I like things quick, easy and simple. One of my pet peeves is all the bottles of different liquor you need to have on hand  to make a cocktail. I will see   beautiful drinks on Pinterest. I will think .”Ooh that looks great, but I don’t have any of those things in my cupboard.”  I  hate to buy exclusive, specialty liquors and be stuck with them.  I have spent 55 dollars at the store to get the fixings for a Lemon drop martini.  It called for Tausca  which is a vanilla citrus liquor.

3 yrs later here it is.

I  get bored quickly. With cocktails, with recipes. On Friday cocktail days, I can’t stick with one drink the whole afternoon.  We  always mix it up.  This is what drinkswithdana is all about. Having a few basic ingredients on hand and being able to make a bunch of yummy drinks.  The shrub was a little out of my normal context of things. One thing I can promise is   I will never be  boring.

So what do you need to have on hand??

#1.  Vodka. Don’t go cheap. You don’t need to go too high end. I like Kettle one, Absolute and SKY.  Any  vodkas of this level are good. I pick which ever one is one sale.   I know some people are really nervous with vodka. But we are not making shots. If the drink is too strong add extra seltzer or 7 up.

#2. Gin :  Bombay

#3. Tequila: Jose Cuervo

#4.  Seltzer, Flavored or plain.  I buy one small liter unflavored and a few flavored ones. The grocery store runs them on sale .  They  will sit in the cabinet until you need them.

#5.  7 up, Ginger ale, Sprite.  La Croix. Choose your favorite or whatever is on sale.  I buy the 12 pack cans so they don’t go flat.  I usually buy diet or no calorie,  Again you make your personal sugar or sweetener choice. This is about your happiness,

#6. Wine. In   most of my recipes that include wine, we are flavoring it. High quality is a waste. I try to stay in the $6-9 range. Again sale prices determine a lot. I try to have  on hand   these types of whites: Moscato, Pinot Grigio,  Sauvignon blanc.  Any of these work.  You just need to control for sweetness. For Reds usually I use red blends in Sangrias.

#7. Prosecco.  I found a some great versions for mixing that are between 5.99 and 9.99  a bottle.  I will talk about those in future blogs about prosecco.

#8. Fruit.  I try to stay in season. I am too frugal to spend top dollar for crummy fruit.

Odd popsicles, left over sherbert, other odd left over kid desserts. Ice. Lots of ice..

This weeks infusion. Cucumber  Mint Vodka.

1/2 cup of Vodka

1/4 of a large cucumber

5 Mint leaves

Glass bowl or cup.

Wash your cucumber leave skin on, slice thinly, add mint leaves Pour vodka over it. let sit 1-2 days.