Author: Marsha Meyer

Grilled Lemonade, it’s SMOKIN’!

Grilled Lemonade

One of the most fabulous things about Summer is all of the fresh and amazing produce. I’m lucky enough to have friends with a lovely lemon tree in their back yard which provides some of the best lemons I’ve ever tasted.

This year we discovered grilling lemons to give them a wonderful smokey flavor just before juicing them into lemonade. The simple process brings such a complex and delightful twist to a quintessential Summer drink, lemonade. And of course when life gives you lemons you make lemonade cocktails!

Now if you don’t have a lemon tree in your backyard (or your friends) you can obviously get them anywhere. Though I’d recommend purchasing fresh lemons from your local farmers market since they will be the most fresh and juicy.

Grilled Lemon Juice Recipe:

  • 1.5 cups fresh grilled lemon juice (about 8 large lemons)
  • Organic sugar

This process is simple; first start by cutting the lemons into halves, then coating the exposed flesh with sugar.

Place all of your lemons face down on the grill. I used tin foil to help keep the lemon juices in (and hotdog juices out) and make clean up easier. Let grill for 15-20 minutes and then flip them and grill for another 5 minutes.
Let the lemons cool enough for you to touch them and juice normally.
Now the fun part! You can either use the very concentrated juice and mix it with a simple syrup to make it into a cocktail, obviously my recommendation (see recipe below) or you can add some sugar and water to make it into a non-alcoholic lemonade which you can then still add your favorite spirit to 😉

Grilled Lemon Juice Recipe:

  • 1.5 cups grilled lemon juice
  • 1.5 cups sugar
  • 8 cups water

Follow the steps above to create the grilled lemon juice. Add all ingredients to a pitcher and stir. Easy as…well, making lemonade!

Subscribe to my YouTube channel to see more recipes and how to’s!

Smoke on the Horizon

Glass: Smoking Bowl                           Garnish: Smoke (optional, requires smoking gun – if you’re fancy like us)

Add all ingredients with ice into a shaker and shake vigorously. Strain into glass and enjoy!

Kompot – A New (Old) way to use Fruit in Cocktails!

Fruit Kompot

Kompot, not to be confused with the American ‘compote’, is a traditional Eastern European way of preserving fruit in a flavored beverage, without actually pressing or juicing it. This method actually allows for a much longer shelf-life allowing you to enjoy the juice for a couple of weeks rather than a couple of days.

It can be used in both warm and cold drinks and a variety of fruits can be used. Spices are also a wonderful way to enhance your kompot for extra complexity. Cinnamon, for example, is a great way to spice up a warm drink in the Winter months.

This recipe is very simple and really allows for you to play around and be creative and utilize extra produce. Whether you are lucky enough to have a surplus from your backyard, or took advantage of the ripest, and hopefully low priced fruit, at the local farmer’s market.

This wonderful cocktail addition is unlike a simple syrup, it’s more bright and fresh and everyone should have it!

Making a kompot is begun by preparing your fruit by first washing and cutting it into pieces. You then simmer the fruit with slightly sweetened water for a short period of time to draw out it’s flavor. The kompot mixture can be put into a jar and saved in the refrigerator for a couple of weeks or can be served immediately!

Apricot Kompot Recipe:

  • 6-7 organic apricots (Use 1 lb of another fruit if desired)
  • 3/4 cup organic sugar
  • 4 cups water

Begin by washing the apricots and slicing them into halves.

Place into a large pot and top with sugar. If the pits are whole and unopened you can leave them in. They will actually bring a lot more flavor to the kompot!

Add in the water and bring to a boil. Once mixture is boiling reduce the heat and allow to simmer for approximately 15-20 minutes, length will depend on what fruit you’ve used. A hearty fruit will need to simmer longer whereas a more delicate fruit, like a raspberry, will not need as long.

Make sure you don’t simmer too long, you don’t want to break the fruit down, like when making a jam. Rather, you want to simmer it only long enough to pull out the flavor.

Now remove from heat and allow to cool completely. Then strain to separate the liquid from the fruit pulp. Remove any pits you left in and discard.

Put most of the fruit pulp aside with enough liquid to submerge it (I’ll talk about what to do with that later…) if you use the fruit remains immediately you do not need to reserve it with the kompot liquid.

Pour the rest of the kompot and a few pieces of the fruit into a storage jar and keep in the refrigerator for a up to a couple weeks or put into a pitcher and serve immediately!

Leaving some of the fruit in with the kompot will make it more flavorful if you plan save it.

Making it a Cocktail

Now, the best part, turning it into a cocktail! Once it’s finished you can either make it into a refreshing non-alcoholic drink or add your favorite spirit. To see how I used the apricot to make a delicious pre-batched party cocktail look at the recipe and watch the video below.

To make a single cocktail I suggest using 2-3 oz of the kompot with 1.5-2 oz of your chosen spirit. For a delightful Summer drink try a strawberry or cherry kompot mixed with silver tequila, light rum or vodka and top with a splash of club soda to give it a nice brightness. Or warm up in the Winter by spicing up a citrus, plumb or apple kompot with cinnamon sticks or fresh vanilla bean and mixing with an aged rum or beautiful bourbon.

Utilize this recipe which has been used for hundreds of years to get more out of your fresh fruit! Have fun experimenting with your own creations and let us know what flavors you’ve made and recipes you’ve used by commenting below. I’d LOVE to know what you’re mixing.

Remaining Fruit Pulp

Our philosophy at The Natural Mixologist is not just about healthy conscious drinking but sustainability and having fun with all the different ways to fancy up a cocktail. Using your remains kompot fruit pulp not only will leave you waste free but can be made into another fabulous treat!

You can simply eat it along side your recently created beverage or turn it into a dessert. It can easily be thrown into a pie, homemade ice cream, or to top a sundae. You can return it to the pot, wiht a bit of pectin and maybe a bit more sugar… and heat it into a jam or use it to flavor your homemade kombucha. The options are endless, let us know how you’ve used it.

Or reach out, we would love to talk to you about what you have created and come up with exciting ideal with you personally 🙂

Check out how I used the apricot kompot in this wonderful 4th of July pre-batch cocktail!

Cheers!

For more great nutrition info and recipes visit: https://www.positivehealthwellness.com/

Lavender Simple Syrup…so, so SIMPLE!

Lavender Simple Syrup

Making your own flavored Simple Syrup is an easy way to customize your cocktails and elevate your mixology.

Lavender simple syrup is just that; simple. Equal parts sugar and water heated to a boil, lavender buds are added in and allowed to rest just as you would a tea. The great thing about simple syrup is you can use this process for a variety of flavors that suit your recipe or taste buds! Some of my other favorite simple syrups include: lemon-ginger, mint and hibiscus.

Flavored simple syrups are a perfect addition to enhance your favorite cocktail, recipe or even just mixed with soda water as a better alternative to soda.

Making your own simple syrup at home is a great way to dip your toe into the world of healthy(er) drinking. The average soda contains around 39g of sugar, in addition to all sorts of yucky chemicals, corn syrup and additives. Don’t even get me started on diet soda.

What you need:

  • 1/2 cup water
  • 1/2 cup organic sugar
  • 1 oz organic lavender buds

In a small pot, bring your water to a boil. Once the water is boiling add the lavender and allow to boil for 30 seconds to a minute.

Turn off the heat and swirl the lavender buds around then add your sugar and swirl again. Now allow the combination to cool for about 15 minutes.


Once the simple syrup has cooled down you will want to strain the mixture through a fine mesh strainer into a clean glass container.

 

If I’m making my syrup for a specific recipe I like to make more than needed, that way I have it on hand for other uses. Your simple syrup can be stored in a glass container in the refrigerator for up to 3 months. You should always label your simple syrup so you know when to throw it out, if it lasts that long! However, if you have not labeled it and want to make sure it’s safe for consumption, look for any white cloud like matter that grows from the bottom of the container. Whether it be lavender or any other flavor, this would indicate that it has gone off. It’s the number one indicator that your simple syrup has past its date and should be thrown it out.

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Now that you have this glorious creation it can be used for many things, check out my cocktail recipe below featuring Astral Pacific Gin by The Spirit Guild.

Impress your friends by using it in place of plain simple syrup or sugar. Enhance your tea drinking experience tastes great in black tea, fabulous in Earl Grey, Chai or Darjeeling.

You can also get creative and use it in other baking ideas; short bread in place of sugar, drizzle over vanilla ice cream, add it to pudding, even great on chicken! Share below and let us know how you’ve used it!

 

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The Summer EstrellaIMG_1372

– 2 oz Astral Pacific Gin by The Spirit Guild
– 1 oz Mixtress Cocktail Mixer: Lime, Ginger, & Lemongrass
– .5 oz Lavender Simple Syrup

Glass: Coup/Martini
Garnish: Mixtress Cocktail Perfume: Lavender & Lemon Blossom.
Lemon wheel and lavender buds (optional)

Pour Gin, Mixtress Cocktail Mixer and Lavender Simple Syrup into cocktail shaker filled with ice. Shake vigorously, strain into glass and garnish with Mixtress Cocktail Perfume. Enjoy!

 

 

 

Over Indulged? Try This All Natural Hangover Remedy from BuzzFeed

Most hangovers are caused by all of the chemicals and harmful ingredients that are in the cocktails that we drink. However, even if we drink naturally, but drink too much, we can be left with a hangover in the morning. I was interviewed by BuzzFeed Creative , along with several other Los Angeles Mixologists. She asked what my go to hangover cure is.

I certainly do not recommend drinking too much. But if we do, then an all natural hangover remedy is just the thing to save the rest of the weekend!

Continue reading “Over Indulged? Try This All Natural Hangover Remedy from BuzzFeed”

Barrel Aging – you have to try this!

Why Barrel Age – you can create your own unique cocktails or add depth to un-aged and inexpensive spirit at home using barrel aging.  Its super easy and just requires a bit of patience.

Using a small barrel, just 1-3-5 liters, will give you quick results. Even resting as little as 2-3 weeks will significantly change your spirit or cocktail. The barrel can impart hints of smoke, caramel and vanilla while making your drink smooth and complex. Continue reading “Barrel Aging – you have to try this!”