Drinking in Season: Blood Orange Daiquiri

Looking for a little pick-me-up after the holidays, I decided a daiquiri—which is traditionally made with lime juice, rum and sugar—would be the perfect candidate for a little winter experimentation. The blood orange juice gives the cocktail a lovely red hue and brings a bright flavor to the drink.

DIY Sour Mix

The true beauty of this homemade sour mix is having a fresh, versatile, and easy cocktail mixer for parties that's infinitely more delicious than store-bought mix.

DIY Grapefruit Bitters

Grapefruit bitters do double duty, giving a cocktail a little citrus lift along with the bitterness. These bitters go especially well with effervescent drinks or tequila and gin cocktails.

Candied Citrus Zest

Candied citrus zest makes a lovely garnish for summer desserts. It also makes a damn fine addition to summer cocktails, and is the secret ingredient in my rosemary lemonade cake.

Vin d'Orange Recipe | Cook the Book

This recipe for Vin d'Orange from Put 'em Up! by Sherri Brooks Vinton is an ideal introduction to the world of home infusions. For those of you familiar with Lillet, that lightly sweet, elegantly orange flavored French apertif, this is a do-it-yourself approximation. White wine is mixed with pieces of whole orange (including the skin and pith for a pleasant bitterness), vanilla bean, cinnamon, and a mix of vodka and sugar for sweetness and shelf life.

DIY Sweet Vermouth

Sweet vermouth has a delicate balance of rich, spicy, sweet, and bitter flavors, and is an essential ingredient in dozens of classic cocktails.

Spiced Cranberry Rum Fizz

Incorporating the classic flavors of cranberry sauce--tart cranberries, the warm spice of orange zest, and a kick of ginger--this drink re-imagines the timeless flavors of the season.

DIY Falernum

Falernum can be tricky to find commercially, but it's easy to make at home so that you can be ready to mix up lots of classic Tiki cocktails.

Orangettes

Orangettes are a perfect, simple homage to the combination of orange and chocolate. This recipe is designed to create candied orange zest that is delightfully chewy on the inside, with chocolate the snaps between the teeth on the outside. Use a high-quality chocolate of no more than 61% cocoa solids; higher percentages can be difficult to use for dipping. I like to simmer a cinnamon stick in the simple syrup to impart a hit of cinnamon. It's not mandatory, but highly recommended.

DIY Orange Bitters

Just a drop or two of orange bitters can add the right depth to your cocktail or bridge together ingredients that aren't quite living up to their mixological potential. Deep, citrusy, spicy, complex orange bitters are an essential part of so many balanced cocktails.