Browsing Tag

bourbon

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Old Fashioned

December 19, 2014

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My go-to drink for the past few months has been an Old Fashioned, so I was a little surprised to see I’ve never posted about it on the blog!  I know this is a classic, but it is a must have for your cocktail line-up this winter season.

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Old Fashioned 

  • 3 dashes Angostura Bitters
  • 1 tsp sugar
  • 1 orange wheel
  • 1 Maraschino cherry (I use Luxardo)
  • 1 splash club soda
  • 2 oz bourbon
  • Garnish: 1 orange wheel and 1 cherry
  1. Muddle bitters, sugar, fruit and soda in an old fashioned glass.
  2. Remove orange rind and add bourbon.
  3. Fill with ice and garnish with a fresh orange wedge and cherry.

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Sip

Sour Cherry Cider Sip

November 14, 2014

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Now that fall is in the (80 degree) air I am swapping watermelon for butternut squash, swim suits for sweaters, and vodka for bourbon.  My family loves sour cherry syrup (perfect for mixing with club soda and lime for a refreshing sipper), so when I came across a bottle of it, I knew I had to swoop it up (it can be hard to find).  I mixed it with a favorite of my fall-ish libations and here is what we came up with!

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Sour Cherry Cider Sip 

  • 1 1/2 oz whiskey
  • 1/2 oz sour cherry syrup
  • ~1/4 cup cider
  1. Pour whiskey in a low ball glass over ice.
  2. Add sour cherry syrup.
  3. Top with cider and stir.

You know how I love a cocktail with minimal clean-up… and this one hits the spot! Delicious, refreshing, seasonal and still a little bubbly from the cider – perfection!

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Step 1

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Step 2

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 Step 3

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PS. if you aren’t able to find any syrup at your local artisan store (or Cost Plus or Home Goods), you can make your own!

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Cherry Simple Syrup 

  • 8 oz cherries (fresh or frozen)
  • 1/3 cup sugar
  • 1 tablespoon water
  1. Place ingredients in a sauce pan and stir over medium heat.
  2. Cover and lift lid only to stir occasionally.
  3. Once cherries soften (and are easily “mashable”), allow to cook 5 more minutes and then cool.
  4. Store cherries and syrup in an airtight container.

*For this recipe you can include both cherries and syrup in the cocktail.  Otherwise feel free to strain them.

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Sip

Pineapple Mint Juleps

June 27, 2014

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I wanted to put a tropical spin on an American favorite for 4th of July festivities – Pineapple Mint Juleps.  This pitcher drink is perfect to whip up for your BBQ’s next week!

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Pineapple Mint Juleps

  • 2 cups bourbon
  • 1 cup pineapple puree
  • 3/4 cup mint simple syrup
  • 1-2 cups club soda (depending on preference)
  1. Combine ingredients in a large pitcher and gently stir.
  2. Serve over crushed ice.
  3. Garnish with mint and enjoy!

Pineapple Puree

  • 1 pineapple, cubed
  • 3 tablespoons mint simple syrup
  1. Puree pineapple in a food processor and drizzle in simple syrup until combined.

Mint Simple Syrup 

  • 1/2 cup boiling water
  • 1/2 cup sugar
  • 1 large bunch of mint
  1. Mix mint leaves in boiling water and sugar until sugar dissolves.
  2. Let steep for 5-10 minutes, then strain leaves.

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Sip

Bourbon and Blood Orange Smash

January 31, 2014

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So I’m not a big beer drinker and I don’t think sipping on a super fruity cocktail is going to fly for the big game this Sunday, so I wanted to whip up something that is football friendly yet tastes yummy enough for the ladies… here we go!

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Bourbon and Orange Smash

Serves 4 – Adapted from Real Simple

  • Zest of 1 orange, peeled into strips
  • 1 Tablespoon sugar
  • 2 teaspoons bitters
  • 12 oz fresh squeezed orange juice (I threw in a couple blood oranges)
  • 12 oz club soda (1 can)
  • 6 oz bourbon
  1. In a large pitcher, muddle orange zest, sugar and bitters with a wooden spoon.
  2. Add orange juice, club soda and bourbon.
  3. Stir and serve!

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* Feel free to make the drink up to 6 hours in advance – just withhold the club soda, and add right before serving!

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Maple Leaf Martini

January 3, 2014

Maple Martini

My family set out to enjoy this unseasonably gorgeous weather this past weekend, with a good ol’ Sunday Funday!

Cordevalle We made our way to Cordevalle, a gorgeous golf resort about a half hour from our home. The sun was shining, I was with my favorite people and when I glanced at the cocktail menu, I knew I had found my new happy place.

As my eyes worked their way down the list, I was beyond excited to try their Maple Leaf Martini… and lucky for me they shared their secret recipe – which I am going to share with you all!

Poured Cocktail

Maple Leaf Martini

1.5 oz Basil Hayden Bourbon
1 tsp high quality Maple Syrup
1 Lemon Juice Ice Cube (equal parts lemon juice and water)

Add maple syrup and bourbon to an ice filled shaker and shake vigorously.  Strain into a martini glass over a large Lemon Juice Ice Cube.

The great part of this cocktail, is it only gets better as the “ice cube” melts! Such a genius idea… I can’t wait to try out some new variations of the “flavored ice cube!”

Maple Leaf Cocktail