“In gardens, the kitchen and their podcasts, C.L. and Ellen don’t always agree. So it was when it came to crafting a drink for celebrating International Podcast Day. Ellen specializes in wild-crafted cocktails, and C.L. in garden-based drinks. But what Plantrama listeners know is that two opinions are often better than one…”
C.L. says:
“I’m interested in a cocktail with fresh herb flavors, but I also want it to be easy. Whether you’re picking your basil from the garden and your citrus from your own tree, or gathering these at the grocery store, I want everyone to have fun with this flavor combination. I made this with basil because it’s a bold, end of September herb. And I used Tequila, because this is a celebration for podcasters, so be courageous and audacious!”
Podcaster’s Passion
Makes one Cocktail: it’s suggested that you multiply this by 10 and invite fellow podcasters over.
In a Mason Jar place 2 sprigs basil (about 6 to 8 leaves each) and muddle with a wooden spoon or cocktail muddler
Add the juice of 1 lime (at least 1 oz lime juice), ½ oz agave syrup, and 3 oz tequila (You’ll use 100% blue agave if you know what’s good for you.)
Add three ice cubes and shake vigorously. Strain into a glass and add more ice. Serve garnished by a sprig of basil.
Celebrate International podcast day with a cocktail made with bold flavors.
Ellen Says:
“If you want an attractive, easy-to-make cocktail that anyone can put together with what they have on hand or what they can buy at the grocery store, that’s fine with me. But that’s not what I’ll offer when you come to my house. I chose whisky for this celebration because it’s a masculine drink, and rose hips because they’re not.”
Podcasters’ Punch
In a shaker full of ice, combine 2 ounces rye whiskey, 1/2 ounce rose hip liqueur, and 1/4 lemon juice. Shake for 30 seconds, then strain into a coup. Top off the glass with seltzer. Cheers!
Ellen specializes in cocktails that you’d never find in your local bar…so they are not only delicious but extremely special…kind of like many podcasts!
To make the rose hip liqueur:
Wash your rose hips, and remove the large calyx (the thing that looks like a star attached to one end of the fruit) from each hip. Put the hips in a blender, and add enough water to cover them halfway. Pulse your blender to roughly chop the rose hips.
Transfer the chopped rose hips to a sauté pan, and add enough water to barely cover them.
Bring the water to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for 5 minutes. By this time, the hips should be soft enough to mash with a potato masher. Turn off the heat and let the fruit sit for 15 minutes.
Pour the rose hips into a jelly bag set over a bowl, and let the juice drain. Don’t squeeze the jelly bag as the juice is draining, or your syrup may be cloudy.
Return the hip pulp to the pan and, again, add just enough water to cover the fruit. Repeat the simmering/draining process as described above.
Combine the two batches of juice into one, measure it, and pour it into a clean saucepan. For every cup of juice, add one cup of sugar to the liquid. Whisk the sugar and juice together, over medium heat, until the sugar is completely dissolved. If the liquid starts to boil, reduce the heat to a simmer. Cook for five minutes, then remove from the heat and allow it to cool.
Combine equal amounts of rose hip syrup and vodka, and voila! Rose hip liqueur. It’s tasty on its own, with a little seltzer, or in a Podcasters’ Punch.