Cocktail | I Can Cook That

Clover Cocktail

Happy St. Patrick’s Day! I have already shared an Irish-themed main meal, bread, baked good, and sweet treat so I thought this time around a drink was in order, this Clover Cocktail!

Fine Wine & Good Spirits sent me this really yummy spin on an Irish coffee called the Clover Cocktail, which is frozen instead of hot.

Ingredients (makes 1 serving; multiply as needed):

1 oz. Irish whiskey
1 oz. Baileys Irish Cream
1 oz. Kahlúa
1 oz. espresso
1 cup ice (~6 ice cubes)
whipped cream
chocolate shavings

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“Jim Dandy on the Cape” Cocktail

Philadelphia is a food lovers dream. The city is filled with amazing restaurants around every corner. I love living here because no matter where I go to eat, I am inspired by what the restaurants are able to deliver. I do my best to emulate my favorite dishes and drinks throughout the city, with a bit of a twist.

I recently attended a new menu launch event at Serrano. An Old City staple, Serrano has been open for over 25 years. I’ve only eaten here once before, before attending a show at Tin Angel upstairs, so I was excited to revisit the restaurant. Serrano is a cozy restaurant that’s warm atmosphere feels like miles away from the busy Old City streets.

Chef Gina Rodriguez has compiled a truly delicious spring seasonal menu. The restaurant was also debuting two new cocktails, The 6th Thyme and Jim Dandy in the Everglades. The 6th Thyme is made with in house made mead (made with locally sourced honey), Aperol, thyme, and white cranberry juice. The drink was garnished with a sprig of thyme, a perfect spring drink. Jim Dandy in the Everglades, made with orange vodka, peach bitters, and Proscecco was refreshing and right up my alley.

The 6th Time (Left) and Jim Dandy in the Everglades (Right)

I decided to do my own spin on the Jim Dandy in the Everglades to go along with my review of Chef Rodriguez’s menu. My recipe uses a homemade cranberry-orange vodka but keeps the rest of the drink true to form. (The addition of the cranberry is why my drink references the Cape instead of the Everglades).

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East Side Cocktail with Basil & How to Make Caraway Vodka

Whenever I have a cocktail, I tend to lean towards refreshing drinks, usually with gin. But while visiting friends in New York, we went to a cocktail bar that used caraway vodka in a drink. (Caraway has an anise flavor to it and is frequently used in baking. It is commonly used in rye bread and most versions of Irish soda bread.) So it adds a really nice earthy flavor to any drink. I decided to make my own to use in refreshing cocktails. I also used it to make a version of my favorite cocktail: the east side, which is essentially a gimlet. (Every drink seems to just be a variation of yet another drink).

Ingredients to make caraway vodka:

2 cups vodka (I used a cucumber vodka for more flavor)

2 tablespoons caraway seeds

Ingredients to make cocktail:

2 oz caraway vodka

1 oz lemon juice

1/2 oz simple syrup

1 basil leaf, chopped

ice

club soda

Making your own flavored vodka is really easy. Just take a jar and fill it with 2 cups vodka and 2 tablespoons caraway seeds. Allow to sit for at least a week. Strain and store for future use. I used cucumber vodka as a base which made a pretty awesome flavor combination.

A traditional east side uses cucumber and mint muddled together then mixed with gin, simple syrup, and lime and topped off with club soda. My version is just as refreshing, but uses some of summer’s other favorite fresh ingredients, lemon juice and basil, paired with my homemade caraway-cucumber vodka.

To make, add ice to a cocktail shaker and add the caraway vodka, lemon juice, simple syrup, chopped basil, and ice. Shake and strain into a glass. Top with club soda. If desired, garnish with a cucumber or a lemon twist.

You can also serve the drink on the rocks, which I prefer (the ice keeps it nice and cool to keep it super refreshing).

If you are a fan of more citrus over sweetness, omit the simple syrup. You can further customize the drink by muddling the basil before adding it to the drink to release more flavor into the cocktail.

Everything about this drink screams summer. I wish I had made the vodka earlier in the summer so I could have had this all season. Sigh. Instead, it will just have to be my way to keep a little summer going on all year long!