maraschino cherry

You’re So Kind: Berentzen Bushel & Barrel

/ Dani DeLuna / 1 Comment

Bushel-&-Barrel

The very kind people at Berentzen USA have sent me several bottles to taste and review: Icemint Schnapps, Pear Liqueur and Bushel & Barrel. They’re so kind. Aren’t they kind? BERENTZEN, YOU’RE SO KIND! Each bottle is fabulous and totally bursting with flavour but I’m going to start with Bushel & Barrel cause this is America and nothing screams AMERICA more than Bourbon and Apples.

I’ve gotta be honest, this is truly delicious stuff! Upon opening the bottle, crisp, clear Apples come through, then the more complex spices from Kentucky Bourbon settle into your nose. It’s an awesome experience.  First taste also begins with Apple, fresh juicy Apple from Berentzen’s Apple Liqueur and then a bit of spicy kick from Bourbon. Again, awesome. At 60 proof, it’s neither too strong to use in cocktails, nor too weak to drink on the rocks. In fact, everything about this liqueur is super smooth and just right.

If this is the future of flavoured whiskey, then I am so happy to be taking part in the revolution. Bushel & Barrel is by far the best one I’ve ever had and honestly, everything Berentzen makes is outstandingly tasty. (This is the part of the post where you throw that nasty cinnamon flavoured whiskey out the window. There, I said it.)

And now, some Bushel & Barrel cocktails:

American-Rose-1

American Rose (Jack Rose Variation)

  • 1 1/2 oz Bushel & Barrel
  • 1/2 oz Applejack
  • 1/2 oz Lime Juice
  • 1/2 oz Grenadine
  • Lime Wheel

In tin, combine Bushel & Barrel, Applejack, Lime Juice and Grenadine over ice. Shake and double strain into coupe, garnish with Lime Wheel.

Obstacle-Three-2

Obstacle Three

  • 1 1/2 oz Rye
  • 3/4 oz Averna Amaro
  • 1/2 oz Bushel & Barrel
  • 1/2 oz Carpano Antica
  • Maraschino Cherry

In tin, combine Rye, Averna, Bushel & Barrel, Carpano and stir over cracked ice. Strain into coupe, Maraschino cherry garnish.

People-Watching-2

People Watching

  • 2 oz Cocchi Americano
  • 1/2 oz Bushel & Barrel
  • 1/2 oz Cynar
  • 1/4 oz Lemon Juice

In tin, combine Cocchi Americano, Bushel & Barrel, Cynar and Lemon Juice over ice. Shake and double strain into coupe. Splash of Soda or Champagne on top.

Julian-Franco-1

Julian Franco

  • 1 1/2 oz Bourbon
  • 1/2 oz Bushel & Barrel
  • 1/2 oz Raspberry Liqueur
  • 1/4 oz Chartreuse Vert
  • Apple Peel

In tin, combine Bourbon, Bushel & Barrel, Raspberry Liqueur and Chartreuse. Stir over cracked ice and strain into coupe. Apple Peel garnish.

Well, that’s it for now! I’ve definitely got more recipes for Bushel & Barrel and will post them in the future! As for the Pear Liqueur and Icemint Schnapps, I’ll be reviewing them soon! This has been You’re So Kind, the post where someone nice gives me a bottle and I review it!

Classic Cocktails: Black Manhattan

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Black-Manhattan-1

So dark, so smooth, so rich in flavor, so Manhattan. Wait, what am I saying? There is NOTHING smooth about Manhattan, NOTHING. Sorry, are we talking about the Burrough or the Cocktail? As far the Manhattan Cocktail goes, there are as many variations as there are neighborhoods in NYC: Perfect Manhattan, 1920 Cocktail, Cobble Hill, Brooklyn, Red Hook, Bronx, Slope, Greenpoint, Carroll Gardens, to name a few. Even the Rob Roy is essentially just a Scotch Manhattan!

The Black Manhattan or Averna Manhattan is excellent variation on a Manhattan, in fact it might be my favourite. A classic Black Manhattan stays true to the 2:1 ratio of Rye to Averna but I really enjoy a bit of Carpano Antica in this cocktail as well. Remember to sip slowly and feel the Averna. Let its velvety richness guide you into the winter months.

Black Manhattan

  • 2 oz Rye
  • 3/4 oz Averna Amaro
  • 1/2 oz Carpano Antica
  • 2 dashes of Angostura Bitters
  • Maraschino Cherry

In tin, combine Rye, Averna, Carpano and Angostura Bitters over cracked ice. Stir and strain into coupe. Garnish with Maraschino Cherry. Cheers!

Black-Manhattan-2

Classic Cocktails: Diamondback Cocktail

/ Dani DeLuna / 2 Comments

Diamondback

I’ve got a couple of things to say about this drink:

1. With the exception of Old Fashioneds and Sazeracs, “Build-In-Glass” drinks should ALWAYS be in Mason Jars. If you’re just gonna pour everything into the drinking glass, stir it a few times and serve it, don’t use a fancy glass. Use a Mason Jar! Same goes for any drink with a Dirty Pour (everything from the shaker goes straight into the cocktail, ice and all), or any type of Smash. I know that living in the deep South for ten years may have influenced this point of view, but I stand firmly in my beliefs!

2. The Diamondback Cocktail packs a particularly powerful punch! It’s a knock out for sure! Especially if you were to use a spicy rye like George Dickel Rye. Well, WOO! You just might shoot off like a rocket! This drink is a great slow sipper due to its boozy boozy qualities. Remember kids, Chartreuse Vert is 110 Proof.

3. In keeping with my current obsession for Autumnal Cocktails, well, the Applejack is HAPPENING in this drink. Diamondback Cocktail

  • 1 1/2 oz Rye
  • 3/4 oz Laird’s Applejack
  • 3/4 oz Chartreuse Vert
  • Maraschino Cherry

Build in glass with ice. Stir a few times and garnish with Maraschino Cherry. Easy peasy, definitely NOT breezy. Good luck! You’ve been warned.

“The Lord’s Been Good To Me”

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The-Lord's-Been-Good-To-Me

You may be thinking, “ummm, this Home Bar Girl is a little obsessed with Bourbon.” Well, now that it’s Autumn I sort of can’t help myself! I want to use bourbon all the time, errrry day, errrry night.

The name for this drink is from a song in Johnny Appleseed, a Disney animated short released in 1948. As a child, I watched Johnny Appleseed countless times and loved to sing along to this song. Upon taking the first sip of the cocktail and tasting the apple notes, the cartoon rushed back to me. Ah, memories.

“The Lord’s Been Good To Me”

  • 1 oz Calvados
  • 1 oz Bourbon
  • 1/2 oz Honey Syrup
  • 1/4 oz Cynar
  • 2 dashes of Orange Bitters
  • Maraschino Cherry

In tin, combine Calvados, Bourbon, Honey Syrup, Cynar and bitters. Stir and strain into chilled coupe. Garnish with Maraschino Cherry.

The Arlington

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The Arlington

I created this drink in January 2014 while skiing in Vermont*. My girlfriend, some friends and I were staying at a rather hilarious but picturesque AirBnB house in Arlington. We arrived late in the evening, unpacked our bags, I unpacked my traveling Home Bar and the friends asked me to make a drink. This was that drink.

Soon afterwards I posted it on BarNotes and its has become my most popular cocktail on the site! Enjoy!

The Arlington

  • 1 1/2 oz George Dickel Rye (Rittenhouse Rye would work well too)
  • 1 oz Laird’s Applejack
  • 1/2 oz Averna Amaro
  • 2 dashes of Regans’ Orange Bitters
  • Maraschino Cherry

Add ingredients to tin with cracked ice and stir. Strain into rocks glass and serve on the rocks. Maraschino Cherry garnish.

*Just a short word on Vermonty: I love Vermont, I love it so much that I usually just call it Vermonty. Its Green Mountains are stunning, its land-locked inhabitants are quiet, helpful and a bit reclusive, its Maple Syrup is abundant and its Skiing is thrilling!