shaken

Blackberry Rum Bramble

/ Dani DeLuna / 2 Comments

Blackberry-Rum-Bramble-1

When I was a youth back in Marin County, California, my family and I used to go to a nearby creek and pick Blackberries from the bushes in late Aug – early Sept. Every year, I think about those hilarious times of fumbling through the brambles, trying not to get too many cuts, and gathering as many berries as we could hold. Then we’d take our treasured fruit back to my mom, who would cook them into a cobbler. (Wow, I sound really provençal right now.)

Ahhhh, childhood.

Anyone up for a late season Blackberry Bramble? Yes? Not just any Bramble though, a Rum Bramble in a Mule cup!

Blackberry-Rum-Bramble-2

I got this nice Mule cup from my friend Drinks and Ink at my birthday, thanks dude!

Blackberry-Rum-Bramble-5

Blackberry Rum Bramble

  • 2 oz Denizen Aged White Rum
  • 3/4 Lemon Juice
  • 1/2 Cinnamon Bark syrup
  • 7-8 Blackberries
  • 2 dashes Angostura Bitters (optional)
  • Garnish: Lemon Peel

Combine Blackberries, Lemon juice, and Cinnamon Bark syrup and muddle. Add Rum and shake over cracked ice. Dirty pour contents of shaker into Mule cup.

Blackberry-Rum-Bramble-4

Scrumptuousness in a mug y’all. Cheers!

Advertisement

Sage Rose

/ Dani DeLuna / 1 Comment

Sage-Rose-1

Y’allllllll, I don’t usually have Jameson in My Home Bar but my girlfriend brought a 375ml bottle home after a business trip. Now, whenever we go out to a dive bar, concert, or somewhere that isn’t a cocktail bar, we usually just order Jame-o on the rocks. It’s great on its own and it hits the spot every time.

Sage-Rose-2

But after getting more Sage from the farmer’s market, it hit me that I could make a sort of Irish Rose with muddled Sage! This is the perfect cocktail to make with Jameson or any other Irish Whiskey you may have in your Home Bar. Simple and supremely delicious.

Sage-Rose-4

Honestly, this is one of the tastiest Whiskey Sours I’ve ever had.

Sage Rose

  • 2 oz Jameson or similar Irish Whiskey
  • 3/4 oz Grenadine
  • 3/4 oz Lemon Juice
  • 5 Sage Leaves
  • Garnish: Sage

Combine Lemon Juice, Grenadine, and Sage leaves in tin and muddle. Add Irish Whiskey, ice and shake. Double strain into double Rocks glass over ice. Garnish with Sage.

Sage-Rose-3

Delicious Whiskey cheers to you all!

Admiral Montenegro

/ Dani DeLuna / Leave a comment

Admiral-Montenegro-3

Y’all, it’s nearly August…YIKES! Ok, ok. Let’s all calm down a minute and reflect on what this means. 1. Summer is not over. 2. The light is changing and we’re looking forward to Autumn, which means that 3. Perhaps we want a lil depth and character in our Tiki drinks.

Amaro Montenegro is here to give us that character!

Admiral-Montenegro-2

Hello Luxardo Cherries, hello frosty glass.

Admiral-Montenegro-4

To the luscious Montenegro I’ve added Flor de Caña 7 (smoothest of all), Carpano Antica (the spices go so well with the Montenegro), Orgeat, and some Lime juice. This is a seriously satisfying and complex Tiki drink. Hope you enjoy!

Admiral Montenegro

  • 1 oz Amaro Montenegro
  • 1 oz Flor de Caña 7 Year Aged Rum
  • 1 oz Carpano Antica Formula
  • 1 oz Lime Juice
  • 1/2 oz Orgeat
  • Garnish: hollowed out Lime Half with Maraschino Cherries

Combine ingredients over ice and short shake. Double strain into double Rocks glass (or short Tiki mug) over crushed ice and garnish.

Admiral-Montenegro-1

Cheers!

SAB Gimlet

/ Dani DeLuna / Leave a comment

SAB-Gimlet-1

Well, it appears that little bunch of Sage I acquired at the Farmer’s Market on Saturday has got me in the grip! IN THE GRIP! The Sage has clawed its way into my brain and now the only thing I can think about is, “What Gin + Sage cocktail can I make next?”

SAB-Gimlet-4

You, you’re responsible for this madness! jkjkjk, I luv u and never want you to go away. #SageLover 

SAB-Gimlet-3

Last night my illustrious girlfriend and I were discussing what to make with the Sage after we got back from jogging and she suggested a Gimlet. Awesome idea, easy drink to riff on. When I think of Sage, I think earthy flavours. My mind immediately turned to Hella Bitters Citrus Bitters cause they have all those extra herbes & spices which really compliment Sage.

SAB-Gimlet-2

To this I added some St. George Absinthe Verte and used the Berkshire Mountain Distillers Ethereal Gin Batch 11. This is a magnificent American Gin and has an earthier spice set than say, a London Dry. If you have St. George Terroir or Botanivore, that would make a totally awesome sub, as would Greenhook Dry, Dorothy Parker or even Mayfair Gin. You can use a bright Gin, but I wouldn’t recommend a Juniper foward one.

SAB Gimlet

  • 2 oz BMD Ethereal Batch 11
  • 1 oz Lime Juice
  • 3/4 oz Simple Syrup
  • 1 dash Hella Bitter Citrus Bitters
  • 5-6 Sage leaves
  • Absinthe rinse
  • Garnish: Sage leaf

Rinse a double Rocks glass with Absinthe and chill. Combine Lime Juice, Simple Syrup, Sage leaves and muddle. Add Gin, Bitters, and shake. Double strain into double Rocks glass over ice. Garnish with Sage leaf.

SAB-Gimlet-5

Cheers to all your Sage adventures!

4th of July Daiquiri Party: Blue Daiquiri No. 2

/ Dani DeLuna / Leave a comment

Blue-Daiquiri-No-2-1

The 4th of July Daiquiri Party is in full swing on Instagram! If you want to submit a photo and recipe, use the hashtag #4thofJulyDaiquiriParty!

Blue-Daiquiri-No-2-2

Today’s Daiquiri is a Blue take on the classic Daiquiri No. 2 from the famous La Floridita Bar in Cuba. I love this Daiquiri, it’s supremely bright and refreshing with nice Orange flavours. I’m literally just subbing the Blue Curaçao for clear Curaçao, so there isn’t much variation here. The blue colour does make me want to get on a plane and go to a tropical island though!

Blue Daiquiri No. 2

  • 2 oz Denizen Aged White Rum
  • Barspoon Senior Blue Curaçao
  • 3/4 oz fresh Lime Juice
  • 1/2 oz Simple Syrup
  • Barspoon fresh Orange Juice
  • Garnish: Orange wedge

Combine ingredients over ice and shake like a rocket! Strain into chilled coupe. Garnish with Orange wedge.

Blue-Daiquiri-No-2-3

Cheers to all of us on this 4th of July Holiday weekend!

Rhubarb Express

/ Dani DeLuna / Leave a comment

Rhubarb-Express-3

Y’all! Worlds have collided, tomorrow is World Gin Day and it’s also Rhubarb Season! Mercury Retrograde be dammed or whatever, this shit is happeniiiiiiing!

Now, obvi you need to read the post about Barb’s Rhubarb Cocktail & Syrup so you can make the Syrup (and read a blog post in a Victorian Era British Lady’s voice). Once you’ve done that, it’s time to make Rhubarb Express.

Rhubarb-Express-2

You did read read the post, right? You made the Syrup, savoured the gloriousness of cooking Rhubarb and Sugar together and you’re all ready to go? Yes? Great!

Rhubarb-Express-4

I chose Hella Bitter Citrus Bitters because they are made with four different citrus peels, gentian root, and spices. In fact I would say these bitters are as crucial to Rhubarb Express as Peychaud’s is to a Sazerac. This cocktail is super tart and complex from the herbes in the bitters and vegetal Rhubarb notes, with a shimmering quality from the Lemon Juice.

Rhubarb Express

  • 1 3/4 oz Plymouth Gin (sub Hayman’s Old Tom Gin, any smooth dry Gin)
  • 1 oz Rhubarb Syrup
  • 3/4 oz Lemon Juice
  • 1 dash Hella Bitter Citrus Bitters
  • No Garnish

Combine ingredients over ice and shake vigorously for around 15 seconds. Strain into coupe.

Rhubarb-Express-1

Bonus: this drink is supremely awesome on the rocks with a splash of soda and a Mint sprig.

Cheers!

Barb’s Rhubarb Cocktail & Syrup

/ Dani DeLuna / 4 Comments

Barb's-Rhubarb-1

Let’s pretend that for this post I’m a 19th Century British lady named Barbara Billingsworth and I’m obsessed with Rhubarb. Therefore, read the rest of this post in a Victorian accent and with proper diction. Marvelous.

Wednesday, 10th June

Oh, I’m so excited that it’s Rhubarb season. How terribly delightful! I’m planning all sorts of ways use my Rhubarb throughout the springtime and into the summer. I can’t even begin to express my great joy and pleasure at interacting so specially with this particular plant. It is at once both tart and sweet. Both vegetal and citrine. In essence, it is divinity itself.

I’ve decided to start by making it into a syrup for which to use in Cocktails. Oh heavens, my guests shall enjoy that quite a lot, shall they not? Yes, quite. We will go ahead and start with the recipe.

Processed with VSCOcam with kk2 preset

Barb’s Rhubarb Syrup

  • 2 cups of chopped Rhubarb
  • 1 1/2 cups of Water
  • 1 cup Turbinado or Demerara sugar (or another Rich sugar)
  • 1 sauce pot
  1. Now Dear, be sure to chop your Rhubarb rather properly or it won’t cook down the way we want it to in the pot. We wouldn’t want improperly cooked Rhubarb now would we?
  2. Combine ingredients over especially low heat and simmer for just around half an hour. Please don’t let it come to a boil or the Rhubarb you may spoil.
  3. Remove from heat and cover for around three hours.
  4. Fine strain, using the sides of a spatula to press the bits of Rhubarb against the strainer, thereby leeching the maximum amount of liquid.

Processed with VSCOcam with kk1 preset

Now Dears, here’s the trick. One should have around 2 cups of liquid at this time and I had us adding 1 1/2 cups of water so we could reduce the syrup after it had been strained. You’re going to want to put the syrup back on the stove (low heat) and reduce until you have more like 1 1/2 – 1 3/4 cups of syrup. You will know it because it will taste properly and have a lovely viscosity.

Once you’ve got it, let the whole thing cool ’til it is at room temperature, then strain into Jar and label. An improperly labeled jar is a sin of the highest accord, except of course, not labeling at all.

Well, do you have it? Wonderful.

Rhubarb Syrup 4

Now that we’ve got this lovely Rhubarb Syrup, let’s use it in a cocktail, shall we?

Barb's-Rhubarb-3

Barb’s Rhubarb Cocktail

  • 1 1/2 oz Espolón Reposado Tequila
  • 3/4 oz Rhubarb Syrup
  • 1 oz Red Grapefruit Juice
  • 1 dash Scrappy’s Celery Bitters
  • Pinch of Salt

Combine ingredients over ice and vigorously shake. Strain into the most beautiful coupe you have. Sip whilst looking out your window or at a garden party. I would say this cocktail is on the sweeter side but complex and salty enough to keep it rather interesting.

Barb's-Rhubarb-2

Cheers to you all and I hope you’ve enjoyed these recipes!

Twirlin’ A Lady + Cilantro & Serrano infused Tequila

/ Dani DeLuna / Leave a comment

Twirlin'-A-Lady-2

Ok everyone, it’s officially Summer in New York City. It is hot as hell outside, I’m constantly covered in sweat (ewww) and the Tequila is flowing! #TequilaSeason has us in the grip!

As I’ve stated in a certain podcast (Episode 10), I don’t like to do tons of infusions because I really want y’all to be able to make these drinks at home. However, when I do, there is usually a really good reason. The good reason here is freshness.

I swear to the stars this infusion smells and tastes super extra fresh! On the nose, chile spice and cilantro notes happen before the Tequila comes through, thereby creating the illusion that everything was muddled in the glass right before you. The taste is just as exciting and very complex. It’s really quite an experience!

Cilantro,-Serrano-Reposado-1

I like to use Espolón for infusing anything (as well as mixing in cocktails) because it just plays very nicely with other ingredients. I already have a Jalapeño infused Espolón Blanco Tequila, so I decided to go with Reposado for this infusion. Besides, I sort of missed this particular Reposado. (Reunited and it feels so good.)

Cilantro & Serrano Chile Infused Reposado Tequila

  • 250 ml Espolón Reposado Tequila
  • 1/4 bunch of Cilantro with the stems cut off
  • 1/2 of 1 Serrano Chile, seeds and all

Combine ingredients in jar or measuring cup, stir, and cover for *40 mins. Fine strain into sealed jar or bottle.

*If you want more heat, I highly recommend removing the Cilantro at the 40 minute mark or you’ll lose that super fresh taste. You can keep the Chili going for another 30 minutes or so but you will have some SPICY ASS Tequila!

Cilantro,-Serrano,-Reposado-2

Hello pretty, fragrant leaves. I could smell you forever.

So, what should we make with this tasty infusion? Grapefruit Juice was the first thing that came to mind. Then Cointreau. Then I just decided to make a Margarita served up and named it Twirlin’ A Lady.

Twirlin'-A-Lady-1

¡Muy, muy refrescando!

Twirlin’ A Lady

  • 1 1/2 oz Cilantro + Serrano Chile infused Espolón Reposado Tequila
  • 1 1/2 oz Red Grapefruit Juice
  • 3/4 oz Cointreau
  • 2 dashes Dutch’s Spirits ProhiBitters (sub Orange Bitters)
  • Garnish: Pink Salt rim and 1 Cilantro leaf

Combine ingredients over ice and vigorously shake. Seriously, shake it like you’ve never shaken anything before for around 10 seconds. This way you get that lovely foam on top. Garnish with Pink Salt and Cilantro leaf. ¡Salud!

Cilantro,-Serrano,-Reposado-3

If only #TequilaSeason were forever!

Spring Cocktails with Jägermeister

/ Dani DeLuna / 3 Comments

Little-Red-Jacket-1

Yes, you read that right! Spring Cocktails with Jägermeister!

Do you know who had no idea how versatile Jägermeister is? ME! I had no idea but oh my goodness, I’m so into it!

When I was initially approached about this campaign, I was a tad hesitant because when I thought of Jäger, I thought of shots (and y’all know i’m averse to shots). But then I read about some of the ingredients in Jägermeister: Cinnamon, Star Anise, Orange peel, Ginger root, Cardamom, Lavender, and I got really excited!

Bonus: as a part of this campaign, I have been given a couple of recipes from one of my fave bartenders, none other than Sother Teague from Amor y Amargo! If Sother endorsed Jägermeister, then I most definitely wanted to give it a try!

Jägermeister

Jägermeister, a fantastic combination of herbs and spices.

If we’re going to make recipes with Jägermeister, then we should start by treating it like we should treat any good Amaro/Aperitif/Digestif and break down the flavors.

Tasting Notes:

  • Nose: Ginger, Licorice, Spices, Anise, Root Beer, Citrus,
  • Tongue: Mint, Cinnamon, Clove, Cardamom, Honey, spices, earthy, robust
  • Finish: long and wide, full bodied

Exciting right? Totally totally exciting! Let’s dive into some recipes!

Precision-Timepiece-1

We’ll start with one of Sother’s Recipes, Precision Timepiece. This recipe feels like a Negroni variant, albeit one full of flavour and spices.

Precision Timepiece

Combine ingredients over ice and stir. Strain into double Rocks glass with ice. Express Orange peel and garnish.

Bonus: if you add a little Club Soda, you suddenly have spirited “Root Beer”.

Little-Red-Jacket-2

For the next recipe, you’re going to want to keep that bottle of Aperol handy but also get some Strawberries cause what says spring like Strawberries? (The answer is: nothing)

Little-Red-Jacket-3

To the Jäger and Aperol we add Chartreuse Jaune which has a mille-fleurs + honey aroma and is magical in spring cocktails.

Little Red Jacket

  • 1 1/2 oz Jägermeister
  • 1/2 oz Aperol
  • 1/4 oz Chartreuse Jaune
  • 1/2 oz Lemon Juice
  • 2 Strawberries
  • Club Soda
  • Garnish: 1 Strawberry, Lemon Wheel, Rosemary sprig

Muddle Strawberries and Lemon juice in tin. Add Jägermeister, Aperol, Chartreuse and ice. Shake and double strain into Collins glass over ice. Top with Club Soda and garnish with Strawberry, Lemon Wheel and Rosemary sprig. Sensational.

German-Vacation-2

And now it’s time for perhaps the most exciting formula yet: Jägermeister + Aged Rum = spiced Rum. I mean, why isn’t everyone all over this? I don’t have any Spiced Rum in My Home Bar but by combining these two together, I NOW HAVE SPICED RUM.

German-Vacation-3

Again, we’ll start with a recipe from Sother Teague cause this recipe is BRILLIANT.

German Vacation

  • 1 oz Jägermeister
  • 1 oz Flor de Caña Aged Rum
  • 3/4 oz Ginger Syrup*
  • 3/4 oz Orgeat
  • 3/4 oz Lemon Juice (Lime Juice works really well too)
  • Garnish: Heavy dashes of Peychaud’s bitters. I added the Hollowed out Lime half, Maraschino Cherries and Sail. Really, as long as you add the Peychaud’s, use whatever garnishes you want! (Candied Ginger would be amazing btw)

Combine ingredients over ice and short shake. Strain into Collins or Tiki Glass over Cracked or Crushed ice. “Paint” the top of the drink with Peychaud’s bitters and garnish as you please.

Ginger-Syrup

*Ginger Syrup – Combine 1 cup of Sugar (Demerara or Turbinado), 1 cup of water and 1 cup of roughly chopped Ginger root in a Saucepan. Heat on low until just before liquids start to boil, then remove from heat. Cover and let sit for around 8-9 hours. Strain into jar and refrigerate. **If you are going to keep this syrup for several weeks, add around 1 oz aged Molasses Rum (like Flor de Caña) to syrup to preserve. Will make approx 2 cups of Ginger Syrup.

Gamekeeper's-Grog-2

The Pineapple Spear Bunny Ears are back again!

For the last Spring Cocktail with Jägermeister,  I’ve got a total West Indian Tiki cocktail for y’all!

Gamekeeper’s Grog

  • 1 oz Jägermeister
  • 1 oz Denizen Aged White Rum
  • 1/2 oz Smith & Cross Navy Strength Jamaica Rum
  • 1/2 oz Lime Juice
  • 1/2 oz Pineapple Juice
  • 1/4 oz Cinnamon Bark Syrup
  • Garnish: Hollowed out Lime half, Grapefruit peel Rose, Maraschino Cherry, Pineapple Spear Bunny Ears

Combine ingredients over ice and shake. Strain into double Rocks glass and garnish.

Gamekeeper's-Grog-3

Wasn’t that totally delicious? Yes, it totally was! Don’t worry, this isn’t the end of my relationship Jägermeister as a cocktail ingredient. I’ll keep posting recipes as I come up with them.

Note: I cannot emphasize how thrilling of a discovery it was that Jägermeister + Aged Rum = spiced rum. YAAAAAAAAS Kween!

Thanks to M Booth for including me in this exciting campaign and sending the bottles of Jägermeister, Aperol, Amaro Montenegro and Dale Degroff’s Pimento Bitters!