It’s (finally) Spring, so here’s what we can expect this week:
What’s in season for SPRING
What’s trending
Spring drinks!
Spritz for Spring? Groundbreaking…
Spring Amazon Must-haves
Scottsdale Travel Guide, cocktail bar edition
Planting Edible Flowers this Spring
I’m not sure if I’m alone in this, but I feel like I’ve been in a dark Winter hole up until this point. I’m sure it’s the time change, and the fact that the sun is finally setting later in the day, but it feels like 2024 is just now kicking off. I’ve also been seeing so many videos of farmers markets lately and that is when it truly feels like Spring to me. Farmers Market season (not that it was ever over) finally feels like it’s back again. Everyone knows by now that I am a seasonal cocktail girly, so the spring-inspired drinks are coming in full force! I will also post this week some of the Girl Scout cookie cocktail recipes I’ve shared in the past because you can’t start spring without some Girl Scout cookies (please tell me I’m not alone in saying that).
Spotify playlist to kick off that Spring feelings
What’s in Season in Spring, for our lil drinks
Avocados, their season starts in February and yes they deserve to be in our cocktails… specifically a Spicy Avocado Margarita!
Best way to check if an avocado is ripe? First, gently grab and apply pressure with your hand. If they feel slightly soft, they are ready. Or, you can easily take off the stem on the top and it’s a light green, it’s usually ripe and ready!
Blueberries, their season in North America is at its peak starting April up until late September.
Cherries, their season starts in late April in warmer climates, but their peak season can start In May to early July. So make sure to keep an eye on them!
Citrus, yes citrus is still in season even though it’s a winter fruit. Towards late Spring you will start to see those delicious blood oranges or kumquats start to disappear so use them up while you can.
Pineapple, though you can find pineapples year round you may find them even juicier starting in March when their peak season begins up until late summer.
Rhubarb, their season usually starts in March so you should start to see them now. Their season Is fleeting so make sure to use them up while you can!
Strawberries, their season started back in January and can go through June!
As we get later into Spring look out for: apricots, blackberries, papayas, plums, and more!
WHAT’S TRENDING?
Fancy ice
What’s always trending for spring? Fancy and floral ice cubes!
Looking for that perfect, centered ingredient in the middle of your cube?
Fill the bottom third of each ice cube square with water. Set an ingredient into each cube and freeze until firm. Once frozen, fill the rest of the mold with water and freeze until firm.
Ice molds: Clear square mold, sphere clear mold, wine cooler mold, classic ice mold
Homemade Liqueurs
infuse, dilute, and sweeten
Homemade liqueurs are a great way to use what’s fresh and in season and make them a tasty addition to many different cocktails. Essentially, we are making an infused spirit. So take your base spirit this could be a neutral grain spirit like vodka to use for a fruit liqueur or you could even use a rum for a homemade coffee liqueur. You’ll then want to pick your sweetener, like simple syrup, flavored syrup, agave, etc. Then you’ll pick your flavoring ingredients, like coffee grounds or fresh pineapple slices. Note to be careful when infusing with herbs and spices, a little goes a long way so make sure to taste along the way!
A good ratio to follow is: 1-2 cups sweetener, with 2 cups water, with 2 cups spirit, plus added ingredients of choice. Let sit for 3-7 days, tasting as you go! Strain & store!
Saline Solution
It’s like adding salt to food but this way in cocktail form! Try it in cocktails like a margarita or even an espresso martini.
Here’s an easy way to make it. Using a scale, add 80g distilled water to 20g salt, like a Maldon or good quality salt. Mix until dissolved and incorporated and fill up a dropper, use anywhere from 2-3 drops to your drinks before shaking!
Spring filled drinks
Here is my family’s traditional Easter cocktail
GIN FIZZ
Maybe we did this for ease, but this is truly not the traditional gin fizz we know but we have it every year, we throw it in the blender, pour in everyone’s glasses, and top it with nutmeg. I’m not sure how we have this but this is what I found for our family-written recipe:
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