Cocktail Hour: Muddle Puddle

I was scrolling through my list of recipes on the blog, (yes I need to index them far better, I guess that’s what New Year resolutions are for), and noticed the rather conspicuous absence of an unashamedly boozy cocktail recipe. Now, I’ve been known to make some seriously potent Sangria for lazy Sunday luncheons, but with the festive spirit finally getting to me, (there are some mouth-watering Christmas dinner discussions underway,) I wanted take things up a notch and work with gorgeous seasonal berries paired with some… hold your breath… TEQUILA!

I must warn you, this drink isn’t for the faint-hearted teetotaller, and its creative mess of berries completely mask its ability to get you into a festive mood in just a few sips. It’s the sort of cocktail that doesn’t require careful planning and can be casually put together when your guests arrive and I urge you to not use a blender for the berries and go with the cocktail muddler from your bar tools instead. The roughly blended texture you achieve with the muddler is the very essence and one half of the name of this cocktail. And believe me, this muddling business becomes a whole lot more fun by the time you’ve downed the first drink and are on your way to making the next batch!

I picked strawberries and mulberries because it’s what can be found in fresh abundance in the market these days, but you could go with either one or a mixture of strawberries, mulberries, raspberries or even blackberries. Just stay away from blueberries though, let’s just save ‘em for muffins for now! This recipe serves 2, but you’ll find that it doubles up very easily… so let’s get mixing! Cheers to your Christmas and New Year’s Eve celebrations!

Adapted from ‘The Smitten Kitchen Cookbook’ by Deb Perelman.

Serves 2.

Print Recipe

Cocktail Hour: Muddle Puddle

I was scrolling through my list of recipes on the blog, (yes I need to index them far better, I guess that’s what New Year resolutions are for), and noticed the rather conspicuous absence of an unashamedly boozy cocktail recipe. Now, I’ve been known to make some seriously potent Sangria for lazy Sunday luncheons, but with the festive spirit finally getting to me, (there are some mouth-watering Christmas dinner discussions underway,) I wanted take things up a notch and work with gorgeous seasonal berries paired with some… hold your breath… TEQUILA!

Servings

Ingredients

• 4 to 5 strawberries fresh (roughly 70 grams), hulled
• 50 grams mulberries fresh , stems removed
• 2 Tablespoons lime juice freshly squeezed
• 4 teaspoons caster sugar
• Small pinch black pepper of freshly ground
• 1/3 cup white tequila
• 1 cup club soda water / sparkling (more if needed to adjust flavours to your taste)
• Ice cubes

Servings Ingredients 4 to 5 strawberries fresh (roughly 70 grams), hulled 50 grams mulberries fresh , stems removed 2 Tablespoons lime juice freshly squeezed 4 teaspoons caster sugar Small pinch black pepper of freshly ground 1/3 cup white tequila 1 cup club soda water / sparkling (more if needed to adjust flavours to your taste) Ice cubes

Instructions

1. In the bottom of a pitcher, use a cocktail muddler to roughly blend the strawberries, mulberries, lime juice, sugar and pepper until the berries are roughly pureed
2. Add the tequila & club soda to the pitcher and mix together
3. Fill two glasses three-quarters with ice and divide the drink between them
4. Serve immediately

Recipe Notes

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