Kelly Kapowski

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Cocktail History

The Kelly Kapowski is a modern cocktail that was created at LoLo American Kitchen & Craft Bar in Stillwater, Minnesota. It pairs cucumber, arugula, ginger, celery, lemon, and paprika with vodka and sparkling water to create a refreshing yet unique drink that's great for a hot day.

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Cocktail Ingredients

To make this cocktail, you’ll need the following ingredients:

Soda Water: This is a type of water that has been infused with carbon dioxide gas under pressure. I used Topo Chico Sparkling Mineral Water.

Vodka: This is a spirit made with grains, vegetables or fruits, and alcohol. I used Smirnoff Vodka.

Ginger Syrup: This is a sweetener made with ginger, white sugar, gum arabic powder, and water. I made mine using this sous vide recipe.

Lemon Juice: This is the liquid juice of a lemon. I used freshly squeezed lemon juice.

Celery Bitters: This is a food product made with celery, botanicals, herbs, and alcohol. I used Fee Brothers Celery Bitters.

Cucumber Slices: This is cucumber that has been cut into a wheel shape.

Arugula: This is a type of fresh green with a peppery flavor.

Paprika: This is a spice. I used Simply Organic Ground Paprika.

Cucumber Ribbon: This is a cucumber slice that has been thinly cut into a strip.

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Bartending Tools

To make this cocktail, you’ll need the following bar tools:

Jigger: This is used to measure and pour ingredients. I used the Japanese jigger from the A Bar Above 14-Piece Silver Bar Set.

Muddler: This is used to muddle ingredients. I used the HQY Stainless Steel Cocktail Muddler.

Boston Shaker: This is used to shake ingredients. I used the Boston shaker from the A Bar Above 14-Piece Silver Bar Set.

Hawthorne Strainer: This is used to strain out ice and solid ingredients after the cocktail is shaken. I used the A Bar Above Hawthorne Strainer.

Paring Knife: This is used to cut ingredients. I used the OXO Good Grips 3.5 Inch Paring Knife.

Juicer: This is used to juice citrus. I used the ALEEHAI Manual Fruit Juicer.

Peeler: This is used to remove the garnish peel from the citrus. I used the OXO Good Grips 2-Piece Peeler Set.

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Tasting Notes

This cocktail has the following flavor profile:

• Appearance: Pale green color

• Aroma: Cucumber and citrus

• Taste: Tingly cucumber flavor mixed with hints of paprika, bitter arugula, celery, and ginger spice

• Finish: Slight alcohol burn and lemon

Kendall’s Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Kendall’s Take: "I first tried a mocktail version of this drink on a visit to Stillwater back in 2017 and had to recreate it at home. Even with the addition of vodka to make it a little boozy, it's exactly as refreshing and delicious as I remember. The cooling cucumber mixes nicely with the spicy ginger, and the effervescent soda water makes it all so easy to sip."

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Recipe