Back in our Ft. Hood days, I would occasionally enjoy a lemon drop martini from Texas Land and Cattle, my hands down favorite steak house in Central Texas.  Once here, I started missing that drink, so I decided to try to mimic it.  I think I did a pretty good job.  If you like the basil-lime martini, you are sure to like the lemon drop martini as well.  I used basically the same recipe I use for the basil-lime martini, just switching things up a bit.  The result is pretty good, that is unless my memory has failed me.

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Zest from 1 lemon
1¼ cup freshly squeezed lemon juice (about 6-8 lemons)
1 750ML bottle of Grey Goose citrus vodka
2 cups water
1 ½ cup sugar 

Make simple syrup by simmering sugar and water together in a saucepan until all sugar has dissolved and syrup get a tad thick.  Turn heat off, throw in all lemon zest.  Let cool.  Once cooled, pour lemon simple syrup through a strainer to remove all the zest.  Using a funnel, pour the lemon simple syrup into the storage container, add lemon juice and vodka.  Put the lid on and shake. If you want one right away, just add ice to a cocktail shaker add a martini and shake, pour into a prepared martini glass with a sugar rim.  If you are making these in advance for a party, they will last a very long time in the freezer – when you pull them out of the freezer just shake and pour.  Ahhhh……
 
 

If you have never experienced the sheer joy of a basil-lime martini, then you need to run, don't walk to my house and have one tonight!  I know the sound of it is a little funky, but trust me, basil, lime and vodka is a divine combination.

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I got this recipe from my friend Lara, here is her recipe for just one martini at a time, I have increased the size.  I like to make a LARGE batch, as these store very well in the freezer. I store the recipe below in a ‘Simply Orange, 1.75 liter bottle’ orange juice container, they fit perfectly.

Basil-Lime Martini

 15 – 20 large basil leaves
1 ¼ cup freshly squeezed lime juice (about 6-8 limes)
1 750ML bottle of GOOD vodka – Tito’s is my favorite, but since living here I can’t find it so I use Grey Goose
2 cups water
1 ½ cup sugar 

Make simple syrup by simmering sugar and water together in a saucepan until all sugar has dissolved and syrup get a tad thick.  Turn heat off, throw in all basil, and muddle (smash) together until leaves are well bruised.  (This is much easier if you have ‘real’ muddler, but you can also use a wooden spoon or potato masher, etc.)  Let cool.  Once cooled, pour basil simple syrup through a strainer to remove all basil leaves.  Using a funnel, pour the basil simple syrup into the storage container, add lime and vodka.  Put the lid on and shake. If you want one right away, just add ice to a cocktail shaker add a martini and shake.  If you are making these in advance for a party, they will last a very long time in the freezer – when you pull them out of the freezer just shake and pour.  Ahhhh……
 
 

Here is another great refreshing summer drink.  I made this for one of our 'blue park' parties.  I was a little skeptical when my friend Allison sent this recipe to me, one of the ingredients was.....well, a bit different, one might even say odd.  However if anyone knows what they are talking about when it comes to cocktails, it would be Allison. 

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Brazilian Lemonade

4 small limes
1 cup sugar
1 cup cold water
¼ cup sweetened condensed milk  (yes, you read that correctly)

Mix cold water and sugar together very well. 

Make sure to wash you limes well!  Cut the ends of the limes off, and then cut the limes into 8ths.  Put limes and sugar water in blender.  Pulse you blender 5 times.  Place a fine strainer over a pitcher and pour the blended mixtures through the strainer into the pitcher.  Discard the limes.  Add sweetened condensed milk & mix well.  Taste it at this point…if it is a little too bitter, add a little more sweetened condensed milk. 

That is the kid version….which is fabulous, but to make the even more fabulous adult version add 1 cup of good vodka or rum!  Oh baby…I had people coming back on Saturday for more of these bad boys.

 Now, before you ask....I have no idea why they call this 'lemonade' when it is made with limes.



 
 
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I made this for one of our Friday night's at the park.  This summer, Friday nights seemed to have turned into food, cocktails and fun at the park located right behind our house – aka – blue park.  I've been coming up with new cocktails to make each week.  This one was a huge hit!  I got the idea from Ina Garten, The Barefoot Contessa, but since I live in Korea I had to adapt the recipe to be totally different, so here is my version....

2 cups (good vodka – I use Grey Goose, but if I lived stateside, I would use Tito’s)
1 cup Grand Marnier
1 ½  cups Ocean Spray 100% Cranberry / Pomegranate juice
½ cup freshly squeezed lime juice (about 4 limes)
Thinly sliced limes for garnish

Combine vodka, Grand Marnier, and both juices in a large pitcher.  Fill a cocktail shaker half full of ice, pour cocktail mixture in and shake until chilled (about 30 seconds).  Pour into martini glasses, garnish with a slice of line and serve immediately.  You can make ahead of time and put in the refrigerator, I’m haven’t tried freezing them yet....

 
 

OK, so I drank a little of it before I took the picture & I didn't garnish it.  It doesn't matter though because it is FABULOUS!!!

I got the original recipe here, I adapted just a tad.

1 oz amaretto
½ oz Patron tequila
½ oz triplesec
2 oz sweet and sour, recipe follows

 Prepare glass by rubbing an orange slice around the rim of the glass, and then dip in superfine sugar, fill glass with ice.

Put all ingredients into a shaker, shake well, and pour into prepared glass. Garnish with a orange wedge and a cherry.

Sweet & Sour Mix
2 parts water
2 parts sugar
1 part lime juice

Heat water and sugar, still until sugar is fully dissolved and mixture starts to thicken.  Add lime juice.


 
 

Seriously, I'm not kidding it is that good.  Try it & give me your opinion.


T's Top Shelf Margarita
2 cups sweet & sour (recipe follows)
1 cup triple sec
1 ½ cups Patron tequila (I used Silver)
1/3 cup Grand Marnier
Limes for garnish, cut into wheels

Combine all ingredients in a pitcher & mix.  

Prepare margarita glasses, to do so, pour salt onto a small plate, use either margarita salt or kosher salt.  Rub the rim of the glass with a lime, and then press the glass into the salt, fill glass with ice, then margarita & garnish with a lime wheel.  Sip slowly, these are so good you will want to drink them fast, but be cautious, you will feel loopy in no time!

 Makes 8 

 SWEET & SOUR MIX

1 cup sugar
1 cup water
1 cup fresh squeezed lime juice
1 cup fresh squeezed lemon juice

Combine sugar and water in a bowl, heat in microwave for 30 seconds, stir, heat for another 30 seconds, stir again.  Sugar should be completely dissolved by now.  Add lime juice and lemon juice to sugar water, & mix.   You will have more S&S than you need, you can make extra margaritas, or you can save your S&S mix in an air tight container in the fridge.