Cranberry-Infused Vodka Drink: The No. 3

When it comes to making a mixed drink, I sometimes like to get a little cocky and use a lot of ingredients to make it look like I know what I'm doing. I imagine that I am a mad scientist concocting a super serum or a witch making a deadly potion (usually that's a sign that I should stop testing all of my creations..)

My music teacher in high school used to urge us to not try anything fancy with our voices or to put too much thought into a piece that could ruin the message of it. He would call out "K-I-S-S. Keep it simple, stupid!" He really was a darling man, though his methods were occasionally unorthodox. Either way, he's right. We can try making things complicated, because it's fun or makes us seem better than we really are, but that doesn't mean we will end up with a better final product. This can also go for cocktail concocting.

I've applied the KISS method to this latest drink, The No. 3. It's really simple and focuses only on two flavors: cranberry and lime. This is a twist on yet another classic. Back in my younger years when I was a liquor novice (and OBVIOUSLY over 21....) the vodka-cranberry was a go-to drink. In hindsight, the bottom-shelf spirit and scant amounts of cranberry juice was something akin to a mind eraser in a Solo cup. My version relies on the simplicity of cranberry and lime flavors - with a little bit of sparkle, of course. Much more adult, much more festive, a lot less sticky and regrettable than things that remind me of red Solo cups.

Ah, the red Solo cup. So many, erm, hazy memories?

For The No. 3, you will need the following tools:

A medium-sized glass
A shaker
A knife

And the following ingredients:

3 oz Cranberry-infused vodka
2 Tablespoons lime juice
1.5 Tablespoons simple syrup
4 oz Soda water
Lime for garnish

I'm a simple girl. All I want is somebody to love...
 ...and an ice cold cocktail, dammit.

Let's get shakin'!

1. Combine vodka, lime juice, and simple syrup in a shaker full of ice.
2. Shake that ish up until it's REALLY cold. I'm serious.
3. Pour combination with rocks into your glass. "Rocks" is bar lingo for ice. "Ice" and "rocks" are both slang for diamonds. I do not recommend using diamonds for this cocktail. *The more you know*
4. Top with soda water and give a stir or two with your straw.
5. Cut a wedge of lime and make your drink look fancy.

And then you're done! I wasn't exaggerating about the easiness, nor will I stretch the truth about its tastiness. IT'S DANG GOOD, PEOPLE. However, I like my drinks really tart and I recognize that other people don't necessarily share my inclination. So if you prefer a more mild taste to your vodka drink, don't use as much lime juice.

"Pro" Tip: Not only is this a beautiful looking drink, it's also easily festive. Though I'm promoting this drink for Thanksgiving, it is red and green and rather reminiscent of another holiday. Garnish a more Christmas-y drink with a lime and a maraschino cherry on a toothpick. Ta Da! A versatile drink that you can customize to fit the holiday or season. Note: Thirsty Thursdays are considered holidays.

Secondary "Pro" Tip: These drinks are best consumed not only when they're ice cold, but when you share them with other people. Test your drinks out solo so you've got the proportions you like, but make sure to spread the love by sharing some of your creations. People are less likely to believe that you can make a tasty drink if you never let others try it.

That's all from me for this week, folks. Check back next week for the final drink of my Thanksgiving cocktail series using my cranberry-infused vodka *cue lamenting violin music*

xoxo, Teele

Want to make some cranberry-infused vodka? Check here for the recipe and my suggestions for the creation process.

Check out The No. 1 for the first recipe of the series and a quick refresher on simple syrup and fruit garnishes.

Check out The No. 2 for a vodka mojito and some scintillating commentary on life and libations.

Cranberry-Infused Vodka Drink: The No. 2

For those of us living in New England and other Northern areas of the world, November is a bittersweet time of year... emphasis on the bitter part of that sentiment. Sure, the foliage is nice, but the temperature is rapidly dropping and the piles of snow seem to be right around the corner.

I, for one, don't believe that summery drinks only belong in the warmer months. Instead, I will sip my light and fruity drinks even when when the mercury hovers around and below the freezing mark. That's why this next cranberry-infused vodka drink, The No. 2, will be perfect for this upcoming season as well as the rest of the year (not that it will last past Thanksgiving...)

This concoction is a twist on an old summer standard: the mojito. Traditionally made with white rum, lime juice, and freshly muddled mint, mojitos remind me of lazy summer afternoons basking in the sun. Vodka mojitos are less popular, though I am unsure why. I find mojitos made with vodka are a bit smoother and have less of a bite than its rum counterpart. I find them equally refreshing and this cranberry/lime/mint combination will find its way into your mouth and then inevitably into your heart.

Let's do this! The No. 2!

This drink is equally tasty and beautiful. Makes me forget it snows half the year here...

For this delightfully delicious drink you will need:

Tools:
A large glass (or perhaps even a Mason jar if you're into that aesthetic...)
A muddler or some other muddling instrument
A swizzle stick or some other stirring mechanism
A knife

Muddlers? Instruments of torture? You decide!

Ingredients:
3 oz Cranberry-infused vodka
6-10 Fresh mint leaves
2 Tablespoons lime juice
1.5 Tablespoon simple syrup
Soda water
Ice cubes
Lime and additional mint leaves for garnish

This one you make in the glass itself so you can get to the drinking part of your evening faster!

1. Muddle (fancy term for smush) your mint leaves in the bottom of your glass. You want to make sure that you crush them enough so that they release their oils and the real bold flavor of the mint shines through.
2. Add the vodka, lime juice, and simple syrup to the mint leaves and give everything a quick stir.
3. Plop in some ice cubes and add enough soda water so that you double the amount of liquid in your glass.
4. Stir everything again and add a lime wedge and some fresh mint for your garnish!
5. For best results, use a straw for this bevvy so you aren't risking getting hit in the face with ice cubes.

And then you're done! Congratulations, you've just made a super tasty drink and I didn't include sharing in the instructions so you are under no obligation to do so!

"Pro" Tip: If you made cranberry ice cubes, I would suggest using one for this drink! If you decided to get real fancy, a cranberry/mint ice cube would be a beautiful addition to this. But only use one, don't go crazy now.

Secondary "Pro" Tip: Feel free to adjust your sweetness or tart levels with this cocktail. Don't settle for a drink that you don't actually want to finish. Take a sip and add some more simple syrup or lime juice if your tongue wants it! My favorite thing about making drinks is the trial and error... I've given you a set of guidelines, now make it your own!

Check out the recipe for The No. 1 to find out how to make a sophisticated champagne drink. I also give you the recipe for simple syrup, in case you want a refresher on how to make it. Check it out here!

That's all for now, folks! 

Check back again in a few days for the classic and crisp next installment, The No. 3!

xoxo, Teele

Cranberry-Infused Vodka Drink: The No. 1

A beautiful shade of pink. Tiny champagne bubbles dancing on your tongue. No, this isn't Audrey Hepburn's idea of a good time (although I choose to believe that Holly Golightly and I would be hot-mess level besties), this is the "No. 1," the first drink made with our homemade cranberry-infused vodka.

While you could simply sip the beautiful and mild nectar over ice, feeling festive and slowly losing your inhibitions, I choose to pair this with festive additions such as champagne!

In the event that I actually have any of the infusion left over by the time Thanksgiving rolls around, I will toast my family with this delightful drink and give thanks to the wonderful meal, the irreplaceable company, and the bubbles that tickle my nose and bring out the cranberry flavor in a subtle and sophisticated way.

Have I tempted you enough? Are you ready for it?

Don't worry, I didn't drink these both myself. Though if my life depended on it...

The No. 1 is an incredibly simple drink that is both understated and delicious, much like my puns. For this cocktail you will need:

Tools:

A shaker

A strainer 

A coup glass or champagne flute

A knife

Left to Right: Silly glass that won't hold enough alcohol, Champagne flute, Coup glass

Ingredients:

1.5 oz cranberry-infused vodka

1 Tablespoon lemon juice

.75 Tablespoon simple syrup

Champagne (Prosecco or a sparkling wine will do just fine, too. But please, for the love of all that is good on this Earth, do not use sparkling moscato.)

Lemon for garnish

Now for the fun part

1. Combine vodka, lemon juice, and simple syrup in a shaker full of ice.

2. Shake that baby up until it's nice and cold (ain't nobody got time for tepid treats!)

3. Strain mixture into coup or flute.

4. Top off with sparkling wine of your choice (just please not moscato, because that choice will always be wrong)

5. Garnish with a lemon twist and run the rind along the edge of the glass so every sip is tart and tasty.

Then you're done! Cheers to you and your wonderful taste in drinks!

"Pro" Tip: Chill your glass with some ice cubes and water before straining your cocktail into it. This is more difficult with a champagne flute, but if you pop it in the freezer for a few minutes before you use it, it achieves the same effect. All this does is ensure that you're drinking a really cold drink. Seriously. Taste a drink that isn't ice cold and tell me it's delicious. YOU WON'T.

Secondary "Pro" Tip: If you're feeling rullllll fancy, you can also garnish your drink with a few whole frozen cranberries. This way your guests know the contents of the drink (if you're into surprising your friends with booze) and it makes you look classy AF.

Now a few items to clarify in case you're unsure:

1. Simple syrup. As the name suggests, it's really simple to make. You could buy it from a store, but why do that when you likely have the ingredients in your home already?! It's a 1:1 ratio of water and white cane sugar. Boil your water over medium heat and just as it starts to roil, pour in the sugar and remove from the heat. Stir continuously until all the sugar has melted. Carefully pour BOILING LAVA HOT concoction into a glass receptacle like a Mason jar or Perrier bottle. Let cool and enjoy in your cocktails and iced coffees.

You can also infuse your simple syrups but then it's called "slightly-more-complicated syrup" and I'll go over some of my favorite infusions at a later date.

2. Lemon twist. Now, this isn't entirely necessary, but it does add some extra flavor and color to a large array of drinks. Fruit twists can be as simple as slicing the rind off of a whole lemon, orange, grapefruit, etc., or you can extract the fruit entirely and twirl the fruit up with some toothpicks. I'll post a blog about twists eventually. I'm new to this, gimme some time to figure stuff out!

That's all for now! Check back next week for The No. 2!

xoxo, Teele

Tastes of the Season: Cranberry

What even is this? Berry? Poison? Who freakin' knows.

Cranberries are weird. They're tiny and bouncy and grow in water. They're tart and are only appropriately used between the months of October and December. Honestly, I've never really been a fan of them. However, as I was perusing my local grocery store on an empty stomach, I saw a pound of cranberries and immediately decided that these little strange balls might be palatable if I infuse these in some vodka. By the time it would be ready, it would be November and the perfect time for some festive cocktails.

First things first - it's time for vodka

The recipe to infuse vodka with this strange enigma fruit is really incredibly easy. To start, you'll need:

1. One pound of whole cranberries
2. 750 mL of vodka (it doesn't need to be expensive!)
3. A large air-tight, wide-mouth glass container (plastic will absorb color and liquid)
4. Will-power and patience
5. A sterilized final container 

-Pulse your rinsed cranberries in a food processor until they are coarsely chopped. You want to make sure that they aren't too small or else the berries may break down too much and become mushy over the two-week infusion period. 

-Combine your whole bottle of vodka and all of the chopped cranberries into your container. Here I specify using a wide-mouth container because I used a large glass bottle that has a TEENY TINY opening and it made loading up the berries impossible.. my kitchen remains covered in tiny bits of red (oops!).

-Seal up your container and set it aside for two weeks. And don't open it during that time period. Seriously. Don't do it. Put in a cool, dry place and shake it up once a day so things don't solidify. This was tough for me since I have no self-control, however, I promise that patience does pay off.

-After two weeks, strain your vodka into your sterilized container. Again, a wide-mouth container will help with this. I had to use chopsticks to poke out the vodka and I made a mess of the kitchen... again - sorry roomies! To sterilize: stick your jar or bottle in some boiling water and wait for it to cool before using (please be careful doing this, I'm accident prone and managed not to burn myself - don't disappoint me!).

-Make sure to refrigerate your vodka! Letting it sit out will lead to spoiled spirits and sad, salty tears.

Gorgeous ruby red nectar. Color of happiness. Color of love. Not at all the color of blood.

"Pro" Tip - Press your berries out so that any excess boozy goodness ends up in your glass and not in the trash. You waited for two weeks, don't let any drop go to waste.

Secondary "Pro" Tip - Save your leftover cranberries and turn them into ice cubes! Only fill your ice cube trays half way with the berries. Add some fun stuff like orange rinds or mint leaves to add some pizzazz to your punch. Or your cocktail. Or even your water, it's a free country. 

And that's it! You've got a versatile and beautiful spirit that is sure to get to white girl shwasty if you let it. And for those of you curious about the taste, it's mild and subtle. It doesn't scream cranberry, but you're certainly aware it's there. Here are some totally real, not-at-all-made-up testimonials from a few of my besties:

"I hate cranberries and this was the best drink I've ever tasted. Teele is a goddess" - Jason

"I'm too hot, hot damn. Say my name you know who I am." - Anna

Stay tuned for my four original recipes featuring this festive and fruity ingredient!

xoxo, Teele

Welcome!

Welcome to Teele with a Twist!

You say potato, I say martini.

I'm just a simple girl with a love of puns and boozy concoctions. While I'm far from a professional bartendress, my friends and family seem to like what I shake, stir, and strain for them. So go ahead, bust out the ice cubes, find your favorite spirit and whip up a little somethin' somethin'.