It's been a looooong time since there has been a cocktail or glass of wine on this blog. Let this not be confused with the frequency that they are consumed. It's just that, well, drinks are hard things to take a photo of and making drinks at home is...indulgent.
When I saw that tarragon was theme for this week's Root Source Challenge over at CookThink, it got the wheels turning about using it in a cocktail. I haven't taken part in the RSC, which I was doing with some regularity before everything went topsy-turvy. Why not just go off the rails and try something new? A martini! Might not get another spare moment to take part for a while!
Some people find tarragon to be a mild herb. I am not one of them. The slightly licorice-y taste must be something I am sensitive to because I always have to use it in small doses or overpower it with something else. For this drink, I chose the former. I made a simple syrup with some tarragon i finely chopped. You can strain the bitties out if you want but I prefer to see them in the drink. To compliment the herb flavor, I roughly pureed some fresh apricots. The mild fruit flavor took the edge off of the tarragon and imparted a delicate fruit flavor in the vodka. If you would rather not have a chunkier puree, strain it or use straight juice. Mango and peach would also be yummy in this!
Apricot-Tarragon Martini or...The TarraTini!
- 2 ounces of your favorite vodka - My current favorite is Prairie (organic vodka from Minnesota!)
- 1/2 ounce apricot puree or juice
- 1/4 ounce tarragon simple syrup - bring equal parts sugar and water to a boil and add chopped tarragon - strain it if you want a completely clear simple syrup or keep the bits in for a cue to the tarragon. You can make as big a batch as you want - I used 1 cup water to 1 cup sugar and added 1/2 cup chopped tarragon.
Shake in a martini shaker and strain into a chilled martini glass. Garnish with a tarragon sprig and enjoy. This recipe could also be used as a base for bellinis - just pour the apricot puree and simple syrup into a champagne flute and top with bubbly!
What a cool name for a drink!
Posted by: Gay | July 28, 2008 at 03:48 PM
so cool, so refreshing, so right..
you are my idol.. when I grow up I want to be just like you.....
Posted by: GadgetGeek | July 28, 2008 at 04:26 PM
My husband loves tarragon with a capital L. Maybe I shouldn't show him this!
Posted by: Food.Baby | July 28, 2008 at 05:38 PM
Yum, that looks (and sounds) really delicious.
Posted by: nosheteria | July 29, 2008 at 08:52 AM
I want to booze with you!
Posted by: Food Rockz Man | July 29, 2008 at 11:37 AM
This sounds so good! I love tarragon but I find it a bit over-powering too.
Posted by: Michelle | July 30, 2008 at 11:37 AM
For anyone named Tara, the TarraTini would be perfect! So cute. Nice idea.
Posted by: Hillary | July 30, 2008 at 01:11 PM
That drink looks very tasty! :):) I vote for more drinks/wine in the blog ;)
Posted by: Broderick | July 30, 2008 at 08:38 PM
As a martini aficionado, I say "kudos to you" for a very original and tasty sounding drink. I will try this one.
Posted by: Preston | July 31, 2008 at 01:55 PM
As a martini aficionado, I say "kudos to you" for a very original and tasty sounding drink. I will try this one.
Posted by: Preston | July 31, 2008 at 01:56 PM
Can't wait to try this tonight (er, this afternoon), Tami.
Posted by: chip | August 02, 2008 at 06:15 AM
I must say it looks pretty interesting, tempted to try it.
Posted by: Bombchell | August 21, 2008 at 02:05 PM
Thanks for the apricot martini recipe - cant wait to try it!
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Posted by: John Beck Real Estate | October 17, 2008 at 01:05 AM
Great picture. Looks delicious.
Posted by: Common Japanese words | March 30, 2009 at 07:33 PM
I like to cook something new and delicious for my husband. My experience in this area is not huge, but I working on my personal improvement. Recently have found a book with many cocktail recipes - http://file.sh/Cocktail+Recipes+torrent.html . Most of them are easy to make and pleasant to drink ;)
Posted by: kitty | April 17, 2009 at 04:34 AM
Good info.. thanks
Posted by: Alcoholic cocktail recipes | May 26, 2009 at 10:35 AM