Why should food be the only thing I think I can make better than most restaurants? Let’s move on to cocktails!

Vodka gimlets are a good, basic drink, and they’ve come in handy for me a number of times – at a wedding with a terrible wine selection, at another wedding with inexperienced bartenders (“…a gimlet…what’s in that again?”), at cheap bars where the beer isn’t worth drinking.  Oh hi! I’m a snob about alcohol!

At its most basic, a vodka gimlet is simply vodka and Rose’s lime juice. (A gimlet – no ‘vodka’ qualifier – is made with gin instead of vodka.) Rose’s lime juice is bottled sweetened lime juice. This is what makes it such a great drink for when there are limited alcohol choices – there are only two ingredients and the strong lime flavor drowns out the taste of cheap alcohol.

But why use cheap alcohol when I can just as easily – if not as, ahem, cheaply – use the good stuff? And why would I use bottled lime juice when I’m committed to using the freshest ingredients possible in everything I make, whether it be food or drink?

Rose’s lime juice just needs to be replaced by fresh-squeezed limes and simple syrup. That means there are three ingredients instead of two to get in balance in order to make the perfect drink, but I was happy to do some trial and error. Then when I bought a new type of vodka, I found that I needed to tweak my ratios a bit. Both vodkas had the same alcohol content, but the new brand (Ciroc) was apparently a bit smoother than the previous one (Effen).

Both vodkas make one heck of a drink. Be warned: with high quality vodka, you need a fair amount of it to balance the sour lime. Don’t drink this like you would beer or even wine. But definitely do drink it, because it is oh so good. I’m so glad it’s Friday afternoon and I’ve only got a few hours to go before I can mix myself up one of these!

One year ago: Black Bean Squash Burritos
Two years ago: Blueberry Poppy Seed Brunch Cake

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Vodka Gimlet

This is the ratio I use with Ciroc vodka. With Effen vodka, I found it was best to use slightly less vodka. I like my drinks to be strong, both in alcohol flavor and in acidity. You might end up tweaking the ratios slightly to get a drink that’s perfect for you. (Trust me that good alcohol does actually taste good. Don’t equate it with the crap you got drunk on in college. Okay, the crap your friends got drunk on. You were far too mature for those shenanigans.)

4 parts good vodka
2 parts freshly squeezed lime juice
1 part simple syrup (recipe below)
ice

Combine all ingredients in a cocktail shaker, attach the lid and shake shake shake. Strain into a glass. Sip slowly or pay the price.

Simple Syrup

½ cup water
½ cup granulated sugar

Combine water and sugar in a small saucepan and heat over medium-high heat until boiling, stirring until the sugar melts. Remove from the heat and cool completely before using. Store in the refrigerator indefinitely.

I held off fall for as long as I could, mostly because I hadn’t (and still haven’t!) gotten my fill of fresh tomatoes. Plus I don’t like to be cold. But I can’t deny it anymore – there’s a chill in the air, and the trees are looking absolutely beautiful. It’s time for cider.

I looked up a few recipes for mulled cider, and they were all basically the same. But the first recipe I made, Ina Garten’s, was too sweet and not spicy enough. The next time, I eliminated all of the orange juice and just added the peel without the juice. Dave and I agreed that it was still two orangey, so I cut down the amount of peel even more. I also increased all of the spices, plus added one that wasn’t in the original recipe – allspice, which was perfect with the cider.

Ina’s recipe says to simmer for just 5 to 10 minutes, which doesn’t seem like nearly enough time to extract much flavor from whole spices. Most of the reviewers said that they simmered the mixture for far longer, and I agree with them. I generally brought the cider to a hard simmer, then turned off the heat, covered it, and forgot about it for an hour or so. Then Dave would say “didn’t you make cider?” and I’d remember and be excited and drink some and love October.

Hot Mulled Cider (adapted from Ina Garten)

Serves 4-6

8 cups (½ gallon) pure apple juice or fresh apple cider
2 (2-inch) cinnamon sticks
4 whole cloves
2 star anise
6 allspice berries
2 strips orange zest, removed with vegetable peeler, each strip about 2 inches long by ½-inch wide, cleaned of any white pith

Combine all the ingredients in a saucepan and bring to a simmer over medium-high heat. Turn off heat, cover, and let sit for 30 minutes. Pour into mugs, straining if desired, and serve.