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J.M. HIRSCH

J.M. HIRSCH

J.M. Hirsch is a James Beard Award-winning food and travel writer. He is editorial director of Christopher Kimball’s Milk Street and author of six books, most recently “Freezer Door Cocktails: 75 Cocktails That Are Ready When You Are.” He also wrote “Pour Me Another: 250 Ways to Find Your Favorite Drink” and “Shake Strain Done: Craft Cocktails at Home.” He chronicles his culinary, cocktail and travel adventures on Instagram and TikTok.

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At long last — the BEST #freezerdoorcocktail esp

At long last — the BEST #freezerdoorcocktail espresso martini! The secret is brewing the espresso with vodka, not water.

To make it, in a microwave-safe cup, heat 16 oz vodka until steaming, but NOT boiling. Add the vodka to a French press, then stir in ½ cup coffee grounds. Let steep for 30 seconds, then strain into an empty liquor bottle. Add 9 oz Kahlúa, then cap your bottle. Shake well, then store on the freezer door. To serve, take it neat or pour over ice.

I know I said 19 oz vodka in the video. But I assumed I’d lose more vodka to the coffee grounds. Didn’t lose as much as I thought. It fit in my bottle, but would be too much in a standard liquor bottle.
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#mixology #bartender #liquor #cocktailculture #cocktails #cocktail #martini #espressomartini

Brewing espresso with vodka makes the best espress

Brewing espresso with vodka makes the best espresso martinis ever! Now we just have to determine the best way to scale it up to brew enough for an entire bottle of #freezerdoorcocktail espresso martinis. So today, I tried hot brewed in a French press and cold brewed in a jar overnight. Check the video for the winner! And stay tuned for the next video with how to turn it into a full bottle of damn fine martinis.
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#mixology #bartender #liquor #cocktailculture #cocktails #cocktail #martini #espressomartini

Ready for the best espresso martini you’ve ever

Ready for the best espresso martini you’ve ever tasted? The secret is brewing the espresso with vodka, not water! Next step — test whether we can batch the vodka espresso to make a full bottle of espresso martini as a #freezerdoorcocktail — Stay tuned!
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#mixology #bartender #liquor #cocktailculture #cocktails #cocktail #martini #espressomartini

It’s Day “I’ve Lost Track” of F’d Up Sav

It’s Day “I’ve Lost Track” of F’d Up Savory Martini Week(s)! Today — Spicy Peanut Noodles. It shouldn’t have worked, but it did!

To make, in a cocktail shaker combine 3 oz vodka, 1 teaspoon powdered peanut butter, ½ oz pasta cooking water (yup, the water you drain off when you boil pasta), ¼ oz dry vermouth, ¼ oz ginger liqueur, ¼ oz agave or simple syrup, ¼ oz Sriracha or other hot sauce, and ¼ oz lime juice. Shake with ice cubes, then strain into a coupe.
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#mixology #bartender #liquor #cocktailculture #cocktails #cocktail #martini #spicypeanutnoodles #pb2 #peanutbuttercocktails

It’s Day Four of F’d Up Savory Martini Week! T

It’s Day Four of F’d Up Savory Martini Week! Today — The Cheese Pizza Martini succeeds where the Caesar Salad Martini failed! Think of this as the cocktail you’ve always wanted on pizza night!

And yes, at the end that’s the pizza addict husband expressing shock at the idea of a pizza martini…

To make, in a glass combine 1 oz smoked mozzarella, a pinch of dried basil and a pinch of red pepper flakes. Microwave for 15 to 20 seconds, or until melted and bubbly. Immediately add 3 oz vodka and stir. Let sit on the counter for 10 minutes, stirring every 1 to 2 minutes. After 10 minutes, strain through a mesh cocktail strainer lined with cheesecloth into a cocktail shaker. Add 2 oz tomato juice, ½ oz dry vermouth and 6 to 10 granules kosher salt. Shake with ice cubes, then strain into a coupe. Top with grated Parmesan cheese.
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#mixology #bartender #liquor #cocktailculture #cocktails #cocktail #martini #pizza #cheesepizza #pizzanight

It’s Day Three of F’d Up Savory Martini Week!

It’s Day Three of F’d Up Savory Martini Week! Today — The Garlic Bread Martini. This one is… a work in progress. Tried this live and, well… Here we are. Help me fix it. What would you do to capture the flavor of garlic bread as a delicious martini?

To make, in a glass I combined 3 oz vodka and 1 tablespoon ghee (you could use butter). I then grated in a tiny bit of fresh garlic, then stirred it now and again for 10 minutes on the counter. I then popped it in the freezer for 10 minutes to let the ghee solidify. After that, I strained out the ghee and garlic. In a cocktail shaker, shake the fat washed vodka with ½ oz dry vermouth, a hint of MSG (shh!) and a dash of Angostura bitters. Shake with ice and strain into a coupe.

Meh! The raw garlic isn’t kind to this cocktail. Would powdered garlic work better? What’s your solution?
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#mixology #bartender #liquor #cocktailculture #cocktails #cocktail #martini #garlicbread

It’s Day Two of F’d Up Savory Martini Week! To

It’s Day Two of F’d Up Savory Martini Week! Today — The Hummus Martini. I know. This is a strange one. Not sure I love it. But I don’t hate it. So here we are!

To make, in a glass combine 3 oz vodka and 1 tablespoon tahini. Stir and leave on the counter for 5 minutes, stirring every minute. Place in the freezer for 10 minutes to thicken the tahini. Line a mesh cocktail strainer with cheesecloth, then strain the vodka into a cocktail shaker. Add ½ oz dry vermouth, ½ oz canned chickpea liquid (aquafaba), ¼ oz lemon juice, ¼ oz agave or simple syrup, 6 to 10 granules kosher salt and a pinch each of cumin and smoked paprika. Shake with ice, then strain into a coupe.
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#mixology #bartender #liquor #cocktailculture #cocktails #cocktail #martini #hummus

It’s F’d Up Savory Martini Week! And I’m kic

So yesterday was my fifth wedding anniversary with

So yesterday was my fifth wedding anniversary with my husband. And I had to share just how messed up we are. Our gifts to each other: I got him a giant 500 mg acrylic pill by @jonathanadler that just gives me a disturbing amount of joy. He got me a @biobidet with heated seat, nightlight AND throttle control. If this isn’t true love, I don’t know what is!

#husbands #gayhusbands #gaymarriage

These flask-like glasses are called berele. They a

These flask-like glasses are called berele. They are the traditional glassware for drinking tej, or honey wine, in Ethiopia. Brought them back from Addis Ababa a few years ago and — I’ll confess — have mostly used them as stem vases for flowers. Today, I got inspired to use them for a Vieux Carré by the fire.
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#mixology #bartender #liquor #cocktailculture #cocktails #cocktail #vieuxcarre #honeywine #tej #fallcocktails

Sorry, not sorry! It’s the season, so here is yo

Sorry, not sorry! It’s the season, so here is your #freezerdoorcocktail #pumpkinspice martini. It’s bourbon based, because those flavors love brown liquor. And the fresh apple cider just puts it way over the top. You’re welcome!

And if you like this freezer door cocktail, be sure to check out my book, Freezer Door Cocktails, which has tons of similarly delicious ideas for batch cocktails designed for your freezer. Check the link in bio to order signed (and regular) copies.
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#mixology #bartender #liquor #cocktailculture #cocktails #cocktail #batchcocktails #freezerdoorcocktails #pumpkinseason #pumpkinspiceeverything

This is what happens when you give up too soon! I’d been trying to make a #freezerdoorcocktail strawberry cheesecake frozen daiquiri, but they kept freezing. After a certain point, I stopped even keeping track of what I was mixing, because they kept turning into boozy soft serve ice cream. So of course, just as I was purging the freezer to make room for new stuff, I find one that apparently DID work. But I have no idea what was in that jar. Sigh… Lesson learned…
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#mixology #bartender #liquor #cocktailculture #cocktails #cocktail #batchcocktails #freezerdoorcocktails

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