Jan 072012
 

Shaker One has been craving tacos all week.   Well, actually I’ve been craving my home made spicy salsa.  As I was making up a big batch of the stuff last night ( it’s so good I will eat it by the spoonful), I wondered what would go with it.  I’m not a big beer drinker aside from the occasional Pacifico.    There was a partially consumed bottle of prosecco in the fridge, but prosecco and tacos?  I don’t think so.

Then I spied my basket of citrus and had a brainstorm:

The Meyer Lemon Margarita~

I pride myself with making an excellent margarita, always with fresh juice- no bottled “mix” stuff.  So I made a batch of half meyer lemon juice and half lime juice (both freshly squeezed).  Into the shaker that went with some tequila, triple sec and ice.

A note on the Triple Sec/Cointreau/Grand Marnier  debate:  I always have triple sec in the house.  I don’t always have Cointreau or Grand Marnier.  That’s often the deciding factor for me.  Now if you’re making a fancy dessert by all means get yourself some GM.  And if you’re having a taco party (Taco Party!!) and want to make your guests feel special, pick up a bottle of Cointreau.  It does have a more complex orange flavor than triple sec.      But in a pinch triple sec is fine.

Now back to the marg.  Shake that baby up, strain into a glass and choose your garnish.  I like my margaritas rocks/partial salt, so you can get a little hit of it if you choose without coming away with a mouthful on each sip.  Balance in all things.

I used the following proportions, but feel free to adjust your sweet/tart levels:

2 shots tequila

2 shots mixed meyer/lime juice (must be fresh)

1 to 1 1/2 shots triple sec

dash of orange bitters to finish and lime peel to garnish

Do note that the meyer is a sweeter lemon, so you won’t need as much of the triple sec to balance it as you would with regular lemon.  And I did briefly consider making it will all meyer juice (no lime), but lime is such an integral component of a margarita that it just didn’t feel right.

I took a sip and actually said “wow!”.  Aloud.  This is one delicious twist on the classic margarita.  It is somehow fresher, with the sweetness of the meyer coming through nicely.  I’ll be making these again, at least as long as the meyers hold out.

Cheers!

 

 

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Oct 152011
 

Shaker One here, sorry for the long hiatus from blogging.  No, The Shakers haven’t turned into teatotalers or abandoned our little blog.  Real life work and nonsense have kept us both away from here for far too long.  But no more!  There are cocktails out there crying out for us to imbibe and review!  What kind of Shakers would we be to let all those poor orphaned drinks go without a home?

Thirsty Shakers, that’s what kind.

So last night I met some friends at a local restaurant  – The Spanish Kitchen.  Located in the heart of West Hollywood, this little gem of a place charmed me from the start.  We were immediately greeted warmly by the hostess, shown to a booth and then the fun began.

Now, you may be asking me why is a martini blog reviewing a Spanish restaurant?  Well Shaker fans, we’re about to talk about one of my favorite non-martini cocktails:  The Margarita!

I’m not talking about those crappy  overly sweet sippers of “mystery mixer” and cheap tequila you get at chain restaurants.  A really good margarita is a vacation in a glass.  Whether you like them blended, rocked, salty or not, the margarita is a classic cocktail.
I spent an entire summer learning to craft my perfect margarita at home.  My hands were perpetually sore from squeezing so many limes, but it was worth it.  Last night’s margaritas put my efforts to shame.  The Spanish Kitchen has taken the humble margarita and made magic.  Are you sitting down?  They infuse their own tequila.  Yep, fresh fruit and peppers in a quality white tequila take the drink from “wow” to “sweet mother of salsa bring me three more now!”.

I tried two of their most popular-

La Chiquita:  a delicious mix of tequila infused with fresh strawberries, pineapple and kiwi, fresh lime and cointreau.  Subtle, yet all the fresh fruit flavors come through.  I loved this drink.

 

Next was a margarita with habanero infused tequila (apologies-I’ve forgotten what they call it)

This one is spicy!  Really spicy, but still refreshing.  Delicious.

We also sampled a few of their dishes.  My favorite was the Borracho Tequila Shrimp.

Even the crustaceans here like their tequila!
And speaking of, there is also a nice selection of tequila by the glass and both red and white sangrias.

 

The service was outstanding, the food delicious, the decor was charmingly festooned with a little early Halloween fun and the drinks were top notch.  Shaker One gives this place a big thumbs up.  And I’ll be back for Taco Tuesdays!

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