A drink and a sweet...

This blog isn't really for mixology, but I had to document this. I was just experimenting a bit as we got ready to celebrate Jen's 29th birthday. It has been a while since I've mixed any drinks, and the last martini I made was really sub-par. I could swear I didn't change anything this time around, but somehow this turned out to be, by far, the best martini I've ever made.

I went with Citadelle, which has 19 different botanicals. It really does have an incredibly complex flavor that is both floral and savory at the same time. The juniper, coriander, cardamom and star anise are the components that I find the most prominent. With so many dimensions, the martini evolved quite a bit as it went from ice cold and viscous to moderately chilled, with the bouquet really exploding as the drink's temperature increased a few degrees.

Le Petit Ecolier: One of those ingenious combinations... pure butter cookies topped with bars of dark chocolate. Stone-cold proof that not all pre-packaged foods are bad.

Here's Jacob, lighting the birthday cake(s) for Jen (the blurry one) with a look of steely determination. Princess cake from La Farine. Yum. Happy birthday Jen!