Saft Flader Delight

While the East Coast is battling Irene, down in Southern California we are having a heat wave.    Apparently everyone decided to save money on AC by going to the mall to escape the blazing heat, a fact which I learned the hard way.   After driving through two parking structures in the mall while dodging crazies on their cell phones with not a space to be found I left defeated.  When I came back home I decided that it was time for a refreshing cocktail and the perfect excuse to crack open my bottle of Elderflower syrup which I had recently picked up at Ikea.  I based my drink off of the recipe card that came with it, but added my own twist.  It proved to be a perfect drink for a warm August evening. 

SAFT FLADER DELIGHT:


2oz dry gin (I like Martin Miller's London Dry Gin)
2oz Ikea Elderflower Syrup
1 lemon slice
Trade Joe's Lemon sparkling mineral water


Fill a 12 oz glass half way with ice. Pour in gin and elderflower syrup. Squeeze in lemon.  Top with lemon flavored sparkling water.  Serve with a straw and enjoy =)

Batch #44

Last winter I was fortunate to travel with my mom to Saba.  For those of you who don't know what Saba is (as I expect most of you do not) Saba is a small 5 square mile volcanic island in the Netherland Antilles. Even though it is such a small island, it is both rich in beauty and in culture.  One of the things that the island is known for is its Saba Spice, a rum drink brewed with a combination of spices that is delicious but quite potent.  After my first sip of it I was completely hooked.  




So after waiting for months wishing that I could have some of this magic potion of my own, I couldn't be more pleasantly surprised when I received an email containing a recipe for Saba Spice.  It is named "Batch #44" because it took the creator, Raymond S. Simmons II, 43 tries before he finally got it right.  Today I spent a good part of the afternoon brewing a bottle of the concoction for myself.  I will not post the exact portions of the ingredients as to maintain the secrecy of the recipe. 

 The ingredients: light brown sugar, honey, orange peel, fennel, cinammon, whole cloves, vanilla extract, and any decent quality dark rum. 

Step 1: Pour honey into water

Step 2: Add sugar to honey and stir until dissolved

Step 3: Roast spices until fragrant

Step 4: Add spices to water and stir until the mixture becomes syrupy.  

Step 5: Add rum and vanilla to cooled mixture.

Step 6: Distribute evenly amongst mason jars. 

Step 7: Cover and set aside.

Now that all that is complete all I have to do is wait 3 weeks for the spices to infuse with the rum before it can be bottled.  I will report back later with the final results!!!  =)

US Grant Grill Lounge

A couple weekends ago my mom and I enjoyed a relaxing couple days at the US Grant Hotel in San Diego. When we arrived to check in our room was yet ready so the staff offered to treat us to drinks and an appetizer in the lounge, which we gladly accepted. Taking recommendations from the waitress I ordered a Cinnamon Basil "French" Julep while my mom had the Rooftop Garden Tour.  Both were incredibly flavorful without being too sweet or strong.


CINNAMON BASIL “FRENCH” JULEP: 
PIERRE FERRAND COGNAC, MOET CHANDON, MUDDLED CINNAMON BASIL,
ORANGE BLOSSOM SUGAR, PINK LAVENDER


ROOFTOP GARDEN TOUR:
ANGELICA INFUSED TANQUERAY STERLING VODKA, MUDDLED RUSSIAN TARRAGON
AND FLORENCE FENNEL, WHITE PEACH PUREE, RED CURRANT TOMATOE

We also were treated to a delicious Charcuterie Plate which consisted of a variety of fresh fruits, cheese, and cured meats.

All in all, if you are ever in Downtown San Diego I would definitely suggest you stop by the Grant Grill Lounge for a quick drink and small bite to eat.