Recipes By Rebekah Peppler
83 recipes found
Cherry Tomato Spritz
Bright and bubbly, this tomato-infused take on the spritz combines muddled yellow cherry tomatoes with tequila, vermouth and lime. The resulting color is a sunny hue (though if you can find only red or orange cherry tomatoes, feel free to switch them in). For tequila, opt for a blanco over a reposado or aged variety to make the drink more herbal and light. Finally, while the recipe is written without garnish, you can always thread a few cherry tomatoes on a skewer and adorn the glass before serving.
Green Tomato Martini
This pale green, gin-forward martini variation gets both its color and lightly earthy, vegetal flavor from tomato water made exclusively with green tomatoes. If you’re looking to tint your drink another color, feel free to swap in yellow or red tomatoes when making the tomato water, which takes very little effort but does take time. Save leftover tomato water in the refrigerator for 2 to 3 days and use in other rounds of martinis, combine with a light beer and a little hot sauce over ice, or use in place of water in lemonade.
Sherry-Tomato Cobbler
Muddled fresh tomatoes and sweet-savory tomato simple syrup create layers of flavor in this summery take on a classic sherry cobbler, and a dry, nutty amontillado sherry adds even more complexity. To make the crushed ice at home, simply add standard ice cubes to a bag, wrap in a towel and crush with a rolling pin.
Gin and Tonic Sgroppino
This bright, refreshing riff on the classic Sgroppino works perfectly with either lemon or lime sorbet, however be sure to use freshly grated lime zest to finish and ensure the drink leans properly toward gin and tonic. To keep it properly icy, make sure everything from the bottles of gin and tonic water to the bowl, whisk and final serving glasses are deeply chilled.
Rosé Sgroppino
Pink, bubbly and lightly bitter, this frosty drink works equally well as a palate cleanser, dessert or hot afternoon cocktail. While this recipe was created with sparkling rosé in mind, feel free to use another dry sparkling wine: Prosecco, cava, crémant or pétillant naturel. A Lambrusco di Sorbara (the lightest in color and higher in acidity of the Lambruscos) makes an excellent swap as well.
Sotol Pepino
This refreshing drink doubles down on the earthy herbal complexity of sotol, a traditional spirit from Northern Mexico. When making this cocktail, be sure to muddle the cucumber and mint well. This ensures the final drink is infused with plenty of their bright, vegetal and herbal flavors — as well as a pretty green hue. A pour of blanc vermouth adds a touch of floral sweetness.
Sotol Cítrico
The bright, citrus-forward combination of sotol, grapefruit, lime and orange bitters adds a sweetly acidic punch that balances the herbal, earthy undertones of sotol, a traditional spirit from Northern Mexico. A few dashes of orange bitters underscore those citrus notes even further (and should you have another citrus-based bitter on hand, such as grapefruit or lemon, feel free to swap it in). Serve it up in a chilled glass just as written, or add a salt or Tajín rim for a welcome layer of texture and spice (see Tip).
Lower-Alcohol Dirty Martini
Dry vermouth and fino sherry make up the base of this lower-in-alcohol cocktail, while keeping all the flavor of an original dirty martini. To start, ensure everything (the bottles of dry vermouth, fino sherry and spirit, the olive brine and garnish) is nicely chilled and use plenty of ice to stir your drink before pouring into your (also chilled) glass. If you’re unsure just how dirty you prefer your dirty martini, start with ¼ ounce brine and work your way up. Lastly, the small but aromatically complex addition of fino sherry gives the drink more depth and texture.
Mulled White Wine
This lighter, brighter take on mulled wine is both festive and modern, made with white wine rather than the more traditional red. The mulling spices stray away from the expected baking variety and include toasted coriander seeds, black peppercorns, fennel, allspice and bay. Blanc vermouth, elderflower liqueur and honey gently sweeten and layer flavors, while a final addition of lime juice adds a fresh pop of acidity.
Mulled Beer
Flipping the idea of a cold one on its head, mulled beer is served hot and infused with fragrant warming spices — cinnamon, allspice, clove and star anise — with maple syrup for sweetness, Cognac for fortification and orange (in both peel and juice form) for brightness. The resulting drink is festive and warming, ideal for cold weather celebrations. When choosing a beer to mull, reach for something that isn’t too bitter or hoppy, such as a Belgian-style wheat ale (witbier), Hefeweizen or a low-hop amber ale.
Presbyterian
As with all short ingredient lists, quality matters. Make sure to look for a drier ginger ale with a bite to it and reach for a whiskey you like to drink. Bourbon will result in a sweeter-leaning drink, Scotch a smokier variation, rye one that’s a little more spiced. While the citrus garnish is optional, if you do opt for it, lean in fully and squeeze the garnish directly into the drink. The hit of fresh citrus will brighten and add a lovely aroma.
Perfect Manhattan
All these years later, the formula for the manhattan, a late-19th-century classic, remains the same: two-parts whiskey, one-part vermouth, plus bitters, stirred over ice and served up. Making it “perfect” simply means splitting the traditional sweet vermouth into equal parts sweet and dry. While this recipe calls for rye whiskey, lending spiced notes to the final drink, bourbon is a fine substitute. As for the garnish, a cherry will sweeten the drink slightly (as well as provide a boozy snack), while a lemon twist brightens.
Caffè Amaro
The caffè amaro takes a lighter, lower-in-alcohol approach to caffeinated cocktails. Made with cold brew coffee, amaro, vermouth, lemon and a brown sugar simple syrup, the drink is rich in both flavor and texture. Opt for a lighter, more citrus-forward amaro and be sure to shake the cocktail firmly — served up, the drink’s layer of creamy froth harkens to its full-proof, also caffeinated cousin: the espresso martini.
Coffee Tonic
A simple variation on the espresso tonic (that first appeared in 2007 at Koppi Roasters in Helsingborg, Sweden), the coffee tonic relies on a smooth pour of cold brew coffee for its caffeinated topper. Choose a quality dry tonic and, for the prettiest float, add the ice and tonic water to the glass first before gently pouring the brew overtop. If your coffee palate leans sweet, add a splash of simple syrup or maple syrup. If you don’t have limes in the house, no need to run out. Simply swap for a slice or peel of another citrus, such as orange, lemon or grapefruit.
Coconut Paloma
In this bright, hydrating take on the Paloma, coconut water is incorporated two ways: in the shaker alongside tequila, grapefruit and lime juice, and in the ice the final drink is poured over. As the ice cubes melt, they infuse the drink with coconut-forward flavor. Use any extra ice cubes in the next morning’s cold brew coffee, iced tea or another chilled drink.
Coconut Piña Colada
Frosty and smooth, this take on the piña colada adds coconut water to the classic combination of rum, pineapple and cream of coconut. Freezing coconut water into cubes takes a bit of forethought, but the act of blending them into the drink in lieu of standard ice cubes results in a drink that is layered with coconut flavor. The (optional) float of high-quality dark rum tips the drink toward party fare, and chilling your glasses in the freezer before pouring from blender to glass ensures the drinks stay frosty for as long as possible.
Pink Peppercorn-Marinated Goat Cheese
This simple recipe from “Le Sud: Recipes From Provence-Alpes-Côte D’Azur” recalls mornings in Antibes, a charming seaside peninsula between Cannes and Nice. If you find yourself there, wandering the market on Cours Masséna, make your way to the cheese stall and order the tomette à l’huile, a round of bright white chèvre in olive oil. Or ask for the freshest chèvre and make it yourself, as in this recipe. With a baguette, your afternoon is set.
Tapenade
Tapenade, arguably the best known Provençal spread (and cousin to olivade, garlicky anchoïade and peppery poivronade, among others) is made by pounding together olives, garlic, anchovies, capers and olive oil in a large mortar. But, this version, from “Le Sud: Recipes From Provence-Alpes-Côte D’Azur,” can be made in a food processor as well, with green or black olives. Set it out for apéro with crunchy vegetables or crusty bread, or store it in an airtight container in the refrigerator for whenever the mood strikes. It will keep up to a week.
All Day Cassis
This combination of dry vermouth, lemon, crème de cassis, dry tonic and sparkling rosé is bright and refreshingly bubbly any time of day. The small add of crème de cassis (a black currant-based liqueur) balances the drink's acidity, while a pinch of flaky sea salt smooths and enhances flavors. The drink can be made to serve one, as written, or the mix of vermouth-lemon-crème de cassis can be batched in advance, then poured over ice and topped with dry tonic and sparkling rosé just before serving.
Hard Lemonade
This recipe is far removed from the spiked six packs of yore. The cocktail’s hard lemon base is a combination of fresh lemon juice, vodka or limoncello, simple syrup and a pinch of flaky sea salt. The salt serves to enhance, balance and brighten, while a final topping of bubbly soda water lengthens and elevates. When choosing between vodka or limoncello, follow your palate. Vodka offers a more straightforward flavor. The limoncello variation is sweeter — though nothing approaching cloying — and a bit more complex.
Sgroppino
Traditionally, a Sgroppino is an Italian palate cleanser, though it’s equally as suitable served as a cocktail or dessert. Whatever time of day you choose to make this boozy, lemony combination, you’ll want to drink it quickly once it’s in front of you. The slushy, lightly fizzy texture comes from a combination of sorbet, vodka and Prosecco — but, if you have another dry, light sparkling wine, that works well, too.
Milano-Torino
Before the Negroni, there was the Americano, and before the Americano there was the Milano-Torino. This bittersweet combination of Campari (from Milan) and sweet vermouth (from Turin) is served on the rocks with an orange slice. While you can use any red bitter or sweet red vermouth you like, if you’re looking to hew closest to the classic, reach for some Campari, and a sweet vermouth from Turin, such as Carpano Antica Formula, Cocchi Vermouth di Torino or Del Professore Rosso Vermouth.
Bicicletta
The popular lore goes that the Bicicletta, a classic Italian aperitivo, was named after the wobbling mode of transportation used by elderly men after a spirited afternoon or evening. However the drink came to be named, the three-part combination of red bitter liqueur, dry white wine and soda water is bright, refreshing and as easy to make as riding a bike.
Spiced Holiday Punch for Everyone
Start with a spiced, citrus base, made with lemon peels muddled with brown sugar, cinnamon, cloves, allspice, star anise, black peppercorns and tea leaves. Then, make a holiday drink your way. If you choose to spike it, reach for a favorite spirited bottle. Gin leans your drink refreshingly botanical, while whiskey feels a bit boozier and plays nicely off the base’s warming spices. If you want to make a nonalcoholic drink, simply add soda water, tonic and, if you like, a few dashes of Angostura bitters. (Note that, while the bitters lend a nice layer of flavor and depth, they do contain a small amount of alcohol, so if you’re abstaining just leave them out.) The point here is to make a drink you want to drink — and for your friend, partner, cousin or parent to make the drink they want to drink.