John Cox

Blogs · @wyome

Tagged vodka · everything

Homegrown Limoncello: Preserving a Precious Meyer Lemon Crop

The author shares a recipe for homemade limoncello made from homegrown Meyer lemons, explaining the process of infusing lemon zest in vodka for two weeks before mixing with a simple sugar syrup. Beyond the recipe itself, she discusses the pleasures of growing your own citrus—knowing exactly what chemicals (or lack thereof) touch the fruit—and the seasonal timing of making the liqueur now, in winter citrus season, to enjoy its frozen, digestif-like sips months later in summer.

Permalink

The Truth About the Martini

The martini has experienced a remarkable cultural resurgence in recent years, partly due to social media appeal and meme culture, but more fundamentally because it remains the perfect antidote to modern life—a serious drinker's reward that doesn't mask its alcohol but instead delivers it cold and bracing to calm the mind after a difficult day. Ruck traces the drink's history through Esquire's archives, noting that it was deeply unfashionable in the 1970s and '80s when young people rejected it as a symbol of bourgeois decadence, before its gradual rehabilitation into a drink of timeless sophistication. The piece combines personal anecdotes about martinis consumed around the world with practical guidance on preparation (ice cold, straight up, gin or vodka) to argue that the cocktail's enduring appeal lies in its uncompromising nature and its essential role in the lives of serious, busy people.

Permalink