I don’t drink much anymore, but man, I have a soft spot in my heart for a classic, super boozy cocktail. This is a far cry from my college years, which consisted of beer, cosmos, sour mix margaritas and anything ending in tini. Guys, I was classy. 

Now, since my drinks are few and far between, when I do indulge (because there will never be a time when I am completely sober, even if I might go weeks between drinking occasions), it better be 100% WORTH IT. It’s either an amazing glass of red Zinfandel, crisp glass of Rose, or a stiff, high quality, completely from-scratch cocktail. Like this one.

Luckily, Derek must have been a bartender in a past life because he cranks out some AMAZING cocktails whereas I have not nearly enough patience for it. He’s just sophisticated and meticulous in that way. We try and experiment often, making syrups and juices from scratch and combining them with good booze. I want to share more of them on this here blog, but to start off, I’m going to share a classic he made recently that was stupendous. 

The dark & stormy is not difficult to make, and it’s perfect for sitting around on a hot day. It’s spicy, crisp, and sweet, with hints of citrus. Your selection of ginger beer is important. We went with Trader Joe’s ginger beer which was fresh and gluten free. Some ginger beers are not gluten free, just be sure to check ingredients and get one that looks clear and fresh.

Hope your fourth goes hand in hand with one of these.

Dark & stormy

2016-07-04 10:21:56

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Ingredients

1. 3 ounces ginger beer
2. 2 ounces dark rum
3. 1/2 ounce fresh lime juice
4. Angostura bitters, optional

Instructions

1. In a cocktail glass, fill to the brim with ice. Add ginger beer, then rum, and top with lime juice. Add a couple drops of bitters, if using. Stir to combine. DRINK.

Notes

1. Double or triple or quadruple this recipe. It's easily compounded to make as many as you need.
2. The lime juice MUST be fresh. Throw the bottled junk in the garbage!
3. These are so good that they're dangerous. Consume responsibly.

Ashley Pardo https://ashleypardo.com/