So I’m hoping you saw my cocktail post from last Tuesday. That was a busy Saturday night, because I actually developed FOUR pumpkin cocktails! The first two, already published, used vodka while the next two relied on dark liquors. You know, just to give you some variety. I think the current two would lend themselves well to my by-the-pitcher entertaining philosophy.

For the first of these two, I pulled out the black rum because I thought its caramel notes would pair well with the fall spices and pumpkin. But sweet on sweet needed a little bite, so I grabbed some ginger beer for contrast. Add a squeeze of lime for acidic balance, and you’ve got the Thanksgiving version of the Dark and Stormy. Of the four cocktails that evening, THIS was the CGP’s favorite.

I bought a small bottle of Jack Daniel’s bourbon whiskey intending to make some cookies (bourbon, maple, and bacon maybe?) or else a chocolate-bourbon-pecan pie. I don’t normally drink bourbon, but its smokiness seemed seasonal, so I thought I’d give it a whirl. For sweet, I decided to use maple syrup and skip the rimmed glass. Since the previous cocktail had gone down so well, I stayed with ginger beer. For a non-bourbon girl, this was surprising tasty. I could see myself drinking this after a huge Thanksgiving meal, in front of the fire (er, TV), while I let everything digest.

Dark and Pumpkin-y

2 ounces (4 tablespoons) black rum (I use Gosling’s Black Seal)
1 tablespoon canned pumpkin
2 teaspoons brown sugar
6 ounces (1/2 can) ginger beer (I use Gosling’s)
Squeeze of lime

Moisten the rim of a tall glass with rum (yes, use the thumb and forefinger of your impeccably clean hand!). Dip the moistened rim into the the saucer of spiced sugar, ensuring the rim is evenly coated all around. Fill the glass with ice.

In a separate glass (a 1 or 2 cup pyrex measuring cup could work well), use a spoon to thoroughly mix together the rum, pumpkin, and sugar. Pour over the ice in the glass. Pour the ginger beer over it all. Add a squeeze or two of lime, Gently stir. Serve immediately.

The B-M-P (Bourbon, Maple, and Pumpkin)

1 1/2 ounces (3 tablespoons) bourbon (I used Jack Daniels)
2 tablespoons maple syrup
1 tablespoon canned pumpkin
Pinch of pumpkin pie spice
6 ounces (1/2 can) ginger beer (I use Gosling’s)
Squeeze of lime

In a tall glass, mix together the bourbon, maple syrup, pumpkin, and spice. Fill the glass with ice. Pour the ginger beer over it all. Add a squeeze or two of lime, Gently stir. Serve immediately.

After that amazing Bogle Phantom a few weeks back (which I now wish I’d bought more of), and a stretch of cool weather, I had zinfandel on the brain. When I came across this Bogle Old Vine Zinfandel (2011), I knew I had to try it. At $12, this wasn’t a bargain wine, but it also wasn’t a total splurge.

This is a pretty classic zinfandel. Rich, fruity, gorgeous color. I drank it over several nights, and it actually improved over the first night. I’ll probably try to grab a bottle or two the next time I see it. But you know what I really have my eyes peeled for: this year’s Bogle Phantom!

Update: I visited my local TJ’s last night, and the Bogle Phantom has come and gone already for the year! Oh no!

Update 2: I am slightly obsessed. A little googling, and I managed to chase it down at the Alexandria Total Wine! Will post on it in within the next couple of weeks, promise

A couple of years ago, I found myself down at the beach shack all by myself (a rare occurrence in those days). My friends John and Janice invited me up to their cliff-side cottage for crabs and stuff (it was early fall, I think, because we were still getting local corn). I’d already eaten dinner of some sort by myself (darn!), so I wasn’t up for picking crabs, BUT, they had put romaine lettuce on the grill and served it with blue cheese dressing and chopped bacon. New obsession! I must have eaten 2 heads of that! (grilled romaine is a post for another day)

We got to talking about mojitos, and they managed to round up enough white rum for me to make us a pitcher. There were several of us, so that went pretty fast. John then asks if I’d like to try a Dark and Stormy. I have no idea what that is, and he explains it’s the national drink of Bermuda and is made with black rum. I’m immediately suspicious — I’m not the biggest fan of dark liquor — but I cautiously agree to try one. OMG — what an amazing drink! This rum drink seems a little more in tune with the changing season than my summery mojito. It’s still beachy and fizzy but with its golden caramel color and definite punch of ginger, it really does suit the autumn palate. Thank you, John!

Dark and Stormy
As poured by John and Janice

1 part black rum (I use Gosling’s Black Seal)
2 parts ginger beer (I use Gosling’s)
Lime wedges

Fill a tall glass with chipped[*] ice. Add the rum and ginger beer. Squeeze in a lime wedge or two. Gently stir. Consume with gusto!

Notes:

• Do NOT substitute ginger ale for the ginger beer. Different products altogether (ginger ale is a soft drink; ginger beer is a fermented beverage).
• This translates well to a pitcher — just squeeze in an appropriate number of lime wedges

[*] update: Janice says the ice must be chipped, not whole ice cubes!

So on a recent Sunday evening, we were having breakfast for dinner. I was planning to whip up some buttermilk biscuits (reminds me, I need to do a post on them), fry off some green tomatoes (also blogworthy), toss some leftover steak in a sizzling hot pan, and scramble up some eggs. But what to drink alongside this feast?

Wine, even sparkly wine, wasn’t right. Mimosas and bloody marys seemed too breakfast-y. The CGP prefers tequila, but margaritas were too aggressive. And then I thought of a Tequila Sunrise! I googled to confirm my recollection – three simple ingredients! I was popping over to the store for neutral cooking oil, so it was easy enough to grab some OJ too.

The Tequila Sunrise is a really pretty drink. The secret is grenadine syrup … I have it on hand to make my lemonade pink. This drink needs to be made by the glass, so not a pitcher candidate, but definitely one to add to your repertoire.

Tequila Sunrise
Serves 1

1/4 cup tequila
1/2 cup orange juice
1 tablespoon grenadine syrup

Fill a rocks or old-fashioned glass with ice. Add the tequila and orange juice and stir briefly. Gently pour the grenandine syrup over the top — DO NOT STIR — it will gently settle to the bottom of the glass. Serve. You may stir **after** you’ve admired it

Grapefruit soda + beer … those crazy German brewmeisters are GENIUS.

I found this in a liquor store near my parents’ (small town in Missouri). Unlike here in Virginia, when they have customer sampling, they offer wine, beer, and spirits (oh my!). So I gave this a skeptical taste — and decided it was really really good. You can tell you are drinking beer (“malt beverage” ?), but the citrus is as strong as the beer. Nice level of fizziness. Fairly low alcohol (3% or so), so it’s refreshing rather than intoxicating. I brought some home for the CGP, who drank his after mowing the lawn. It’s THAT kind of refreshing.

Let me know if you find it and what you think.

So I’ve already posted a couple of quick recipes using San Pellegrino Sparkling Fruit Beverages. My local grocery store had the grapefruit version on sale, so I picked some up thinking I’d try out a new cocktail on the Culinary Guinea Pig. He’s very fond of margaritas (on the rocks no salt or one of my frozen ones), and more generally fond of tequila, so I thought I’d try to create one more to his palate. It is definitely reminiscent of a margarita, but lighter, and the grapefruit adds a little something-something. Definitely one you should add to your repertoire!

Pompelmo Spritzer
Serves 1

3 tablespoons tequila
1 tablespoon orange liqueur
Splash of lime juice
1/2 can of San Pelligrino Pompelmo Sparkling Fruit Beverage (not quite 3/4 cup)

Fill a large glass to the brim with ice. Add liquors and lime juice, then top with the sparkling drink. Stir gently to combine. Consume.

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If I were using vodka instead of tequila, I’d probably use 3 parts Pompelmo to 1 part vodka.

Afterthought: this soda it is DELISH all on its own. So don’t think you **have** to add alcohol!