Drink and a nosh: Damn the Weather and rosemary apricot goat cheese spread

I had to make this drink, because I love irony. The weather today is AMAZING for Minnesota, hitting above 60 degrees in February. Face it. We love anything above 30 in February. Restaurant patios everywhere opened.

Damn the Weather
Adapted from "The New York Bartender's Guide" by Sally Ann Berk

Ingredients
2 ounces gin
1 tablespoon sweet vermouth
2 teaspoons orange liqueur such as Triple Sec
½ fresh squeezed orange juice

Method
Combine gin, sweet vermouth and orange liqueur in an ice-filled shaker. Shake well. Pour into a cocktail glass. Gently stir in orange juice.

Rating: You know how some cocktails are really packed with alcohol but hide it in a dangerously drinkable form? This is not that kind of drink.The alcohol hits you front and center. But aside for it being a trifle boozy, overall it's a fairly well-balanced tasty cocktail. Given the number of cocktails I've tried, thought were OK, but wouldn't make again .... well, this is a step above that. So not a ringing endorsement, but it helped take the edge off after a day filled with calls from confused users who got a computer upgrade.

Note: Under no circumstances would I try this recipe with bottled orange juice, since the fresh juice gives it a delicate edge to hedge the heavy booze.



Rosemary apricot goat cheese spread
At Christmas this year I encountered this spread at our local Kowalski's. It listed the ingredients, although of course not the amounts. This is my attempt to approximate it, with the liqueur as my embellishment.

Ingredients
8 ounces cream cheese, softened
4 ounces goat cheese, softened
½ cup dried apricots
2 tablespoons orange liqueur, optional

¼ cup toasted chopped pecans

1 green onion, chopped
2 teaspoons chopped fresh rosemary

Method 
Let dried apricots soften in liqueur for about 20 minutes, if using.

Combine cream cheese and goat cheese until well blended. Mix in soaked apricots, pecans, green onion and rosemary.

Spread over toasted crostini or crackers.

Rating: This is at least as tasty as the stuff from Kowalski's, and that was plenty fine. Definitely a keeper.