Home Bar Boomerang: FoodieTails

2015-01-092015-01-09 / Dani DeLuna / Leave a comment

A “Boomerang” is when one bar hand delivers a drink to another bar. Well, here in BlogLand, we can’t exactly send a drink from one friend to the next. Cross-posting is the Blog Boomerang! I’m extremely excited to announce that my first Home Bar Boomerang is from the greatest Home Bar Gurl in the South East, the brilliantly talented FoodieTails! I’ve also posted at her blog today, so head on over to see my recipe.

Bonus: this drink is totally part of the January Total Tiki Takeover! Use the hashtag #TikiTheSnowAway on Instagram to add your own Tiki drinks!

Hello Home Bar Girl readers!! Welcome to a little piece of FoodieTails and the first guest blog post. I’m Morgan and I love cocktails. That’s why we’re all here, right? The #1 Home Bar Girl, Dani, has been killing the cocktail game with her inventive and complex potations. Especially with Rum. Have you seen those Brugal punches?! Amazing. For this first guest post, I thought I’d add my 2 cents in on the rum scene. One can never go wrong with a good swizzle.

Though we’re facing a huge cold front (no snow in the Carolinas yet), I’m still finding a tall glass filled with crushed ice and garnished with mint really refreshing in these cold temperatures. Think tropical thoughts. This swizzle is somewhat of a split base. Combining Brandy and an aged Light Rum. The two balance each other well in this cocktail.

Brooklyn Swizzle:

2oz. Light Rum [Such as Cruzan]
1 1/2oz. Apricot Brandy
3/4oz. Brandy
1oz. Pineapple Juice
3/4oz. Lime Juice
3-6 Mint Leaves
2-3 Dashes Orange Bitters

*Add all ingredients to shaker and fill about half way with ice. Because this cocktail is served over crushed ice, it will be further diluted. Shake until chilled and double strain over crushed ice into a “Hurricane” or highball glass. Garnish with a bouquet of mint.

This has been Home Bar Boomerang. Thanks so much to FoodieTails for this excellent recipe!

The Blue Business

2015-01-072015-01-08 / Dani DeLuna / Leave a comment

Blue Curaçao is back y’all and I don’t mean in some frat-tastic “let’s have Blue Shots!” sort of way. I mean in a total Tiki, fabulous Tropical, creative cocktail sort of way. I recently posted a photo of my Seníor Blue Curaçao on Instagram and was met with several cries of, “oh no, I’m afraid of the Blue stuff!”. Don’t be afraid, be excited!

There is no better time for fun citrusy drinks than winter time! We need Vitamin C, we need Island type drinks, we need a little vacation in a glass because this weather is so cold and snowy! I’ll be posting these recipes one at a time instead of all at once because I’ve decided to go FULL TIKI during the chilly times! Tiki, it’s a state of mind.

The Blue Business

1 1/2 oz Brugal Extra Dry Rum
1/2 oz Seníor Blue Curaçao
1/4 oz Pineapple infused Plymouth Gin
1/2 oz Velvet Falernum
1/2 oz Lime Juice
1/4 oz Vanilla Bean Syrup
Chartreuse Vert rinse
Lime Wheel

Rinse a coupe with Chartreuse and chill. Combine remaining ingredients in tin over ice and shake. Strain into coupe, Lime Wheel garnish.

If you want to join in the fun on Instagram, use the hashtag #TikiTheSnowAway

You’re So Kind: 18.21 Bitters Part 1

2015-01-052015-01-04 / Dani DeLuna / Leave a comment

So, as I mentioned the other day, the lovely people at 18.21 Bitters sent me a whole bunch of Shrub/Syrup/Bitters. LET ME TELL Y’ALL, I am LOVING 18.21 Bitters! These are so fun, so complex and lend themselves to creativity. Inspirational, I AM INSPIRED! With flavours like Lavender + Sea Salt Syrup and Charred Lime, Jalapeño + Peppercorn Syrup, WHO WOULDN’T BE INSPIRED?

Well, to put all of these products on display in one post would be too much, so I’m gonna split it up. This first post will have recipes for the Shrubs and Syrups and the second post will have recipes for the Bitters.

What I’ve got:

Lavender + Sea Salt Syrup – Salt up front, Lavender second which makes for some excellent layered flavour!
Charred Lime, Jalapeño + Peppercorn Syrup – Savory spice bonanza, hits you all at once! I died with happiness!
Pumpkin Spice Shrub – I don’t care that Halloween and ThanxG are over, this shit is DELICIOUS!
Blackberry Peppercorn Shrub – Honestly, good enough to drink alone with Club Soda. Fabulousness awaits!

And now, the cocktails.

Lavender + Sea Salt Syrup: I tasted it and my mind said, OLD TOM GIN! So I said yes, added some lemon and a bit of Cocchi Americano. You’re welcome.

A Weekend In Dover

2 1/2 oz Hayman’s Old Tom Gin
3/4 oz Cocchi Americano
1/2 oz 18.21 Bitters Lavender + Sea Salt Syrup
1/2 oz Lemon Juice
Lemon Peel

Combine ingredients in tin and shakity shake shake. Double strain into coupe, express Lemon peel and garnish.

Charred Lime, Jalapeño + Peppercorn Syrup: Honestly, I’d recommend first making a standard Margarita with this and THEN get creative. Like, when you get a new Rum, you make a Daiquiri and then you start experimenting. Ya know? It was a damn good Margarita btw.

Zapatista Landscape

1 1/4 oz Corralejo Añejo Tequila
3/4 oz Jalapeño infused Espolón Blanco Tequila
1/2 oz Punt e Mes
1/2 oz Cocchi Americano
1/2 oz 18.21 Bitters Charred Lime Jalapeño Peppercorn Syrup
Pinch of Salt

Combine ingredients and stir over ice. Strain into double rocks glass. Add pinch of Salt as garnish.

Pumpkin Spice Shrub: Yes, it’s Pumpkin Pie in a glass but it’s also a Shrub so that nice bit of vinegar really makes for awesome sipping. Here’s a drink which combines all of our favourite Autumn/Winter flavours into one drink!

That Pumpkin Business

1 3/4 oz Rye
3/4 oz Laird’s Apple Brandy
1/2 oz Cynar
1/4 oz St Elizabeth Allspice Dram
1 oz 18.21 Bitters Pumpkin Spice Shrub
Maraschino Cherry
Freshly grated Nutmeg

Combine ingredients in tin and shake over ice. Strain into double rocks glass over ice. Garnish with Cherry and freshly grated Nutmeg.

Blackberry + Peppercorn Shrub: Y’all the vinegar in this shrub is Balsamic Vinegar and ooooooh my, it is soooo yummy! This drink sort of follows my “try to make things that aren’t Jack n Coke but sort of remind the drinker that there is more to life than Jack n Coke” formula.

Decatur Cola

1 1/2 oz Bourbon
3/4 oz Averna Amaro
1 oz 18.21 Bitters Blackberry Shrub
2 dashes Angostura Bitters
Maraschino Cherries
Club soda

Combine ingredients in tin over ice and shake shake shake. Strain into Collins glass over ice. Top with Club Soda and garnish with Cherries.

Cheers to you all! I will be posting many more recipes with 18.21 Bitters Shrubs and Syrups so be on the lookout! This has been You’re So Kind, the part of the show where someone sends me some bottles and I talk about how great they are!

You’re So Kind + Recent Acquisitions Jan 2015

2015-01-032015-01-03 / Dani DeLuna / 1 Comment

NEW YEAR, NEW BOOZE N SUCH! No recipes this time, but I wanted to get everyone excited about all the things I’ll be posting on during Winter 2015! Cheers to you all!

The lovely people of 18.21 Bitters sent me a whole bunch of stuff! Aren’t they kind? LIKE LEGITIMATELY KIND! AND SUCH TASTINESS!! 18.21 Bitters make not only excellent bitters but also Tinctures, Syrups and Shrubs: Blackberry Peppercorn Shrub, Charred Lime + Jalapeño + Peppercorn Syrup, Earl Grey Bitters, Lemon Ginger Tincture just to name a few! I’ve been working on a bunch of recipes and will be posting them soon!

INOCENTE FINO SHERRY – YEAH, I DID IT, HERE WE GO! The complexity and depth of sherry is something I am really into experimenting with.

SENIOR BLUE CURAÇAO – YEAH, BLUE CURAÇAO IS BACK, GET INTO THE SWEET BLUENESS! TROPICAL BREEZES.

VELVET FALERNUM – EVEN MORE TROPICAL. Why it took me this long to get this lime/vanilla/spiced deliciousness is beyond me.

Denizen Aged White Rum – from the Angostura distillery, this is a blended white Rum and more complex than many other white rums and an awesome banana, coconut, mango and pineapple flavors come through immediately.

Hayman’s Old Tom Gin – 19th Century Gin which is a bit sweeter and more botanical than many modern gins. MARTINEZ, here we come. I love this Gin, it’s totally awesome!

Will be posting recipes soooooon!

Happy 2015 from Myself and the Cat

2014-12-312014-12-31 / Dani DeLuna / 1 Comment

Happy prrrrrrty prrrrrty fun times to you all from me n’ Kuti. I’ve had loads of fun writing this Home Bar Girl blog and I hope you’ve had fun too! Have a sensational NYE y’all!

Tonight I will most likely be drinking one or more of the following:

A French 75
Fashionably Late – 1/4 oz St-G, 1/2 oz Chartreuse Jaune, 1 dash Celery bitters, top with dry Prosecco and Lemon peel
Yamazaki 12 Year on a rock
A glass of Champagne/Prosecco with a Lemon peel
Punch

Cheers to you and yours!

Bolla Prosecco Cocktails for NYE

2014-12-292015-10-30 / Dani DeLuna / 4 Comments

Here we go, here we go, here we GOOOOOO. That Xmas business was some kind of business right? I feel like half the reason we all party so hard on NYE is to shake that Xmas business right off our backs and/or lose some weight. WAAAAOOOOOOOOH! Let’s party!

So then we get to “what the hell am I gonna serve/bring/drink on NYE”? You’re gonna drink a Bolla Prosecco Cocktail and you’re gonna love it. Bolla Prosecco is just perfect for party time. It strikes a nice balance between dry and fruity, is perfectly crisp and I seriously love it. I want it in every bubbly cocktail ever. Legit. Super tasty. Party party Prosecco. Bolla Baile Booty.

I’m a classy gal and I love a classy Prosecco + Bitters + Sweetness cocktail anytime but especially on NYE. Give me a coupe with bubbly sweetness and just let me dance baby. So to y’all, I present a bunch of options for Bolla Prosecco cocktails. May you have a fun, ridiculous, sloppy, festive NYE filled with your favourite people!

Let’s start with the basics. A Classic Prosecco cocktail = Sugar, Bitters and Prosecco.

Classic Prosecco Cocktail

1 Barspoon Sugar or 1 Sugar Cube
1 dash of Angostura Bitters and/or 1 dash Orange Bitters
Bolla Prosecco

Add Sugar and Bitters to coupe, top with Prosecco. Stir gently until everything is swimming together nicely.

Next comes St-Germain and some Lavender Bitters. Pretty much to-die-for right here. We’re talking as refined as Downton Abbey but with a nod to la Belle Epoque. Swoon.

Belle Epoque Prosecco Cocktail

1/2 oz St-Germain
1 dash Lavender Bitters
Bolla Prosecco
Lemon Peel

In coupe, add 1/2 oz St-Germain, Lavender bitters, top with Prosecco and gently stir until everything is mixed properly. Express Lemon Peel and garnish.

Here’s one for the Eastern Seaboard. This might be the most American bubbly cocktail ever but don’t quote me on that. 🙂

Mid-Atlantic Prosecco Cocktail

1/2 oz Laird’s Apple Brandy
1 Barspoon Cinnamon Bark Syrup
1 dash Angostura Bitters
Bolla Prosecco

In coupe, add Brandy, Cinnamon Syrup and Bitters. Top with Prosecco and stir gently until the drink looks really American.

Aaaaaand from the Mid-Atlantic down to the sweltering depths of the Durrrty South. NOLA inspired, which is really just saying that you love to mix french and american flavours together. Mhmm, don’t pretend. I know what you do.

Parish Prosecco Cocktail

1/2 oz Raspberry Liqueur
1 dash Pernod Pastis or Herbsaint
1 dash Peychaud’s Bitters
Bolla Prosecco

In coupe, combine Raspberry Liqueur, Pastis/Herbsaint and Peychauds. Top with Prosecco and stir gently until the drink looks sensational.

Back to the “Continent” for this one. And y’all, I’m not going to lie, this is definitely my favourite. I’m sort of upset that I didn’t already create this recipe because I would have drink’d/drank/drunk this all summer. It’s literally sensational. I want to take this Cocktail to a fashion show and then to an opera afterwards.

Fashionably Late Prosecco Cocktail

1/2 oz Chartreuse Jaune
1 dash Celery Bitters
Lemon Peel
Bolla Prosecco

In coupe, combine Chartreuse, Celery Bitters and Prosecco. Gently stir until the drink is ready to go to a fashion show. Express lemon peel and garnish.

Bonus Round: add 1/4 oz St-Germain

For the last one we go full Italian. Pick your favourite Amaro + Prosecco + Lemon peel and go wild!

Amari Prosecco

3/4 oz Santa Maria al Monte Amaro (or whatever your favourite Amaro may be)
Lemon Peel
Bolla Prosecco

In coupe combine Amaro and Prosecco. Stir until the drink is really speaking to your wild side. Express Lemon Peel and garnish.

Well, that’s it! Have a sensational NYE! Thanks again to the Kind people of MBooth marketing for sending me this delicious bottle of Bolla Prosecco.

Classic Cocktails: Aviation

2014-12-232017-02-01 / Dani DeLuna / Leave a comment

I have a lot of feelings about this drink. I went on a 2.5 year Aviation challenge during which time I went to many different bars, in many different States of the good old USA, ordered an Aviation, and took notes. Most of the time, these “Aviations” were WAY TOO lemony. Even bars I really respect used too much Lemon Juice in the drink and Lemon Peels as garnishes. HELL NO.

Where is your Maraschino Cherry? Where are your correct proportions? These are the questions and I’ve got the answer.

Honestly, the very best Aviation I’ve ever had (on more than one occasion) is made by Angel Negrín and here is his perfect recipe.

Aviation

2 oz / 60 ml Plymouth Gin
2 tsp / 10 ml Luxardo Maraschino Cherry Liqueur
1 tsp / 5 ml Crème de Violette
1/2 oz / 15 ml Lemon Juice
Maraschino Cherry

In tin, combine ingredients and shake over ice. Place Maraschino cherry in coupe, double strain liquids into coupe.

Bonus: Aviations make sensational Fizzes and even better Silver Fizzes.

Aviation Fizz: Make the Aviation, strain into Collins glass and add ice, Club Soda and Cherry.

Aviation Silver Fizz: When making the Aviation, use 2 tsp Violette and add Egg White. Dry shake like hell, add ice and shake again. Add 1 oz Club soda to Collins glass, add ice and Cherry, strain Aviation into glass. Top with more soda.

Aviation Royale: Make the Aviation, strain into coupe, add cherry and top with Champagne.

Muhhhhhhhhhhhgh. This drink is so so amazing. I can’t handle it…when it’s made properly. 🙂

Nog-A-Thon + Montenego Nog

2014-12-222015-11-05 / Dani DeLuna / 1 Comment

Yesterday I was in an Egg Nog contest at our neighborhood bar, Bearded Lady. I love that bar. They have a really amazing cocktail program, great oysters and it totally has that chilled out neighbrhood bar vibe. Bonus, the bartenders are extremely nice dudes.

This was the second year that Bearded Lady has held the Nog-A-Thon and the entries were really really tasty!

Look at these garnishes and varying types of nog! Mine was the one in the top right, fluffy and with nutmeg on top.

I wanted to share the recipe for my Nog with y’all! This recipe amount was for the contest and serves around 20 people. Also, metric system is better.

Montenego Nog

The Nog Base:

375 ml Whole Milk
375 ml Heavy Cream
75 ml Cinnamon Bark Syrup
50 ml Vanilla Bean Syrup
6 Eggs

The Alcohol:

120 ml Flor de Caña 7 Year Rum
90 ml Calvados
60 ml Santa Maria Amaro
30 ml St Elizabeth allspice dram
18 dashes Angostura Bitters

Garnish:

Freshly grated Nutmeg

Combine Nog Base ingredients in blender and blend until a nice foam has appeared on top of the liquid.
Pour Nog base into container and add Alcohol.
Stir until liquids are combined.
Pour Montenego Nog into cups or coupes.
Garnish with freshly grated Nutmeg.

Hope you enjoy and have a glorious holiday!

Auntie Edna

2014-12-192014-12-19 / Dani DeLuna / Leave a comment

Y’all, we’re getting pretty close to Xmas and I know errrybody’s Aunties are making ALL the desserts. In fact, Auntie Edna is making so many desserts that even when she’s not making dessert, she’s thinking about dessert. So she took a break from making fruit cakes, made this drink and then went right back to making more cakes! Auntie Edna is so crazy! But damn she does make some sensational cakes and drinks!

Auntie Edna

1 1/4 oz Calvados
3/4 oz Pineapple infused Plymouth gin
1/2 oz Chartreuse Vert
1/2 oz Berentzen Pear Liqueur
1/4 oz Cranberry infused Dolin Rouge
1/4 oz Carpano Antica
3 drops Black Walnut Bitters
Clove studded Orange peel

Combine ingredients over ice and stir. Strain into coupe and garnish with Clove studded Orange peel.

Berentzen Icemint Schnapps + Pousse-Café + Cocktails

2014-12-182014-12-18 / Dani DeLuna / 1 Comment

This is it, this is the one I’ve been waiting for. I’ve been preaching that it’s time for Schnapps to make a splash in the USA and Berentzen Icemint is surely ready to lead the way. Get excited!

As I’ve mentioned before, the extremely kind people at Berentzen USA sent me this fabulous bottle of supermint Schnapps. And oh my god, it’s just sensational! So clean, so smooth, so powerful and so decadent. Icemint is wonderfully and simply Mint: Peppermint, Spearmint, Minty, Mint, Mint. At 100 proof, it’s also ready to knock you out of the park!

I’ve been waiting for the right moment to post about Icemint because I think Americans have the wrong idea about Schnapps. Say the words “Mint Schnapps” to any New Yorker under the age of 35 and they picture grandma’s old liquor cabinet filled with strange bottles that no one has heard of. They also probably got teenage drunk from said bottles and had a righteous hangover. Well, this is NOT that. This is the future and this future is delicious.

I’ve also been waiting to find the right glassware: 1 oz Cordial glasses. 🙂

That’s right, with this delicious Icemint Schnapps comes le Pousse-Café. “Qu’est-ce que c’est un Pousse-Café?”, you may ask? It’s a layered drink which was originally introduced as a digestif in late 19th C. Paris. There are a couple of things to consider with Pousse-Café drinks: the amount of alcohol in the Liqueurs being used, the viscosity and specific gravity (chart) of those Liqueurs. You may have to try a couple of times til you get the layering to work properly.

You also need to use speed pourers, a Pousse-Café spoon or a container with a small opening through which to pour the liquids. Making Pousse-Cafe drinks is about control, patience and creativity. I’m just going to give the ingredients, not the measurements because I’m hoping to encourage y’all to experiment as you please.

Here we go:

Alpine Reward – Crème de Violette + Chartreuse Jaune + Berentzen Icemint Schnapps

Après-Ski No 1 -Berentzen Icemint Schnapps + Santa Maria al Monte Amaro
Après-Ski No 2 -Berentzen Icemint Schnapps + Santa Maria al Monte Amaro + Fernet Branca Amaro

Bitter Chill – Campari + Berentzen Icemint Schnapps

Continental Dessert – Berentzen Icemint Schnapps + Scrappy’s Chocolate Bitters (only slightly layered)

Mrs Klaus Needs a Shot – Raspberry Liqueur + Berentzen Icemint + Pernod Pastis + Chartreuse Vert

Suisse Salvation – Luxardo Maraschino Cherry Liqueur + Campari + Berentzen Icemint

Now for the Cocktails:

Mrs Klaus needs a drink.

As we’re nearing Xmas, I could not get the idea out of my head that Santa’s Wife, the long-suffering Mrs Klaus, must drink a LOT of Icemint Schnapps to help her through the Holidaze. If your husband is bascially a loafer for most of the year then suddenly jumps into a flurry of activity every December, you’d drink a lot too! You probably noticed the Mrs Klaus Needs a Shot Pousse-Café just above. Here are three more drinks just for her! Get it Lady Klaus! No one will stop you now!

Mrs Klaus usually has a cooler at the end of every day. She works hard, she deals with a lot of crap from the elves and those gingerbread cookies aren’t going to bake themselves.

Mrs Klaus Needs A Cooler

1 1/4 oz Raspberry Liqueur
1 oz Plymouth Gin
1/2 oz Berentzen Icemint Schnapps
2 barspoons Grenadine
2 dashes Scrappy’s Grapefruit Bitters
Maraschino Cherry
Club Soda

Combine ingredients over ice and stir. Strain into Collins glass over ice. Top with Club Soda and Garnish with Maraschino Cherry.

On some particularly annoying evenings, when Mrs Klaus just can’t take Santa’s ridiculous shenanigans any more, she has a stiff drink.

Mrs Klaus Needs A Stiff Drink

2 oz Brugal Extra Dry Rum
1/2 oz Cacao infused Campari
1/4 oz Berentzen Icemint Schnapps
1/4 oz Luxardo Maraschino Liqueur
Shaved Dark Chocolate

Combine ingredients over ice and stir. Strain into Coupe, shave Dark Chocolate on top.

Mhmm, you know Mrs Klaus can’t get through all this madness alone. She def has a man on the side and this is def what he drinks.

Mrs Klaus’ Boyfriend

1 1/2 oz Flor de Caña 7 Year Rum
3/4 oz Chartreuse Jaune
1/2 oz Averna Amaro
Berentzen Icemint Schnapps Rinse
Maraschino Cherry

Rinse a rocks glass with Icemint and chill. Combine Rum, Chartreuse Jaune and Averna over ice and stir. Strain into rocks glass over ice. Garnish with Cherry.

Thanks again to Berentzen for letting me experiment with all of these wonderful products! I’ve had so much fun and hopefully so have you!

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