DIY: Early Spring Cocktail Party

What is it about spring that makes us want to throw a cocktail party? Maybe it’s because the citrus season is in full swing, flowers are just beginning to bloom, and you can already find an abundance of summer basil and cherries.

Using fresh ingredients and a few staple spirits on hand, we’ve made three cocktails to bring you into the new season. We started with a few Remodelista favorites: an instant marble countertop, a Parisienne cocktail shaker, Spanish wine glasses, and spices from March in San Francisco. Try our recipes below and share your go-to cocktail with us in the comments section.

Rose, Pink Pepper, and Grapefruit Sparkler

Here’s What You’ll Need:

• 2 ounces of gin (St. George Botanivore Gin is available at select locations via St. George Spirits)
• 2 ounces of fresh-squeezed grapefruit juice
• 1/2 ounce of Rosewater ($9.95 for 4 ounces from King Arthur Flour)
• 2 ounces of tonic water (24 small bottles of Fever-Tree Indian Tonic Water are $30.80 from Amazon)
• Pink pepper infused ice cubes
• Organic rose petals

Above: Mix gin, grapefruit juice, and rosewater in a cocktail shaker and pour into two glasses.

Above: Break off the head of a single, organic (unsprayed) rose. Add the pink pepper ice cubes and top off with tonic water.

Above: Finish each glass with a few fresh rose petals and serve.

French 75 with a Basil Twist

Here’s What You’ll Need:

• 2 ounces of gin
• 1 ounce of lemon syrup (Morris Kitchen Preserved Lemon Syrup is $13 for a bottle at Kaufman Mercantile); alternatively, use 1 ounce lemon juice and 1/2 ounce simple syrup
• 4 ounces of sparkling wine
• 4 wine-soaked black cherries (Robert Lambert Dark Cherries in Merlot Syrup are $14 for a jar)
• 1 stem of fresh basil

Above: Mix gin, lemon syrup, and a few ice cubes in a cocktail shaker.

Above: Pour into two glasses and top off with sparkling wine, a twist of basil (crush it between your fingers), and skewer two black cherries on a single toothpick for each glass.

Kumquat Cardamom Gin Fizz

Here’s What You’ll Need:

• 2 ounces of gin
• 4 ounces of tonic water
• Kumquat-infused ice cubes
• Splash of cardamom bitters (Scrappy’s Cardamom Cocktail Bitters are $21.50 from Amazon)
• 4 to 6 candied kumquats
• 1 brown cardamom pod

Above: Candy the kumquats the night before by dipping them in egg whites and rolling in sugar.

Above: Mix gin and tonic water in a cocktail shaker and pour over kumquat ice cubes, then add a splash of cardamom bitters.

Above: Cut candied kumquats in half and add a few pieces in each glass, top with fresh grated cardamom.

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