I admit it; I have way too many adult beverages in this house. My name is on a list and that list ultimately provides me with a lot of samples of booze. I love making cocktails and I'm not sure I could do what I love every week without the resources made available to me but the real truth is I could have even more. If I said 'yes' to every offer I would have to be building a shed out back. But I don't; I'm picky and trust me, if you EVER see a post with Bubblegum Vodka then you know it's time to shoot me. I have been privy to some great products that I'm certain I would not have been aware of otherwise and in many cases have utilized amazing recipes that brands have suggested that have become huge favorites. Then there are days like today, when product and circumstance came together in a more surprising fashion and result in a cocktail that I just love. I seldom name my cocktails but this one is different; I'm calling it The Pucker Up. It's lemon, more lemon, raspberry and more lemon. And oh boy is it good!
The Pucker Up has a simple story. I received a bottle of Deep Eddy Lemon Vodka from their distillery in Austin a couple of weeks ago. Not typically a fan of flavored vodkas, this one interested me enough to try it because it is handcrafted in small batches and contains real lemon; you can even tell by the color of the product that there is actually lemon in it. I'm hooked and now on the hunt for their Ruby Red Vodka with pink grapefruit juice. I'm not usually prone to drinking vodka straight up but this vodka with the taste of lemon ice cold from the freezer? I'm not that stubborn; my mind has been changed! I've been waiting for Denver to move out of the ice age into a bit warmer weather before considering what to make with it but whatever it was, it was going to be cold so I stuck it in the freezer. Perfect storage place for vodka; it's like Russia in there!
When I received a bottle of Limoncello di Capri last Friday, well, first I was just excited to have some. My homemade stash is gone and this is a favorite; in fact it's cited to be "the best-selling Limoncello in restaurants and bars throughout Italy." Carefully made and using only the best lemons, it's my go to brand so this one was easy. I always keep my Limoncello in the freezer so in it went too. Yes I do need a separate chest freezer, thanks for asking! Despite both bottles being nestled together, nothing struck a real chord until my decision to freeze a handful of raspberries for the simple reason that they were on the verge of losing it. I placed them individually on a plate and into the freezer they went. That's when lightning struck. An unlikely marriage maybe, this vodka from Texas, Limoncello from Italy and raspberries from California, but all three together, right in front of me, it's as if they were crying, 'Pick me, choose me!' and I didn't forget.
My neighbor Amy and her family were coming over for dinner on Memorial Day; I had promised a cocktail and I didn't forget that plaintive cry. I chose them. I made a rim for the cocktail with my new favorite combination of salt, sugar and citrus, muddled the berries (which when frozen is cool, they break into little tiny balls) and mixed Deep Eddy's Lemon Vodka, Limoncello di Capri, a touch of simple syrup and sparkling soda and voila, an OMG moment was had by both Amy and I. I knew I had to share this one. I don't test and retest cocktails...that would be trouble as you can imagine but as it turns out a friend showed up yesterday just as I started taking photos and she was the lucky recipient of this effort and I lost count of how many times she asked, 'When are you going to post this? Tomorrow, right?'
I promised, here it is and it is honestly the perfect summer cocktail. Since everything was ice cold that went into the cocktail; I decided to whir the ice in my blender and make it a slushy concoction. Not necessary but sure fun. Cheers!
