, let them cool a bit and try to peel off as much of the skin as you can. If you can't get some that's fine because we will end up straining out the big flecks and pieces before serving. Then, all you have to do is puree the roasted peaches until as smooth as possible. I used meyer lemons for my lemonade because I love their sweetness, but any lemon will do to be honest. To sweeten the mix, I made a honey simple syrup. Whenever I make lemonade, I always make honey simple syrup. It enhances the lemon and gives it the most unbelievable balance with just a hint of floral notes. The thing about lemonade is that it is about as Southern as you can get.... uh, besides sweet tea of course. But then you add in roasted peach puree, and well, you've hit the maximum of southern-ness (if you know what I mean). This is great for a picnic, a lemonade stand, or even boozy (hey hey!). We spiked ours with vodka, cointreau, and fresh muddled peaches -- lemme tell you, it was awesome. So go on y'all... make it while the weather is still scorchin' hawt. It will quench your thirst indeed!!

a view from the top 

ready to gulp down...

how cute are these mason jars?!

For the Honey Simple Syrup:

1 ½C Water

1C Honey

¼C Sugar

For the Roasted Peaches:

5-6 Large Peaches, Seed Removed & Split in Half

Honey, For drizzling

Sugar, For Sprinkling

For the Summer Peach Lemonade:

Roasted Peaches, Cooled & Pureed (make sure to remove the skins)

Prepared Honey Simple Syrup, Chilled

2C Freshly Squeezed Lemon Juice (I prefer Meyer Lemons, but regular lemons are fine)

4C Cold Water (or more if you want it less strong)

Directions:

1. For the Honey Simple Syrup: Place the honey, water, and sugar in a medium saucepan and bring it to a boil, and simmer until the honey is completely dissolved. Pour in the syrup into a container and let it cool completely in the refrigerator until chilled, for about an hour.
2. For the Roasted Peaches: Preheat the oven to 400 degrees and prepare the peaches by cutting them in half and removing their center seed. Toss the peaches with the honey and place them cut-side down in a roasting pan. Roast in the oven for 15-20 minutes, and then flip them over, sprinkle heavily with sugar, and continue roasting them for another 15-20 minutes. For the last 5 minutes of roasting, turn the oven up to broil and let the fruit flesh caramelize and brown. Remove them from the oven and let them cool completely. After cooling, remove the peach peels and puree them in a food processor until smooth.
3. For the Summer Peach Lemonade: In a large pitcher, combine the peach puree, honey simple syrup, lemon juice, and cold water. Stir to incorporate, and then strain to remove any solids. Chill the peach lemonade overnight or until cold. Enjoy on a hot summer day.

Blood Orange Mulled Red Wine with Spiced Brown Butter

Blood Orange Mulled Red Wine

HI GUYS. I am terrible. I left y'all high + dry. But but but but, I can explain. See last week the world ended. What? You guys didn't hear? That's shocking, I know, but so true. Well, if you didn't hear, I'll give you the quick rundown of how it snowed two inches in Atlanta and the whole city shut down. I'm not making this up. Luckily for me, I work from home, so I really didn't experience anything too badly. Actually, we were quite excited at first...

the beginning of snow fall

yep, it snows in the south

starting to cover the ground

shots at 5AM in honor of the "state of emergency" 

snow day with my little pup.

See? We welcomed the snow, with open arms. I was tooooo excited, I hadn't seen snow since probably my middle school days. It started innocently enough, but then I got a phone call from my Mountain Man around noon, saying that he got released from work early due to the possible inclement weather. I was TOTES excited. However, I just waited and waited and waited... I watched the news. EVERY major highway, intersection, and street was practically shut down. Black ice was everywhere. Children were stuck at school, or worse, in school buses. Finally 9PM had rolled around I had yet to see my Mountain Man because he had been stranded for over eight hours. In the same spot. I mean it couldn't get any worse. I was stranded at home and couldn't possibly rescue him. It got so crazy, he and one of his friends, abandoned their cars and walked about 7 miles in the sleeting snow back to our house. I can't even tell you how crazy it all was, and it was all over a pathetic two inches of snow. People had to sleep in grocery stores, hospitals, gas stations, and even their frozen cars. It was just straight up ridiculous. By 10 o'clock, the Governor officially called a "State of Emergency" and cancelled all non-essential work/travel for two days. If you guys watch The Walking Dead, this is really how Atlanta looked. No joke. We had no food, or barely any at all, so we ate a lot of potatoes and leftover roasted chicken. Not fun. We did, however, have a lot of red wine... and blood oranges. So, I decided that I would try my hand at making mulled red wine. This classic winter cocktail never really gets enjoyed here because well it's always so-dang-hot and DEFINITELY not snowing. It was the perfect occasion. The flavor was boosted with those gorgeous red citrus fruit, fresh ginger, mulling spices, apple, a-whole-lotta-booze, simple syrup, and a homemade spiced brown butter. The brown butter/compound butter is perfect for any fall drink, but especially anything mulled or it would be fab in a hot buttered rum too! This was the bomb to drink while the snow kept collecting on the ground... and it warmed my Mountain Man up real fast. So all of y'all that are still cold up in the Northern states can enjoy it as well!! Enjoy :)

juicing the blood oranges.

winter citrus art.

gorgeous blood orange slices in mulled wine

a generous slice of homemade spiced brown butter

ready to drink!

For the Spiced Brown Butter:

2 Sticks of Unsalted Butter, Browned & Softened

2C Homemade Dark Brown Sugar (or store-bought can be used)

1 ½t Cinnamon

1t Fleur de Sel

½t Freshly Grated Nutmeg, Bourbon Smoked Paprika, & Ground Ginger

¼t Cardamom, Cayenne, & Black Pepper

For the Mulled Red Wine:

2 Bottles of Red Wine

4 Blood Oranges, Zests Peeled & Sliced

1 Apple, Sliced

1 Inch Knob of Fresh Ginger (peeled)

2 Cinnamon Sticks

¼C Mulling Spices

2 Star Anise Pods

1C Homemade Mulled Simple Syrup

1 Vanilla Bean Pod, Split & Scraped for Seeds

½C Brandy, Bourbon, & Apple Jack

Nutmeg, For Grating

Homemade Spiced Brown Butter, For Serving

Directions:

1. For the Spiced Brown Butter: Cream together the butter, spices and sugar. At this point you can roll up the mixture with parchment into a log. Cover well and refrigerate or freeze for later use. In the fridge the mixture will keep for two weeks, in the freezer a couple of months.

2. For the Mulled Red Wine:Peel the zests off the blood oranges, and then cut up one of the oranges into slices and juice the remaining three. Throw them into the pot, along with the sliced apple, cinnamon sticks, mulling spices, star anise pods, mulled simple syrup, vanilla bean pod, and fresh ginger. Let this mixture simmer for 5 minutes. Add in the wine and bring back to a simmer, about another 5-10 minutes. Turn the heat off the burner and toss in the brandy, bourbon, and Apple Jack. Stir to combine.

3. For Serving:In a mug, add a tablespoon of the spiced brown butter. Top with a few ladles of blood orange mulled red wine. Grate some fresh nutmeg over the top and serve with a cinnamon stick for stirring. The ratio of the ingredients is really preference.

Mulled Moscow Mules

Mulled Moscow Mules

If I could pick a drink of the autumn-winter season, it would be this Mulled Moscow Mule. It's fabulous. And even though it is a cold drink... that is supposed to be enjoyed during the cold days of the year, it doesn't matter because when swallowed, you immediately feel like you are being hugged by a good looking man in a big 'ole sweater. Now who doesn't want that? Well, I guess some guys wouldn't. But that's a topic to be covered on another blog. Anyway the nitty-gritty deets of this cocktail are pretty simple-- homemade mulled simple syrup, vodka, fresh lime, strong ginger beer, and cinnamon sticks for serving. Ain't nothin' wrong with dat. I am in LOVE with this simple syrup. It is so versatile for the season/holidays. We put it in just about everything... mulled spiked apple ciders, mulled wine, etc. All absolutely delicious. You really can't go wrong. Some of the flavors that are prominently featured are cinnamon, orange, ginger, nutmeg, cardamom, mulling spices, star anise, and peppercorns. They all work cohesively together to create a perfect balance between these headstrong spices. The syrup is quite strong + extremely fragrant, but don't worry, the flavor mellows out miraculously with the addition of Vodka. PS-- I hate vodka. So, that says a lot about this recipe when I'm going back for seconds, thirds, and fourths. ALSO, make sure that you buy a high-quality ginger beer, no ginger ale please! It really brings the flavor to a'whole'nother level. We used Reed's Extra Ginger Beer, it was just what the doctor prescribed. Lastly, it is crucial that you serve your drink with a cinnamon stick, because, well, it adds flavor and festivity to it. So do that, fo'sho. Y'all, it's pretty important that you have a copper mug because when the drink is super cold, the mug begins to frost and makes the whole experience much more enjoyable-- take my word for it. Anyway, try these out before it starts to warm up because you'll be missing them throughout the whole summer season!! Enjoy :)

Tito's Vodka, Extra Ginger Brew, Mulled Simple Syrup, Copper Mug

Homemade Mulled Simple Syrup

Ready to enjoy!

excited about the drink

okay, maybe super excited.

For the Mulled Simple Syrup:

2C Sugar

2C Water

3 Knobs of Fresh, Peeled Ginger

½C Candied Ginger

2 Cinnamon Sticks

2 Oranges, Peeled for their Zest

¼C + 2T Mulling Spices

2 Star Anise Pods

10 Peppercorns

½t Cinnamon, Freshly Grated Nutmeg, & Cardamom

Pinch of Salt

For the Mulled Moscow Mules (for one drink):

Crushed Ice Cubes

1 Lime, Zested & Juiced

¼C Vodka

3 Shots of Mulled Simple Syrup

½C Chilled Ginger Beer

Cinnamon Stick, For Stirring

Candied Ginger, For Garnishing

Lime Wedge, For Garnishing  

Directions:

1. For the Mulled Simple Syrup: Add all ingredients to small saucepan and bring to gentle simmer. Stir until all the sugar has dissolved and let simmer for 10-15 minutes or until sufficiently steeped and it has reached a syrupy thickness. Turn off heat and let cool to room temp with spices. Decant into glass bottle (or plastic squeeze bottle as I do) straining out the spices with a cheesecloth or small strainer. It is ready to use or keep in fridge.

2. For the Mulled Moscow Mules: Zest and juice a lime into in the bottom of a cocktail shaker, add in some crushed ice. Next, pour in the mulled simple syrup and vodka (we used our large jigger at home to make our drinks, so we followed a ratio of 3 shots of mulled simple syrup to 2 shots of vodka with ginger beer up to the rim… not exactly specific ounces, so keep that in mind). Fill a tall cup or glass with a little bit of crushed ice. Pour the strained liquid over the ice and fill the glass up to the rim with strong ginger beer for finishing. Stir until a frost forms on the outside of the cup. 

3. Garnish with a cinnamon stick for stirring and candied ginger and/or a lime wedge for presentation and more flavor!

Five Spice Moscow Mules that we enjoyed in Savannah-- our inspiration for this recipe!

Tailgatin' Thursday : Yellow Hammer Hunch Punch (just a few days late)

A Big 'Ole Glass of Yellow Hammer Hunch Punch on Alabama Game Day :)

So, this is a continuation of my postings of tailgatin' recipes every week for football saturday's. Even though I am a few days late, it's still a football saturday, so I think I'm A-OK. And fun fact alert: yesterday was "National Punch Day". No no no, don't go putting your dukes up just yet. It's not that kind of a punch day. And to be honest, let's hope there never is one. We are here to celebrate the kind of punch that has a little kick of booze. By booze, you know I mean a'whole'heck of it. Like many, many bottles to be exact. While at the University of Alabama, I enjoyed this cocktail every game day weekend. Most of the time at the bars on the strip, often on the Quad tailgating, but I had never made it myself without the assistance of others. The drink became famous from the bar, Gallette's. It is always served in a yellow cup with a splash of grenadine and a cherry to top it off. The exact recipe for hunch punch is a complete secret, but I definitely know there is orange juice, pineapple, and banana flavoring. What are alcohols are in this concoction, you may ask. Well, the cast of characters are the following: Bacardi 151, Everclear, Malibu Black Rum, Creme de Banana Liqueur, and Gin. Don't get it twisted y'all, you're gonna get slamdamnhammered off of these. Yes, slamdamnhammered is a technical term. Proven Fact. Now when you make this stuff, you're going to have to tinker it a bit and taste as you go. A little more simple syrup... a touch more banana liqueur... maybe some cold water/cold pineapple juice to dilute it a tad. Just let go and make it until it tastes good. But, I will say that I tend to make it slightly stronger than I would actually like because once you let it marinate + meld overnight, it certainly mellows a bit. Also, when you make it the next day, it will be sweetened with grenadine, crushed ice, sprite, and a cherry. This stuff goes super quickly, but don't you worry, there is a whole BUNCH of it!! Enjoy and Roll Tide :)

Making the Hunch Punch the night before in a big water cooler 

ALWAYS be careful with the punch... baby seat + belt not included in the recipe.

For the Hunch Punch:

1 Gallon of Fresh Squeezed Orange Juice

2 of the 59oz Dole Pineapple-Orange-Banana Juices

2C Pineapple Juice

1L of Rose’s Sweet & Sour Mix

1-2C Simple Syrup, Depending on How Sweet You Like It (I used homemade vanilla bean)

750mL Bacardi 151 Proof

750mL Everclear Grain Alcohol

1.75L Malibu Black Rum

1-2C Crème de Banana Liqueur, depending on Your Banana Preference (Dekuyper brand)

1C Gin (of your choice)

Cold Water or Cold Pineapple Juice, optional (to dilute the mixture if it is too strong)

For Serving:

Crushed Ice

Generous Gulp of Grenadine Syrup

Splash of Sprite, For Topping

Maraschino Cherries, For Garnishing

Directions:

1. To Make the Hunch Punch: Pour everything into a large jug (we had to use a water cooler because it makes so many gallons). Taste the first batch and determine whether you need to add more simple syrup, banana liqueur, and cold water/cold pineapple juice (if needed). Stir to combine and mix thoroughly. Once you have reached your desired taste, refrigerate overnight. I tent to air on the side of caution and make it stronger than you would typically like because once the flavors meld overnight, it will mellow out a lot. Also, when you make a glass of the hunch punch, it will be diluted with crushed ice, grenadine, and sprite to sweeten it as well.
2.  To Make a Glass: Get a clear plastic cup and pour in a generous glug of grenadine syrup (the more, the sweeter), and then top it with a big ‘ole handful of crushed ice. Gently pour/ladle/drizzle the liquid slowly into the glass almost to the top of the glass. This will make a “sunset effect” in the glass. Finish the drink with a splash of sprite and a cherry! Enjoy all day long :)