Homemade Limoncello

I love making homemade liqueurs. It's not always cheaper than buying them in the liquor store, but it is lots of fun, and you can make them to your own taste, in the amounts you need. 

This homemade Limoncello is bracingly strong and tart, and not too sweet.   

I used this method to make Limoncello by suspending a whole lemon wrapped in cheesecloth over vodka to vaporize the lemon oils without muddying the flavour. 

I used a high-proof vodka, but you can use any clean-flavoured vodka you enjoy.  I don't believe there's a lot of taste difference between top-shelf and lower-end vodkas, so use what you like. 

I'm not usually terribly picky about using organic produce, but for this I highly recommend finding organic lemons. Everything in the lemon skin will go into the liqueur, including any pesticides lingering there.  If you can't get organic, scrub them very well before using. 

Bundle the lemon into cheesecloth and tie it with a length of twine, leaving a long string to suspend the lemon over the vodka.

I used only a cup of vodka to make about 375mL of liqueur, but you can easily double the recipe using two lemons if you have a large enough jar to suspend them without touching the vodka.  

Pour the vodka into a wide-mouth jar, suspend the lemon above and wrap the string around the mouth of the jar until it holds on its own.  Then put a lid on the jar. 

Label it! Then put it in a cool cupboard for a month.  

When a month has passed, you'll see condensation on the jar.  That's the alcohol drawing out the flavour from the lemon peel.

Remove the lemon in cheesecloth and discard it.  Make a simple syrup by heating water and sugar.  Once the sugar is dissolved, add the zest of one new, fresh organic lemon and let it steep for 15 minutes.

Mix the syrup and lemon peel with the vodka and let it sit for another 30 minutes.

Strain the liqueur into a bottle and discard the lemon peels. I used an old gin bottle and my awesome husband made this cute label for the bottle.

Homemade Limoncello is great to give as a gift, and there's still enough time to make a batch before Christmas! 

It is great served over ice, mixed with prosecco, or in a cocktail. 

Here's the recipe.  Cheers!

Ingredients:
2 organic lemons
1 cup (250mL) vodka
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup water

Equipment:
large wide-mouth jar with lid
cheesecloth
twine
peeler or paring knife to peel lemon

Instructions:
Place vodka in a large, wide-mouth jar.
Wrap 1 lemon in cheesecloth and tie string around the top to secure it. Wrap the string around the mouth of the bottle to suspend the lemon over the vodka.  Make sure the lemon doesn't touch the vodka. 
Put the lid on the jar and store it in a cool, dark place for 4 weeks.
Heat the water and sugar in a saucepan. Peel the second lemon, avoiding the white pith.  Once the sugar has dissolved in the water, add the lemon peel to the syrup and let cool for 15 minutes. 
Mix the lemon syrup with the vodka and let sit for 30 minutes.
Strain the Limoncello and keep, refrigerated in a pretty bottle or give as a gift. 

Happy Hour - Homemade Gin Smash

Last year a terrific new pre-made cocktail hit the shelves of the LCBO, Georgian Bay Gin Smash.  We tried it at a food & wine show and fell in love with the fruity but not-too-sweet flavour.  We weren't the only ones.  It was extremely popular in Ontario and very hard to find for a lot of the summer.  At one point we came across a full case of 24 at the LCBO and grabbed it to stock up.  

But when it wasn't available, and we were craving the flavour, I decided I could make my own Gin Smash.  I used Bulldog gin, but it would be even more authentic with Georgian Bay gin. 

All you need is gin, club soda, limes, lemons, tangerines and mint. 

Muddle the mint and fruit with a shot of gin. Muddling just means to crush the fruit and herbs together to get their juice and essence into the gin.  The peels add a lot of flavour as well.  If you don't have a muddler, use a wooden spoon.  

I made the smash two ways.  One was muddled in a cocktail shaker and strained, the other was muddled directly in the glass so all the fruit remained in the cocktail when served.  Both were topped with club soda.

I think I liked the strained version slightly better, for ease of sipping, but both were delicious! 

You can be creative and add different fruits and herbs to make your own smash.  I am heading to Georgian Bay for a girls weekend soon, and I'll be bringing both the pre-made Gin Smash, and ingredients to make my own. 

Cheers! 

Happy Hour: Lavender Lady

I've been experimenting with gin cocktails lately. Gin is so refreshing as it gets warmer outside. 

I didn't used to be a fan of gin. Although my first-ever cocktail was a Singapore Sling (when I was not quite legal age), I found gin to be a little harsh when I was younger. I particularly disliked the combination of gin and tonic, which tasted like pine trees to me.  
It's amazing how our tastebuds change as we age.  Now I will seek out a refreshing gin or complex bourbon cocktail on a menu instead of something safe and sweet.

This cocktail is based on the "Lady" cocktails popular after prohibition.  A Pink Lady is gin, grenadine and eggwhite.  A White Lady is gin, Cointreau and lemon juice. I love the White Lady, so I thought I'd try to make a Lavender Lady with lavender from my garden. 

I made a lavender simple syrup by mixing a cup of sugar with a cup of water and steeping 5 sprigs of fresh lavender in the syrup as it heats.  I left the lavender in the syrup to strain as it cooled, for about an hour, creating a subtle, floral syrup.

Mix 2 ounces gin, 1 ounce lavender syrup and 1 ounce fresh lemon juice in a cocktail mixer half filled with ice.  Shake until the mixer is cold and frosty on the outside, about 30 seconds.

Pour the drink into a cocktail glass and garnish with a sprig of lavender.  It's not a purple drink, but it is light, floral, refreshing, and very lady-like.

Enjoy!  

Happy Hour - Mint Julep

The Kentucky Derby is coming up next weekend. I don't follow horse racing, I just learned this from general chatter on the internet.  Two years ago, we drove down to Nashville via Kentucky and happened to be in Lexington on the weekend of the Rolex Kentucky horse racing event. We just managed to find a hotel room - the town was packed!  We had a fabulous time and returned the following year for Matt's birthday. On the way home from Nashville, we'd planned to stop in Louisville, Kentucky for lunch but we stopped at a visitor's centre on the highway and learned it was now Derby weekend and we should avoid the area at all costs!  So much for my thorough planning. 

Kentucky is where we fell in love with bourbon. Since we just bought a new house, we're not travelling this spring, so I thought I'd take a trip back to Kentucky through cocktails!

Craft Cider Revelations: Q&A with Revel Cider's Tariq Ahmed

This post comes from Matt Brown, The Beer Baron. Find him on Twitter & Instagram @geekcanuck

Last summer, the Clockwatching Tart and I got to spend a wonderful evening in Toronto on the Craft Cider Cruise. As you’ll see in the original article, one of the most exciting aspects of the cruise was discovering Revel Cider Co., which was brand new at the time. Since that time, we’ve been lucky enough to try a few more Revel ciders on rare occasions at Milos’ Craft Beer Emporium, but it wasn’t exactly easy to come by. So, you can imagine our delight when we saw this poster online and in the window at Milos’:

So, before we get to our Q&A with Tariq Ahmed, Revel Cider’s self-proclaimed “CEO, cider maker, delivery guy, sales guy, janitor – everything really”, let’s take a look at the four ciders that helped celebrate Revel Cider’s one-year anniversary celebration!

Bittersweet Freedom 7% abv: First up was Bittersweet Freedom, made from a blend of Bittersweet crab apples and Freedom, a heritage variety. “I chose Freedom apples for Bittersweet Freedom because it had nice acidity, a touch of tannin, and I found it along with the Bittersweets at the same time. Sometimes you just gotta work with what life gives you. I found Freedom had some great characteristics (tannin + acidity) when I tasted it for making good cider. It was also great that it happened to be organically grown from a farmer I trusted,” says Tariq. Personally, I enjoyed the slight bit of funkiness and tartness and that it started clean and crisp, with a lingering sweetness – a great start to Revelations month!

Oud Blanc 9% abv: The Clockwatching Tart was out of town and missed this one, but I’m glad I didn’t, as it was the highlight of the month for me and the best new cider I’ve tried in the past year. Admittedly, between loving Oud Bruin, the Flemish sour style of beer it is based on, and loving Ontario Riesling wines, I was pretty much the target demographic for this one, but still, it was amazing. Blended with Niagara-grown Riesling, I described Oud Blanc in my notes as aromatic, tart, bracing and amazing, which sounds about right. “I might make some of the Revelations releases again. Definitely Oud Blanc. But not till next year,” says Tariq.

Wild Honeycrisp 6.5% abv: Honeycrisp is without a doubt my favourite variety of apple for eating, but it isn’t cheap, which is probably why I’d never had it in a craft cider before now. The wild yeast imparts a bit of a tropical flair that isn’t present in the apple itself, Wild Honeycrisp was a very plesant surprise – even for Tariq himself. “For Wild Honeycrisp, I just brought the juice in and let the wild yeasts already present ferment it. I did that because I was curious what would happen.”

Revelry 7.5% abv: To celebrate Revel’s one-year anniversary, the final release of the month was Revelry, which uses the old pioneer technique for creating Apple Jack, which was a more potent version of cider. “Cryo-concentration is a technique developed in Quebec. Basically, it’s the same as making ice wine, except you press the apples and let the juice freeze - as opposed to letting the whole fruit freeze. Then you skim the ice off the top and use what's left,” says Tariq. The end result is something more sweet, warm and welcoming than the clean, crisp and funky ciders from earlier in the month. If you imagine Willy Wonka making a drink out of candy apples, you wouldn’t be far off on that Revelry was like.

Q&A with Revel Cider’s Tariq Ahmed

Q: How did you discover craft cider?

A: I discovered craft cider in Montreal originally quite a few years ago. I was 18 and had just won two Via Rail tickets from work at the time so a friend and I decided to go to Quebec. The hostel we were staying at was doing a pub crawl of brewpubs but I hadn't quite developed a taste for beer yet. An Australian named Shaun who we made with friends with told me to try the ciders - I was amazed that all of them were very different, even though they were made within walking distances. I've since gone back to Montreal after starting my business and had other phenomenal Quebec-made ciders. 

Q: What inspired you to open Revel?

A: I wanted to own a farm originally - I studied Plant Science at the University of Guelph and did an internship at Manorun Organic Farm in Copetown (Just north of Hamilton) in the summer of my second year. They had an old wine press there that I ended up using to make mead, wine and ciders. I would grind/press/ferment after doing full days of labour on the farm. That was where I really fell in love with making alcohol. For me, it was just another way to preserve the summer harvest (I also did many pickles and preserves in my time there). I came back to school, took an applied business course (by the end of which you come out with a business plan) and applied for a grant program offered by U of G called The Hub. It's a business incubator. I pitched to a panel of judges and was selected among four other businesses to be in their first cohort. The grant helped but mostly the fact that the judges believed I had a solid plan was the reason I took it to the next level.

Q: What was your favourite experience during your first year of business?

A: I can't really pin down one moment as a favourite from the first year. It's been a pretty amazing ride with all the recognition and the great feedback. I'm hoping year two will be more of the same. The constant learning is what's best for me.

Q: What advice would you give cider lovers to help them choose the best ciders?

A: I would recommend giving everything Ontario-made a shot and deciding what style you like best. Just like beer and wine, you can make cider in many different ways - that's one of the reasons I love doing it. But not every style is for everyone; try it all and find what suits you. Ontario apples are phenomenal though. Also, traditional Spanish and French ciders are often good if you can find them.

Q: What's something you see in the craft cider world that is worrisome?

A: The most worrisome thing in the Craft Cider world right now, at least in Ontario, is the insane percentages that the LCBO takes from every sale (regardless of if you sell in their stores or straight to bars/restos). It can be as high as 56% currently. Until that changes, not many cideries will be able to operate profitably, severely holding back the industry in Ontario.

Q: What is your personal favourite cider you've brewed?

A: Personally, I really liked Bittersweet Freedom. It had a nice tannic balance, with great acidity. Tannin is one of the hardest things to find in Ontario apples so I could only make so much. Hopefully, that changes in the future. In the meantime, I've also made an aggressively hopped cider called XXX (in collaboration with Clifford Brewing and West Avenue Cider). It was phenomenal, lots of Citra and Galaxy Hops. I will be making that again.

Our special thanks to Tariq for taking the time to share with us – and for making such an incredible and unique selection of ciders to enjoy during Revelations month! Can’t wait ‘til next year and more Oud Blanc!

Happy Hour - Gin Martini

Wow, what a crazy few weeks it has been!  I know that September/back to school is hectic for parents and teachers.  We are neither, but I started a brand new job two weeks ago, with all the changes to routine that entails.  Plus, we just bought a new house and put our house on the market!  It's a very exciting time, but also very stressful and busy.  We often have to leave the house at dinnertime for showings, and keep it spotless between showings, so needless to say, we haven't done much cooking. 

We had to pack up some glassware to make our home look more spacious for showings, but I insisted on keeping my martini glasses and shaker.  In this stressful time, I'm not going to deny myself a martini!

This is a traditional gin martini with a twist.  You can use an olive instead, but I can't stand olives, and I love the way the lemon adds a little bitter, sour flavour to the drink.

A gin martini is full of gin flavour, so you want to use your very best, favourite gin.  My dear friend bought me Hendrick's Gin for my recent birthday and it would be fantastic in this. I used Bombay Sapphire East which is subtly flavoured with black pepper and lemongrass. You'll also need dry vermouth.  

There is some controversy over what makes the "perfect" martini.  The less vermouth, the more dry it is and some like it very dry. But I started with a 2:1 ratio of gin to vermouth and liked it fine. If you are new to gin and/or martinis, this is a good place to start. You can fiddle with the amount of vermouth to make your perfect martini. 

For this martini, mix 2 ounces of gin and one ounce of vermouth in a cocktail shaker with plenty of ice and shake until the shaker is frosty, about 30 seconds.  

Use a zester or sharp paring knife to remove a strip of lemon peel from a fresh, clean lemon.  Twist the peel over the glass to release the oils, and pour the cocktail over a the lemon into a martini glass.

You can see this martini is cloudy, not clear. That's from shaking it, which causes ice crystals to make the drink opaque.  James Bond's "shaken, not stirred" causes this cloudiness which is not ideal for martini connoisseurs.  For a clear martini, stir the cocktail gently rather than shaking it.  I am not that picky. 

Since the ingredients are nothing but booze, this makes a very boozy cocktail, but it can be just the thing before dinner or after a long day. It is sophisticated and tasty which is sometimes just what you need.

Cheers!   

Mulled Wine

I've been really enjoying hot beverages this holiday season.  Normally I prefer cold drinks, but hot apple cider (with rum), hot chocolate (with Peppermint Kahlua), and hot mulled wine with spices have been keeping me warm lately.

Mulled wine is so easy, I can't believe I've never made it before.  You can add any spices you choose.  I went with a wide variety but you can select just a few of these:

• orange zest
• cinnamon sticks
• cloves
• sliced fresh ginger
• cardamom pods
• star anise
• peppercorns

plus about 1/4 cup of brown sugar

Pour a bottle of wine over the spices.  You can do this in a pot on the stove or in a crock pot.  If you're serving a crowd, go ahead and double this.

Warm over medium heat until steaming, then keep warm for serving.  

I like the spicy flavour the ginger adds, but you can play around until you find your personal ideal spice combination.

Ladle into mugs to serve and enjoy this winter treat.  Happy Holidays!  

Mojito

Here's a repeat post from last summer.  I thought it was important to get this information out there during this hot summer weekend.  Enjoy!  

This is the reason I started growing mint in my garden.  This is an extremely refreshing cocktail, perfect for a hot summer day!

I usually use a cocktail shaker for this, but it's easy to muddle the ingredients in a glass.  

Use a handful of mint.

Sprinkle with a tablespoon of sugar.

Muddle with a wooden spoon.  Muddling releases the oils and flavour from the mint.

Add the juice of a lime and mix to dissolve the sugar.

And a shot of white rum.

Fill the glass with ice and top with club soda.

Drink on the deck with a good book.  Refreshing!

Good Reads: Make the Bread, Buy the Butter

I love to cook and I love to read, but I don't read a lot of cookbooks. The Joy of Cooking is the only cookbook I consult regularly, and mainly for baking. I like its no-nonsense recipes and I've always had success with them.  When it comes to day-to-day cooking, I generally look for recipes online, then compare the techniques and ingredients in two or three recipes and either combine them or go with what looks best.  It's like crowdsourcing the recipe instead of sticking with an expert opinion, and it usually works pretty well for me.  Although I do favour a few favourite sources like Epicurious, Clean Eating and Serious Eats.