Like many of you, the stay-at-home order has unleashed in me many emotions (sometimes all in one day). It has also taught me new things about myself. For instance, I do have a green thumb and I really do like tequila. While sweatily planting my herb garden one afternoon, I started thinking about ways to cool off in this NOLA heat. Let’s face it…we only had spring temperatures for half of March, then the heat started. As I began looking at the blooming lavender, mint, and rosemary, my mind started working creatively again, which was fun. Frozen Craft Daquiris was my “ah-ha” moment. I missed going to the restaurant and creating new cocktails. Bonding with our guests over craft cocktails was fun, engaging, and most of all exciting. I immediately grabbed lavender, mint, and strawberries from the garden, went to the kitchen, broke out the Ninja blender, and went to work.
The daquiri was born in a small Cuban town in 1898, but in NOLA, it’s part of who we are. Everyone has a memory from getting their first frozen daquiri, and I think most of us got it from the drive-thru…it was refreshing, fruity deliciousness in a Styrofoam cup. Yes, those drive- thru piña coladas, jungle juices, and white Russians are delicious, but I wanted to craft frozen daiquiris using fresh fruit, herbs, and quality booze.
I used my husband (my shelter-in- place partner) as my test pilot and I set out to be the “Quarantine Frozen Cocktail Queen.” Some of these drinks are my play on traditional drinks and some are pure quarantine creations.
Louisiana Strawberry Mojito
- 6 fresh Louisiana strawberries 10 mint leaves
- 1.5 oz simple syrup
- 3 oz Bayou Spiced Rum
- 4 oz soda water
- Juice of one freshly squeezed lime 10-15 ice cubes
Blend until smooth. The spiced rum gives this cocktail a little extra flavor. Garnish with a mint leaf and fresh strawberry.
Mint Julep
- 10 mint leaves
- 2.5 oz Woodford Reserve 4 oz soda water
- 1.5 oz simple syrup 10-15 ice cubes
Blend until smooth, pour into a proper julep cup, garnish with mint leaves.
(This was my Kentucky Derby/ Jazz Fest in Place Drink)
Frozen Briquette 75
- 4 oz Mumm Sparkling Rosé
- 1.5 oz Hendricks Gin
- 1 oz homemade lavender syrup
- 1 oz freshly squeezed lemon juice 10-15 ice cubes
Lavender syrup: In a medium saucepan combine one-part sugar and water. Toss in lavender. Bring to a boil stirring. Allow to cool and strain into a bottle.
Blend all ingredients until smooth. Garnish with a lemon zest.
Elyx Strawberry Mule
- 6 fresh Louisiana strawberries
- 2.5 oz Absolut Elyx
- 1 oz freshly squeezed lime juice
- 4 oz Barritt’s Ginger Beer (use the one in the bottle made with real Cane Sugar)
- 10-15 ice cubes
Blend till smooth. Serve in a copper mule cup with a strawberry garnish.
Frozen South Peters Cosmo
- 8 fresh blueberries
- 2 oz Skyy Vodka
- 1 oz St. Germain
- 1 oz Prosecco
- .5 oz freshly squeezed lime juice Splash of Cranberry for color 10-15 ice cubes
Blend until smooth.
Frozen French 75
- 2 oz Martell Blue Swift
- 1 oz freshly squeezed lemon juice 1 oz simple syrup
- 4 oz Champagne/Cava
- 10-15 ice cubes
Blend until smooth. (This was my Jazz Fest in Place Locals Thursday drink.)
Frozen Paloma
- 3 oz Esplon Blanco Tequila
- 1 oz freshly squeezed lime juice
- 2 oz freshly squeezed ruby red grapefruit juice
- 10 -15 ice cubes.
Blend till smooth. Garnish with lime. (This was my Cinco de Bayou drink.)
Frozen Creole Coffee
- 2 oz Absolut Vanilla Vodka
- 1.5 oz praline and cream liquor
- 4 oz freshly brewed espresso chilled 10-15 ice cubes
Blend till smooth. Garnish with a coffee bean.
Frozen Toulouse St. Milk Punch
- 2 oz Cask & Crew Walnut Toffee Whiskey
- 1 oz simple syrup
- 1 dash of vanilla extract 4 oz whole milk
Blend till smooth. Garnish with a sprinkle of nutmeg and cinnamon. (This was my Easter morning drink.)
Frosé
Yields 4-6 drinks
- 1 750-ml bottle chilled Rosé
- 1⁄4 cup vodka
- 4 cups chopped strawberries
- 2 Tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice 8 cups ice
Combine half of the Rosé, vodka, strawberries, and ice. Blend until slushy, if too watery add more ice and blend again. Repeat with the remaining ingredients.
(Note: When blending all drinks everyone’s ice and blender are different. You may have to tweak the amount of ice a little.)
I know it looks like I drank the entire stay at home order, but it was research, right? My husband has a new appreciation for the frozen drinks after his days of pressure-washing and gardening projects with me. I cannot wait to enjoy some time on the patio with friends, social distancing of course, with one of these delicious cocktails. I hope you enjoy these crisp, refreshing, and most of all, beat-the-NOLA-HEAT drinks.