Category: Beverage

Cozy up to warm drinks made with Oregon spirits

Cozy up to warm drinks made with Oregon spirits

The cold weather snap may be gone, but the mood of the season and the lingering nip in the air has me craving warm winter cocktails. I’m not talking Aunt Sue’s eggnog, which I avoided like someone sneezing, or Irish whiskey either. With so many creative Oregon distilleries making flavored vodkas and gins such as Hood River Distillery’s Yazi Ginger Vodka, House Spirits’ Slabtown Whiskey and Ransom’s Old Tom Gin, it’s time to give the whiskey and gin toddy a distinctly Birkenstock makeover.

January 4, 2014 | 0 Comments More
Siam Sapphire — A Lemongrass Martini — Shaken, Not Stirred, Please

Siam Sapphire — A Lemongrass Martini — Shaken, Not Stirred, Please

A few weeks ago, during a warm spell and a flash of inspiration, as well as a flashback to my childhood in Bangkok, I was inspired to make lemongrass soda. This weekend, with my 46th birthday party looming, I made some more of the lemongrass simple syrup to serve, but instead of just splashing it into soda over ice, I decided to shake things up a little and experiment with adding the lemongrass syrup to gin, shaking it in a cocktail shaker and serving it in a martini glass garnished with a kaffir lime leaf. YUMMY!

Why had I not thought of this before?

August 1, 2010 | 8 Comments More

Lemongrass Soda — A Reminder of Thailand

The flavors of lemongrass soda made with a simple syrup imbued with lemongrass and mixed with sparkling water is a refreshing summer drink that brings back memories of my visit to my homeland of Thailand.

July 20, 2010 | 12 Comments More
Homemade Ginger Ale and a Dandy Red Wine Cooler

Homemade Ginger Ale and a Dandy Red Wine Cooler

The ginger ale soft drink as we know it is a descendant of many generations of ginger drinks probably originating in Eastern Europe. Some were alcoholic and some were not, and I’ll bet virtually all delivered a kick and personality you won’t find in the high-fructose corn syrup versions available at most supermarkets. This homemade one will not disappoint. Three kickers in the form of ginger, lemongrass and chiles tamed with sugar and water make for an exotic, energizing, cooling and healthful refreshment.

July 8, 2010 | 3 Comments More