As much as I love wine…the 104 degree day today is calling for frosty, iced beverages that are refreshing and bring in a local flair when used with the freshest fruits available at our markets.
If you haven’t tried Deep Eddy Sweet Tea Vodka run out and buy a bottle now. I am in love with this vodka….the perfect balance of sweetness, much like your grandma might have made, mixed with black tea and vodka distilled 10 times to create an ultra smooth product. It is clean and refreshing mixed with fresh lemonade or with club soda and a squeeze of orange. The best thing about this tasty vodka is its Texas roots. Deep Eddy is the first flavored vodka made in Texas, the creation of beverage entrepenuers Chad Auler and Clayton Christopher who have gone out of their way to create the state’s first flavored vodka of the highest quality and the purest flavor, definitely making Texas proud.
In a recent visit to Tom Spicer’s I picked up some blueberries and fresh mint and made a tangy twist on a mojito (that is also high in antioxidants…love cocktails that you can feel good about drinking…) I mixed this with Cabana Cachaca. Cachaca is the third most distilled beverage in the world, and is basically rum that is fermented and distilled with freshly pressed Brazilian sugarcane. And it is so good. It is different from traditional rum that is made with processed sugar, the fresh distillation really makes a clean spirit. For the blueberry mojito, muddle a handful of blueberries with a handful of mint leaves and a few lime wedges. Add ice, a good two ounce pour of Cabana Cachaca and club soda. I like it just like this. If you need it sweeter add 2-3 ounces of simple syrup (equal parts water and sugar melted together.)
We had Cruzan Rum and Diet Coke the other evening with fish tacos. Cruzan is a fantastic rum named after the native “Crucians” which the islanders of St. Croix became known as. St. Croix is the perfect place for rum making as back in the day as the island is a leader in the creation of molasses…the bi-product of sugar…and main ingredient in rum,giving rums from St Croix an extra layer of richness. Cruzan then ages their rum in oak barrels adding depth and nutty flavors, and making an otherwise simple cocktail shine. Don’t forget to add a squeeze of lime.
I have been trying to spice up tequila beyond the traditional margarita and tried a surprisingly smooth yet spicy tequila…Paqui Silvera Tequila is a “happy” tequila (as it’s Aztecan name suggests) that makes you happy when drinking. Filled with floral and citrus aromas and a taste of lemon, herbs and white pepper. This tequila can stand on its own just fine with a squeeze of lime over ice, but I love a Bloody Mary, and often substitute vodka for tequila, this tequila can stand up to a bold Bloody Maria. Try it with Clamato, extra Worcestershire sauce and some cilantro sprigs. Yum…I’m happy.
