cocktails Archives - Beth Daigle

Simple Cocktails to Enjoy at Home or Anywhere

Have you ever gone to order a cocktail and said…I can’t decide, I don’t know what I want. I do that all the time. The older I get, the more I struggle to find adult beverages that agree with me. Beer fills me up, wine gives me a headache, mixed drinks are risky for my tummy and most hard alcohols are just more than I can handle.

While my signature martini with…3 olives and a twist of lemon has become my go-to order, it’s not something I make for myself at home. If I’m going to sit down for a drink, simple cocktails are the only ones I’ll pour.

Here are three Simple Cocktails that I have come to enjoy and find easy to prepare.

Amaretto and Ginger

This is a little sweet, but I find a good squeeze of orange juice and a lot of ice helps cut the cloying sweetness. This is a nice, warming spirit that’s perfect by a fire.

I like a healthy pour of Amaretto, over ice, with a splash (or two) of ginger ale and a good squeeze of fresh orange juice. Garnish with an orange wedge.

Bailey’s and Coffee Ice Cubes

I saw this simple cocktail on Facebook and have been dying to give it a try. It’s more of a dessert drink, but it sure is good.

Freeze prepared coffee in an ice tray. Place frozen coffee cubes in a glass and pour in Bailey’s Irish Cream. Finish with a shot of vanilla vodka. Yummy!

Vodka Gimlet

This is the simplest of my simple cocktails and I just love it. It’s clean, crisp and smooth – so easy to sip and savor. Gimlets are traditionally made with gin, but I’m a vodka drinker so…

Combine 2 oz. vodka, 1 oz. fresh lime juice and 3/4 teaspoon simple syrup (I buy mine bottled) in a shaker. Shake and pour over ice. Garnish with a lime wheel.

Hope you like these super simple cocktails. They are great to make at home or even better when ordered out and someone else prepares them for you.

The blog will be on break next week during February vacation. See you back on Monday, February 28^th.

Mike’s Magnificent 3 Olives and a Twist Martini

Mike and his perfect martini — Always served with a smile!

Lately, I find myself telling the story of how this blog got its name. I haven’t always been a martini drinker. There was that one time in my early twenties when I first experienced the thrill of a good martini. I enjoyed the taste so much, I somehow managed to drink five in one night (such an amateur). This little feat earned me the nickname of “Martina” for at least a year. My overindulgence also managed to turn me off from the sophisticated cocktail for twenty-five years.

I slowly reintroduced martinis to my repertoire about three years ago. As I slowed down, I began favoring the slow sip that a perfect martini encourages. I also enjoyed the soothing state of mind it delivered – I find myself very relaxed at the first sip of a good martini. I don’t really need more than one, but I often have two. Depending on the type I order, they can satisfy a sweet or savory craving.

While Cosmopolitans and Appletinis are nice, they are a rare choice for my palate. I most often gravitate to a classic martini. Upon ordering, typical questions follow:

Gin or Vodka? Vodka please!
Shaken or stirred? Shaken and very, very cold.
Olives or a twist? And here’s where I’d always pause.

Can’t I have both? I love olives, but I also love the crisp, freshness of lemon. And so my order became – a Grey Goose martini with three olives and a twist of lemon – emphasis on the “and.” I’d often get quizzical looks from the server followed by, “You want both olives AND lemon?” “Yup, that’s right – oh and can you be sure it’s 3 olives – I just like it that way.”

While this became my standard order, it was not until Mike Moffet, of North Andover Country Club, made my signature drink, did I know this should be my blog name. How he does his perfect 3 olives and a twist martini differently, I do not know for sure. But, I always know when Mike has made my cocktail it is smoother, colder and crisp with just the hint of lemon that I like.

Making the perfect 3 Olives and a Twist martini — The process!

My blog was intended to be a place where I write about things that I like and make me happy. That’s exactly how I’d describe Mike’s Magnificent Martini.