Drink Recipes

A Spicy Romance at First Glance

Posted 2:23 pm February 14th, 2012

A few Valentine’s Day vodka cocktails from the love at first sight – “first glance” to the spicy romance that sparks, more Valentine’s cocktails from BourbonBlog.com

A Spicy Romance

1 1/2 parts EFFEN Black Cherry Vodka
3/4 parts DeKuyper O3 Orange Liqueur
3/4 parts Fresh Pomegranate juice
1/2 parts Lime juice
1/2 parts Simple Syrup
Dash of Angostura Bitters or Fee Brothers Whiskey Bitters

Method: Shake all with ice and strain into a cocktail glass. For a little more romance, add a splash of Champagne. Garnish with a thin sliced lime wheel floating on top.

First Glance

1 1/2 parts EFFEN Vodka
3/4 parts Aperol
3/4 parts Grapefruit juice
1/2 parts Fresh Pomegranate juice
1/2 parts Lemon juice
1/2 parts Simple Syrup
2 parts Prosecco

Method: Shake all except Prosecco with ice and strain into a wine glass filled ice cubes and
Prosecco. Garnish with a lemon twist or lemon wheel.

Popularity: 3% [?]

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Mildred Pierce Cocktail

Posted 1:53 pm February 14th, 2012

Inspired by Mildred Pierce, the HBO miniseries with Kate Winslet, this pie Bourbon with fresh peaches, peach bitters, lemon juice, cinnamon and honey syrup)

Basil Hayden’s Mildred’s Peach Pie

1½ parts Basil Hayden’s bourbon
4 fresh peach slices
2 dashes peach bitters
¾ part lemon juice
1 pinch ground cinnamon
¾ part honey syrup* (see recipe below)

Instructions:

In a mixing tin muddle peach slices, peach bitters, lemon juice, ground cinnamon and honey syrup. Add Basil Hayden’s bourbon and shake vigorously for 7 seconds. Strain into a martini
glass and garnish with a peach sprinkled with cinnamon.

*Honey syrup: Combine 3 parts honey with 1 part hot water. Stir until completely combined.

Basil Haydens Kentucky Bourbon

Popularity: 3% [?]

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True Blood Cocktail

Posted 11:14 am February 14th, 2012

True Blood on HBO now has a cocktail to celebrate the romantic nature of the vampire, also a perfect drink for Valentine’s Day. There are no Southern Vampire Mysteries here, only southern goodness with bourbon and Sookie’s Virtue.

Sookie’s Virtue

1½ parts Basil Hayden’s bourbon
8 red grapes
2 raspberries
¾ part lemon juice
¾ part floral tea syrup* (see recipe below)

Instructions:

- Muddle red grapes, raspberries, lemon juice and floral tea syrup in a mixing tin.
– Add Basil Hayden’s bourbon and shake vigorously for 7 seconds.
– Strain into a martini glass and garnish with a grape and raspberry.

* Floral tea syrup: Combine 1 part of your favorite freshly brewed floral tea (jasmine, lavender,chamomile, etc.) with 1 part sugar. Stir until sugar is completely dissolved and refrigerate.

True Blood TV series is based upon the novels by Charlaine Harris.

Popularity: 3% [?]

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Fire and Ice

Posted 11:39 pm February 13th, 2012

This Valentine’s Day cocktail is created to honor HBO’s Game of Thrones, based upon A Song of Ice and Fire, the series of epic fantasy novels by American novelist and screenwriter George R. R. Martin.

Fire and Ice

1½ parts Basil Hayden’s bourbon
¾ part fresh lime juice
1 slice jalapeno
1 part pomegranate juice
½ part simple syrup
Splash of soda water

Instructions:

- Muddle lime juice, jalapeno, pomegranate juice and simple syrup in a mixing tin.
- Add Basil Hayden’s bourbon and shake lightly for 5 seconds.
- Strain into a Collins glass, add ice and top with soda water.
- Garnish with a lime wheel and pomegranate seeds.

Popularity: 4% [?]

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Maker’s 46 for Super Bowl 46

Posted 4:25 pm February 5th, 2012

Bill Samuels, Jr., Maker’s Mark Ambassador at Large tells BourbonBlog.com:

“It so happens that this year’s epic contest is number 46, which is a number that’s near and dear to my heart. It was the number our barrel maker, Brad Boswell of Independent Stave, assigned to the process of adding seared French oak staves to barrels of matured Maker’s Mark. And that was the process that, after great trial and error, led to our first new idea in 50 years: Maker’s 46.”

So we’re giving you some new ideas with recipes using Maker’s Mark Bourbon and Maker’s 46 for Super Bowl XLVI. Yes, that is 46.

Tailgate Toddy

1 part Maker’s 46 Bourbon
½ tsp. sugar
2 whole cloves
1 small cinnamon stick
1 lemon slice

Directions:

Measure all ingredients into a heat proof mug or glass. Place teaspoon in glass; add boiling water to fill glass (teaspoon prevents glass from breaking when boiling water is added). Stir mixture and serve immediately.

Bourbon Apple Glazed Chicken Wings

Notes: These tangy sweet wings get the benefit of being braised then baked, no frying involved!
Prep time: 10 minutes Cook time: 1 hour Level: Easy

Serves 4

2 lbs chicken wings, trimmed
1 cup Maker’s Mark Bourbon
1 can frozen apple juice concentrate, thawed (12 ounces)
½ cup soy sauce
¼ cup cider vinegar
¼ cup dark brown sugar
4 large cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper
1 tablespoon maple syrup

Directions:

1. Combine all of the ingredients in a medium pot. Bring to boil on high heat and then reduce to a simmer for 30-40 minutes until the wings are tender and the glaze has reduced, coating the wings.
2. Preheat the oven to 325°F. Remove the wings from the pot and transfer to a parchment lined sheet tray. Bake for 15-20 minutes until the wings begin to color and the glaze becomes shiny. Garnish with minced scallions and apple. Serve immediately.

Bourbon Onion Dip

Notes: Greek yogurt and ricotta cheese lighten up this usually mayonnaise heavy party favorite.
Prep time: 10 minutes Cook time: 1 hour Level: Easy

Serves 6-10

4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 large sweet onions/Vidalias, peeled, halved, sliced thinly with the grain
1 teaspoon salt
½ cup Maker’s Mark®Bourbon, plus 1 tablespoon
¾ cup Greek yogurt
½ cup fresh ricotta cheese
½ cup sour cream
Few drops lemon juice
Pinch sugar
Salt and pepper to taste
Crudité vegetables and chips for dipping

1. In a wide heavy-bottomed pot, heat the olive oil over high heat. Add the sliced onions and the teaspoon of salt. Sauté the onions, stirring often until they begin to soften, 5 to 6 minutes. Reduce the heat to medium and continue to stir and cook the onions until they begin to color, about another 15 minutes. Add 1/2 cup of bourbon to the pan and stir in. Reduce the heat to low and cook the onions for another 30 to 40 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the onions have colored and caramelized. Remove the onions from the pan and spread on a plate or baking sheet to cool in the fridge.

2. Using a food processor or blender, combine the ricotta and yogurt and process until smooth. Transfer the mixture to a bowl. Fold in the sour cream. Once the onions have cooled, rough chop them briefly. Fold into the mixture and season to taste with lemon juice, sugar, salt and pepper. Serve the dip cold with crudité and chips.

Popularity: 10% [?]

Posted in Appetizers and Snacks, Blog, Drink Recipes, Food Recipes, Recipes | 1 Comment »

Super Bowl XLVI Cocktail Recipes

Posted 12:48 pm February 5th, 2012

BourbonBlog.com brings you a collection of cocktails celebrating Super Bowl XLVI shared by a few of our friends and mixologists.

Today the New England Patriots and New York Giants today at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis, and there is something in this ultimate collection of Super Bowl cocktail drink recipes for everyone from whiskey to vodka.

We recommend the first cocktail to start as it is made with a Bourbon – Hudson Baby Bourbon made in Gardnier, New York!

Bourbon Tea Set, Hut!

2 oz Hudson Baby Bourbon
3/4 oz spiced tea syrup*
3/4 oz fresh lemon juice
Dash egg whites
Combine ingredients and shake well
Serve over fresh ice
Garnish with a thin lemon wheel

*Heat equal parts sugar and water until dissolved into a simple syrup. Steep spiced tea while liquid is still hot, and then chill before adding to cocktail

New England Tea Party

2 parts Bols Sweet Tea
1 part fresh lemon juice

Shake all ingredients with ice and strain into a chilled teacup. Garnish with a lemon wedge.

The Super Bowl

1 part Solerno Blood Orange Liqueur
1 part Tullamore Dew Irish Whiskey
1 part Earl Grey Tea
1 part simple syrup
¾ part fresh lemon juice
1 part dry, sparkling white wine

Combine ingredients in a large punch bowl over block ice. Stir to chill and incorporate. Garnish with lemon footballs*.

*To create lemon footballs, cut the lemon along its body to create ovoid slices.

4th & 1

-Peel 4 Lemons
-1 part sugar in the raw
-2 part black currant tea
-1 part fresh lemon juice
-2.5 part Sailor Jerry Rum
-1.5 par canadian blended whiskey

Add lemon peels, sugar in the raw, juice, tea and spirits slowly into punch bowl. Add ice and slowly stir ingredients. Keep punch chilled and serve over ice.

Fumble Roosky and Rockin’ Nachos

A truly dynamic epicurean battle, this next match-up is the product of lots of layers. Pisco Portón is at the heart of this combination, the ultra-premium whit spirit that is at the forefront of the Peruvian pisco trend. This cocktail packs a punch – sure to cool-off your mouth from even the most zesty, jalapeño-heavy nachos. This unexpected flavor showdown certainly matches the good ol’ Fumble Roosky – it might look sweet and innocent but this cocktail is a serious flavor explosion.

Portón Fumble Roosky

1 part Pisco Portón
1 part Amaro
1 part Ginger beer
1 part Cola

Stir in glass filled with ice and strain into rocks glass with ice.

Passing Punch
*Serves 8

Grab a cup a chili, and mix up the perfect drink to wash it down with – a celebratory punch. A true punch is all about bringing people together and what better occasion to do that than when rooting for the home team? This punch uses Tequila Avión Silver, the super smooth tequila.

Chili, like punch, is comprised of many different ingredients. When mixed together, both can create a kaleidoscope of flavor sure to catch your senses off guard!

1 1/2 cups Tequila Avión Silver
6 cups pineapple juice
1/2 cup orange juice
1 to 2 cups fresh fruit, sliced
1/4 cup fresh lime juice
1/2 cup agave nectar

Combine all ingredients in a large punch bowl with ice and stir well. Serve in a tumbler with ice.
Garnish with a pineapple wedge.

Indianapolis the night before Super Bowl XLVI, Indiana

Indianapolis the night before Super Bowl XLVI, photo courtesy Brian Annakin

The Belvedere Vince Lombardi

2 oz Belvedere Pure
Top Fever Tree Tonic
Build over cubed ice. Garnish with a lemon and lime wedge.

The Belvedere Blitz

1.5 oz Belvedere Unfiltered
1/2 black pepper simple syrup*
3/4oz fresh lemon juice
Pinch of black pepper

Shake and strain into an ice filled highball glass and top with Fever Tree Soda
*Black Pepper simple syrup: crush 3 teaspoons of black pepper and pour into a saucepan of boiling water. To the water, add super fine sugar and stir until the water becomes syrup like in consistency. Strain and chill. Will keep for one week if refrigerated.

The Midfielder’s Martini

2 oz Belvedere Unfiltered
Dash Dolan Vermouth

Stir over ice and strain into a chilled martini glass. Garnish with a black olive

Popularity: 10% [?]

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Top Manhattan Recipes from the Manhattan Experience

Posted 7:47 pm January 15th, 2012

As BourbonBlog.com congratulates mixologist Joann Spiegel the winner of the “Master of the Manhattan” for the Woodford Reserve Well-Crafted Manhattan contest. We also share the winning Manhattan recipes from all the competing cities and entrants below who competed in the finals from from the 2011-2012 Woodford Reserve Manhattan Experience.

Leaving Manhattan
the final winning “Master of the Manhattan,” by Joann Spiegel from Manhattan, Mercury Bar West

2 oz. Woodford Reserve Bourbon
1/2 oz. Punt e Mes Italian vermouth
1/4 oz. Lapsang Tea Syrup*
1/4 oz. Dark Creme de Cocoa
2 dashes Orange Bitters

Instructions:

- Combine ingredients over ice in shaker, stir and strain.

- Strain into martini glass and garnish with dark chocolate stick with orange spiral.

*Lapsang Tea Syrup – Use Lapsang tea bags and brew a strong cup of tea. Use the tea to make a simple syrup with equal parts tea and sugar

The Hothead Manhattan
by Christopher Asay, winner from Asbury Park, NJ

Woodford Reserve Bourbon
Jalapeño infused ginger syrup
Vermouth

- In heat resistant container ignite 3 oz Woodford Reserve with 1 ½ oz jalapeño infused ginger syrup and ¾ set vermouth.

- Also add ¾ oz high proof rum and 4 dashes bitters and ignite in 2nd heat resistant container.

- Add 3 oz boiling water. Pass solution back and forth w/ ignited water.

The Absinthe Minded Professor
James Potter, winner from Atlanta

2 oz Woodford Reserve
¾ oz Chai-infused sweet vermouth
¼ oz orange liqueur

Combine all, stir over ice, strain and serve.

The Mayan 212
Jessica Fesler, winner from Las Vegas

2 oz. Woodford Reserve Bourbon
1 oz. Licor 43
2 dashes bitters infused w/ red chili pepper