RECIPES AND PHOTOGRAPHY BY JESSICA TUNIS AND AMBER TURPIN
A new way to enjoy summer fruits
Cocktails are our jam! That’s the kind of pun a pair of thirsty homesteaders make, when surveying a pantry full of preserves. How EVER shall we make room for a new season of preserving, when last year’s jams clutter the shelves? All jokes aside, jams and jellies are a marvelous way to bring both fruit flavor and a balanced sweetness to a mixed drink, serving almost as a concentrated syrup. Jellies are clear and bright, while jams often have bits of fruit that can be strained out or left in for delightful, booze-soaked texture.
There’s not much we like better than to mix up a batch of jammy cocktails and carry them out to the garden to sip with friends on a long summer evening. On the particular night that spawned this pair of pantry libations, we had no recipe in mind. Just a few jars of jam and jelly, a bottle of bitters, assorted booze and citrus, and some fizzy water. We mixed and stirred, and tasted and added another splash of lime. Just so. Here, taste mine. Oooh, I like that…
These two cocktails are kin, or dear friends like us. They go together well, but they’re not the same. One’s sweet and resolute; the other is dark and tart. One’s blonde, the other brunette. One is cousin to a mint julep, and the other is a kind of refreshing, session spritz. Whatever preserved treasures your own pantry holds, we hope that these two cocktails inspire you to ditch the toast and start spooning jam into a cocktail glass! Cheers to summer and to friends, and to another year of preserving and sharing the good times.
Bourbon Peach Julep
Blackberry Ginger Spritz
About the author
Jessica Tunis lives in the Santa Cruz Mountains and spends her time tending gardens, telling stories, and cultivating adventure and good food in wild places.
Amber Turpin is a freelance food and travel writer based in the Santa Cruz Mountains.
