you can thank me later

some of you may know that in addition to his vocation as yes, a pastor, that matt also makes a mean cocktail. (perhaps you are thinking those two pieces of information are incongruous; feel free to hit me in the comments section.) 

on saturday night he taught a cocktail class at our home- it had been an auction item for our preschool co-op, and people could pay a flat fee to come to our house and learn a few tricks for making cocktails.

i thought i'd share two of the recipes with you here, and although you can't learn from his techniques in person, you can make your happy hour a little happier!

a few of his basic tips:

-follow a recipe

-measure!

-taste as you go

-make drinks cold- lots of ice, cold glasses, chilling drink, etc. (we have a freezer shelf full of glasses-in-waiting and ice)

-the type of glass you use matters

-garnishes take your drink to the next level (a sprig of mint, peel of orange, etc.)

-don't need to buy the high end stuff but at least mid-level helps

-always use fresh citrus juice

-these recipes will be less sweet and taste different than when you order the same drink at a bar that uses mixers

both of these perfect-for-summer-drinks use highball glasses. (not sure what that is? here's an example.)

vodka tom collins:

2 oz. vodka

3/4 oz. lemon juice

1/2 oz simple syrup

combine in cocktail shaker and shake with ice. 

strain over ice filled highball glass and top with 2 oz. club soda. 

garnish with a lemon wedge.

pimm's cup:

muddle 3 cucumber slices with 1/2 oz simple syrup. add 2 oz. pimms and 3/4 oz. lemon juice. 

shake in cocktail shaker with ice. 

strain over new ice and top with 1-2 oz. of lemon/lime soda or ginger ale. 

garnish with cucumber slice.

last tip? drink it right away! the second you finish making your drink it begins to warm up.

happy mixing!