H&Z's Wine Country Wedding: Cocktails

Z and I both knew we wanted to offer cocktails as part of our wedding bar. While we both enjoy wine and beer, our tastes differ a lot making it hard to agree on a particular beer or wine to share. I love sparkling, drier whites, and ales, while Z is more likely to drink IPAs and bolder reds. That being said, we both love a good cocktail.

We got married at a winery, which made the cocktail element tricky to pull off. Our venue had strict rules around hard alcohol--mainly, it's not allowed. Alcohol had to be below 25% ABV and could not be distilled. With vodka, gin, tequila, and pretty much every distilled liquor crossed off the list, we had to be creative with our cocktail choices! We focused our searches on one sparkling cocktail and one cognac-based cocktail.

Our sparkling cocktail was a classic Aperol Spritz. The sparkling wine at our venue was a little on the sweeter side, so we opted for the bitter orange Aperol aperitif to balance it out. It has a bright orange color and was a perfect refresher post-ceremony.

Our second cocktail was the cognac-based Hey Hey. Z and I had never heard of the drink until we started our search for cognac cocktails, but I think this drink will become part of our normal rotation! It's fresh and citrusy, thanks to Triple Sec and lemon juice. Plus, it has a splash of my favorite aperitif, Lillet Blanc.

During the dancing, we made use of the winery's port selection to create an after dinner sparkling cocktail. We combined sparkling wine with a splash of Trentadue's Muscat port for a delicious sweet treat.

Check out our recipe below for the Hey Hey cocktail we served. It's the perfect drink to serve at a winery (or to be honest, really anytime since it's super delicious) since it meets the alcohol restrictions but still gives that strong cocktail feel guests might want!

All photos from Jennifer Bagwell Photography

Hey Hey Cocktail

1 fl oz Cognac

1 fl oz Triple Sec

1 fl oz Lillet Blanc

1 fl oz freshly squeezed lemon juice

Shake all the ingredients with ice and then strain into a chilled glass. Garnish with a lemon twist. 

Holiday Gift Guide 2015: Vanilla Bean Simple Syrup

I tend to stay away from sweet coffee drinks; I prefer cappuccinos and freshly brewed coffee with a little bit of cream. There are a few places here in the Mission that tempt me with their sweeter coffee drinks though. What makes Coffee Bar's vanilla bean latte and Sightglass's vanilla cold brew so great? Homemade syrup.

Big name companies use syrups to flavor their drinks with a ton of preservatives and artificial flavors. Lucky for us, delicious and natural simple syrups are easy to make at home. No need to pay $4 for a vanilla bean latte...you can make it right at home!

This is the perfect gift to bring to your best friend's holiday party or to your next dinner party as a hostess gift. The syrup lasts for two weeks in the fridge, meaning the hostess will be thinking about your generosity long after the party. Pour the syrup into a nice bottle, and tie it with a ribbon for show. 

Simply syrup is equal parts sugar and water. This recipe adds a vanilla bean to boost its flavor. You can find a mint simple syrup here. Add it into coffee, tea, or cocktails this holiday season.

Vanilla Simple Syrup

Makes one bottle

1 vanilla bean

1 1/2 cups sugar

1 1/2 cups water

Take the vanilla bean and slice it open. Scrape out the seeds, and throw the seeds and the pod into a small pot.

Add in the sugar and water to the pot, and then heat over medium-high heat for 10 minutes. Let the syrup cool in the pot, and then pour into a bottle. Tie with a ribbon. Store in the fridge for up to 2 weeks. 

Fruit & Herb Infused Water

Okay, okay, I now have promised myself every week for the past three weeks that I would start eating healthier. Each week brings a new excuse--most of them having to do with travel and family celebrations. How am I going to skip out on dessert at a family wedding, especially when it's Magnolia Bakery's Banana Pudding.

This week brings no excuses. Z is gone on work travel for the next two weeks, so he can't convince me that ice cream is acceptable for dessert. I am finally feeling 100% health-wise, which means the gym workouts on my calendar might actually happen!

I realize that I am not necessarily going to turn my whole lifestyle around just with the snap of my fingers (clearly, that hasn't worked for the past three weeks). I'm starting with small steps.

The first step is trying to drink 64+ ounces of water everyday. I'm admittedly a coffee/tea fanatic, and by the time the afternoon comes around, I rarely have even had 20 ounces of water. It's a small piece of "health", but I'm excited to see how my skin and body feels when I'm hydrated.

When I was in Mexico with Z's family a few months back, the hotel served some great agua frescas, chock full of fruit juice and herbs. Since fruit juices are high in sugar, I decided that infused water would be a great way to bring these flavors back home.

These flavored waters are helping get through my daily water goal. Plain water can be boring, but how could you pass up pineapple-mint infused water?

Fruit & Herb Infused Water

Not a recipe per say, more of just a guide and a few suggestions.

Makes 2 glasses

2-inch squares of pineapple

2 mint leaves

2 basil leaves

2 strawberries, chopped

16 ounces of water

Muddle the pineapple and mint in one glass, and the strawberries and basil in another glass. Add 8 ounces of water to each glass. Let sit for at least 30 minutes. Strain, then drink!

Top 5 Smoothie Tips!

Growing up in Southern California, I was lucky to have the coolest nanny ever--she was young, hip, tan and blonde, and totally embodied the healthy California lifestyle. She introduced us to smoothies when we were young, and I've been hooked ever since! Check out my 5 tips for perfect smoothies.

1. Use Frozen Fruit!

Forego the ice in favor of frozen fruit. Ice just dulls the flavor of your smoothie. Frozen fruit brings that frozen texture to your smoothie plus tons of flavor!

2. Add plenty of liquid. 

Always make sure you have plenty of liquid in your smoothie, or else your blender won't actually blend! You can adjust the texture of the smoothie by adding more or less liquid, but I try to start at 1 cup of liquid. I almost always opt for soymilk--it has a neutral palette, and almost everyone can drink it. Almond milk is close second. 

3. Turn your smoothie into a smoothie bowl.

Make your smoothie on the thicker side, pour it into a bowl, and top with chopped nuts, granola, cut up fruit, chia seeds, etc. It's my new favorite thing--I'm borderline obsessed.

4. Up your protein with Greek yogurt.

Greek yogurt adds a whole other type of smoothness to your fruity drink--plus I love the tang! High protein yogurt helps me rationalize that drinking a smoothie for breakfast is healthy.

5. Spice it up!

Add herbs and spices for a nice variation of what you normally do. Add basil to your strawberry smoothie, ginger to your tropical greens elixir, or add cinnamon to your banana drink. Not sure what spice combination to try? Start with my chai banana smoothie recipe.

Hibiscus Mint Tea and Hibiscus Lillet Cocktail

During the summer, there is nothing more refreshing than iced tea. In the evenings, I reach for iced tea without caffeine, so I can actually get some sleep!

At Baked & Wired last week, I went out on a limb and tried the hibiscus mint iced tea instead of my typical iced coffee. Not only was the iced tea incredibly refreshing, it also seemed so easy to recreate at home. I would serve this at summer dinner parties all season long!

After trying out this iced tea, I spotted a hibiscus tea cocktail recipe from Bellocq. Considering that it was a cocktail with both hibiscus tea and my favorite aperetif, Lillet, I knew I also had to share this recipe.

Hibiscus Mint Tea

1 quart water

4 hibiscus tea bags

6 sprigs of washed fresh mint leaves

Bring the water to a boil on the stove, then add in tea and mint leaves. Let steep for at least 10 minutes. Let cool, then serve over ice. Garnish with fresh mint if desired. 

Hibiscus Lillet Cocktail

from Bellocq

3 parts hibiscus tea, cooled

1 part Lillet

Sugar, to taste

Combine ingredients in a large glass, then pour over ice and serve. 

Iced Coffee Mint Mojitos

Despite the fact that I saw more rain this week than I probably have in my entire life living in San Diego, I am in full spring and summer mode. Bring on the bright colored shorts! Bring on the sunscreen lotion and tennis matches! Bring on the iced coffee mint mojitos!

That's right. Iced coffee mint mojitos. basically, sweet and creamy iced coffee with a subtle mint taste thanks to some mint syrup and a giant fresh sprig of mint. It's the ultimate summer coffee drink.

Philz out in the Bay Area perfected this drink a long time ago. Since I am doubtful a Philz is going to open up in DC anytime soon, I realized I needed to learn how to make iced coffee mint mojitos myself. 

Now, I've already shared how to make a perfect cup of coffee here. However, there is an even easier way (!) to get your caffeine in the mornings, it just requires a little bit of foresight.

Cold brew coffee is my absolute favorite for iced coffee. It has a smoother, sweeter taste in comparison to other brewing methods. Also, it is much more concentrated in flavor and caffeine than traditional drip coffee, which means you won't dilute the taste of the coffee when you add milk or cream. 

I combined my cold brew iced coffee with some cream, mint syrup, and a fresh sprig of mint to get a delicious treat.

What are your warm weather favorite drinks? 

Iced Coffee Mint Mojitos

Adjust the recipe to your tastes--swap the cream for almond milk, add more mint syrup if you want yours sweeter, etc!

Cold-brew coffee (recipe below)

Cream

Mint syrup (recipe below)

One fresh sprig of mint

Add mint sprig to a tall glass. Fill the cup 3/4 of the way with your cold brew coffee. 

Add at least one tablespoon of cream, and one tablespoon of mint syrup.  Stir together, and then slightly muddle the mint leaf.  Add ice as desired.

Cold Brew Iced Coffee

1/3 cup coarsely ground coffee beans

1 1/2 cups water

Place coffee grounds into a container. Add water, and then stir to ensure all the coffee grounds are moist.

Let sit for 12 hours, either in the fridge or on the counter. In the morning, strain twice through a fine mesh sleeve lined with either a coffee filter or a cheesecloth. Keep any extra coffee in the fridge!

Mint Syrup

This syrup is not just for iced coffee--add it to iced tea, club soda, or cocktails!

1 bunch fresh  mint, ends trimmed

2 cups granulated sugar

1 cup water

Place all of the ingredients in a small sauce pan and stir to combine. Bring to a simmer over medium-high heat. Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer until the sugar has completely dissolved and the syrup has thickened. 

Remove from heat and let cool to room temperature. Strain through a fine-mesh strainer, then store in the fridge until  ready to use!

St. Patrick's Day and Irish Coffees

Growing up in Southern California, my family and I would often make the trek up to San Francisco for a few days. My mom lived in Santa Rosa when she and my dad were dating, and my parents would often explore the city when my dad would visit her. As little kids, my dad would take us back to some of his favorite spots like The Buena Vista.

The Buena Vista, in Fisherman's Wharf, is one of those places that never changes. It still looks the same as when I went there as a kid, and I'm sure it looks exactly like it did when my dad first started going there. The Buena Vista might seem like some neighborhood bar not worth its weight in gold, but it is a secret gem.

In 1952, then-owner Jack Koeppler and international writer Stanton Delaplane teamed up to recreate the "Irish Coffee" served at the Shannon Airport in Ireland. Their search for the perfect Irish Coffee recipe helped introduce Americans to the drink, and to this day, it is considered the quintessential Irish Coffee. 

Whenever we visited San Francisco, my family always made a stop at The Buena Vista. My dad would order Irish Coffee for himself, and grilled cheese sandwiches for me and my siblings. The last time Zach and I went to The Buena Vista, I still ordered a grilled cheese...but also enjoyed an Irish Coffee. 

Irish Coffee is the perfect way to celebrate St. Patrick's Day this weekend.  The drink is great in the late afternoon, right around 4pm, as the spring air gets slightly chilly and you find yourself needing a warm pick-me-up. Though I rarely celebrate St. Patrick's Day, March 17th happens to be one of my favorite days of the whole year. Find out why next Monday!

For more of my SF favorites, like The Buena Vista, check out my Pinterest board here. 

I am providing two Irish Coffee recipes--one from The Buena Vista, and one from Food Network. Both are great! I prefer The Buena Vista's, but I use the Food Network's version when I do not have any sugar cubes on hand. 

Irish Coffee: Buena Vista Version

1/3 cup of whipping cream
1 cup of hot, black coffee
2 cocktail sugar cubes
Jigger of Irish whiskey, like Jameson

To make the whipped cream, beat whipping cream with an electric mixer, until soft peaks form, like this:

Then, follow these instructions from The Buena Vista. 

Irish Coffee: Food Network Version

1/3 cup whipping cream

1 cup freshly brewed hot coffee

1 tablespoon brown sugar

1 jigger Irish whiskey

Beat the cream using an electric mixer until soft peaks form. 

Fill mug with hot water to preheat it, then empty the mug. Add brown sugar to mug, then add the coffee, and stir until the sugar is dissolved.   

Add the whiskey to the coffee.  Top with whipped cream.
 Of course, I had to use a San Francisco mug...

Parisian Hot Chocolate

There is no excuse for hot cocoa from a mix.  Absolutely none. Hot chocolate is one of the easiest things to make, and homemade hot chocolate tastes so much better than anything from a box.  

This recipe is for a Parisian hot chocolate.  Using top-notch chocolate is essential to get the thick & rich consistency.  Hot chocolate is also easy to personalize.  Want an even thicker cocoa?  Use whole milk instead of 1%.  My favorite way to personalize this drink is to add a sprinkling of fleur de sel, or salt from Brittany, and whipped cream on top of my hot cocoa.  

Parisian Hot Chocolate

1/2 cup 1% milk

1.25 ounces chopped dark chocolate (I used 70%, but choose whatever type you like)

1. Heat milk in a small saucepan. 
2. When the milk is warm, whisk in chopped chocolate.  Whisk every so often until chocolate is dissolved.
3. Cook on low heat until hot cocoa begins to thicken and is hot.