I’ve done a lot of liqueurs lately haven’t I? Cranberry Liqueur and Coffee Liqueur for the holidays and in my case made to give to friends and family as holiday gifts. I’ve got Limoncello in my brewing facility (OK, garage) that will be ready for summer but for right now? How about Chocolate Liqueur made with Scharffen Berger Chocolate. I saved this one because I thought it perfect for Valentines Day.

I love making gifts for special holidays. Except for my children, I haven’t purchased a gift for someone for, hmm…decades. Really. I just feel like it’s a true gift from the heart if I put myself into the effort. If you lined up all those years of gifts you would have a picture of how my interests have changed. There was the Pendleton wool jacket I made for my ex-husband (well, he was a husband at the time; I’m not nuts!), the quilted apron and pot holders for a mother-in-law, macrame hangers for potted plants, cross stitched pillows and jars of goods that I used to can after a summers bounty of berries and cucumbers. I’ve made painted sweatshirts, earrings, ceramics and stained glass. But nothing seems to satisfy me (and I like to think the recipients) as much as cookies, breads and these liqueurs. Oh wait…maybe the Maple Bourbon Bacon I gave everyone this past year for Christmas…yes, I heard a lot about that bacon. :)

I’m fairly certain that if I presented a gift to someone from a department store they would be perplexed and confused; surely wondering if my body had been taken over by an unseen entity. Sometimes that effort can run head on into real life and buying gifts would be easier but I know it would be so much less satisfying for me and as long as the people in my life seem to enjoy the fruits of my labors, I’m keeping at it. This liqueur and the martini made with it are my offering for this day when we express our love through flowers, candy and most definitely chocolate. Forget the abundance of commercial products…make this gift for your loved ones and show them a gift straight from your heart. And Scharffen Berger.

I don’t use Scharffen Berger for every baked good or dessert I put together; I’m also a big fan of Ghirardelli Chocolate Chips for my everyday fare. But there are times when the quality of the chocolate needs to be superior and this is my go to brand. They are only available in select stores and Whole Foods but if those options aren’t available, you can also order online. Sometimes something or someone special just deserves the very best.

Disclaimer: This post was not sponsored by Scharffen Berger Chocolate; which means I can say whatever I want about them. Which also means I really really do like their chocolate. So there.

Larimer Square is a bustling street in downtown Denver, one of those chi chi one block streets that harken to days when cities had main streets and you could go there to find a gathering of merchants. It was in fact the first main street in Denver, born during the gold rush of the mid 1800′s when it was settled and named by General William H. Larimer Jr. Back in those ‘olden’ days,  merchants would include purveyors of feed, flour and furniture but today as a designated Historical District it’s a destination for both city residents and suburbanites to grab a cocktail, shop a bit and have dinner in some of Denver’s best restaurants. It’s gone through its share of changes in the years I’ve lived in Denver but I love that this charming street is mostly filled with local shops and restaurants.

There seems to be no history that indicates the area gave rise to a namesake cookie. It’s not too late; forget gold, they should claim them now! I can only imagine that the person who titled these bar cookies Larimer Toffee Squares had to have been making a play on words with this historical area; elevating the cookie to both the distinction and history that being associated with Larimer Square would convey. Once made in our home…that is absolutely what happened. The distinction is simple. We love them. The history? We’ve loved them for a long time.

The original recipe is from one of my favorite cookbooks, Creme de Colorado, the first cookbook published in the 1980′s by the Junior League of Denver. That recipe is a mixture of just four ingredients; graham crackers, butter, pecans and sugar and I’ve found it necessary to only modify in one way…with a drizzle of milk chocolate. It’s a good addition too. Not that they weren’t enough on their own, but something about toffee just screams for chocolate…so I did it!

I recently started working with The Daily Basics, an online lifestyle magazine where I’ll be their cocktail/appetizer contributor each month. Either a cocktail or appetizer will be shared here on Creative Culinary and the companion will be featured on their site. This month, I was inspired to make a Classic Manhattan, which became the tale of ‘finding the perfect glass.’ The receipt of a shipment of family heirlooms and the one unique glass I wanted the most having been broken was the beginning of that tale. It was exasperating but along the way it also was the perfect example of someone going the extra mile…I hope you’ll go read the story but I have to give a shout out here to Scott, the manager of YaYa’s in the Denver Tech Center. Without Scott, those gorgeous glasses would not be featured here and I’m indebted to him. Forever!

If the Manhattan is considered one of the finest cocktails ever conceived it deserves a great appetizer. While I enjoy a traditional pate too, I decided to pair the cocktail this time with a Mushroom Paté; my take on an appetizer that I could imagine being served with a Manhattan all those many years ago when it first gained notoriety. It’s rich and decadent but also something that would appeal to all of my friends including the vegetarians among them.

I’ve been making this paté for a very long time…or at least one like it. This is the first time I’ve ever considered actually writing down the ingredients that I use. I first had it served at a party I attended a decade ago and all I could get from the hostess was that it was a combination of sautéed mushrooms and cream cheese so I’m sure I’m made a revision to it each and every time I’ve put it together but I must say, I think this was the best. Maybe it was that extra clove of garlic?

It’s easy to prepare and can be held in the refrigerator overnight so it’s a great appetizer if you want to make something ahead of time. I actually think it’s best if given some time for the flavors to meld so try this next time you’re having a get together and want to make it easier for you…anything you can make a day ahead is a bonus.

 Be sure to visit ‘The Daily Basics’ for my article on the Classic Manhattan

After months of sweets and other indulgences, our wise #Baketogether leader Abby Dodge decided a simple bread would be something all of us might be craving. She was so right. When she said simple I couldn’t imagine any bread THIS simple. I’ve seen bread novices and talented aficionados alike claim the ease and never-ending possibilities of this bread (this is the real WONDER bread!). Easy to make, great crumb, even easier to modify with all of our own spices, herbs, cheeses or in my case? Citrus.

Added to the simplicity of the recipe was the fact that we just needed a round cake pan. You know…one of those pans we ALWAYS have on hand. Well, normally. I had recently lent mine to a friend who needed several round pans for a cake she is making so I had to punt. I found this pan WAY back in the back of a pantry. I’m not sure I’ve ever used it. It was a bit large and the requisite 2nd rise did not see it actually fill the pan but I thought it turned out, as a friend said, ‘cute’ and I would do it again.

I was a Meyer Lemon virgin until last year when my friend Kim in California sent me a precious box of the magical little fruits. Native to China, Meyer Lemons are thought to be a combination borne from lemons and mandarin oranges. They are generally smaller than regular lemons, have a more spherical shape and are more golden in color. Not to mention sweeter; some people enjoy eating them as is. I’m not there but I sure do love baking with them. Their aroma is disarming…no longer satisfied with Lemon Pledge; I’m now anxious for Meyer Lemon Pledge in my home!

Although Kim has offered to send some more lemons from her tree (can you say LUCKY?) I could not pass up purchasing some at the market last week. Meyer Limoncello is on the agenda but I thought I could spare one for this effort. I didn’t want anything overt so it’s just the juice and rind of one lemon and it ads a nice piquant touch that could take it from savory to sweet. I finished my bread with turbinado sugar so went the sweet route but it’s oh so very subtle and just enhances slices slathered with a bit strawberry jam.

One of my #Baketogether co-conspirators, Amanda, showed us a great idea for measuring the volume of your bread dough when you’re waiting for it to rise. Put your dough into a clear container and mark the top of the volume with a rubber band…then it’s so easy to see when your bread has doubled in volume. Great idea Amanda! (Even if mine got away from me just a bit!).

By the way…the jam I used is from my friend Wendy’s business, Sunchowder’s Emporia, and Wendy has graciously offered all of you breadaholics a chance to win a trio of her products. Take a peek after the recipe!

Artisan Jam Trio Crate Giveaway

Sunchowder’s Emporia jams are handcrafted in small batches using French copper pots.   Using these old French methods of jam making, such as allowing fruit to macerate overnight in lemon and sugar, the luscious flavors are coaxed out of the berries and the preserves have a pure, smooth texture.  All of the jams are made with fresh fruits and vegetables, no corn syrup, pectin, colorings or preservatives.   They’re deliciously different than the average jam.

The trio includes:

• Strawberry Jam: Fresh strawberries, pure cane sugar and lemon combine to make this delightful jam.  Fabulous slathered on your morning brioche.
• Spiced Pear Butter: The rich flavor of fresh anjou pears combined with spices make our handmade Spiced Pear Butter delicious with breakfast scones and muffins, served with meat, or paired with ginger snaps. We use Vermont Boiled Cider Syrup and fresh orange peel for natural, old-fashioned autumn flavor that can be enjoyed year-round.
• Raspberry Chocolate Jam: This rich, decadent Raspberry Chocolate Jam combines fresh tart raspberries with bittersweet Barry Callebaut Chocolate for a delightful dessert jam.  More raspberry than chocolate, this real fruit-based jam is a healthier alternative to rich chocolate sauces. This is a luscious, natural filling for sandwich tea cookies, heated and poured over poached pears, can be dolloped over vanilla ice cream or slathered over your favorite pound cake and eaten privately in one go!

How to win?

1. Main Entry [Required] – Leave a comment below sharing with us what your favorite bread is. Homemade or not. I’m just curious. :)

Want an extra entry?

If you are already doing this it counts, just make note of that in your comment. You MUST leave each entry as a separate comment or only one comment will count!

1. Follow @creativculinary & @Sunchowder on Twitter and tweet the following statement then come back to this post and tell us you tweeted – I just entered to win an Artisan Jam Trio from @CreativCulinary and @Sunchowder! Enter here: http://su.pr/26Na08 #giveaway

Important Details:

• This giveaway is open to USA residents only and will run until Friday, January 27, 2012 at 11:59 pm EST.
• Winner will be generated via random.org and will be notified via the email provided on the comment form information.
• Winner will have until midnight, January 30, 2012 to claim their Sunchowder Artisan Jam Trio or we will choose another winner.
• Winner will receive one Artisan Jam Trio which will be shipped directly to the winner by Sunchowder’s Emporia.

Good Luck!

I haven’t made bread in a long while and am excited to be back in this genre. I’ve submitted this link to Yeastspotting – so many great ideas there!

We have a Winner!

 

Entrant #3 picked via Random.org is Janis Tester. Whoo hoo! Congrats Janis; I hope you enjoy Sunchowder Jams as much as I do!

This is a simple cocktail but it’s one of my favorites; simple to make and so refreshing it’s something I can drink year round. The truth is that long before I ever tried a Cuba Libre I was long hooked on Coca Cola with a slice of lime. Somewhere along the way (of course not until I was 21!!) I was introduced to my favorite drink with an adult beverage as part of the mix. Immediate love. It may be a simple drink but it does not have a simple history.

After the end of the Spanish-American war in 1898, the United States occupied Cuba until 1902 and in a twist that seems appropriate for a major corporation in today’s climate, that also signaled the beginning of sales of Coca Cola in Cuba. In August of 1900, while celebrating the US victory over Spain in Cuba, Captain Russell of the United States Army Signal Corps, ordered Bacardi rum (at that time THE rum of Cuba) with a Coca Cola and a slice of lime. His toast of “Por Cuba libre!” in celebration of a free Cuba had a special political significance and was frequently used by Cubans and Americans alike; the name and the cocktail were forever married and that was that.

A second war more than 40 years later saw a resurgence in the popularity of this  drink. By 1944, all American distillers, no matter their size, were required to turn 100 percent of their production over to Uncle Sam which resulted in low domestic supplies of many favorite liquors. At the same time Caribbean rum was plentiful enough to make up for that. With some irony, sugar was being rationed which meant most people did not have enough to make daiquiris or Collins cocktails but the one company that was big enough to pull strings and continue production? Coca Cola!

Prohibition eventually ended but this cocktail’s popularity did not. Though now made with any variety of different rums and coke from bottled to diet to caffeinated…it’s still a popular drink and still a symbol of ‘free Cuba’ by dissidents in that country.

Recreating the ‘original’ Cuba Libre would be impossible today. It’s not just rumor or heresy, the truth is that Coca Cola at one time included a considerable amount of cocaine and it wasn’t until 1904 when executives started to explore phasing out the cocaine content from the beverage; that was accomplished soon thereafter. Bacardi moved their Cuban operation to Puerto Rico after prohibition so though there is some attempt by Bacardi to hang onto the Cuban legacy, they are no longer a Cuban rum so any attempt today to recreate that original drink with Cuban rum and a cola with cocaine would have to be a much more clandestine adventure then the one I took to secure ingredients. I was excited just to find glass bottles of Coca Cola made in Mexico. They are typically manufactured with cane sugar instead of high fructose corn syrup and are more representative of Coca Cola from days gone by. The ingredients may not be the same but in the spirit of hoping someday the people of Cuba are free, I say ‘Cuba Libre!’

 

When I was growing up we never went out to dinner. With six kids I can imagine it would have been prohibitively expensive but more than that I can imagine my parents did not anticipate it as fun trying to corral all of us in a restaurant. Thankfully my mom was a good cook…though in retrospect I realize she really did the basics a lot. Spaghetti, meatloaf, fried chicken and grilled hamburgers made their way onto our table with regularity as did fish sticks every Friday night that I can remember. In the winter it would be casseroles, roasts or soups and I remember those soups. Chicken with Dumplings, Split Pea Soup and Brown Lentil Soup. I love them all still and make them much in the same way my mother did all those many years ago.

But the truth is some soups aren’t very pretty and can be hard to photograph so I’ve never bothered putting my brown lentil soup recipe on the blog. Then I discovered some red lentils. They are so pretty! Really more orange but still a far cry from a dirt brown color.

I had just seen my friend Karen post about a white bean soup she had made using a ham bone she had left over from the Honey Baked Ham she had served for Christmas dinner and it made me want some soup. BAD. I recall mentioning to Karen that it sure would be nice if I could just purchase a ham bone from them and not the whole ham; you know, just to make soup. It hit me right after saying that; I wonder if you can? I knew that Honey Baked Hams also sold sandwiches; wouldn’t that result in a leftover ham bone too? I thought it worthy of a phone call and to my complete delight, they do! Not kidding…I was dressed and in the car within 15 minutes of that phone call and back home in a half hour with some canned white beans and a ham bone chock full of meat that had cost me $2.25 a pound. Can you say score? Look how yummy it looks and I pretty much made it just like Karen’s though I didn’t have rosemary so added a bit more bay leaf. Go check out her post for the recipe where I discovered something good…absolutely nothing wrong with the ease of canned white beans!

I only used half of the ham on that bone for the white bean soup so started to think about what else I could make. That bag of red lentils in the pantry were now crying to me. I took the easiest route possible with this soup. Overnight in a crockpot…another SCORE!

Lentils fall apart much quicker than larger beans so the overnight cooking really did turn them and the veggies into a smooth and less chunky soup but I’m glad I did it. The ham fell off the bone and it was tender and so flavorful. And simple. Beyond the basics of carrots, onion, celery, stock and beans was some curry. Some good curry. Some oh my that is fabulous curry. The only minor negative? That initial moment when I woke in the morning and smelled something unfamiliar. There was a moment of huh? What? Oh yeah, that. Whew.

Talk about an easy and super delicious soup; this is it. And not having a ham bone is no excuse; I even hear that Safeway sells them so I’m betting my new and fabulous discovery is old hat to some of you. WHY didn’t you ever tell me?

The winter solstice this past year was December 21; when the sun reaches the most southerly declination. It marks the day of the year with the least hours of daylight; the official start of winter. Though we can certainly anticipate more winter weather in Colorado, for me the winter solstice also signals the beginning of the end; the days after this moment in time get longer every day and we can appreciate the advent of spring as the next season to celebrate; my personal favorite time of the year.

It’s this same time of the year that citrus starts to play a bigger role in our food choices. With good reason in particular in the warmer parts of the country as lemons, limes, tangerines and grapefruit ripen and become plentiful, however, I find myself craving them as if they were growing in my garden yet there is not one tree within hundreds of miles of me. After the season of gluttony, I look forward to lighter dishes and especially love salad dressings and cocktails that  include the brightness that is brought to our palate by citrus. If you are lucky enough to have a tree (or several) of Meyer lemons, please, please do not lament to me that you simply can not use all of the little beauties coming from your tree. That is not a problem. You can make lemonade or if it would help, you can send some of them to me! :)

I purchased grapefruits and limes from the market a couple of days ago so inspiration for this cocktail came from seeing that fruit bowl on the counter. I really wanted to concentrate on the grapefruit; it’s sort of become my new favorite citrus. To balance the tartness of the juice I decided to add some maraschino liqueur. I recently made some of my own maraschino cherries for holiday gifts which are simply cherries that soak in Maraschino liqueur; once you try these beauties there is no going back.

There might be some that would take me to task for calling a cocktail without either gin or vermouth a martini and I get it, I really do; purists have their cause and all. However, I can’t get beyond that word for something served in a conventional glass shape that we have come to know as a martini glass! Vodkatini? Nope, can’t do it. So I’ll continue to call any beverage I serve in a martini glass a martini and just ask that you try this; it will bring a bit of sunshine into the dreary days of winter and we can anticipate spring together!

My grandparents are from all over; I’m a mixture of German, Scandinavian , English and Irish. So would someone please tell me why I love all things Italian? My theory is that a female in the family made a clandestine visit to Italy once, came home after a fling with a handsome Italian man and unbeknownst to anyone else, started the genetic pool of Italian blood that I know runs through my veins.

I love Italian food, architecture, wine and well ‘Under the Tuscan Sun’ which of course, is the dream I envision coming true at any moment. I fancy my home to have an Italian feel to it though it is a Cape Cod style on the outside and in moments of abject reality I know that having wine bottles placed everywhere for decor does not really qualify. But please do not burst my bubble…a girl can dream, right?

When presented with this months Recipe Swap challenge to make Zabaglione as inspired from a restaurant in Chicago I was excited. I knew it was a custard made with Marsala wine and that was about it. My sweet friend Lora at Cake Duchess was my polar opposite; no biggie for her. Probably because she feeds her family Zabaglione for snacks. And you should hear her say it…really, I’m pathetic; just hearing her accent makes me swoon. I know if I ever heard her hubs Fabrizio speak Italian it would be all over. No, I would not be all over HIM…but I might cave and buy that one way ticket to the place I’ve never been that I know I have romanticized beyond compare.

Zabaglione is typically made using egg yolks, sugar, and Marsala wine. But I had a bit of champagne left over from New Years and though I do have a system for removing air to try to preserve freshness, I knew using it in cooking would be a better idea than drinking it. So I decided to make Zabaglione using Champagne. Though following on the heels of the season of overindulgence and sweets; this might be indulgent but the champagne and cranberries keep it from being overly sweet. It was is simply fabulous (I’m saving it for this week when some friends come over…or at least I’m going to try!).

A quick web search to see if that had been done resulted in finding this dish from Chef Billy Paresi and I just had to, with a few of my own revisions of course! Cherries became cranberries and I used brown sugar in the custard mixture for the bread pudding. The original recipe also called for whipped cream but I have to tell you…topping it with some cranberries that I candied in a Champagne simple syrup was a good call. It’s plenty rich without whipping cream, the cranberries are heavenly and they add such a nice visual touch too!

Happy Birthday Laura!

I’ve decided that any dessert this sophisticated and amazing must be in celebration of something. So I’m making it for my baby sister Laura as a belated birthday celebration; her birthday was this past Wednesday.  Now…she might not be a baby anymore but our 16 year age difference meant she was ‘sort of’ my baby once many years ago and that will never change. She lives in Wisconsin so we seldom get together but it doesn’t mean she goes unremembered on those special days. Neither of us really need gifts from each other but I only wish she was here sharing this with me. It’s wonderful, it’s pretty and hey Laura…it’s vegetarian too! XOXO

 

Hello and goodbye. That time of year when we look at the past 12 months and search for accomplishments and meaning and face toward the new year with both anticipation and maybe some trepidation. Did we accomplish all we wanted to; did we grow, provide, serve enough? Will we make changes to how we manage our lives and our time in the New Year and manage to fulfill dreams that today, right now, seem imminently possible or maybe even imminently impossible?

My own experience this past year has included the continuation of a difficult journey. I still need a cane to walk as the result of a severe injury suffered in February 2010. I could never have imagined that something so simple as my leg falling asleep could result in an injury that has changed the entire landscape of my life; affecting both my professional career and personal relationships. Discovering through this process the new friends who have become steadfast and the old ones who found it easier to look the other way.

Through it all I remain grateful for the readers who visit this blog and participate with me in this journey. I’ve loved to cook and provide sustenance for those around me for as long as I can remember and this blog allows me a journal of those experiences. Your engagement along with your encouraging comments makes me grateful for each one of you. Your compliments, especially on my photography, can take me to the moon. Any progress in that arena has surely been made possible over the course of the past two years by regaining the ability to stand and walk without a walker. When my balance was of greater concern than white balance. I wish you could have been party to some of that early work; I’m sure that you would have valiantly tried not to but even I had to laugh at the ridiculousness of it. Walker, dog, gate, 1 dish at a time, so tired by the time I got anything setup and in enough pain that I was lucky to snap 2 photos of the end result. Someone told me that I should have done a blog post about what it took to get a dish made and a photo taken but I’m just grateful that those days are past. I might still be hobbled a bit but it’s focusing on the progress that keeps me going. Is it good or bad that I can now work on a post long enough to generate 50+ photos each time? :)

So I wish for more progress in this coming year. To learn and grow even more. To get physically stronger and emotionally tougher. To continue building relationships both in real life and with friends I have met online. Maybe to hop on a jet plane and make a trip to a blogging conference finally! And I wish the same for you. That you realize your dreams or maybe even just realize what they are. That you find support and encouragement on your path and that maybe I’ll even be a party to seeing your success or a friend when it seems that will never happen. To each of you I say, Happy New Year!

Seems this is the time of year for a lot of blogs to offer up their most popular posts; using criteria that each decides upon. I thought it might be interesting; sort of a nod to the future with a first recipe of the year while also reminiscing about the year in review. For the posts from this past year, I’ve included those that were seen the most and for something new, I’m including this tasty tart that is  easy and delicious; easy enough to pull together today even if you have the last of holiday company coming by for a visit. Combining two things I love, bacon and caramelized onions, it’s a favorite in our home.

 

I admit I was a bit surprised when I compiled the posts that statistics consider my ‘Best Of.’ Why? Well, I’ve been doing this blog or a variation of it for 16 years and yet what lists as half of my most popular posts? The booze. Yes, you guys like the adult beverages A LOT! I only started doing a cocktail each week on a regular basis a couple of months ago and it’s evident they are hugely popular so today I’m glad I made an appetizer…we need something to munch on with all of those libations!

This is a simple tart…no crust required! Dough is put into a pan that has had some butter melted in it first, it’s covered with bacon, caramelized onions and Parmesan and baked. Easy and delish. I hope you enjoy it and do be sure to check out the most popular posts of 2011 after the recipe. Cheers to YOU!

Our Most Popular Posts of 2011

10. Maple Bourbon Bacon – This one may have squeaked in and it’s a good thing because this might be my personal favorite. Participating in Charcutepalooza was life changing stuff and learning how to cure and smoke my own bacon was a highlight. Ask my friends and family what they got for Christmas this year…it would include bacon!

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9. Make Your Own Coffee Liqueur – Made with espresso and a hint of chocolate; I truly do think this is better than Kahlua!

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8. Cocoa, Cayenne and Espresso Roasted Walnuts – These were perfect…crispy, toasted, cocoa and a hint of heat. So good.

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7. Maple Bacon Roasted Turkey – This is the best turkey I have ever had so it’s worthy of being in this list…and has been for the third year in a row. Yes, it’s that good.

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6. Wood Butter – A Recipe for Your Wooden Spoons and More…

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5. How to Make Cranberry Liqueur – Easy, gorgeous and so tasty…the perfect holiday liqueur!

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4. VootBeer – A fabulously refreshing and unique drink; a very adult Root Beer Float!

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3. Molasses and Brown Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies – I think if these cookies had not been included in the ‘best of’ by readers I would have had to fudge. Simply the best chocolate chip cookies I’ve ever made.

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2. Cranberry Ginger Fizz Cocktail – Listed on sites all over the web as a suggestion for a holiday drink…it is quintessentially so. Gorgeous, refreshing and filled with flavors of the season.

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1. The Smoretini – This is it; the single most popular post based on viewer visits. I think every woman on the planet must have pinned this cocktail. A Girl Scout memory type of thing revisited as an adult beverage? Must be it.

Hope you enjoyed this roundup and I look forward to seeing more of you in the coming year. Happy New Year!

I wanted something a bit unique for New Years; something more than ‘just’ a glass of Champagne but not what has become my standard of adding Champagne to a liqueur either. I’ve done that a lot over this holiday season with the Cranberry liqueur I made. I love it but it was time for something new, something even more elegant.

I believe this is it; the French 75. Named after the 75-MM M1897, a mainstay of the French field artillery in WWI, it was a potent little gun and this is a solid namesake…it’s a potent little drink! Known to have been a favorite of the Lost Generation including apparently Ernest Hemingway who, though known for his ability to partake with great gusto, was also known to secure a definite buzz with a French 75. There are variations to this drink including the use of cognac in lieu of gin and some pour it over ice in a Collins glass. I prefer mine shaken and poured straight up so that it doesn’t get diluted!

Simple, beautiful and bubbly…I think the perfect cocktail to toast the New Year. So to everyone; I say Cheers and I’m wishing you a very safe and Happy New Year!!