bitters

Easy Peasy Drinks to Make for Thanksgiving and All Your Other Holiday Parties

/ Dani DeLuna / Leave a comment

DD's-Cider-Punch-1

It’s that time of year again. Not only is it Thanksgiving, it’s Thanksgiving during a election year, meaning that you’re probably feeling salty towards at least some of your friends and relatives or perhaps they’re feeling salty towards you! What will ease the anguish you’re experiencing as you mentally prepare yourself to share a meal with your loved ones?

A drink that’s what!

Ok, so now you realize you have to make drinks for a whole bunch of people, AND you’re feeling salty. What to do?

Keep it easy man! Today, I’m gonna give us a few large-format cocktails that will work for all the upcoming holiday parties and give you a lil peace of mind. Ready? Let’s go.

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Firstly, you could set up an Old Fashioned Station for your guests to help themselves. This is a great idea cause build-your-own-drinks tend to be a hit at parties! You could get a couple different kinds of spirits (Bourbon, Rye, Aged Rum, Apple Brandy, Añejo Tequila, Mezcal, Brandy, etc), different types of sweeteners or a mixer like the excellent Cocktail Crate Spiced Old Fashioned Mixer, an assortment of Bitters, garnishes and let the people do what they want!

Apple-Brandy-Prosecco

A sparkling wine cocktail: This one is easy cause you can batch your modifiers (like Apple Brandy + Cinnamon Syrup, Angostura Bitters) ahead of time, pour them into the glass and top with prosecco. Donezo!

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Bottled Negroni: This one is almost a no-brainer. Make a bottle sized Negroni, let it hang out in the bottle for a few days and serve as an aperitivo. Super duper easy and the Negroni is a perfect drink to cut through all those heavy foods you’re about to consume.

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4. Punch. Duh. This is by far my fave format for large parties cause Punch is the most communal cocktail of them all. I’ve created many Punch recipes but my two favorites are…

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Winfred Bumbry Punch: This Punch uses Irish Whiskey, two kinds of Rum, Ruby Port, Lemon Sherbet, and Nutmeg. It’s fabulously tasty and was a home run at last year’s Friendsgiving.

DD's-Cider-Punch-1

DD’s Cider Punch: this Punch features mulled apple cider, two kinds of Rum, Allspice Dram, Benedictine, and Lemon Sherbet. (If you haven’t noticed, Sherbet is essential in a proper punch.)

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See, that was so easy! Cheers and hope y’all have loads of fun during the holidays!

 

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Stirred Drinks with Rhum Agricole: L’Acajou

/ Dani DeLuna / Leave a comment

lacajou-1

Alriiiiiight, so I decided to take my Rhum Agricole obsession and turn it into a series of stirred drinks cause AUTUMN Y’ALL. Why does Rhum automatically have to be associated with Tiki drinks and Tropicals times? (Cause it’s damn good that’s why.)

Fore real though, I got a whole bunch of stuff from the House of Agricole (Clement, Damoiseau, & Rhum JM) and decided to make a series of drinks with aged Rhum Agricole. I am fully aware that this concept is a bit difficult to get one’s head around but trust me, these drinks are deeeelicious.

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So let’s talk about Rhum Agricole cause I’ve started teaching classes about this delicious category of Rhum but don’t think I’ve addressed it here on Home Bar Girl.

  1. What is Rhum Agricole? It’s Rhum made from freshly pressed Cane Juice instead of being made from Molasses (like most Rums you know) or another Sugar Cane byproduct.
  2. Why is it spelled with an “h”? Cause it’s French and that’s how the french do.
  3. Why does it taste super different from all the other Rums I know? Fresh Cane Juice makes Rhum taste like plants instead of tasting like caramelized or molasses sugar. Rhum Agricole is mega herbaceous, a bit funky, and has an unusually high level of Terroir. So much so that Rhum Agricole made in Martinique has an actual AOC designation from the french government, just like french wines do.
  4. Did I mention that Martinique is part of the French Commonwealth? It is. Colonialism.

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“So what’s the deal with this drink gurl?” Basically, I wanted to accomplish the following:

  1. I wanted to put Rhum Clement Vieux Agricole in a stirred drink. Based on all of the planty, grassy, rubbery, fruity notes in the Rhum, I knew it would go well with Giffard Banane du Bresil.
  2. Giffard Banane is basically like Banana Bread in a bottle. Carmelized banana, baking spices, deep toffee notes. This shit is like crack if crack was in Banana form.
  3. Fancy Tony’s bitters were given to me by Tony himself! Thanks Tony! They’ve got citrus, spices, allspice, and basically everything you want in Tiki bitters.

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I wanted the Orange oil to be happening but I didn’t want to put a peel in the drink cause I felt like the presentation would be too overwhelming. Overwhelming? WHUT…

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…Nutmeg. Yep. It’s that time of year. The time of year when I put Nutmeg in almost every single drink. No one wants to look at a drink with an Orange peel AND Nutmeg so we’re going to express the Orange peel and discard.

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The word L’Acajou means “Mahogany” en français and was a word used in advertisements for Rhum Clement Vieux Agricole back in the 1930s. Since this drink is the nearly the same color as mahogany, I’m using the word “L’Acajou” for this drink. Also, it sounds awesome. Say, “L’Acajou” fives times to yourself. Yeah gurl, you love it.

L’Acajou

  • 1 1/2 oz Rhum Clement Vieux Agricole
  • Heavy 1/4 oz Giffard Banane du Bresil
  • Fancy Tony’s Tiki Bitters (sub Bittermen’s Elemakule Tiki Bitters or Angostura Bitters)
  • Garnish: Orange oil, freshly grated Nutmeg

Build in glass: Add Rhum, Banane du Bresil, Bitters, ice and stir. Express Orange peel and discard, grate Nutmeg on top.

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Hope y’all enjoy this and it gets your juices flowing for some really killer Stirred Drinks with Rhum Agricole! Santé!

Bolla Prosecco Cocktails for NYE

/ Dani DeLuna / 4 Comments

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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.

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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!

Classic-Prosecco-Cocktail

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.

St-G-Prosecco

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.

Apple-Brandy-Prosecco

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.

Raspberry-&-Prosecco

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.

Chartreuse-Jaune-Prosecco

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

Amari-Prosecco

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.

Gin-Gin Crisp + Crispin Pear Cider

/ Dani DeLuna / Leave a comment

Gin-Gin-Crisp

So a month ago I bought some Crispin Hard Pear Cider. Being a fan of their Hard Apple Cider, I could not wait to taste this bottled goodness! But then, it sat in the back of the fridge whilst I made Raspberry Liqueur, a ton of drinks with Salers Aperitif, entered a Bourbon Manhattan competition and tried to find the best Negroni Bianco Variation. (P.S. I may have found it and will post my discovery soon!)

Well today, I could not take it any more! I had to open that bottle! And Ohhhhhh sweet Stars, this Pear Cider is so wonderful. Made from 100% Pear juice, the Crispin Pear is so dry and crisp and California and PEAR and muhhhhhhhhhhhh. I would literally drink this every day if it wouldn’t kill me. Best of the Best. Five Stars.

But, being the Home Bar Girl that I am, I immediately thought about how to use it in a cocktail. What came to me was: Gin, Ginger, Lemon, Pear. WHOOP! This drink is truly crisp and delicious while still being Autumnal! High Five! We did it!

Gin-Gin Crisp

  • 2 oz Smooth Gin (Plymouth Gin used here)
  • 1 oz Ginger Liqueur (Domaine de Canton used here)
  • 1/2 oz Lemon Juice
  • Crispin’s Pear Cider or other Pear Cider suitable cider will do
  • 2 Dashes Angostura Bitters
  • Lemon Peel

In tin, combine Gin, Ginger Liqueur and Lemon Juice over Ice and shake baby shake. Strain into Collins glass with ice, pour Pear Cider on top and add 2 dashes of Angostura Bitters. Express Lemon Peel and garnish.