Wild Iris Martini

Sometimes I just need to go for a walk by myself to unwind.  My favorite place to go for a stroll and get lost in my thoughts is through the woods, or on a path filled with lots of lovely vegetation.  It is a time when I don't have to do anything but think and walk, just enjoying my surroundings and forget about the cares and demands of the day.  I was on such a walk when I came across some irises.  I am sure at some point they had been planted by someone, as they are not a wild flower, but these appeared to be the way they were randomly among the other plants in the woods.  I guess even irises need a little freedom sometimes and not be confined to fenced in landscaped yards...sort of the way I like to be alone on my walks and get away from noise, distractions and demands of any sort. 

The wild irises inspired a cocktail that I made tonight, a refreshing gin base with fresh blueberries, a hint of lemon and floral lavander.  It's color was every bit as lovely as the iris itself, and the flavor was refreshingly floral with a hint of tartness from the lemon and sweetness from the berries.  The gin itself had a nice herbal note, which reminded me of nature and my walks through the woods. Here is the recipe if you would like to enjoy something wonderfully refreshing!

Wild Iris Martini (gin with blueberry, lemon and lavander)Serves 1

1/3 cup fresh organic blueberries
4-6 large ice cubes
1 1/2 oz lavander agave syrup*
4 oz Gin

1 1/2 oz fresh organic lemon juice
fresh blueberries
lemon slice

In a martini shaker, muddle the berries with the ice, crushing them until they are in small pieces. Add the lavander syrup, gin, and lemon juice, place top on shaker, and shake until well blended. Pour through a strainer into a chilled martini glass, adding a few fresh berries to your glass and a lemon slice for garnish and serve!

 

*Lavander Syrup:

1/4 cup agave nectar

1/4 cup boiling water

2 Tbsp dried lavander flowers

 

Combine all ingredients in a clean jar, and mix well.  Cover and let sit for at least a day in the fridge to infuse, or up to a month. 

Rosemary Gin Lemonade

If I am feeling too hot on a warm evening, honey lemonade is often my go to drink.  I make many varitations of it, herbs happen to be my favorite!  A butt kicking work day however...is another story.  Then that drink might have to be a martini.  But today happened to be both, so it was a tough descision!  Today at work it was as if everyone came back from their labor day celebrations at the cabin hungry, and hit the deli where I work hard!  I felt like I was running around like a crazy woman, and that is just the sort of day that calls for a delicious refreshing drink while relaxing at home afterwards!  Since the refreshing gin of the martini and the tart sweetness of the lemonade both sounded good, I combined them and made honey gin lemonade.  But not just plain honey gin lemonade. 

Rosemary infused!  I had some honey syrup infused with rosemary that I thought would be a nice addition to sweeten the drink and it was!  The herby rosemary was perfect with the refreshing gin, not to mention the aroma was calming!  The lemonade was just the right tart sweetness and the floral honey paired well with the rosemary!  It was just what the doctor ordered for today.  Butt kicking day no more after savoring every last drop of it!  If you had a butt kicking day, or just wish to relax, here is the recipe for this concoction!

Rosemary Gin Lemonade

makes 1

1/3 cup lemon juice

4 oz gin
2 Tbsp honey rosemary syrup*
ice
a few sprigs rosemary
a few lemon slices
sparkling water

In a martini shaker, combine lemon juice, gin, and honey syrup (more if a sweeter drink is desired), and shake until well blended.  Place a good amount of ice in a tall glass, along with a few sprigs of rosemary, and a few lemon slices.  Pour drink into the glass, and top off with some sparkling water...enjoy!

*To make honey rosemary syrup, combine 1/4 cup boiling water, 1/4 cup honey and 2 Tbsp fresh rosemary in a container.  Cool, cover, and place in the fridge and let sit at least a day or up to a few weeks.  Works well in lemonade to sweeten as well as drinks!

Watermelon Gin Cooler

I love cucumber and gin together...it is one of the most refreshing cocktail combos you can make in the summer!  So, when I was enjoying one of nature's other summer coolers, watermelon, I decided that I needed to try using it in a cocktail paired with gin!  So, I blended up some melon, and got to work creating the essence of summer refreshment in a drink!  This one is nice if you want something as refreshing as the cucumber, but sweeter as well.  I added some lemon juice to my watermelon gin combo to give it a bit of tartness along with the sweet as well as some basil since I love basil in fruity drinks!  Then I topped it off with a bit of sparkling water to give it some fizz.  The drink was just like biting into a watermelon but better, and it definately cooled me off from the inside out.  Try out this drink while melons are in season!

Watermelon Gin Cooler

Makes 1

1 cup watermelon

1 Tbsp agave nectar
4 large fresh basil leaves
1/2 cup ice cubes
3 oz gin
2 oz lemon juice
sparkling water
watermelon for garnish

Puree watermelon and agave nectar in a blender and process until liquified. In a martini shaker, muddle basil leaves with ice until crushed.  Add gin, lemon juice, and watermelon puree, place top on and shake well.  In a large tall glass, place a few ice cubes, and pour watermelon mixture over. Top off with a bit of sparkling water and garnish with a melon chunk...enjoy!