New Year, Old Friends: Gin Fizz

A True Love of Mine: Gin Fizz

None of what i’m about to say is ground breaking, but, consider it a hazard of the change of year. On reflection on 2014, I realise that old friends are the best. New friends are great, but its not until you reach a critical mass of late night talks, boozy weekends (or inappropriately boozy work nights) boyfriend discussions, disproportionately calorific brunches and weirdo text messages that you realise – even though as adults we see each other much less often, if I never saw this person again in my whole life, everything would just be that little bit less sparkly and a tiny bit colder.

In 2014 I got married (more about that later I promise!) and I was blessed to be accompanied down the aisle by my mum, my sister, my oldest friend, and my closest friend. These are women who have seen every side of me and still answer the phone when I call. Thank god! These women have seen me through every stage of my life and to be frank but cliched, I don’t know what I would have done without them. As time (years) and distance (sometimes states, sometimes whole continents) tries to move us apart, there seems to be a whole history of love and midnight giggles shared that cant be broken. Again, thank god.

So, to bring the soul searching and nostalgia back to a relevant point, when I was trying to think of a post to mark the new year I wanted to blog about a cocktail. I have been making so many over the year that I felt I had a plethora still to post about. None of the sparkly new concoctions seemed to fit as well as the old favourite – Gin Fizz. This baby is so refreshing and uses pantry staples so I feel as though she is steadfast and a little bit classy, a little bubbly and sweet but with a bite. If I could mix all these women into one drink, I think the Gin Fizz would be an apt one.

A True Love of Mine: Gin Fizz

Another good friend gave me this little zester to aid in my cocktail making – and remind me of a timely lesson about lemons and cocktails… or is it supposed to be lemonade?

This was another brief post but one to pay a small tribute to the fabulous women in my life as I reflect on the year thats been and think about the year that is to come. I hope that they will forgive me for putting this final picture up to round out this post. Another thing i’ve learned over the years is that its better to ask forgiveness than permission! Oops!

A True Love of Mine: The Wedding, The Women

Love these ladies <3

Gin Fizz Ingredients

2 oz dry gin

1/2 oz lemon juice

1tsp sugar

4 oz soda water

2 lemon slices to garnish

ice

Method

1. put ice, gin, lemon juice and sugar in a cocktail shaker and shake until sugar is dissolved

2. pour mix into a tall glass

3. top with ice, soda water and lemon slices

4. sit back in your silk pjamas and pretend you’re in an old hollywood film

Literary Cocktails: Romeo and Julep

A True Love of Mine: Romeo and Julep Cocktail

 

This year I thought that I would start cleaning some things up in my apartment to make room for the things that really count. Having a nicely arranged bar in my kitchen for example. Mission: accomplished! But you won’t see the choc-a-block cupboards of booze that are hiding beneath that well organised bar… thats for another time.

When the baker and the chocolate maker came over for lunch on Australia Day, we decided it was a perfect time to bust out all the cocktails that husband-to-be and I had been making over the holidays. This one was from a cute little book that S and S from work gave me for Christmas.

Cocktail Hour: Apple Pie Punch

So kids, are you enjoying the unseasonably warm and lovely weather that we have been having in Sydney right in the dead of winter? This week has been gorgeous with warm sunshine and clear blue skies. Apparently it has been the warmest July on record!

A True Love of Mine: Puppy!

This little guy certainly thinks so!

Just kidding! This was just a snap of Angus and I chilling out last Summer.

But can you blame me? July has been bringing Summer back.

So, what better way to celebrate than with a delicious cocktail. Or, if you’re having a gathering, why not make a jug and keep it chilling in the fridge? Less work and more deliciousness. I promise!

A True Love of Mine: Apple Pie Punch

And I get to bust out my  friend Captain Morgan.

He knows how to get a party started.

Casa KB and the House Cocktail

This year really has been terribly eventful. There have been many occasions requiring toasting, e.g. my sister got married, I started a new job and I moved out of home! Cray cray!

lets make a toast…

later.

Because firstly I have lots to do!

 

This whole moving malarky is pretty full on. I never realised how much stuff I possess and am not at all willing to let go. Thank goodness I only moved down the road so was able to ferry my bits and pieces across in stages. First came the important things…

cardigans

am I right ladies? A girl can never have too many.

nailpolish

see above.

then a fridgey didge

a bed

and shoe storage. Only the essentials.

I moved in with my high school friend B and so far it has been amazing! We have been busy settling in, acquiring all the stuff you need for a new place seeing as neither of us really had any furniture. Lucky I came with all my cooking stuff so our kitchen was pretty well stocked. By the way, how big and newly renovated is our kitchen??

but surprisingly, it was only just big enough to house all my kitchen stuff

I have been doing lots and lots of baking in my new kitchen but I have also been stocking my liquor cabinet to make some delicious cocktails this holidays.

here is a small sample…

I made a cocktail to celebrate our housewarming, which has become so popular it has become the house cocktail.

Its a very simple recipe:

ice

1 shot spiced rum

1 shot apple schnapps

lemonade to fill

You don’t even need a cocktail shaker! Jus plonk it all in a tall class and stir. Its very refreshing in our hot Australian summer and a nice fruity/spicy concoction that seems to sit well during the festive season.

So, my lovelies, what and how have you been celebrating this year? And when are you stopping by for a Casa KB Cocktail?