Nibbles & Sips

Fun with food and beverages: recipes and opinions about what, how, and why we eat.

Cocktail Advent 28: Winter Warmth

Sips
Image via Whiskey Blue at W Los Angeles

Image via Whiskey Blue at W Los Angeles

Recipe:

  • 2 oz Old Forester Bourbon
  • .25 oz Pomegranate Molasses
  • .5 oz Simple Syrup
  • .5 oz Fresh Lime Juice
  • 1 dash of Angostura Bitters

Pour a splash of Absinthe in a rocks glass and then pour out (in and out repeatedly) and add ice. Pour all other ingredients into a shaker into the rocks glasses over ice with the interior of the glasses lined with the Absinthe. Garnish with a twist.

No, it’s not just the alcohol making that sentence seem wrong–I think something got lost in translation when it was sent to me. Try this, instead:

Rinse a rocks glass with Absinthe just to coat and discard the rest. Fill the rocks glass with ice. Combine the bourbon, molasses, syrup, lime juice, and bitters in a cocktail shaker over ice and shake vigorously. Strain the cocktail into the waiting rocks glass and garnish with a twist.

Why strain out the ice in the shaker when you’re just pouring the cocktail over ice anyway? Unless you’ve got an ice shortage going on, you always want to use fresh ice for your drinks. The ice that’s in the shaker has been agitated and is already starting to melt. That’s good for a prescribed amount of water mixing into the cocktail, but you don’t want to over-dilute the completed drink, either. The ice cubes in the glass will hold up longer since you’re pouring an already-chilled mix over them.

***This recipe was submitted by a representative of Whiskey Blue at W Los Angeles. I am not affiliate with the establishment, nor was I compensated for this post. As always, we encourage responsible refreshment and the use of the Designated Driver. No drunken monkeys, please!***

Cocktail Advent 27: Holiday Spice

Sips

Continuing our calendar of libations through to the end of the month, here’s one good for sipping along with friends in front of the fire or pairing with all those yummy leftovers.

Image via Basil Hayden

Image via Basil Hayden

Basil Hayden’s® Holiday Spice
(by Joaquín Simó)

INGREDIENTS:

  • 2 parts Basil Hayden’s® Bourbon
  • 3/4 parts Fresh Lemon Juice
  • 1/2 part Maple Syrup
  • 1/4 part Amaretto
  • 3 dashes Angostura® bitters

PREPARATION

  1. Combine Basil Hayden¹s®, lemon juice, maple syrup, Amaretto and bitters in a mixing tin with ice and shake vigorously.
  2. Strain into a rocks glass over fresh ice.
  3. Grate a cinnamon stick over the top as garnish

 

 ***This recipe was submitted by a representative of Basil Hayden®. I am not affiliated with this brand nor was I compensated for this post, not even with review samples. As always, we support responsible refreshment and the use of the Designated Driver. No drunken monkeys, please!***

Cocktail Advent 26: Bon Bon

Sips

Oh, did you think we were done just because Christmas is over?! Not a chance! In fact, I figure we’ve got plenty of reasons to continue cocktailing it up through the new year!

Image via Whiskey Blue at W Los Angeles

Image via Whiskey Blue at W Los Angeles

Bon Bon

  • .5 oz Chambord
  • .5 oz Amaretto Di Saronno
  • .5 oz Frangelico
  • .25 oz Chocolate Syrup
  • .5 oz Half & Half
  • .75 oz Raspberry Puree

Add all ingredients in a mixing glass, add ice, cover and shake vigorously.Strain into a port glass and garnish with 3 raspberries.

While I’m not generally a brand snob about liqueurs, when it comes to raspberry liqueurs there are a lot of pale, cough-syrupy options out there. Chambord is the only one that doesn’t twist my face into baby-eating-a-lemon proportions, so sometimes it really does pay to stick with a brand you can trust.

***This recipe was submitted by a representative of Whiskey Blue at W Los Angeles. I am not affiliate with the establishment, nor was I compensated for this post. As always, we encourage responsible refreshment and the use of the Designated Driver. No drunken monkeys, please!***

Cocktail Advent 25: Cranberry Winter Solstice

Sips

Merry Christmas!

If you’ve got leftover cranberry sauce from today’s dinner, here’s a saucy (oh, yes I did!) way to use it up (unless you’ve got cranberry puree on hand for some other reason).

Cranberry Winter Solstice
Source: Manny Hinojosa

  • • 1 1/2 oz. Grey Goose La Poire Vodka
  • • 1 1/2 oz. The Perfect Purée Cranberry Puree, thawed
  • • 1 oz. fresh lemon juice
  • • 1/2 oz. agave nectar
  • • Ginger beer (to top)
  • • 3 drops sesame chili oil
  • • Lemon wheel (for garnish)

Method:

In a cocktail shaker combine all ingredients with ice except ginger beer and sesame chili oil. Shake and serve over the rocks in a Collins glass. Top with ginger beer and 3 drops of sesame oil. Garnish with lemon wheel.

The sesame chili oil has me doing a head-tilt, but I’m all for the sweet and spicy combo in theory. If you try this, do let us know how it went?

***This recipe was submitted by a representative of The Perfect Puree. I am not affiliated with the company nor was I compensated for this post, not even with review samples. As always, we encourage responsible refreshment and the use of the Designated Driver. No drunken monkeys, please!***

Cocktail Advent 24: Santa’s Surprise

Sips

Milk and cookies are so last year. Why not leave Santa something a little more special this year (but make sure he’s got the sleigh on auto-pilot first!).

Image via Flor de Cana

Image via Flor de Cana

Santa’s Surprise

  • 1.5 oz Flor de Caña 7 Year Rum
  • 0.5 oz Lemon Juice
  • 0.5 oz Cranberry Juice
  • 0.75 oz Vanilla Syrup
  • 2 Dashes Orange Bitters

Combine all ingredients in a shaker with ice. Strain into a martini glass and garnish with a lemon, strawberry, and sprig of mint.

Ho ho ho, Merry Christmas!

***This recipe was submitted by a representative of Flor de Caña. I am not affiliated with the company nor was I compensated for this post, not even with review samples. As always, we encourage responsible refreshment and the use of the Designated Driver. No drunken monkeys, please!***