Cranberry-Orange Tequila Cocktail With Cinnamon 蔓越莓柳橙龍舌蘭雞尾酒

I'm not big on drinks and don't normally order drinks when I go out, but occasionally, when we have friends over for dinner, I like to make some light cocktails to go with the hors d'oeuvres and to whet our appetites before the meal. This time of year is cranberry time. Their ruby red colour always fits the holiday season so well, and their tartness is just tart enough to remind us to feed our souls a little extra sweetness over the coming year. For this drink, I used fresh cranberries with orange juice and maple syrup (no sugar!) as a base, infused with the comforting aroma of cinnamon. I hope their tastes and smells will help you make a good impression for your guests before your holiday meal! Merry Christmas!

Cranberry Orange Tequila Cocktail With Cinnamon (4 servings)

A: 3/4 C           tequila
    1                 recipe cranberry purée (see below)
    1/2 C + 2 T  orange juice *preferably freshly squeezed
    1/4 C           filtered water
    Ice cubes

*T = tablespoon, t = teaspoon, C = cup

1. Place ingredients A in a large cocktail shaker and shake well. *if you don't have one, you can just whisk everything in a big bowl.

2. Place some ice cubes in each glass and pour in the mixed drink. Garnish with some fresh cranberries and orange slices, and serve!

For the cranberry purée:

B: 1 1/4 C         cranberries
    1                  cinnamon stick
    1/4 C            orange juice
    1/4 C + 2 T   maple syrup
    1/4 C            water

1. Place all the ingredients B in a small sauce pan over medium heat. When the mixture comes to a boil, turn down the heat and let it simmer for about 6-7 minutes or until the cranberries are soft.

2. Let the mixture cool, remove the cinnamon stick, then blend it until smooth. If the texture is a bit think, simply add a little bit of water.

3. Strain with a fine sieve, and transfer to a glass jar. Store it in the fridge until use. *You can make this 1-2 days before serving. It'll keep perfectly well in the fridge.

                                                                                               - Yvonne

認識我的朋友們都知道我平時很少喝酒，就連去餐廳也很少點酒品嚐，但是當我們有客人來家裡拜訪時，我總是喜歡自己調製各種不同口味的雞尾酒來讓客人搭配餐前的finger food，並且讓大家開胃。魁北克在每年的這個時候正好是蔓越莓的季節，所以可以買到新鮮又便宜的蔓越莓，它那艷麗的鮮紅色澤也非常適合用在聖誕季節的食譜裡面，因此我使用它來當今天這個雞尾酒的主要食材。我是以新鮮蔓越莓、柳橙汁、楓糖、加上溫和又帶濃厚香氣的肉桂製成雞尾酒裡面的濃縮蔓越莓汁，完全無加糖、也適合酒量較輕的朋友們，希望它的特殊口味與香氣可以讓你的訪客留下深刻的印象。祝大家聖誕節快樂！

蔓越莓柳橙龍舌蘭(Tequila)雞尾酒 (4人份)

 

A: 龍蛇蘭酒 3/4 杯
    蔓越莓濃縮汁 (做法請看下半部食譜)
    柳橙汁 1/2 杯 + 2 大匙 *最好是現榨的    
    水 1/4 杯    
    冰塊

1. 將全部的A料放入雞尾酒調酒杯中，蓋上蓋子並用力上下搖晃。*若沒調酒杯，也可以將A料放入大容器中以打蛋器拌勻。

2. 將每個雞尾酒杯內放入一些冰塊，倒入調好的雞尾酒，再放上幾顆蔓越莓與小片柳橙做裝飾即可。

蔓越莓濃縮汁做法：

B: 新鮮蔓越莓 1 1/4 杯    
    肉桂棒 1 支    
    柳橙汁 2 大匙    
    楓糖漿 1/4 杯 + 2 大匙    
    水 1/4 杯 + 2 大匙

1. 將B料放入小型鍋中以中火加熱，滾後以中小火繼續煮5-6分鐘至蔓越莓變軟。

2. 將B放置一旁至冷卻後打成泥，若有點濃，可加少許的水。

3. 將打好的B料以細網過濾後倒入玻璃罐中放置冰箱儲藏。*這個部份可以在使用前1-2天預先做好。

                                                                                               - Yvonne

The cinnamon stick, as well as the seeds and skin you strain from the cranberry purée, have a lot of flavour. Why not keep them to add to your favourite tea or hot cider? Just simmer a few minutes to infuse the flavour, then strain and discard.

蔓越莓濃縮汁過濾後所剩下的肉桂棒與蔓越莓渣還有很多香氣，不防拿來加在茶裡煮幾分鐘，讓它們入味了再過濾丟棄。