Cocktail Recipe: Perfect Margarita

February 22, 2017 2 Comments A Well Crafted Pantry

As a blogger in the food, entertaining, and lifestyle category I subscribe to a variety of emails and google alerts that may help spark a post now and again. I tend to not have too much trouble coming up with ideas… as a matter of fact the 25 drafts I have currently SCREAM the opposite. However, sometime an alert pops in that intrigues me. The recent notification that made me actually open my email for once (currently have 500 unread. yuk.) was that National Margarita Day is February 22nd! It intrigued me because margaritas are inherently summer drinks for this gal— an excuse to make one in February…. yes, please!

I received complimentary Tres Agaves Tequila and Margarita Mix as a compliment to my Margarita Day posts. For information on my policies for sponsored posts please read my policies page. All opinions are my own. Thank you to Tres Agaves for sponsoring this post! This post is intended for readers of legal drinking age. As always, drink responsibly.

What is your favorite type of Margarita?

A margarita in its simplest form is simply a combination of tequila, triple sec, and lime or lemon juice. Over time the margarita recipe has been altered and changed to represent several drinks with a common thread of tequila and citrus juice.

When ordering a margarita I typically go one of two directions. I order a top-shelf margarita on the rock or a perfect margarita–both with salt. When making at home I’ll occasionally pull out the blender for a nice frosty, blended margarita or decide to get fancy with it and make an Italian-version that features a hefty shot of Amaretto. I love Amaretto. There are so many ways to make a margarita… fruit flavored, herb garnished, blended, spicy, on the rocks, with beer, with sugar, or simple and classic…the list goes on and on. What is your favorite type of margarita?

What is a Perfect Margarita?

I’m not talking about what makes a really good or ideal margarita (although, if you ask me, it is all about the proportions of the ingredients) I’m talking… when you see the term “Perfect Margarita” on a menu at a restaurant, what in the world does that mean? In most cases, a Perfect Margarita is a margarita served “up” in a cocktail glass. This margarita may also be considered a Shaken Margarita. I really tend to like my margaritas on the rocks most of the time, but occasionally I want something a tad different. When drinking a perfect margarita you’ll want to have a tequila that you really enjoy the taste of as it will not be as masked or diluted as in a blended or on the rocks margarita.

How to Make a Perfect Margarita:

You can make your favorite margarita recipe into a perfect margarita by pouring the ingredients over ice in a strainer, shaking until chilled, and straining into a salt-rimmed and chilled martini glass. Garnish with a slice of lime!

Make a Tres Agaves Perfect Margarita:

Ingredients/Supplies:

1 cocktail shaker filled with ice
1 salt-rimmed and chilled cocktail glass
Lime slices
2 oz Tres Agaves Tequila
3/4 oz Triple Sec or Cointreau
1 oz Tres Agaves Margarita Mix

In most of my cocktail making I tend make my own syrups or juice mixes. However, if it is really good and already ready to go for me, I am not above using a pre-made item. The key is taste! I thought the Tres Agaves Margarita Mix was a tasty blend of citrus to sweetness for margaritas. If you do not have the Margarita Mix you can substitute that with a combination of 1/2 oz simple syrup, 1/4 oz lemon juice, and 1/4 oz lime juice.

Have a very happy Margarita Day today — and, really, every day!

Portland

Things to do in Portland: Toast 2017!

February 4, 2017 2 Comments Portland

This post is intended for audience members that are of legal drinking age. The Toast 2017 event is 21+. I have received complimentary admission to the 2017 event to share with readers and social media followers. All opinions are my own. To read about my policies on sponsored content please visit my policies page.

Toast 2015 - photo from NoremaCStudios.com — Photo from Toast 2015 from noremaCstudios.com

If you’ve been reading my blog for long then you know that I like to share cocktail recipes fairly often. I have been a bartender in some capacity since 2005. I love the art of creating a delicious cocktail from the simple and classic martini to more fun concoctions that coordinate with a party theme. Beyond just the joy of creating fun cocktail recipes I really love trying great cocktails and quality spirits. Oregon has a fabulous assortment of local distillers that create everything from whiskey to vodka to more unique items such as absinthe. Dream event for me? Having as many of those local vendors in a room sharing tastes of their wares so that I can figure out exactly how I want to fill my bar. I guess I’m not alone in this desire… for the seventh year in a row The Oregon Distillers Guild is bringing back their TOAST event!

“The Oregon Distillers Guild Presents the 7th Annual “TOAST: The Original Artisan Spirits Tasting” this upcoming February 18th from 4 PM to 10 PM at the Leftbank Annex in Portland, Oregon. The 7th Annual Toast event is an opportunity to taste from a wide variety of over 120 spirits from across the Northwest, the Country and the Globe. Whether your spirit preference is Whiskey, Rum, Gin, Vodka, Brandy, Liqueurs – or even unique spirits like Absinthe and Aquavit – the estimated 40 distillers and producers at TOAST will have it covered. TOAST allows small distillers and producers to showcase their handcrafted spirits, while providing an opportunity for the public to experience the diversity and quality of craft spirits from Oregon and beyond.”

Last year I had the pleasure of attending Toast with my husband for one of our best dates of the entire year. I am excited to have the opportunity to go again this year and share my discoveries on my social media channels. (HINT: Looking for a good Valetnine’s Day gift for a loved one who loves artisanal cocktails and spirits? A pair of tickets for Toast 2017 will not only be a wonderful gift, but also a second excuse to celebrate your love together in February!)

Some of my favorite tastes from last year:

Gin is In Toast 2016 - A Well Crafted Party — Gin is In – The Walter Collective Gin

Iris Liquor at Toast 2016 - A Well Crafted Party — Iris Liquor

Stonebarn Brandyworks - Toast 2016 - A Well Crafted Party — Stonebarn Brandy works Nocino

Price: Tickets are $45 for General Admission (includes entry, tastings, bites and commemorative glass) and $65 for VIP (includes entry, tastings, bites, commemorative glass, 2 cocktail tickets, access to the VIP balcony with private bar and distillers after party). DD tickets $15 (includes entry, non-alcoholic drinks, and bites). Buy tickets here!

What You Get: Price of admission includes entry to Toast 2017, commemorative glass, tastings from the distillers in attendance (estimated at 40 distillers), and bites from this year’s restaurants/ chefs (Boke Bowl, Proletariat Butchery, Smokehouse Tavern, Verdigris and The Waiting Room). VIP tickets get all of that as well as two cocktail tickets, access to the VIP balcony with private bar and distillers after party.

Pro-Tip: Use public transportation, Lyft, or bring a designated driver to attend this event. You will not want to drive after tasting all these different offerings at Toast. Designated Drivers get a discounted ticket that comes with entry, food, and non-alcoholic beverages.

Date/Time: Saturday, February 18th from 4 PM to 10 PM (11 PM for VIP ticket holders)

Location: the Leftbank Annex | 101 N Weidler, Portland, OR 97227

Have you been to Toast? What was your favorite part? Or, what sounds most appealing to you about Toast 2017!

Cocktails

Saturday Spirits: Cognac Sidecar

December 24, 2016 No Comments Cocktails

The Sidecar is one of my favorite classic cocktails due to its flexibility to take on a range of flavors by just changing the main liquor used in the drink. This Cognac Sidecar is both sweet and complex when created with the Bache-Gabrielsen American Oak Cognac. Thank you to Bache-Gabrielsen for sharing a bottle of the American Oak Cognac for development of this recipe. All opinions are my own. Please see my policies regarding sponsored content. This post is intended for audiences of legal drinking age.

A classic sidecar is typically made with lemon juice, orange liquor, and either cognac or brandy. It is deliciously sweet and sour. Variations can be made by substituting the cognac or brandy with another liquor such as Tuaca. YUM. This side car is a fairly classic recipe with just one or two small twists including using a cognac that has been aged in American Oak which gives it a subtly complex flavor.

Ingredients:

3/4 oz Orange Liquor (Cointreau or Triple Sec work here)
3/4 oz mix of freshly squeezed orange and lemon juice
1 3/4 oz Bach-Gabrielsen American Oak Cognac

Directions:

Prep by putting a cocktail glass in the freezer to get chilled, filling a shaker with ice, and squeezing and straining the juice of a lemon and orange.

Pour the juice mixture, orange liquor, and cognac over the ice in the shaker.
Shake well to chill.
Strain into a chilled martini glass.
Garnish with a bit of lemon peel or a cherry.

About Bach-Gabrielsen American Oak Cognac: The VERY first cognac to be aged in (drum roll….) AMERICAN Oak barrels, the innovative Bache-Gabrielsen family has exclusively released their American Oak Cognac to the good ol’ U-S-of-A. Aged for a minimum of 6 months in brand new Tennessee oak, why not cheers to America with something new, yet old, and of course, with a little French savoir-faire.