So this really felt like the winter that would NEVER end. It was just so bitter cold on too many occasions. I had several 3-to-4 day stretches where I camped out at our beach shack with our wood stove going full bore 24×7 to keep the pipes from freezing. That little house was NOT built to withstand single-digit to near-zero temperatures, nor do the heat pumps work very well at those temps. Here’s how much wood I would burn over one of those sessions:

So as you can imagine, we are RELIEVED that winter is over!

So on this recent G L O R I O U S L Y warm weekend, my thoughts turned to warm-weather cocktails. Inspired by a clementinee-ginger “smash” I had on one of our rare nights out, I set out to develop one at home. I really loved the bite of the ginger, so that was staying. But the clementine peel bits weren’t really appetizing as I consumed the cocktail, so I decided to swap that out for blueberry. Besides, blueberries and ginger LOVE to hang out, like in these muffins.

Blueberry-Ginger Smash
Serves 1

1 tablespoon blueberries
Finely grated ginger, to taste [*]
2 teaspoons granulated sugar
Splash of lime juice
1 1/2 ounces (3 tablespoons) vodka
1/2 ounce (1 tablespoon) ginger liqueur
Ice
Seltzer water

Place the berries, ginger, sugar, and lime juice in the bottom of a wide-mouth tumbler (“Old Fashioned” glass). Muddle these together, making sure to smash the blueberries well. Add the vodka and ginger liqueur and stir well, ensuring the sugar is dissolved. Add 3 or 4 cubes of ice then top off with seltzer. Stir gently to combine. Drop in 3 or 4 whole berries to garnish. Serve immediately.

[*] Start with a small amount, perhaps 1/8 teaspoon? (I don’t have a measuring spoon that small!) For ginger lovers, go heavy. The ginger bits and berry carcasses are meant to be eaten!