All January, we worked through our case of grapefruit, and this month we've been tackling cases of Cuties, a.k.a. clementines. They're the perfect portable snack with a shot of vitamin C for the whole fam. This week, I was tiring of chewing those little segments, so I grabbed the juicer to change things up. This refreshing Clementine Cocktail came shortly after. It's juicy and refreshing, and perfect for this week's 10-minute happy hour.
After some fussing with bitters and vodka, and then mixing with a few other ingredients, I found the best expression of those Cuties in a cocktail was to keep it simple. Paired with a crisp, clean vodka and a smidge of simple syrup, the resulting cocktail resembles an adult version of my childhood fave, Tang.
This week, I found a couple bags of shishito peppers at our local Korean Market so into the cast iron pan they went. Once sufficiently blistered, charred, and topped with a sprinkling of coarse salt, these shishitos were a perfect match for my chilled clementine cocktail. Just what the drink doctor ordered for a fun and delicious happy hour in 10-minutes time.
Clementine Cocktail
Makes 1 cocktail2 ounces vodka
2 ounces fresh-squeezed clementine juice, peels reserved
1 ounce simple syrup
Clementine segments, for garnish
In a cocktail shaker filled with ice, add the vodka, clementine juice and simple syrup. Shake until your shaker has a frosty coating on the outside, indicating your cocktail is nice and chilly.
Rub the clementine peel around the edge of a glass filled with ice, then discard peel. Strain the cocktail into the glass and add a couple of Clementine segments for garnish.
Maureen C. Petrosky writes what she knows, food, booze and parties. Author of The Wine Club, she appears regularly on The TODAY show to share her vices, and advice with the world. For more info check out www.maureenpetrosky.com or follow her on twitter @maureenpetrosky.
(Images: Maureen Petrosky)
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Sounds delicious.
My favorite is the Clementine Cosmo (by Brian Boitano, actually, which is a fun fact to tell people after they've had their first sip of it and liked it):
Ingredients
1/2 cup fresh squeezed clementine juice
4 ounces vodka
2 ounces Triple Sec
1/2 lime, juiced
4 slices clementine, for garnish
Directions
Chill 4 martini glasses by filling each with ice and cold water. Combine all the ingredients in a cocktail shaker filled with ice and shake vigorously. Empty the martini glasses of ice water and strain the mixture between the 4 glasses. Float a slice of clementine in each glass and serve immediately.
It's basically the same idea as a screwdriver (orange) or a greyhound (grapefruit) sweetened to taste, but why not. Sounds delicious.
I keep hearing the jingle, but warped "Do you know why adult like Cuties? Because Cuties go well with booze."
That certainly sounds very sweet. Very, very sweet.
Maureen - this looks absolutely refreshing and I DO have many cuties lying around. I took the liberty of re-sharing your post (credited you, of course) on my facebook page. hope you don't mind!
mquisao: HA!
That is one photogenic cocktail. Here in Florida "winter" and "more citrus than you can fathom" are pretty synonymous... I imagine this is a great cocktail base for any type of citrus!!
so, if you don't like vodka at all, what could you use instead?
White rum would work.
I've made a pretty awesome clementine margarita during a blizzard when tequila and clementines were all we had. That could work if you don't like vodka.
pantsmcgill.
Please post your recipe, thanks.
Interesting. I will definitely have to try these.
@hippyvieja and pantsmcgill: Thanks for the suggestions! I looooove white rum. And tequila ain't bad neither. :) Peeling all my citrus today to make that citrus cleaner from the Kitchn - got to do something with all that nekkid fruit!