Punch Rhyme Time With Pink Rum Punch Recipe

Bring out your bowls and cups - punches are coming back! These mixed drinks are returning in a big way for good reason - they're fun, fast, and festive. I make punches following the ratio recipe of the traditional Barbadian national rhyme:

One of Sour, Two of Sweet, Three of Strong, Four of Weak.

Traditionally, the sour was lime juice, sweet was sugar, honey, or molasses syrup, strong was rum, and weak was black tea. Perhaps punches originated this way because when made with the above ingredients, Barbados rum punch contains alcohol, caffeine, carbohydrates, and scurvy-preventative - everything a sailor needed to make it through a voyage.

Playing with Punch

The punch rhyme is a jumping off point for creative cocktail makers like ourselves. We make punches with all types of alcohol. They're a convenient way to use up vodka infusions. A few drops of bitters creates yet another layer of flavors and punches always taste better after aging overnight in the fridge.

Here are some ideas for the ingredients:

Sour - lemon, 100% cranberry, 100% cherry, or lime juice

Sweet - diluted honey, simple syrup, maple syrup

Strong - rum, bourbon, vodka, fruit or herb infusions

Weak - black tea, herbal tea, light fruit juices

Pink Punch Recipe

1 part 100% cranberry juice 2 parts simple syrup 2 1/2 parts white (unaged) rum 1/2 part sour cherry liqueur 4 parts raspberry hibiscus tea Angostura bitters, to taste

1. Mix all ingredients in a glass jar. Hint: A Ball quart or half-gallon jar has convenient measures on the sides for parts.

2. Shake well to combine and store in refrigerator overnight or up to five days.

3. Serve over ice, perhaps with a stainless steel straw.

Homemade Bitters {Recipe}

Cocktail drinkers know that a Manhattan isn't a traditional Manhattan without Angostura bitters and one can't make a Sazerac without Peychod's. But home mixologists might not know how simple and fun it is to make bitters and home.

What are Bitters?

Bitters are strong herb and spice alcohol infusions including at least one bittering agent like cassia, wormwood, quinine, citrus peel, or gentian root. A drop of flavorful bitters is the strong guest that holds the door open for the remaining sweet and sour seats around the table.

Bitters were born of the ‘tonic’ movement, a period in the mid 1800s - mid 1900s where people claimed to cure all with drinks flavored with herbs and spices. They were commonly consumed neat or over ice as digestifs. A culture of secret recipes and labels listing the afflictions for which each bitters were recommended surrounded the compounding craze.

Now, bitters are most commonly used in cocktails. Bitters support a drink with complexity that is notably absent if the mixologist neglects to add a drop or two. Creating bitters at home is one way cocktail makers can customize a drink recipe.

How to Make Bitters

1. Mix spices into alcohol. 2. Allow to age for up to three weeks at room temperature, tasting along the way to determine when the flavors reach your taste's desired strength. 3. Strain out solids and reserve alcohol. Dilute with a slight bit of water if desired. 4. Bottle and store in a cool dark place.

Because one only uses a few drops of bitters at a time and some of the ingredients are expensive, it is best to make very small batches. Organic bitters spices are available locally in tiny quantities at Clintonville Community Market and online through sources like Mountain Rose Herbs and Frontier. I like to store mine in dark glass bottles with eye droppers, available at Amazon and Mountain Rose.

Bitters Recipes

I created and tweaked the recipes below to my taste. Participants in my recent Infusions and Bitters class at Franklin Park Conservatory enjoyed them and many left planning to make bitters as gifts this holiday season.

Cocoa Bitters 1 teaspoon cacao nibs ¼ teaspoon sarsaparilla ¼ teaspoon orange peel ¼ teaspoon wild cherry bark 1 allspice berry 1 inch length of cinnamon stick ½ cup rum

Turkey Day Bitters 2 inches fresh rosemary 2 inches fresh sage ¼ teaspoon pink peppercorn ¼ teaspoon gentain root ¼ teaspoon juniper berries 150 mL vodka

Rachel’s Bitters 3 allspice berries 1 star anise ¼ teaspoon each pink peppercorn, gentain root, wild cherry bark, lemon peel, sarsaparilla 150 mL vodka

Even our kitty Moonshine was interested in bitters as I was photographing! Try making bitters yourself and see what flavor magic you can create.

Local notes:

1) I run a monthly co-operative buying group for Frontier herbs, spices, bath and body supplies including bitters ingredients and bottles. If you live in Columbus and are interested, contact me.

2) I am hosting a Gifts In Jars event at City Folk's Farm Shop, 4760 N High St,  this Friday November 23. I will have everything you need to make and label a beautiful Weck jar of hot cocoa mix, bath foam, or culinary herb salts with custom flavors. Each jar costs $6, will take about 10 minutes to make and the mess stays out of your house. Drop in anytime between 11 am - 2 pm this Friday.

The Olympic Cocktail {Recipe}

I love the Olympic games, cocktails, and a good story, so I naturally fell for the tale of the classic cocktail, The Olympic. The forgotten stepsister of the popular Side Car, the Olympic originated in London in 1922, likely in recognition of Olympic ocean liner, not the athletic competition.

The first recipes were one part cognac to one part orange juice to one part curacao, likely a non-electric-blue color because Brilliant Blue FCF hadn't originated yet.

In celebration of the 2012 games in London, we began experimenting with the Olympic. Our version, heavier on the cognac than the original, is refreshing with just the right amount of sweetness.

We'll serve the Olympic tonight with a London-inspired meal of steak and mushroom pasties, shaved brussels sprouts salad, popovers, and roasted peaches. I can hardly wait!

The Olympic Makes 1 drink

fresh squeezed juice of half a navel orange 2 ounces VSOP cognac 1 ounce quality orange brandy liqueur like Grand Marnier 1 dash Peychoud's bitters strip of orange peel for garnish

1. Place ice and water in a cocktail glass. 2. Pour orange juice, cognac, orange brandy and bitters over ice in a cocktail shaker. 3. Shake and strain into glass. Garnish with a strip of orange peel.

Are you watching the Olympics? Who are you cheering for?

Fizzy Water with SodaStream

Remember when I had a SodaStream on my holiday wish list? I put it on there because when I have sinus pain and pressure, nothing is more delightful to drink than some sparkling water. But I have always hated the packaging waste of bottles of water. My friend Faith saw my list and said "Why don't you just ask Soda Stream for one? They are promoting them with bloggers." Duh.

I asked and amazingly the company quickly sent out a SodaStream unit and a selection of their SodaMix flavor syrups.

I spent five minutes setting it up and then had my first drink. I giggled. Fizzy water from a machine right in my kitchen!

How It Works

Lil doesn't care for sparkling water or sodas but she loves to use the SodaStream. Here's a quick video of how it works:

Flavorings SodaStream produces an array of flavoring syrups called SodaMix including common soda knock-offs, a line of all natural (i.e. sweetened with cane sugar) selections, and no-cal flavored water. We found the taste of the flavors to be satisfying when we were looking for a shot of sugar.

The carbonation unit can only handle plain water, so to use the SodaMix syrups you have to pour it in after adding the bubbles. Each package comes with a measuring unit to fill the entire 1 liter bottle.

We found that we prefer to measure a bit of syrup into a glass and then pour soda water on top. We just don't drink enough sweet drinks to go through a whole liter before it de-carbonates.

Other Uses

Honestly, I prefer the un-flavored fizzy water. Sometimes I enjoy a glass with a twist of citrus or splash of lime juice. Sparkling water makes for a great no-calorie drink.

And of course we also use the sparkle to make cocktails. Limoncello over ice topped with soda water is the most refreshing thing in the world. We top whiskey sours with soda water and mix cranberry liqueur with bubbles. Once our store bought tonic water runs out, I will experiment with making my own tonic syrup so that summer gin and tonics will have a lower environmental footprint.

Is It For You?

The basic SodaStream costs around $100. CO2 cartridges cost $30 for a new cartridge or $20 for a refill. As each cartridge lasts for about 60 liters, the cost of bubbles per 12-ounce glass is $0.12.

It's hard to adjust for the amortization of the initial $100 investment for the machine because I don't know how long it will last. The unit is simple with few moving parts so I expect it to withstand many refills.

We typically pay about 60 cents for a 12-ounce can or bottle of club soda. Even if the unit only lasts through two refills, the SodaStream will beat the price of store-bought club soda AND eliminate recycling or reusing the cans/bottles. Plus, there's no denying that pressing the button and buzzing the water full of air bubbles is fun!

Disclosure: SodaStream provided me with a Genesis Soda Maker, Sodamix Variety 12-Pack, and a half dozen bottles of SodaMix syrups. My opinions remain my own.

Meyer Limoncello {Recipe}

Seasonal foods are hot and heavy in the spring, summer, and fall as we eat our way through herbs and asparagus to peas and beans to tomatoes and squash.

What about winter? Hot houses do produce fresh food in Ohio but there are only so many ways to eat greenhouse-grown lettuces and greens. Even homegrown squashes and potatoes are starting to scream "get me out of storage and eat me now!"

I expand my local circle a little south and look for seasonal foods elsewhere. 500 miles to the south are pecan farms sending up buttery fabulous-fresh nuts. Travel a little further and citrus orchards are ripe with fruit.

While one can buy an orange any day of the year in a grocery store, fresh seasonal citrus has a flavor of its own. Oranges are floral and grapefruits more sweet during the winter when they are shipped fresh from the orchard.

The gem of the citrus season crown is the Meyer Lemon. These small, thin fleshed lemons were originally brought to America from China by an agricultural explorer in 1908. They grow on dwarf trees and are available as indoor plants for those who live in Northern climates. One of my very first Hounds in the Kitchen entries tells about our Meyer Lemon tree. It produced beautifully last winter but we have no fruits ripening yet this year.

Fortunately, Green B.E.A.N. delivery currently offers organic Meyer lemons for subscribers. I nabbed a half dozen to enjoy two weeks ago and ordered another batch this week. I spied them today while shopping at Whole Foods and Andersons for $2.99/pound. Though I have never bought them directly from a farmer, a quick internet search reveals that Naples Orchard and Four Winds offer Meyers for purchase. The Meyer lemon season ends in early February, so shop soon.

Meyer lemons have an enchanting floral scent and mild lemon flavor. With little bitter pith, whole slices of Meyers can be incorporated into baked goods. They are excellent candied and I imagine they would make a very fine marmalade. Our favorite way to preserve Meyer lemons is by transforming them into limoncello.

Homemade limoncello takes little more than half an hour of preparation and the patience to wait three or more weeks as the limoncello ages. Those who wait are justly rewarded with a tart but mellow, bright and fresh liqueur. Keep it in the freezer and nip it directly from there or mix with club soda for a refreshing drink.

Meyer Limoncello Makes 1 quart Time: 15 minutes preparation plus three months aging

1 quart quality vodka 1 cup simple syrup (1/2 cup sugar dissolved in ½ cup water) juice and peel of 5 meyer lemons juice and peel of 1 orange 1 star anise 1-inch piece of cinnamon 3 whole cloves

1. Mix all ingredients in a clean glass jar. 2. Age in a cool dark location for up to three months, tasting as you go. 3. When the flavor is as you wish, strain the solids from the liquid. 4. Keep limoncello in the freezer and nip it directly from there or mix with club soda for a refreshing drink.

Momo Sake {Recipe for Peach Week}

Welcome to Peach Week! I declare it so because peaches are in season in Ohio and I love them! Before I get to the fruit of today's post, let me introduce the creator of the recipe, Anna. Anna is a 20 year old Japanese college student staying with us for two weeks. She is a chaperone to a group of 100 Japanese youth staying with host families throughout the state of Ohio. Anna was matched with our family because she like gardening, agriculture, and cooking.

When Anna arrived at our home Thursday evening, I showed her the peach (momo in Japanese) juice leftovers from Wednesday's peach canning extravaganza. With two other ingredients from the fridge, Anna showed me how to make Momo Sake, a delightfully refreshing summer drink.

Her pairing of peach nectar and sake is something I never would have arrived at myself. Cross cultural tastes are one of the things I love about hosting exchange students - they introduce us to the most delicious ideas.

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Momo Sake

2 ounces seishu sake or shochu (Anna prefers shochu, I like sake)

2 ounces peach nectar

4 ounces club soda, or to taste

one half cup ice cubes

1. Fill a high ball glass with a half cup of ice cubes.

2. Pour sake, peach nectar, and club soda over ice. Stir vigorously with a spoon for 5-10 seconds.

3. Enjoy!

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Stay tuned for sweet and juicy stories during Peach Week, including a review of Branstool orchard, peach cobbler recipe, and tips for canning.

PS. The pork giveaway ends tonight, Monday, at 8 pm. Leave a quick comment for a chance to win a cool piggy cutting board, $25 gift card, and more!

Sour Boozy Cocktail Cherries {Recipe}

I love a good cocktail but I despise maraschino cherries. The rubbery red-flavored spheres resemble the natural fruit in name alone.

I decided to tackle creating cocktail cherries at home when faced with an extra quart of fresh local sour cherries after making sour cherry preserves.

While searching for a recipe, I discovered a bit of history. Apparently cocktail cherries used to be pitted cherries soaked in maraschino liqueur, hence the name.

During prohibition, one of America's cultural mistakes, cocktail cherries had to be remade without the alcohol. The sickeningly sweet, artificial maraschino cherry was born.

Most recipes for DIY cocktail cherries either fall in the camp of the traditional (soak in maraschino liqueur) or modern (can in sweet, flavored syrup).

All recipes recommended pitting the cherries but I came across a suggestion that the pits themselves could make a liqueur.

I combined all these ideas into my sour boozy cocktail cherries. They are boiled in vanilla syrup and canned with pits and bourbon. The result is a flavorful hybrid with balanced sweetness that begs to be made into an old fashioned.

My hope is that the pits will age and flavor the syrup so that when the cherries are gone, the syrup will be an enticing liqueur of its own.

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Sour Boozy Cocktail Cherries

makes 4 half pints

1 1/2 cups demara sugar

1 cup water

4 allspice berries, crushed

1 vanilla pod, sliced open

4 cups fresh sour cherries, pitted with pits reserved (approximately 1 quart)

2 cups bourbon (we like Bulleit)

1. Mix sugar, water, allspice, and vanilla in a heavy bottomed pan. Heat over medium high until boiling.

2. Add the sour cherries and pits. Boil for 5 minutes.

3. Turn off the heat and allow to cool for 5-10 minutes. Pour in bourbon.

4. Ladle cherries into sterilized jars. Cover with some of the steeping liquid and pits to quarter inch head space.

5. Top with a new lid and finger tighten a ring. At this point, cherries may be stored in the fridge for up to one month. If you desire to preserve them longer, can using the following directions.

6. Boil in hot water bath for 10 minutes. Remove to a level surface and allow to cool completely. Remove rings and wipe off jars.

7. If excess syrup remains, strain and use for cocktails or dessert topping. Store in refrigerator.

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Added to Hearth and Soul 55.