cocktails

MxMo CII: Spooky Sips | The Black Julep

Sips

You know what we haven’t had a lot of around here, lately? Cocktails! And while I had something else in mind for today’s post, I was happily reminded that today is Mixology Monday and I have the perfect cocktail inspiration. So today we’re joining up with other mixologists around the web and our host for this round, Rated R Cocktails, to bring you my version of the Black Julep cocktail.

Black Julep

At Northside Pies a couple weeks ago I ordered a Black Julep from their cocktail menu and was pleasantly surprised at how good it was. I’m not usually a big bourbon fan, though I’ve acquired a taste for the smoother ones over the years. One of my favorites is Tennessee Honey by Jack Daniels–I don’t generally sip spirits neat, but this one I will. The other component of a Black Julep is blackberry something–that’s where my memory got a little fuzzy (but I swear I only had one!).

For my version of the Black Julep I decided to make a syrup from blackberry wine in addition to muddling some blackberries in the bottom of the glass, like you’d do with mint in a normal julep. A semi-local winery in Defuniak Springs, Florida, Chautauqua Winery, makes a fabulous blackberry wine that we’ve been known to plan a weekend road trip around just to restock. It’s that good. If you don’t have a local favorite, Arbor Mist’s Blackberry Merlot would probably do in a pinch.

The blackberry syrup is 2 parts wine and 1 part sugar, boiled until the mixture coats the back of a spoon. Now, when I say coats the back of a spoon, I mean you can run the back of your fingernail through it (or the tip of a knife, if you have short nails and don’t want to burn yourself) and the furrow doesn’t immediately fill. Let cool a bit, just so it won’t immediately melt the glass of ice. You can, of course, make this ahead of time and store it.

Black Julep

Fresh Blackberries
Sugar
Ice
2 oz Tennessee Honey Whiskey
Club Soda
Blackberry Syrup

Muddle 2-3 blackberries in the bottom of a rocks or low-ball glass with a dash of sugar. Fill the glass with ice and pour in the Tennessee Honey. Top with club soda until almost full and swirl the glass to combine things a bit. Pour some of the blackberry syrup over the back of a spoon into the drink. Garnish with another blackberry on a cocktail pick and enjoy.

While I think the color of the drink is a little on the macabre side, the theme of this month’s MxMo is Spooky Sips. Frankly, the scariest thing about this cocktail is how sweet it is. That was my intention, of course.

mxmo-halloween

If you’d like more spooky cocktail inspiration, head over to the host’s blog and check out the comments for more of this month’s participants.

Cocktail Advent 31: Holiday Sparkler

Sips

We made it! It’s the end of 2014 and, frankly, it couldn’t come soon enough.

Now, don’t get me wrong, there were a lot of good things that happened in 2014 and I don’t want to dismiss them but there were also a lot of sucky things that happened, friends we lost, and the struggles that went into making the good things happen. It’s been a rough year not just for me but for many of my friends and, well, we’re all hoping for a better time of things in 2015!

So with that in mind, I present to you the final cocktail in our Advent series…

Image via Ruffino Prosecco

Image via Ruffino Prosecco

Ruffino Holiday Sparkler

Gather together to celebrate tradition and the holiday season with the Ruffino Holiday Sparker. This cocktail includes autumn flavors of apple cider, cranberry, citrus and maple syrup, making it an easy-to-make, but still complex cocktail for your festive fete.

  • 3 oz. Ruffino Prosecco DOC
  • 3/4 oz. apple cider
  • 3/4 oz. cranberry juice
  • 1 tsp. maple syrup
  • Squeeze of 1 lemon wedge

Add ingredients directly to a mixing glass with ice and stir briefly.  Strain into a chilled champagne flute that has been rimmed w/ cinnamon sugar. Garnish with a mint leaf floating on top.

As we raise our glasses tonight and watch the ball drop, or otherwise count down the seconds until the new year begins, I wish you all well. I thank you for being a part of my 2014 (even the sucky parts) as it all combines to make us stronger and better for the future. May you have a brilliant 2015 and seize every moment of promise for the gift it is!

Cheers!

***This recipe was submitted by a representative of Ruffino Prosecco, I am not affiliated with the brand 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 30: Rum is the New Champagne Daiquiri

Sips

Well, maybe that’s overstating things a touch, but I am awfully fond of rum, so we’ll let that go!

Image via Caliche Rum

Image via Caliche Rum

Rum is the New Champagne Daiquiri

  • 1 ½ oz Caliche Rum
  • ½ oz Simple Syrup
  • ½  oz fresh squeezed lemon juice
  • Top with Brut Champagne (or Dry Sparkling Wine)

Shake first three ingredients in a cocktail shaker with ice. Strain into a flute glass, top with brut Champagne and garnish with a lemon twist.

***This recipe was submitted by a representative of Caliche Rum. I am not affiliated with the brand nor have I received any compensation for this post, not even review samples. As always, we encourage responsible refreshment and the use of a Designated Driver. No drunken monkeys, please!***

Cocktail Advent 29: Electric Blanket

Sips

‘Fun’ fact about me: I’m scared of electric blankets. Well, not so much scared of the blankets themselves, but of the possibility, especially overnight, of them catching fire. I realize that oodles of people use them every day with no issues, but I’ve never been able to let the soothing warmth cancel out my fire hazard fears. After all, I’m the girl who turned around and drove home after arriving at work more than once because I couldn’t remember if I turned my makeup mirror off.

Those light get hot!

What I’m not scared of is today’s drink. Cranberry hot cocoa? Totally down for that!

The Electric Blanket
Source: Manny Hinojosa

  • • 1 oz. Cognac or Brandy
  • • 1 1/2 oz. The Perfect Purée Cranberry Puree, thawed
  • • 5 oz. hot cocoa
  • • 1/8 oz. vanilla extract
  • • Whipped cream
  • • Dash of cinnamon sugar
  • • Orange peel (for garnish)

In a coffee mug combine hot cocoa, cranberry puree, Cognac and vanilla extract. Stir and top with whipped cream and cinnamon sugar. Garnish with orange twist.

Sounds good, right? Remember, just because we’ve gotten past Christmas doesn’t mean things are getting warmer anytime soon. Keep this recipe handy.

***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 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!***