Forbidden Grapefruit

Grapefruit, Rosemary, & Black Pepper

Grapefruit is the forgotten citrus. That is, until some one recommends a Paloma or a Hemingway Daiquiri. Then you remember about this oversized citrus that is essentially a bitter-sweet orange and your brought back to a distant memory of that one time you enjoyed a grapefruit...

I remember when I was young, my babysitter, Tam, would sprinkle sugar on grapefruit and we would use a small spoon to scoop each perfect section out of the little citrus pouches. The perfection of each section was so satisfying and the once bitter and angry citrus transformed into a sweet, pink, and delicious treat. I think they may have sparked my creative juices long ago.

I now enjoy grapefruits slightly baked with both sugar and salt sprinkled upon them...but aside from baking, I have since exploded into the world of grapefruit juice and all of the delicious combinations. This particular combination, with black pepper and rosemary, has a nice warmth to it. The pepper and rosemary are subtle enough to just bring a slight edge to the grapefruit juice.

Plus, all three main components have some nice health benefits. According to Healthline.com, grapefruit is high is vitamin C, vitamin A, and antioxidants. Both rosemary and black pepper are also anti-inflammatory and have antioxidants.

Enjoy!

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Tools:

Grapefruit Juicer

Barspoon or Teaspoon

Reusable Straw

Cocktail Shaker

Hawthorne Strainer

Collins Glass

Ingredients:

2 ½ oz Fresh Grapefruit Juice

1 oz Simple Syrup

½ bspn Black pepper

1 Sprig Rosemary Leaves

2 ½ oz Filtered Water

Process:

Add everything, except for water, into the cocktail tin. Muddle the rosemary to release the flavor. Add filtered water and ice into the tin. Close the tin and shake. Strain into a Collins glass with ice.

Garnish with a reusable straw and rosemary sprig. You can flame the rosemary to a smoky essence too!

Enjoy as a delicious breakfast drink, or an evening mocktail with friends.

Strawberry Afternoon

Strawberry, Basil, & Balsamic Vinegar

Along my flavor exploration, I learned that strawberries have a similar profile to tomatoes. Believe it or not, a lot of pairings that go well with tomatoes will in turn pair nicely with strawberries. Like this drink for example...Tomatoes, basil and balsamic is the start to a delicious Caprese Salad!

You might think this is an odd pairing for a drink, but the inspiration came from a somewhat popular cocktail at one of the first craft cocktail bars that I ever worked at. The drink was thick, almost smoothie like and required a lot of prep in the kitchen. I think the texture threw a few people off, but the flavors were really intriguing to me. So, as time went by, the menu changed and that cocktail went into the graveyard. Since then, this cocktail has always lingered in my memory and I've continued to make adjustments to create something light and delicious! Of course, this version is alcohol free!

As always, I believe that delicious drinks shouldn't be as complex as cooking a meal. I wanted to create something that was interesting and included ingredients that are easy to find, if not already in your kitchen.

Plus, according to Healthline.com, strawberries have great nutritional value providing high levels of vitamin C, manganese, folate, and potassium.

Please enjoy and share with others!

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Tools:

Lemon Juicer

Muddler

Hawthorne Strainer

Jigger for Measuring Ounces

Boston Tin

Barspoon or Teaspoon (5ml)

Coupe or Rocks Glass

Ingredients:

3 Medium Sized Strawberries

5 ml Balsamic Vinegar

1 oz Simple Syrup

1 oz Lemon Juice

2 oz Filtered Water

1 Basil Leaf

Process:

Build into a cocktail shaker.

Add the first four ingredients into a cocktail shaker and muddle together.

Add water and basil leaf.

Add ice to the shaker and seal together.

Shake and strain into a coupe glass, or in a rocks glass with ice. Whatever is on hand.

Garnish with a small basil leaf.

Enjoy by yourself or with others.

Welcome...

Hi. I'm Krista. I am a lover of the subtle nuances that flavor combinations have on my ever-changing palate. Like an artist, the earth is my paint palette, and the glass is my canvas. As someone who thrives on creativity, spontaneity, travel, and new experiences, my career in bartending and my endless curiosity has allowed me to live completely in the moment and explore the world of flavors from many viewpoints. I am forever grateful for the experiences in my life that have opened doors into the world of cocktails and the world of flavor. I have met and learned from some extremely talented bartenders and chefs throughout my life primarily because the community within the F&B industry has always been so welcoming.

As a human, I crave community, love, affection, and a feeling that that there’s something more. I’m always curious about new flavor combinations and the subtleties that make each ingredient so unique. Much of my knowledge comes from simply chatting with people. One of the most valuable ways that we can grow and create new concepts within this industry is to share our knowledge and to learn from others. Sharing truly is caring. We need to trust, believe, and help each other to become greater than what we already are. If you sit down at a bar or restaurant and ask a question, most likely someone around you will know the answer. Strangers can teach us so much and I feel like we are losing our grip on the simple concept of human connection and community.

This platform is a space that provides fun recipes for nurturing the love and community that resides within all of us. Everything that is posted and re-created from here should be shared with someone physically or emotionally. Some recipes may spark memories and cause you to reminisce. Others may spark creativity and cause you to jump down the rabbit hole of ‘what if’s.’ Throughout this journey I will be posting a mixture of cocktails, teas, juices, infusions, syrups, snacks, old recipes, new recipes, family recipes, and much more. Everything here is meant to educate, share, enjoy, and ignite creativity.

Think about it…food and drink have brought together communities for centuries. Celebrations, holidays, and major life moments can all include special food and drink whether it be ceremonial, social, or medicinal. Nowadays, you hardly need an excuse to get together over food and drinks. Invite a friend over for a cup of home crafted tea and cookies or enjoy a cocktail on the patio after a long day at work. Appetizers enjoy being washed down with something delicious, so why not have a snack and an espresso tonic while you’re getting ready for your party. Life is more delicious when you mix things up!

One very important thread to be mindful of throughout each article is to care about our mother earth. To continue the creative momentum in the hospitality industry, we need to reevaluate the ingredients and the tools that we use. When I first started working as a bartender, I was shocked at how much waste was created. Napkins, straws, bottle caps, bottles, cans, foils, fruit…you name it, it went in a bin. The trash can at the end of every shift was so full that sometimes your barback would have to empty it mid shift. Since that time, the industry has become much more aware of the impact on the planet and has made leaps and bounds toward maintaining top notch hospitality while creating very small footprint on the planet.

Progress is awesome, and let’s be honest, we can do even better. The F&B industry wouldn’t be what it is today without mother earth providing excellent material. So, in return we need to always remember to be respectful of the planet. You get out what you put in, as they say, and if we are kind to the planet, she will be kind to us. Every little bit counts. So, please reduce your waste, reuse as much as possible, recycle your containers, use what's already in your fridge, and buy from local and environmentally friendly companies.

I hope you enjoy the recipes found on this site. I hope they create new memories for you and your loved ones. I hope they spark creativity and a hunger for more!

Try new things, share with care, spread nothing but love, and enjoy the journey!

Thanks for imbibing,

Krista