BOURBON PEACH COCKTAILS WITH GINGER AND MINT

THE PEACHES ARE RIPE…

Last night, we got Gigi up out of bed to see the sunset. The wind whipped around, the sky was pink, and G held tight to Kyle while she jabbered on and on about the shape of the moon. I love little moments like that. It helped to make up for the fact that yesterday was a loooooong day that ended with me feeding the kids oatmeal for dinner… I actually fed Lulu her dinner while she sat in the bathtub because it was the only thing that got her to stop crying.

The week has been a flurry of long work days for Kyle, deadlines for me, teething for Lulu, and serious paper crown making for Gigi. We had pizza for dinner twice this week, and more Thai Salads, and cold pasta dishes. We spent last weekend on the Washington coast, the evidence of which (unpacked suitcases, loads of laundry, and sandy beach bags) is still lying about. The photo below is from our weekend.

PINThis week has been an “Is it Friday yet?” kind of week. Finally, today, it is! It’s balmy and warm today; the air feels indicative of thunderstorm weather. It’s how I imagine the air in the South must feel – although I haven’t spent any time there, other than four days at my friend’s wedding in New Orleans. Since the weather has been muggy, and the peaches are ripe, I’ve been playing around making bourbon-based, peach cocktails the past couple of weeks.

These boozy-peach drinks are decidedly summery, and I like to imagine that I’m living on old, damp, Southern land while I pick peaches from our neighbors peach tree. We have some horses, and pigs, and the air is thick and I have some girlfriends over for cocktail hour. I reach up into the peach tree, gently squeezing each peach to find the tenderest ones, then I pluck them from the branch and gently settle them in my basket. When I’m back in my kitchen, I whip them through the blender and pour jiggers of peach purée and bourbon over ice – garnished with mint, naturally.

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Today, I’m hoping to enjoy one of these while reading a book in the garden while the kids nap. It won’t quite be “cocktail hour” during their nap, but after the week I’ve had, 1pm seems like a decent hour for a drink. A little reading time in the garden seems like a reasonable request, but we’ll see where the day takes us. Hopefully we won’t end up with a mad baby eating oatmeal in the bath. But, if we do, at least I’ll have bourbon in hand and on hand for those flared up gums. This recipe makes four cocktails… anyone want to join me?

PINPINBOURBON PEACH COCKTAILS WITH GINGER AND MINT

Ingredients.
1 1/2 cup diced ripe peaches, stone discarded
1/2 cup water
1/4 cup granulated sugar
club soda
bourbon
fresh ginger root
1/2 lemon, juiced
fresh mint

Directions.
Combine the diced peaches, water, and sugar in a blender and whiz together to combine.

Set out four cocktail glasses and place the following in each glass: 2 1/2 oz peach pureé, two very thin slices of fresh ginger (no need to peel it), 1/2 tsp fresh lemon juice, 1 1/2 oz. bourbon, 1 oz club soda. Stir to combine with a spoon, pressing the ginger slices against the side of the glass with your spoon to release the juice. Add ice and garnish with a small sprig of mint.

Enjoy!

Serves 4.


PRINTABLE RECIPE.
BOURBON PEACH COCKTAILS WITH GINGER AND MINT