as promised, i’m putting all the recipes from our holiday event (intoxicated zodiac, susan miller & todd english) online. so now all you zodiac junkies can drink your very own sign for some extra christmas cheer this year!

The work of Nicholas Culpeper, the father of western herbalism, serves as a guide when i create astrology-themed drinks. Culpeper’s books are still in print, 300 years after he wrote detailed descriptions of which plants belong to which signs and how to use them medicinally. In Medieval Herbal Astrology, plants have Zodiac signs, just like people. In the Medieval times only seven planets had been discovered as opposed to nine today. Therefore, since these drinks are based on Medieval Herbal Astrology, the ancient ruling planet for each sign is referenced.

“under the stars” is a NOISE 784 production. sponsored by TYKU, perrier and jim beam, the recipes call for these fine products. cheers!

Aries’ Cocktail features CRANBERRY as its star ingredient! Aries is ruled by Mars: The scarlet, fiery, hot planet. Flavors that are very spicy or very tart are often ruled by Mars. The cranberry’s bright crimson color, underscored by its tangy flavor certainly betrays its allegiance to the red planet, and is hence an Aries.

ARIES XMAS TIPPLE:
2 oz sochu, 2 oz cranberry syrup, 1/2 oz fresh lemon juice, perrier
(shake over ice and strain pour into an ice packed collins glass. Top with Perrier. Garnish with a floating fresh cranberry)

CRANBERRY SPICE SYRUP:
2 c white sugar, 3 c water, 1 c fresh cranberries, peel of half a small orange
(simmer for 20-30 minutes and strain)

Taurus’ Cocktail features PEPPERMINT as its star ingredient! If its divinely fragrant and tantalizingly tasty, you can bet its ruled by Venus. This beautiful planet rules all fruit, herbs and flowers that are particularly fragrant. Hence, mint falls under the dominion of Venus and may be identified as a Taurus.

TAURUS XMAS TIPPLE:
2 oz sochu, 1 oz peppermint syrup, 1 oz lemon juice
(served up with a mini candy cane garnish)

PEPPERMINT MINT SYRUP:
3 c white sugar, 2 c water, 1 tsp peppermint extract
(heat until dissolved)

Gemini’s Cocktail features HAZELNUT as its star ingredient! Culpeper lists the hazelnut under Mercury. The tree’s delicate leaves & flowers are indicative of this planet’s fleeting & wispy qualities. After all, Mercury is the fastest orbiting planet in our solar system. hazelnut is a Gemini.

GEMINI XMAS TIPPLE:
2 oz sochu, 1 oz hazelnut cocoa syrup, 1 oz creamer
(served up with a few pcs of floating chopped hazelnut garnish)

HAZELNUT COCOA SYRUP:
1 c “NUTELLA” spread,2 c water
(heat lightly and whisk until blended)

Cancer’s Cocktail features EGG as its star ingredient! The egg is ruled by the Moon, as is Cancer. They share the traits of a hard outer shell and a soft, pale, fleshy inside. Cancer is known for its innate creativity, along with a desire to “nest.” What symbolizes those two qualities more than the egg?

CANCER XMAS TIPPLE:
2 oz whiskey, 1 oz ‘nog anise syrup, 1 oz creamer
(served up with a floating star anise)

‘NOG ANISE SYRUP:
1 c brown sugar, 1 ½ c water, 2 cinnamon sticks, 5 star anise, 4 tsp chopped, fresh ginger, 3 tsp vanilla extract, 10 cardamom pods
(toast spices over medium low in pan first. then simmer for 20-30 minutes and strain)

Leo’s Cocktail features CLEMENTINE as its star ingredient! The bright, round, orange-colored, life-giving star of our solar system, the Sun, rules over Leo. Because the clementine bears a heavy physical resemblance to the sun, it is given ruler ship under it. The clementine is a Leo.

LEO XMAS TIPPLE:
2 oz sochu, 1 oz clementine rosemary syrup, 1 1/2 oz lemon juice
(served over ice topped with Perrier. Garnish with a slice of clementine)

CLEMENTINE ROSEMARY SYRUP:
2 chopped clementines, ¼ c chopped fresh rosemary, 2 c white sugar, 2 c water
(simmer for 20-30 minutes and strain)

Virgo’s Cocktail features POMEGRANATE as its star ingredient! The pomegranate is ruled by Mercury due to its astringent qualities. Mercury is the fleet-footed planet and therefore holds ownership over anything that is fast-binding and drying in nature. That is why the pomegranate is a Virgo.

VIRGO XMAS TIPPLE:
1 oz sochu, 1 oz tyku liqueur, 1 1/2 oz pomegranate grenadine, 1/2 oz lemon juice
(serve up and garnish with 3 floating pomegranate seeds)

POMEGRANATE GRENADINE:
Equal parts 100% pomegranate juice and water
(simmer for 20-30 minutes)

Libra’s Cocktail features SUGAR PLUM as its star ingredient! Libra is ruled by the Venus, the beautiful planet. Venus holds dominion over things that are sugary sweet, succulent, attractive and delectable in nature. A perfectly ripe, juicy plum would certainly fall under ruler ship of Venus, and may be called a Libra.

LIBRA XMAS TIPPLE:
1 oz sochu, 1 oz tyku liqueur, 1 oz plum syrup, 1 oz lemon juice
(serve up and garnish with a sugar rim)

SUGAR PLUM SYRUP:
2 c white sugar, 3 c water, 2-3 chopped fresh plums
(simmer for 20-30 minutes and strain)

Scorpio’s Cocktail features CLOVE as its star ingredient! The incredibly pungent and powerful clove is ruled by none other than what many refer to as the planet of war, Mars. Really, it is the planet of passion and the strength to defend and protect. In fact, clove is so strong it can be used to defeat Cancer. Today, Scorpio is considered co-ruled by Mars and Pluto.

SCORPIO XMAS TIPPLE:
1 oz sochu, 1 oz sake, 1 oz lemon juice, 1 oz clove chili syrup, perrier
(served over ice, topped with perrier, garnished with a floating clove and straw)

CLOVE CHILI SYRUP:
1 c white sugar, 3 c water, 2-3 pinches cloves, 1 small handful or approx 20 dried chili arbols
(toast chilis and clove over medium low in pan first. simmer for 15-20 minutes and strain)

Sagittarius’ Cocktail features FIG as its star ingredient The vast number of seeds in a fig makes it a fruit ruled by Jupiter, the largest planet in our solar system. This huge planet is the owner of all things Ubiquitous, prolific, abundant and colossal in nature. This is why the fig is listed as a Sagittarius.

SAGITTARIUS XMAS TIPPLE:
2 oz whiskey, 1 ¼ oz fig syrup, ¾ oz fresh lemon juice
(shake over ice and strain into glass. Garnish with a dried fig slice)

FIG SYRUP:
1 c fresh chopped figs, 1 c white sugar, 2 c water
(simmer for 20-30 minutes and strain)

Capricorn’s Cocktail features MOLASSES as its star ingredient! Discarded as a by-product, molasses is the almost black, densely thick, mildly bittersweet syrup that is born from the dregs of the sugar cane plant. Saturn symbolizes frugality, austerity and scarcity. Molasses is ruled by Saturn due to the nature of its genesis.

CAPRICORN XMAS TIPPLE:
2 oz whiskey, 1 oz gingerbread syrup, 1 oz creamer
(served up with a slice of candied ginger garnish)

GINGERBREAD SYRUP: 2 c brown sugar, 2 c water, 1 c molasses, 5 tbsp chopped fresh ginger
(simmer for 20-30 minutes and strain)

Aquarius’ Cocktail features CEDAR as its star ingredient! Saturn is the slowest moving planet, symbolizing longevity and resilience. Plants ruled by this constant planet are extremely hardy in nature–take for example the famously pest and weather-resistant cedar tree. Today Aquarius is considered co-ruled by Saturn and Uranus. That’s why cedar is an Aquarius.

AQUARIUS XMAS TIPPLE:
1 oz sochu, 1 oz sake, 3/4 oz lemon juice, 1 oz cedar syrup
(served up with a sugar rim)

CEDAR TIP SYRUP:
2 c white sugar, 2 c water, 1 c dried cedar tip needles
(toast cedar over medium low in pan first. simmer for 20-30 minutes and strain)

Pisces’ Cocktail features CHESTNUT as its star ingredient! The chestnut tree’s diameter can be as great as 17 feet, which epitomizes the grandiose qualities of the largest planet in our solar system, Jupiter. Today, Pisces is considered co-ruled by Jupiter and the more recently discovered Neptune. The chestnut is a Pisces and sheer size alone is what determines that.

PISCES XMAS TIPPLE:
2 oz whiskey, 1 oz chestnut syrup, 1 oz creamer
(served up a chestnut slice garnish)

CHESTNUT SYRUP:
2 c white sugar, 2 c water, 1 c chopped and peeled roasted chestnuts
(simmer for 20-30 minutes and strain)

ROAST CHESTNUT GARNISH:
Slice each nut prior to baking with a knife, but try not to penetrate flesh. Then it will be easier to slice them for garniature.

home is where the heart is, and hopefully, you’ll be home for the holidays… but if you’re not, a good punch can feel just like home, too. you don’t need me to tell you punches are hot, so now you can trend it up this holiday at your inlaws with the latest and greatest in mixology.

christmas means dried fruit. usually in the form of a wretched fruit cake, granted, but dried fruit none the less. get your holiday cheer on with an alternative use for dried fruit: the date rum punch!

while the date is ruled by delectable venus, all signs can enjoy this sticky sweet delight. taurus, this drinks for you, as you are one of the signs that revels in holiday tradition, or any tradition for that matter. but, hey, all you other signs feel free to go forth and imbibe this rich tipple too!

DATE RUM PUNCH
1.5 parts dark rum
1 part brewed black tea
1 part homemade date syrup*
1 part fresh squeezed clementine juice
1/2 part sweet vermouth
1/2 part fresh squeezed lemon juice

(float sliced clementines in the punch bowl and garnish each glass with a date)

*you can make this into a single serve cocktail by converting the “parts” to “ounces,” or make it into a punch by converting the “parts” to “bottles” or whatever vessel you choose to use.

*HOMEMADE DATE SYRUP: simmer one cup chopped dates, 2 cups brown sugar, 5 cups water for 15 minutes. strain and chill.

stevia, the herb that escaped the FDA black list, unlike that other powerful green leafy, marijuana. the powers that be have to decided to gift us the sweetness of stevia. thank you dark forces. in this dawning era of full disclosure and transparency, it’s being welcomed by america with open mouths. this plant is an ancient herb… why have we not been privy to its bounty before??? because it’s not a moneymaker for anyone other than the stevia grower and producer!!! in other words, its consumption won’t lead to obesity, which will lead to disease, which will lead to pharmaceuticals, which will lead to your wallet being drained on a constant basis. there are no nasty side effects with this magical herb. it is even safe for diabetics. the one small problem is that there is a subtle aftertaste. but one gets used to it very quickly, especially when one realizes there are no calories, no fat, no nothing, but flavor. i now carry around a bag of stevia in my purse, so that i can whip it out at starbucks and the like. i did that the other day and the clerk laughed, admitting her dad does the same thing… i couldn’t believe it. another freak.. i’m not the only one? wow, cool.

i grew some stevia in my garden this year and low and behold, the raw leaves really do taste like sugar. it’s crazy! i made a cocktail, of course, muddling the leaves. it actually wasn’t sweet enough, so i had to add some granulated stevia into the shaker before the drink became palpable. as with all herbs, when the leaves are dried the intensity of the flavor is magnified. stevia is available in almost any grocery store at this time. i dug my stevia up and brought him inside of the winter. he’s so cool… i can’t bear to see him die off in the next heavy frost. but, in this icy part of the world, stevia is considered an annual. if you prefer to shop for stevia rather than grow it… no prob! only a few months ago it was hard to find. we are loving stevia. health food stores will have more options besides the powder form… stevia pills, stevia serum… it’s all good–i’ve tasted every shape and form. whatever you do, don’t fall for the latest trick which is to rename the bad, lab-made sugars with cute, natural names like “IDEAL”—and color the package green with a leaf or something along those lines. always read the labels because there should be one ingredient listed and that is STEVIA (all though, on some brands dextrose is also listed as an ingredient).

STEVIA SOUR:
1 1/2 oz choice of spirit (i love gin)
3 sprigs fresh stevia
3/4 oz lemon juice
stevia powder or serum
***muddle and adjust with stevia powder to taste. shake over ice and enjoy that way too. garnish with a sprig of stevia.

more and more, we’re being granted access to many of the obscure liquors that europe has been privy to for so long. over here in the grand united states, we live vacuum packed and hermetically sealed–with the vacuum made in china. thankfully the alcohol has seeped through the walls of our red, white and blue fortress and into our chalice. we’ve been presented with another long lost liqueur, heralding from the days of speakeasies, from the prohibition-era itself: voilet liqueur. in fact, there are so many companies making this spirit now that i’ve lost count. you should be able to secure a bottle at your local booze shop, and if you can’t, reprimand the owner–the severity of which i leave up to you. because that’s just uncalled for.

ironically however, creme de violette sounds a whole lot better than it tastes. voilets are beautiful, so you know who rules them: venus–cheers to the bull…! creme de voilette is made from voilets, which means it’s a pretty purple color, which means one just has to mix with it, especially if one happens to be of the female persuasion. we love purple, don’t we girls? well, i’ve solved our little quandary, and i present it to you now in what i think you’ll find to be a most agreeable tipple:

CANDIED VIOLET
2 oz crème de voilette
2 oz coconut milk
.5 oz maple syrup (light amber)
.5 oz rose water

Shake over ice, strain into glass.
Garnish with edible flower, ideally a violet

Cheers!

did you know that lilac flowers are edible? i didn’t until recently, and since my discovery i’ve have been patiently waiting for lilac season to roll around, so i could put this claim to the test. and guess what? it passed with flying colors, or pink and purple really… i didn’t die–lilacs are edible!

thanks to beautiful venus for giving the world yet another intoxicating flower. is there anything better on this earth than the smell of fresh lilac? c’mon now, before you all say: sex, chocolate, shopping or drugs…. admit that lilacs are pretty high up on the list!

i propose we all take a lesson from the zodiacal pleasure-monger, and make like a bull this may. taurus knows how to enjoy the small things in life, like fresh lilac. taurus reminds us to stop to smell the roses, and drink the lilacs too.

we all know i love flower tipples, and i’d order this in a bar, hands down, just for the sheer novelty of it. i’ve provided a pictoral guide of my lilac experience for your viewing pleasure below.

the lilac aroma is quite fragrant infused into the simple syrup, but when you mix it with the other cocktail ingredients, it somewhat loses the intensity of its scent. it’s still there, just harder to detect. but, very easy to drink!

the syrup actually turns out green. if you’re not into green, add some NATURAL food coloring, or throw a blueberry or two into the sauce pot while you’re cooking the syrup.

FRESH LILAC MARTINI:
1 part lilac syrup*
1 part vodka (feel free to use 2 oz vodka, but it will dilute the scent.)
1 part fresh squeezed lemon

shake over ice, strain into the prettiest glass you can find, and garnish with a lilac sprig. cheers!

LILAC SYRUP: equal parts lilac florets, water, sugar. simmer for 10 minutes. strain. chill.

my mum’s a scot. and for those of you who don’t know much about this particular heritage, let me just say that the scots were the one and only group of people that the romans were simply unable to conquer. that’s how wild they were, and are. ever hear of hadrian’s wall?

every other summer my mum would cart my three sisters and i over to the land of the barbarians (scotland). only a taurus, capricorn or scorpio would attempt such a feat… think about it: four kids ages 1-8 / transatlantic flight / alone! mum put her bull-headed taurean determination to good use… these biannual pilgrimages were back in those pre-global warming (or cooling) days, back when temperatures were “normal,” back when it rained predictably almost day in that dismal yet beautiful land of lads, lasses, castles, kilts, scotch, sheep, golf and beaches.

mother would take us swimming because you see, it had stopped raining for 3 hours so we must take advantage. being the good little capricorn soldier i was, i dutifully submerged myself in god knows what temperature water, swam around a bit (praying i didn’t get stung by jellyfish or freeze to death), and hurried the hell out. it was well worth it, because upon completion we all received what is known as a SHIVERY BITE. remember that to a child, any type of candy is worth performing just about any kind of stunt–so this chocolate bar was as good as any reward i could hope for. my favorite was aptly named “penguin” bar, and i only wish i could get them over here!

my built-to-last mum found it most difficult to believe i was actually cold, because she was born with polar bear DNA. to document my discomfort and to garner sympathy, i would point out to her the color of my legs–which were always a decided shade of purple. and the fact that my teeth were uncontrollably chattering–well it was just too much for her to swallow. surely i was acting, she would accuse me. i assured her i was not, and demanded another SHIVERY BITE. i don’t think she ever did believe that my uncontrollable shaking was genuine–she never got used to the fact that her daughter was a half breed scot with the hardiness to prove it, or lack thereof.

peaches are ruled by venus, and so this chilly libation is a cocktail of taurus. as irony would have it, so is my scottish mum! it is in honor of ridiculous, yet glorious, memories such as these that i present to you, THE SHIVERY BITE. best enjoyed cold, and while cold…

SHIVERY BITE:
8 oz coconut milk
2 oz vanilla liqueur
16 oz frozen peaches
4 oz sherry
1/2 oz stevia
1 cup ice

place all ingredients in blender and serve cold. shiver when you drink it!

did you know that yesteryear’s christmas sugar plums were actually not plums at all? i never did, until i researched this post. apparently, sugar plums are a mish mosh of minced dried fruits mixed up in oats and brandy, and then rolled in sugar. i suppose the round ball shape gives it a resemblance to the plum. so, how cool would that be to garnish a glass of sugar plum sangria with a ready made, pre-slit sugar plum? in theory, this festive garnish should happily slide right on to the lip of the glass. so, yea, lemme know how that goes as i haven’t had a chance to test it.

did i mention that something so allegedly delicious has to be ruled by the one and only, drum roll, venus of course. the plum is ruled by venus, and hence therein lies the connection. but this tipple is especially fitting for the bull because this sugary delicacy is so steeped in tradition–just like taurus, (known more for its traditional values than than any other sign!) let it be known that sugar plum sangria is a taurus! here’s a recipe to make sugar plum garniture befitting a libational masterpiece:

SUGAR PLUM SANGRIA:

btl plum wine
3 c plum juice
1/2 cup triple sec
1 c brandy
1/2 lime
3/4 ss
3 c chopped winter fruit

stir in pitcher, for extra flavor allow to sit overnight. pour over ice in glass and garnish with a sugar plum.

since i’m the only blog that hasn’t done an AVIATION cocktail yet, i thought it about time. truth be told, i think the Crème de Violette tastes rather like vicks 44 alone, but when it’s blended in a cocktail it suddenly becomes palatable and intriguing. and like so many recipes from a bygone era, this classic tipple tastes better with every sip. funny how those old timers grow on you like that, isn’t it?

this particular bottle of violet liqueur has been sitting on my bar for over a year… talk about procrastination. yup, i’m the queen of it and so is taurus—happy birthday to all you bulls out there! perhaps my nasty habit of putting things off stems from my moon in taurus placement, and if it doesn’t at least that makes a good excuse. i have a lazy bull sitting on my moon, so leave me alone world! actually, when nick newmont did my chart for me, he told me i had a hunter’s moon… this apparently is the culprit behind my hesitance to take action. i like to wait and see how things play out, and then before ya know it, i’ve missed the damn boat!

last weekend i was out hiking with my dogs when i stumbled upon these incredibly abundant and exquisite violets—i was compelled to pick them for garniture in a tipple that called for Crème de Violette, and here we are! the violet is ruled by none other than the planet of beauty and love, venus. hence the voilet falls under the dominion of taurus. unlike scorpio, the overtly sexual sign, taurus prefers sex behind closed doors. but prefers sex none the less. (thanks to nick newmont for that insightful analogy) most of us would never know taurus was exceptionally talented in the sack, or particularly well endowed, and that they consider sex a basic need of life along with shelter, water and food. but it is true. so if you think all that cute taurus across the hall does well is drink, cook and look pretty, think again. she can hit every g spot in the human body too. provided it’s behind a beautiful, well built, antique, solid oak, closed door… cheers to taurus and making love in true taurean fashion… delectable, tantalizing, enduring, appreciative, satisfying, taurus.

AVIATION COCKTAIL
2 ounces gin
1/2 ounce freshly squeezed lemon juice
2 teaspoons maraschino liqueur
1/4 ounce Crème de Violette

This delectable bevvie is ruled by none other than the queen of succulent somethings, taurus. i’ve never actually tasted the bull’s fruit, but i gather it’s sweet as honey.

HONEY DO CIDER
2 oz Armagnac
2 oz Unpasteurized Apple Cider
1 1/2 Honey Syrup*
1/2 oz lemon juice
Dark Sugar

Add ingredients to ice filled shaker and shake for a good ten seconds. this drink does mix easily and separates quickly. Prepare glass by rimming with dark sugar or similar (I used Coconut Palm Sugar with Turmeric Root). Pour into cocktail glass.

*To make honey syrup, add equal parts water and honey to saucepot. Heat until the honey melts. Watch it carefully, this boils over really fast! (recipe by gwen)

thanks to SLOSHED for hosting MXMOIII.

it’s easy to fall in love with Taurus. one of my guy friends swears they’re the best sign in bed, and specifically looks to date Taurus! they are the sign most intimately connected to the earth, and those raw and primal life-force energies. think sex, think food, think comfort, think luxury, think taurus. of course each sign has it’s negatives, and for the loveable bull, that might well be the need for too much sex, too much food, too many mojitos, and too much of that deadly sin known as sloth!

the truly taurean and intoxicating bloom of the hibiscis flower belongs to none other than the goddess of sexuality, venus herself.

IN TOO DEEP (Hibiscis Water Mojito)

2 parts dark rum
1 part fresh squeezed lime juice
1 parts freshly hibiscis water* (see la palapa recipe below)
1 part simple syrup* (use raw, organic sugar)
4 sprigs mint (keep in freezer for mojitos all winter!)
seltzer

Add rum, simple syrup, lime juice, hibiscis water and 3 sprigs mint to shaker and muddle until desired mint flavor is achieved. Strain ito glass filled with ice. Top with seltzer. Garnish with sprig of mint

* Simple Syrup is made by mixing equal amounts of sugar and water together. THERE IS NO NEED TO HEAT, just simply agitate until mixture is dissolved and store in fridge.

* HIBISCUS WATER:
2 quart non-reactive pot, such as enamel, cast iron, stainless steel (the only thing your teflon pots are for is planters—they have been found to cause cancer when heated).
1/2 cup dried hibiscus flowers (health food store)
2 quarts water

boil the flowers in the water for ten minutes, until they loose some of their color and they become plump and reconstituted. strain the flowers out of th edeep red liquid and sweeten to taste. allow to cool before using. to expediate the process, plunge the pot of water into an ice bath. OR simply allow to cool on it’s own and save the energy it takes to make cubes. (Drink created by Gwen Sutherland Kaiser)

thanks to KALYN’S KITCHEN for hosting WEEKEND HERB BLOGGING #111.