FOUR FAVORITES: FOUR COCKTAILS TO TRY TONIGHT

Ready to get out of the office and start the weekend? I don't know about you but I'm sooo past ready for this weekend. Here's a few of my favorite springtime cocktail recipes that are tried and true. Stop on the way home and pick up the ingredients, along with a nice steak or maybe a piece of fish and get the weekend started right. Cheers to Friday!

HERE ARE FOUR OF MY FAVORITE COCKTAIL RECIPES TO TRY THIS WEEKEND!

1. MINT JULEP 2. POMEGRANATE MOJITO 3. SANGRIA 4. MOSCOW MULE

1. MARTIE'S MINT JULEP

Use mint infused simple syrup and this drink just feels like Spring. A Kentucky Derby favorite, it is a signature Southern cocktail known around the world. Get the recipe here....

2. REFRESHING POMEGRANATE MOJITO

Another cocktail made with mint; this one is always a crowd favorite and is easy to mix in large batches when you have people over. Get the recipe here...

3. STRAWBERRY PEAR SANGRIA

Strawberries are coming into season and you can usually find quality pears year 'round. This is one of those go-to recipes you will find yourself serving again and again. And because you can change out the fruit for whatever is in season, you can keep it on the menu all summer long. Get the recipe here...

4. MOSCOW MULE

Long a favorite of mine, Oprah declared it her favorite cocktail a while back and now everyone is discovering it. If you can get the copper mugs, it just seems to taste better but if you don't have those, a mint julep or pewter mug will do the trick. The secret is Ginger. So zingy and so refreshing! Get the recipe...

Weekend Cocktail: The Honey B

We had quite the party last weekend on Dauphin Island, Alabama. I plan to do a full post about it but one of the big hits of the night (there were many) was my signature cocktail and the bourbon tasting sponsored by Four Roses Bourbon. I have been using Four Roses yellow label for quite a few years for my bourbon cocktails. It's ultra smooth and mixes perfectly with fruit flavors and citrus.

This cocktail is perfect for almost any occasion. It's simple enough for an impromptu get-together and elegant enough for a wedding. The secret of this cocktail is the beautiful Alabama honey. If you can't get exquisite local honey like this, any honey will work but may not yield the glorious rich taste or color.

THE HONEY B

Makes 2-3 cocktails

4 ounces Four Roses Yellow Label Bourbon, room temperature

4 T local honey

1/2 cup lemon juice

1 cup unsweetened tea

Dash of Orange Bitters (find at most good grocery stores in the "adult beverage" mix aisle but regular is ok too)

In a cocktail shaker or pitcher, add the bourbon and the honey, one tablespoon at a time. Stir or shake well to dissolve the honey before you add the next tablespoon so it all dissolves. If you do this with chilled liquid, the honey will seize up and make it difficult to dissolve.

You may also heat the lemon juice slightly and dissolve the honey in that before mixing everything together.

Add the remaining ingredients. Serve over ice. You may also add a bit more of the tea and serve this as a warm cocktail.

 A great time was had by all. Thank you Four Roses!

Weekend Cocktail: Summer Bourbon Slushy

While at the Aspen Food & Wine Classic, the girls from the Atlanta Food & Wine Festivalwere serving some deliciously refreshing adult beverages to the crowd. Everyone kept telling me I just had to try them and boy were they good...frozen bourbon slushies! I thought there must be some big secret recipe to making them... but as it turns out, not so much. They are super simple and go down sooooo smooth! Whir up a batch for your BBQ this weekend!

SUMMER BOURBON SLUSHY

Makes 8-10 depending on serving size

6 cans or bottles Coca-Cola

8 ounces bourbon (I liked the Woodford Reserve they used so I used that but use your favorite)

Ice

Straws

Put the ice and bourbon in a blender or other device to crush the ice. Pulse to break up the ice, then once you have, let it run while you pour in each Coke. Let blend until smooth and frosty. Serve!

Note: If you have a frozen drink maker, break that out! It will work. I also had the big idea to use my ice cream maker! Now, the ice cream maker won't make more than 3 but it works for a small crowd. If you don't have any of these small appliances, you can put the Coca-Cola and the bourbon in a large plastic jug with a lid and put it in your freezer. (reuse a plastic milk jug or juice container) Let it freeze for a couple of hours, shaking occasionally. Don't let it freeze solid- you want it to be slushy so you can drink with a straw. Another delicious rendition is Root Beer! Just use root beer and some root beer flavored vodka. So good on a hot day! Enjoy!

Weekend Cocktail: Classic Mint Julep Recipe

I am a horse fanatic, I have been since I was a kid. So much so, I'd fall asleep with my entire plastic horse collection in my bed. I get excited about the Derby even though I don't follow horse racing. I've only been once but it was quite the experience... no other sporting event can compare. The hats, the pretty women, the dashing guys, the total Southern charm, the majesty of the horses, and of course, the Kentucky bourbon and the Mint Juleps! I always crack up because the Mint Julep is THE drink associated with the South more than any other. When I meet people from other countries and they find out I'm from Alabama, they tell me their impression is that we all sit around on the porch, sipping Mint Juleps..... So in tribute to the horses and most magnificent race in sports, here's a classic Mint Julep recipe my way, just in time for Derby Day. 

Adult Icees: Classic Mint Juleps for Derby DayCLASSIC MINT JULEP

To begin, make a simple syrup infused with mint. This will really bring a wonderful mint flavor to the cocktail and you can also use it to sweeten tea. For the simple syrup, combine equal parts sugar and water. For 6 drinks, I am using 1 cup each sugar and water. Bring it to a boil, and turn off the heat, stirring until the sugar dissolves. Add 15-20 fresh mint leaves. Stir. Allow the syrup to cool completely. Strain and pour into a canning jar, secure the lid, and chill. This will keep in the refrigerator for a week.

For one cocktail:

3 fresh mint leaves (plus more for garnish)

3 tablespoons mint syrup (depending on how sweet you like it, I like 3)

1 1/2 ounces Kentucky bourbon (I like Four Roses bourbon)

Crushed ice

Powdered sugar for garnish, if desired

Chill your glasses prior to serving. A traditional silver mint julep cup makes this cocktail so frosty and delicious. Add the syrup and mint leaves to a pitcher or shaker. Use a wooden spoon to muddle (not tear) the mint into the syrup to release the oil. Add the bourbon. Fill the cup with crushed ice and strain the bourbon over the ice, almost like a snow cone. Add a straw, a mint sprig, and a dusting of powdered sugar over the top, if you like. Serve immediately.

For a lighter, ess potent version, add 1/2 cup of unsweetened tea to fill the cup after you add the bourbon. 

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Martie's Weekend Cocktail: Classic Whiskey Sour

One of my all-time favorite cocktails; the Whiskey Sour. It's a classic that's making a comeback. The Whiskey Sour was my Mom's favorite cocktail to order for a special occasion... and on that rare occasion, I'd get to order a Shirley Temple. It always seemed so fancy and elegant to me. I always wondered how they got the top so frothy. Now I know they used a cocktail shaker to make it that way. Some people add lime juice. Some add a bit of egg white. This is the classic version.

Classic Whiskey Sour 

2 ounces bourbon

2/3 ounces fresh lemon juice

1 teaspoon superfine sugar (ok to use Confectioner's sugar because it will dissolve faster)

Dash of club soda (optional)

In a cocktail shaker add ice and all ingredients. Shake well, until the sugar dissolves. The classic way to serve is in a chilled martini glass or sour glass. I like to pour over ice in a short glass. Garnish with an orange slice and a Maraschino cherry.