Go on, share all your photos of flowers and tree bursting with blooms. I don't care. Much. I'm buying blooms so I don't travel down some rabbit hole of seasonal depression. Sometimes I want to literally sob when I see how gorgeous it is everywhere but Denver. I did not know our seasons would be different after moving here from the South and it was years before I didn't rail at the sky about having to wait until mid-May to plant but after a while it just becomes commonplace and life goes on (and our splendid summers without humidity do help to make up for it!).
Then something happened to change everything and that something is called Social Media. Now I know what someone is doing in their garden, I see the images of flowers, tree lined streets bursting with blooms and kids playing in the street all while I'm sipping some coffee and wondering if the dusting of snow we had this morning will melt today. I want to revert to childhood and have a tantrum but then I recall those never worked and doubt it would now. Don't you know, we are ready too??!! But we have to be a bit more patient and I'm hoping this citrus inspired cocktail will help!
I did have to make a grocery run for the Orange Marmalade; not something I typically do. So I checked out my fridge and pantry and found a couple of other things I needed and headed out. Of course I left the list I made at home and hoped I was remembering the items on it. I did a great job if you can forgive me for forgetting the orange marmalade that was the sole purpose of the trip in the first place! Really Barbara? I thoroughly berated myself and made plans to go again. Thankfully I found a perfect trade. My neighbor Amy asked if I wanted to watch her pup AND she had a new jar of orange marmalade in her pantry that I could use. Shh...don't tell; but I won. I adore the pup AND I didn't have to shop again? No trade there; as a matter of fact I think I owe her!
The original recipe was inspired by one I was sent from the folks at Partida tequila; I made a couple of revisions including their name. As cute as 'Breakfast Margarita' might sound I didn't go that direction mostly because I don't recommend a margarita in the morning. Why? Because I've made and HAD a margarita in the morning and I was wasted. Not wasted in the sense someone in their 20's might be alluding too. Nope; I just wanted to nap at 10am. Oh why can't we nap when we want to now that we know how nice it is? WHY????
This was so easy to put together and really the perfect cocktail. I didn't add my standard salt/sugar mix to the rim but you could; it was just interesting to have a margarita without it for a change. The jam? Just perfect. Marmalade includes some of the rind in the processing so it's not as sweet as jelly or preserves and it added a great touch to this cocktail. If you're not experimenting with jams in your cocktail making; why not? They are a great alternative, especially during the cooler months when they can open doors to cocktail making that might not be possible for lack of fresh fruit. I made this Rosemary Cherry Crush in 2013 with tequila, rosemary and cherry preserves and it remains a huge favorite today so I'm no stranger to the use of preserves. Bartenders have been using them for decades too so I know I'm on the right path. Next? How about something with peach? Peaches make their presence known here in late summer but I'm thinking a Peach Julep would be nice for the Derby, hmm? Let's plan on it. The flowers will be in bloom by then too. Or had better be! :)
Orange Marmalade Margarita
