Pineapple Basil Gin Cocktail - Weekend Recipe

This is refreshing and tasty and makes a great Cocktail to serve as your signature on New Year's Eve. You can muddle the basil and lime in glasses ahead of time and combine the gin and pineapple in a pitcher and then enjoy conversing with your guests.  Make each glass special with a fun garnish of pineapple rings and wedge of lime.  Being winter, save your basil to make the muddle.

To muddle use a wooden spoon to crush and twist (do not pulverize) the lime and basil together to  release the flavors and juices.  These will then mix with the juice and gin to make a wonderful solution of tasty flavors.

Pineapple Basil Gin Cocktail

3 basil leaves, rolled and sliced into thin strips

1/4 wedge of lime

1/4 cup organic pineapple juice

1 1/2 ounces gin

Ice
Club soda
1 slice pineapple, for garnish
1 lime wedge, for garnish
1 sprig basil, for garnish (optional)

Directions: 
Put basil and lime quarter in the bottom of a glass and muddle. Add pineapple juice, gin, and ice cubes, and top with club soda. Garnish with pineapple slice, lime wedge, or basil sprig.

To find more Herb Cocktails posted this month search MOCKDEC or to find any of the other 2018 monthly recipe themes, use any of these search terms:

   January - Chicken Soup (ChickJan)
  February - Beef Stew (StewFeb)

  March - Jambalaya (JambMar)

  May - Ham and Shrimp Dishes (ShrHamMay)

  June - Bread recipes (BreadJun)

  July - Grilling (GrillJul)

  August- Garden Delights (GardAug)

  September - Salsa, Corn and Jelly (SCJSep)

  October - Squash Dishes  (SquashOct)

  November - Pumpkin Recipes (PumpNov)

   December - Herbal Cocktails (MockDec)

Christmas Cocktail- Cranberry Orange

The perfect flavors of the holiday season include cranberries and oranges.  I found a dozen recipes on Pinterest using cranberries for a holiday drink.  I love cranberry and my hubby came home with two large boxes of mandarin oranges from a fundraising sale.  These are the tangerines that are sold under brand names like Cuties.  They are quick and easy to peel and just the right size for a snack.  They are also perfect for sweetening and taking the edge off of tart cranberry. 

Cranberry Christmas Cocktail

1 mandarin orange (Cuties)

8 large ice cubes

1 ½ cups Cranberry juice

1 12 oz. can ginger ale

And a good pour of Rye Whiskey

Place everything in a blender and run until ice is crushed. Garnish with a couple fresh cranberries or a skewer of candied cranberries.  You can leave out the whiskey to make it a mocktail or substitute prosecco or other sparkling wine to make it more bubbly.

Pour into a glass strained or unstrained. This recipe makes about 30 ounces or 5 6-ounce servings.

To find the rest of the Herbal Cocktails posted this month use the search code MOCKDEC, or for any of the 2018 monthly recipe themes use these search terms:

  January - Chicken Soup (ChickJan)  February - Beef Stew (StewFeb)

  March - Jambalaya (JambMar)

  May - Ham and Shrimp Dishes (ShrHamMay)

  June - Bread recipes (BreadJun)

  July - Grilling (GrillJul)

  August- Garden Delights (GardAug)

  September - Salsa, Corn and Jelly (SCJSep)

  October - Squash Dishes  (SquashOct)

  November - Pumpkin Recipes (PumpNov)

  December - Herbal Cocktails (MockDec)

Pear and Thyme Fizz - Cocktail Weekend Recipe

Fizz is a category of drink that combines alcohols and flavors with sparkling wine, champagne prosecco or other fizzy liquid to create a bubbly drink.  These make the greatest mocktails, as you an substitute sparking waters for the bubbly and still enjoy the fun.

This recipe uses thyme and pear and is wonderful for fall and winter.

Pear and Thyme Fizz

2 cups apple juice
1 ripe pear, cored and sliced
18 sprigs fresh thyme
1/4 cup orange-flavored liqueur (such as grand marnier)
1 bottle sparkling wine (such as prosecco or cava)

Directions: 
Combine apple juice, pear, 12 sprigs thyme, and liqueur. Stir well and store in fridge for 2 to 4 hours. To serve, divide among 6 champagne flutes, discard thyme, and top with sparkling wine. Garnish each flute with 1 sprig thyme and serve.

To make it a Mocktail: substitute 1/4 cup orange juice for the liqueur and citrus flavored sparkling water for the sparkling wine.

For 2018 the monthly recipe themes will be:

   January - Chicken Soup (ChickJan)

  February - Beef Stew (StewFeb)

  March - Jambalaya (JambMar)

  May - Ham and Shrimp Dishes (ShrHamMay)

  June - Bread recipes (BreadJun)

  July - Grilling (GrillJul)

  August- Garden Delights (GardAug)

  September - Salsa, Corn and Jelly (SCJSep)

  October - Squash Dishes  (SquashOct)

  November - Pumpkin Recipes (PumpNov)

   Decmber - Herbal Cocktails (MockDec)

Sage infused Gin fizz

Okay I will admit it with holiday drinks I like a bit of fizz.  I love a Slo Gin Fizz and this is my herb-infused version of that beverage. For this one it tastes seasonally perfect and can cure your ills if you use honey to make the simple syrup rather than sugar.  Sage is a natural germ fighter, so you get the added benefit of sore throat treatment and alcoholic beverage.

Sage-infused Gin fizz (serves 4)

For honey sage syrup:
1/2 cup honey
1/2 cup water
6 sage leaves

For fizz:
3 ounces gin
2 tablespoons honey sage syrup
2 tablespoons lime juice
3/4 cup club soda
Sage leaves, for garnish  (as a treat candy the sage leaves by coating in sugar)

Directions: 

Make honey sage syrup, combine honey, water, and sage leaves in a medium-sized saucepan over medium-high heat until boiling. Reduce heat to low and stir constantly until honey is completely dissolved, about 1 minute. Remove from heat completely and let cool for 30 minutes.

Divide gin, honey sage syrup, lime juice, and club soda among 4 ice-filled glasses. Garnish with sage leaves.

To find other recipes for cocktails posted this month search MockDEC to find the recipes of previous months see this list, or search recipes 2018 for any recipe on the theme.

For 2018 the monthly recipe themes will be:

   January - Chicken Soup (ChickJan)

   February - Beef Stew (StewFeb)

   March - Jambalaya (JambMar)

   May - Ham and Shrimp Dishes (ShrHamMay)

   June - Bread recipes (BreadJun)

   July - Grilling (GrillJul)

   August- Garden Delights (GardAug)

   September - Salsa, Corn and Jelly (SCJSep)

   October - Squash Dishes  (SquashOct)

   November - Pumpkin Recipes (PumpNov)

   December - Herbal Cocktails (MockDec)

Breakfast Sangria - Weekend Recipe

This is light, bright and perfect for the morning, especially the morning after as it has the hair of the dog so to speak.  It is a good make ahead beverage for holiday entertaining. The sprigs of herbs can be removed before serving so as not to clutter the beverage.

Breakfast Sangria (makes 4 to 6 servings)

1 pink grapefruit
1 navel orange
2 limes
2 sprigs lemon balm or 1/8 cup Lemon verbena leaves.
3 to 4 sprigs lemon thyme
1 cup triple-sec or other orange liqueur
1 750 ml bottle of Presecco  (or other sparkling champagne-style drink)
12 to 24 ounces plain or grapefruit flavored sparkling water.

Directions:

Slice the citrus fruit into half moons.  Mix with the triple-sec in a pitcher that holds at least 2 quarts.   Add herb sprigs, fresh is best, but dry is fine depending on season. Mix in the Prosecco and cover the pitcher tightly with plastic wrap.  Chill overnight or at least 8 hours before serving.

When ready to serve, remove the herbs, top off the pitcher with sparkling water and serve with lime or orange wedges.

To find other recipes for cocktails posted this month search MockDEC to find the recipes of previous months see this list, or search recipes 2018 for any recipe on the theme.

For 2018 the monthly recipe themes will be:

  January - Chicken Soup (ChickJan)

  February - Beef Stew (StewFeb)

  March - Jambalaya (JambMar)

  May - Ham and Shrimp Dishes (ShrHamMay)

  June - Bread recipes (BreadJun)

  July - Grilling (GrillJul)

  August- Garden Delights (GardAug)

  September - Salsa, Corn and Jelly (SCJSep)

  October - Squash Dishes  (SquashOct)

  November - Pumpkin Recipes (PumpNov)

   December - Herbal Cocktails (MockDec)

Herb Infused Lemon Beertail

Pilsner is a sweeter, lighter beer with a hint of citrus, making it the perfect additive to a cocktail make with citrus herbs.

Herb Infused Lemon Beertail

For simple syrup:
1 cup water
1 cup sugar
1 cup loosely packed lemon herbs, lemon balm, lemon thyme, lemon basil , lemon grass or lemon verbena. A single herb or mix is fine.

For lemonade:
Juice of 3 lemons
4 cups water
Ice
1 bottle (12 ounces) lightly flavored beer, such as a pilsner

Directions: 

Make simple syrup by stirring water and sugar in a saucepan over medium-high heat until boiling. Remove from heat immediately add the herbs, cover and allow to steep for 10 to 30 minutes. Then strain out herbs.

In large pitcher, mix lemon juice, water, ice, and 1 cup cooled simple syrup. Arrange 4 glasses and fill each halfway with mixture. Top with beer.

To make a mocktail: substitute gingerale of non-alcoholic beer for the pilsner.

To find other recipes for cocktails posted this month search MockDEC to find the recipes of previous months see this list, or search recipes 2018 for any recipe on the theme.

For 2018 the monthly recipe themes will be:

  January - Chicken Soup (ChickJan)

  February - Beef Stew (StewFeb)

  March - Jambalaya (JambMar)

  May - Ham and Shrimp Dishes (ShrHamMay)

  June - Bread recipes (BreadJun)

  July - Grilling (GrillJul)

  August- Garden Delights (GardAug)

  September - Salsa, Corn and Jelly (SCJSep)

  October - Squash Dishes  (SquashOct)

  November - Pumpkin Recipes (PumpNov)

   December - Herbal Cocktails (MockDec)