weekend warmup.

Over the weekends, we tend to break paleo and sometimes go out for the occasional cocktail or two. My dad's best friend and his wife gave us an amazing wedding gift: a book of all of his favorite, perfected, and "nearly famous" drink recipes. He also gave us a few goodies for our bar, so we've been experimenting a bit more with our cocktails {I'm usually a bourbon on the rocks girl, myself}.


I set out to make Tom's classic, the Matagorda Martini, but quickly realized I only had two of the four ingredients {fresh o.j. and bourbon}. Tom created the Matagorda Martini for those who love a good cocktail, but not necessarily bourbon. Undeterred by my lack of the perfect ingredients for a Matagorda Martini, I decided to create my own concoction. I think I've got a great competitor for the Matagorda Martini, and managed to make a pretty sweet drink using only organic mixers.

     {gold tray: west elm. decanter, cocktail shaker, and bar tools: pottery barn. double old fashioners: kate spade, c/o    

     Tom & Gale}.

 {our cocktail recipe book courtesy of Tom & Gale}

What you'll need:

1/3 cup fresh, organic orange juice {we love the whole foods brand}

1/2 mango, cut into small pieces; extra slices for garnish

1 teaspoon coconut sugar

2 teaspoons filtered water

3 oz of your bourbon of choice {we used Woodford Reserve}

Sparkling water

Cocktail shaker

Stone and mortar {or some other tool to muddle with}

Ice

Optional: 

Whiskey stones {perfect for avoiding a watered down drink}

Makes 2 delicious cocktails.

First, make a simple syrup using the coconut sugar and filtered water {I combined the two and heated for about 12 seconds in the microwave}. Muddle the mango and simple syrup {disclosure: my mango was not ripe enough to muddle; I cheated and used the ninja}. 

Combine the orange juice, muddled mango, bourbon and ice into a cocktail shaker and shake. Pour into two double old fashioneds with whiskey stones {or ice}, and then add a splash {or two, depending on your preference} of sparkling water, and garnish with a slice of mango. 

Enjoy! Have a fabulous weekend!