Aromatic Cocktails

The aromatic qualities of herbs, spices and seasonal fruits contribute to a deliciously complex flavor sensation on the nose and palate.

Fresh Market Gimlet

In a mixing cup muddle basil briefly with a muddling stick or back of a wooden spoon. Add crushed ice and other ingredients. Shake vigorously for 10 seconds. Strain into a chilled martini glass. No need for a garnish as little bits of basil will be floating in the cocktail.

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6-Spice Appletini

Muddle apples in a cocktail glass.  Add remaining ingredients with ice. Shake and strain into a cocktail glass.  Garnish with apple slices on a skewer.

Spice Syrup:

- 3 star anise

- 2 clove

- 3 Cardomom pods

- 2 tbsp coriander

- 1 tbsp. fennel

- 1 grind black pepper

- 3 cups water

- 1 cup sugar

Boil all spices with water until reduced to 1 cup of liquid. Add sugar and simmer on low for 5 - 10 minutes or until it is a thin syrup. Refrigerate, can be stored for up to 1 week.

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Strawberry Basil Spritzer

Muddle strawberries and basil in a mixing glass.  Add other ingredients except club soda. Shake briefly with ice.  Strain into tall Collins glass filled with ice and layered with a few slices of strawberry and basil chiffonade.  Top with club soda.  Serve with a straw.

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Plum Divine

Place the ginger at the bottom of a mixing glass and muddle well with the broad end of your muddler. Add the jam, juice, nectar and vodka and fill the glass with ice. Cover and shake well for 10 seconds and strain over fresh ice in a tall glass. Serve with a straw and garnish with a lime twist.

*You can try this recipe with a variety of jams, as long as the jam will work well with ginger.

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Country Thyme

In a mixing cup add berries and lemon. Muddle to juice both. Add Square One Organic Vodka, agave nectar and ice. Shake vigorously for 20-30 seconds. Take 3 sprigs of thyme and slap it between your palms to release the oils. Place 2 sprigs in bottom of 10-ounce highball glass and fill with ice. Strain the cocktail over ice and put the last thyme sprig and place it in top of cocktail as a garnish. It should stick out a bit like a small straw.

Note: For a refreshing summer spritzer, add 1 tablespoon of Crème de Cassis or D’Arbo Sour Cherry Syrup or Sonoma Black Currant Syrup and top with soda water.

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Golden Gate

A delightful Holiday cocktail using seasonal persimmons and traditional Holiday spices, yet with a decidedly light and modern taste. Also known outside of the Bay Area as "Square 'simmon".

Persimmon Puree

4 Fuyu persimmons, chopped (do not substitute for other persimmon type)

1 fresh vanilla bean, split down the middle to open

2 tbsp. crystallized ginger, cut into small cubes

Pinch of nutmeg

¾ c. sugar

3 c. water

Juice of 1 lemon

Cocktail

2 oz. Square One Organic Vodka

2 oz. Persimmon Puree

Ice

(Credit: Allison Evanow)

Persimmon Puree  - In a medium-sized stock pot, melt sugar over medium to medium-high heat until amber/golden brown, stirring occasionally to avoid burning.  Once color is achieved, remove from heat and pour water slowly down the sides of the pot.  Water will bubble, steam and sputter and sugar will immediately harden.  Return to medium-high heat and cook until sugar is melted again, stirring occasionally.  Once completely melted again, add chopped persimmons, vanilla bean and crystallized ginger.  Cook on medium-low heat (strong simmer) for about 2 hours, or until persimmons are completely soft and liquid is reduced by almost half.  Add pinch of nutmeg and stir in.  Remove from heat and cool. Once cooled, remove vanilla bean, scrape any remaining pulp from inside bean and put into mixture. Discard vanilla bean pod.  Pour lemon juice into mixture then puree all liquid and solids in a blender or food processor until finely pureed. Working in small batches, pour puree into a sieve strainer.  Hold strainer over a large bowl and using the back of a large spoon, press and stir the puree solids against the sieve, extracting a finer liquid, leaving thicker solids in strainer.  Use the fine liquid puree to make the cocktail.  The remaining thick puree in the strainer can be jarred for a few days and used as a delicious jam on toast or muffins.

Cocktail - Place vodka and puree in a shaker with a lot of crushed ice.  Shake vigorously for 30 seconds.  This cocktail needs dilution or it will be too thick, so shake away!  Strain into chilled martini glass.  No garnish required as the vanilla bean specks float beautifully in the glass!

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The Arboretum

A tangy herbal blend, earthy like the forest after rain.

2 oz. Square One Organic Vodka

1 oz. Chartreuse

1/2 oz. Luxardo maraschino liquor

1/2 oz. organic agave nectar

Splash of orange bitters

4 leaves of fresh basil, cut into thin strips

4 thinly sliced and peeled cucumber slices

Basil leaf

(Credit:  Alberta Straub)

Place all ingredients into a cocktail shaker and add crushed ice. Shake vigorously for 1 minute, then strain into a chilled martini glass. Garnish with a cucumber slice and basil leaf.

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The Square Pear

Place all ingredients into a cocktail shaker and pack with ice. Shake vigorously for one minute, then strain and serve in a chilled martini glass. Garnish with the mint sprig.

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The EMAppletini

Place one apple slice and agave nectar into a cocktail shaker and muddle with a muddling stick or back of a wooden spoon. Top with ice, cinnamon-infused Square One Organic Vodka, and apple juice and shake for 15 seconds. Strain and serve in a chilled martini glass with a floating thin slice of green apple for garnish.

Cinnamon-infused Square One Organic Vodka

Place one small stick (about 2-3 inches) of organic cinnamon in a 750mL of Square One Vodka and let sit for 48 hours, turning the bottle to mix after the first 24 hours. (Careful -- don't exceed cinnamon quantity recommended here. Using too much cinnamon will create an overpowering cinnamon flavor that will hide the crisp apple flavors in the cocktail.)

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Rosemary Meyer Lemon Drop

Place rosemary leaves and honey in a mixing glass. Heat in a microwave for 5-10 seconds to melt honey. Muddle in glass for 10 seconds. Add crushed ice and other ingredients. Cover with metal mixing tin and shake for 15 seconds. Strain into a chilled martini glass and garnish with a rosemary sprig.

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