The COCKTAILS and how they came to be
By now you must know I love making and drinking cocktails. If this is your first time on the blog-welcome! Hi, I'm Kate and I LOVE making and drinking cocktails. Recently, I've gotten more than a few questions on Instagram about how I became interested in cocktail making and why I started a blog about it. Let me explain.
Firstly, the blog is about gardening AND cocktail making. Hence the name. Gardening and the extent to which I do it, is a somewhat more recent passion although I have always loved flowers. I'm just better at it now. Mostly. The cocktail enjoyment? I couldn't tell you exactly when it started-it's nearly always been part of me. I'm Irish, what can I tell ya? For many, many, years I have loved to entertain at home and cocktail making has always been part of that.
Nearly every time I have a party or host a holiday, I have a signature cocktail. It's something I can make in large batches (again, I'm Irish, my family is Irish-need I say more?) and easily serve to my guests or have them help themselves. It makes hosting infinitely easier. The most my friends and family might have to do is top off their drink with a little club soda or fizz of some sort if that is what is called for. Having a delicious drink at hand allows for a good-time party vibe as soon as guests walk in the door. I have other liquors and mixers available, of course, but having a drink at the ready is simple and allows my guests to try something that perhaps they haven't tried before!
I feel that an important thing to note about the cocktails I post on Instagram is this: I make and consume each and every one of the cocktails I shoot and put on the 'gram. I'm now unsure I should be admitting that. Ha-ha-ha. I actually make a drink, shoot it, then enjoy it. There are cocktail accounts out there that have absolutely STUNNING photography. There are cocktail accounts out there that have FAR more sophisticated recipes. There are cocktail accounts out there that have WAY more experience and knowledge about cocktails. I love those accounts and admire them very much. They're an inspiration to me. What I want my cocktails to be are APPROACHABLE. I really want you to be inspired to try them. I want you to be able to replicate them easily at home. That's the point. I keep them as straightforward as I can but still want to push flavor profiles just a bit to have my drinks be interesting and delicious.
Making and enjoying cocktails with my friends and family has been part of my persona for so long, it seemed only natural to start documenting it somehow. Was the blog and my Instagram account started as some sort of mini mid-life crisis? Maybe. Who can say? Okay, it definitely was. It allows me an outlet for what passes for creativity in my world. It gives me the opportunity to share the knowledge I have about gardening and mixology. I hope more than anything it brings a smile to your face and a little more beauty into your world.
Cheers!