Tommy Gun

Inspiration:
Food & Wine
Our friend Lindsay made these for a recent party, and we made a batch at home this past weekend.

Ingredients:

• 2 thin fresh ginger slices
• 1 teaspoon apricot jam
• 1/4 ounce fresh lemon juice
• Ice
• 2 ounces Irish whiskey
• 1/2 ounce Grand Marnier
• 1 lemon twist

Original Instructions:

1. In a cocktail shaker, muddle the ginger with the jam and lemon juice. Add ice and the whiskey and Grand Marnier; shake well. Strain into an ice-filled rocks glass. Garnish with the lemon twist.

Lindsay's Method:

1. Put all ingredients in a blender; blend, strain, and serve over ice.
   

Tim's Rating: 9.75

Glühwein

Inspiration:
A trek around Munich and Salzburg in search of the best Glühwein with Tim's brother Mike during the winter holidays of 2007 (we were able to keep the mugs for an extra Euro or so)...
as well as
a recipe and wine from Liberty Vineyards, near my sister Ellen's home in upstate New York.


Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1 cup water
• 1 bottle red table wine
• 1/2 orange, sliced
• 2 cinnamon sticks
• 3 whole cloves
• dash nutmeg

Instructions:

1. In medium pot, boil water. Stir in sugar until dissolved. Reduce heat and add remaining ingredients.
   
2. Heat mulled wine for about 1/2 hour, making sure it does not boil. Stir occasionally.
3. Once flavors have combined, strain wine into mugs or wine glasses and enjoy!

Tim's Rating: 10/10
Liz's Rating: 10/10

Brandy Old Fashioned Sweet

Inspiration:
The Unofficial State Drink of Wisconsin
TGIF!

Ingredients:

• ice
• 1.5 oz brandy (usually Korbel)
  
• 1/2 teaspoon sugar
• 3-4 dashes bitters
  
• 7-Up or Sprite
• orange slices, for garnish
  

Instructions:

1. Put sugar and bitters in a glass. Muddle. Add a dash of soda, and muddle again.
2. Fill glass with ice, and add brandy and soda. Stir.
3. Garnish with an orange slice, and an extra dash of brandy if desired.
   

Cucumber Limeade

Inspiration:
A cucumber from our CSA and Everyday Food

Ingredients:

• 1 English cucumber, (about 1 pound)
• 1 1/2 cups water
• 1/4 cup sugar
• Juice of 1 lime
• 1/4 teaspoon coarse salt
• 1 cup ice cubes

Instructions:

1. Peel English cucumber; remove any seeds. Coarsely chop and combine in a blender with water, sugar, lime juice, coarse salt, and ice cubes; blend until smooth.
   
2. Serve over ice, garnished with cucumber spears, if desired.

Notes: The flavor was good. I didn't care for the texture; I don't like smoothies, so it's not too surprising. The flavor combination was good; I will continue to have ice water with cucumber and lime slices!

Tim's Rating: 8/10 ("Not sure about the texture.")
Liz's Rating: 7/10