It’s Friday night, the girls are coming over, you’ve got your favorite bottle of gin, a little ginger liqueur, some sugar to sweeten it up, and a bottle of lemon juice you’ve had in the fridge for a few weeks. STEP AWAY FROM THE REFRIGERATOR and RUN! Run right to the grocery store or corner market. That little bottle of citrus is nothing close to fresh. It has preservatives and chemicals that no one needs to put in their body. What you may not know is that lemon and lime juice go bad within about 4-6 hours of juicing.

Have you ever tried to make that Aviation you had at Barrelhouse Flat at home but you used a bottle of lemon from the liquor store? It didn’t taste quite right, did it? There are two tools you can pickup for making a quick cocktail that won’t break the bank or your arm. The next time you’re at the store pick up either a hand press or a citrus reamer. Both tools are easy to use and just what you need for making a few fresh cocktails at home.

They range in price from $4-$35 depending on how fancy you want to get. You can find them at the grocery store most of the time but you can also find them at Williams-Sonoma, Sur la Table, and Pottery Barn. If you entertain often enough that you would need to juice more than a few lemons or limes, Cuisinart makes an electric juicer that is really compact, can be easily stored, and will get you through those lemons and limes with ease! You can find it at Sur la Table, Bed Bath and Beyond, or Amazon.com.

So the next time you make a cocktail just remember, fresh is always best and will always, always, ALWAYS make a better cocktail. Now if you’re really having a big party don’t forget that Femme du Coupe can do it for you and drop it off at your door. So cheers to your next tasty beverage and we look forward to hearing about your cocktailing at home stories!

Les Bises,