This month's DIY recipes scream summer is here. For artisan vodka makers (that's us), the next few months mean rampant access to some of the most interesting produce we'll see all year. What have we been playing with? Rest assured, it's not porcini vodka. But blackberries are here for a fleeting three weeks, the most sumptuous of apricots and even exotic lychees. How would that work in a vodka? Maybe we'll know in a few months.

June Events

Daily
Pairing Dinner at
The Raymond (Pasadena)

Sat.  June 2  |  5-8 pm

Vodka Sampling at Cabrini Wines  (New York City)

Sat.  June 16  |  4-6 pm

Vodka Sampling at Prospect (Brooklyn)

Wed.  June 20  |  3:30 -6:30 pm

Vodka Sampling at Morrell

(New York City)

Fri.  June 22  |  4-7 pm

Vodka Sampling at Penn Wine & Spirits (New York City)

Sun.  June 24  |  6-9 pm

Tapas Pairing at Martini Beach (Cape May, NJ)

Wed.  June 27  |  6-8 pm

Vodka Sampling at Sussex Wine & Spirits (New York City)

Notes

The cocktail's in the bag

Last week, the Hollywood Farmers' Market, where we shop for ingredients most Sundays, unwittingly helped us create a neat summer cocktail: Ambrosia.

It started out innocently. We'd just made the rounds with our grapefruit grower and stopped a few stalls down to get some cantaloupes, which are coming into peak ripeness in California.

This is the not-so-innocent part --they ended up in the same bag and had a good half hour to rub up against each other.

When we unpacked the fruit, we found the heavenly aroma of grapefruit scented cantaloupe such an inspiration that we created a drink around it.

The summer fruit season's just getting started -- so go out, rub some fruit together and make your own summer drink discoveries!

DIY Pairing | Scallop Ceviche + Grapefruit Honey Mimosa
Chefs John Siuta & Dan Winkler and Mixologist Katie Loeb  |  Martini Beach (Cape May, New Jersey)

"The Ruby Red grapefruit -- juicy, fragrant and at its peak of ripeness --- has the power and complexity to turn an ordinary citrus preparation into a powerhouse showcase for not only dishes but cocktails. We used it in all aspects of this pairing."

INGREDIENTS

4 large raw scallops
12 ripe Ruby Red grapefruit
Sugar
Salt
1 bunch sweet basil

PREPARATION

<  Squeeze grapefruit and place juice into large, sealable container

<  Sweeten juice with sugar to taste

<  Add salt to taste

<  Rough chop basil and add to juice
<  Cut each scallop into 4 bite-sized pieces

<  Submerge scallop pieces in juice

<  Seal container and place in refrigerator
<  Store in fridge for 6 hours to “cook”

<  Place scallops in bowl and pour some of the liquid over them

<  Garnish with freshly chopped basil

INGREDIENTS

3/4 oz. 2:1 water/honey syrup
1 oz MS Grapefruit Honey vodka
1 oz Ruby Red grapefruit juice
1/4 oz X-Rated liqueur

PREPARATION

<  Mix and pour 1 oz of the above mixture into a Champagne flute.

<  Top with sparkling wine.

DIY Cocktail | The Ultimate Bloody Mary
Stephen Schuler, Godfather of Spirits  |  Morrell & Co. (New York City)

"I've always loved celery. Growing up, I would eat it all the time, either with peanut butter, alone with salt, made into soup -- however I could get it. This vodka has given me the perfect ingredient to add to my favorite drink, The Bloody Mary. Now curing the hangover from the night before just got a whole lot tastier. Enjoy!"