Eastern Market

If you live somewhere with seasons, you’ll probably join me in celebrating the coming of sunshine, warmth and the joy of Farmers Markets. I’d say it’s likely thanks to my grandfather that I get unreasonably excited for any locally produced consumable goods, the more obscure the better. One of my favorite stories is of my grandfather hiking the Carpathian Mountains to track down a honey farm he heard of in town, successfully finding it and then somehow accomplishing having a barrel of honey delivered to his apartment in Kyiv.

I can’t say I have similar levels of dedication, but I do love the experience and adventure of uncovering local goods. Following a homemade cardboard sign to eventually buy homemade maple syrup out of a friendly couple’s home is much preferable to aimlessly wandering the grocery store.

This cocktail is inspired by local produce with a bit of a twist - an East meets West of early summer flavor. Since I built this drink around a Japanese gin I wanted to start with seasonal local flavors I was familiar with then add something new to me. The rhubarb and strawberries this time of year have been rich, red and absolutely gorgeous, so it was an easy choice to start with a strawberry rhubarb base. If you’re in Chicago, I recommend you grab some rhubarb from Seedling Farm because it’s deep red all the way through and bursting with flavor.

I then went back to the gin for more inspiration. 135 East Gin is a fantastic blend of Eastern and Western botanicals. Building on a traditional London Dry Gin style, Master Distiller Kimio Yonezawa added sencha, yuzu, shiso leaf, ume and sansho pepper, as well as a bit of distilled Junmai sake. The result is a gin with a delicious blend of leafy, citrus and spice flavors.

Shiso leaf is a botanical I had heard about but had never played around with, so I figured I’d give it a try. You can most easily find it at an Asian grocery store (I grabbed mine from Mitsuwa Market). The flavor is truly unique - think a mix of basil and mint with a hint of anise sweetness. I blended the shiso leaf with sugar to release more of the oils and then added the herbal sugar once the rhubarb and strawberries had fallen appart and fully steeped in my syrup. This allowed the flavor to stay fresh and vibrant.

Finally, I added a farm egg and lemon to create a satisfying foam and meld the powerful flavors of this cocktail together. The resulting cocktail was perfectly tart and jammy with uplifting notes of herbal brightness and spice.

Eastern Market

• 1.5 oz Japanese gin (135 East Gin recommended)

• 1 oz strawberry rhubarb shiso syrup*

• 0.5 oz lemon

• 1 egg

• 1 shiso leaf, for garnish

Press shiso leaf into a coupe glass for garnish. Add all other ingredients to a shaker without ice and shake to build foam, releasing pressure as needed. Add ice and shake to chill, then strain into coupe glass. Enjoy along with all your other tasty Farmers Market finds.

*To make syrup, add 1 cup of water, 1 cup strawberries and 1 cup rhubarb to a pot. Bring to a simmer and cook for 15-20 minutes, until the strawberries and rhubarb fall apart when pressed with a spoon. While this is cooking, blend 1/2 sugar with ~10 shiso leaves. Remove strawberry rhubarb mixture from heat and stir in shiso leaf sugar until dissolved. Use a fine mesh strainer and a spoon to strain. Allow to cool and store excess in the fridge for up to 3 weeks.

A Sumptuous Serenade

How do you celebrate love? Is it through thoughtful actions? Kind words? Physical touch? Time and time again I find that I return to thoughtful actions, often in the form of cooking and making cocktails. A holiday like Valentine’s Day is a great excuse to craft a cocktail to surprise and enchant your partner or friends, but truly this can and should be done any time of the year.

When building a cocktail with the theme of love or romance it’s important to me to make it not stereotypically gendered, something anyone can enjoy even if it may be a spirit they are not as used to. I started this recipe with the flavor inspiration of chocolate covered strawberries while not necessarily being limited to being a dessert cocktail.

For the base I decided on unpeated single malt scotch, a spirit with enough character not to be overshadowed but to complement strong flavors like strawberry and chocolate. To keep the cocktail’s sweetness in check I introduced strawberries as an infusion in the scotch rather than a syrup. I highly recommend having organic strawberries in your freezer for this (Costco is a great cost-effective source) as they’ll be most dependable in ripeness any time of year and texture isn’t a factor when making an infusion. Be sure to use a glass vessel for your infusion (a mason jar will do) and agitate once a day to facilitate progress. Keep it in a dark place and taste and smell along the way until it’s to your liking. Somewhere between 3-7 days should do the trick.

The star of this cocktail is Mozart Milk Chocolate Liqueur - a velvety and indulgent Austrian treat made with Belgian chocolate, cream and Bourbon vanilla. It’s made from a sugar beet distillate and sweetened with sugar from sugar beets as well. This liqueur brought a wonderful richness and depth of chocolate flavor to the cocktail. I further enhanced the vanilla notes with a bit of my favorite cherry bark vanilla bitters.

To round out the drink I added cold brewed milk oolong tea. Milk oolong hails from Taiwan and is known for its creamy buttery taste. It’s absolutely fantastic on its own but is also great to enhance a creamy mouthfeel in a cocktail while keeping it light.

The resulting cocktail is sumptuous but refreshing, with the strawberry, chocolate and vanilla flavors being perfectly balanced by the creamy freshness of the oolong.

A Sumptuous Serenade

• 2 oz strawberry infused unpeated scotch*

• 0.5 oz Mozart Milk Chocolate liqueur

• 1 oz cold brewed milk oolong tea**

• 1 dropper cherry bark vanilla bitters

• Strawberry, for garnish

Add all ingredients other than strawberry to a shaker with ice and shake until chilled and incorporated. Strain into a coupe or martini glass and garnish with a strawberry half on a cocktail pick (use cocktail pick to stir cocktail occasionally to keep it from separating). Serve with chocolate covered strawberries on the side for an extra special treat and enjoy as a celebration of love.

*To make infused scotch, add strawberries and scotch in a 1:2 ratio to a glass jar and put in a dark place. Agitate and taste daily until desired flavor is achieved (3-7 days), then strain before enjoying. Keep in the fridge for better shelf life.

**To make cold brewed tea, add 1 tbsp tea leaves and 8 oz of water to a jar and allow to infuse for 8-12 hours. Strain and keep in the fridge.

Season of Rum

Consciously or subconsciously, we tend to associate spirits with seasons and circumstances. A hearty rye whiskey may sound appealing as frigid temperatures set in while the botanical bouquet of gin seems the proper way to greet the springtime. On this note, what do you associate with rum? Summer? Beach vacation? Tropical rainforest?

This got me thinking – can I craft a rum drink that suits wintertime in the Midwest? A challenge, indeed.

I started with Mezan Chiriqui, a delicious Panamanian rum aged in bourbon and Moscatel sherry casks. This is a great mixing rum as it’s well-balanced, affordable, and unsweetened (many rums will add sugar). It also has great warm spice notes, making it fun to build off of in cocktails.

Going from there, my mind instantly went to one of my favorite ingredients to play with: tart cherry concentrate. I’ve sung the praises for tart cherry concentrate before, so I’ll just do a quick recap of why I love it so –

• It’s incredibly potent in flavor and won’t water down your cocktail (but you can dilute as needed)

• It has an excellent shelf life when stored in the fridge

• It’s actually quite good for you in that it’s packed with antioxidants and known to reduce inflammation

I chose to make a simple syrup with coconut sugar to complement the richness of the cherry. Coconut sugar has a deep caramel flavor, making it a perfect option to pair with an aged spirit or simply add some depth along with sweetness.

While the cherry concentrate was already quite tart, I amped it up with some fresh lime. The icing on the cake was a bit of Jamaican No.2 bitters from Bittercube – a blend of grapefruit, hibiscus, warm island spices and vanilla. These bitters emphasized the spice notes in the rum beautifully.

The resulting cocktail is the perfect solution for when you want a daiquiri in the middle of winter. It’s rich, warming, pleasantly tart and remarkably festive in appearance.

Season of Rum

• 1.5 oz aged Mezan Chiriqui rum

• 0.75 oz tart cherry concentrate

• 0.5 oz fresh lime juice

• 0.5 oz coconut sugar simple syrup (1:1 ratio with water)

• 1 dropper Jamaican No.2 bitters

• Lime wheel and cocktail cherries, for garnish

Add all ingredients other than garnish items to a cocktail shaker with ice. Shake until chilled, then strain into a coupe glass. Make a slice in the middle of a lime wheel and twist. String onto a cocktail pick along with cocktail cherries. Enjoy near your favorite houseplant.

The Orchard's Splendor

As I’ve worked my way though cocktails, my tastes have changed and expanded. One preference that has remained true from my initial dive to today is pears. I adore their flavor and versatility - they can pair with floral notes in one drink than turn around and shine in a strong whisky cocktail. They shine especially when they’re in season in the fall, and I got so lucky this year as my parents have a pear tree that yielded probably 6 large boxes of delicious fruit. I let them ripen in the box in the garage (they can last an impressively long time whole), then juiced them. Some of the puree went to immediate cocktail consumption while some was put away into the freezer for later use.

If you don’t have a juicer, you can always peel pears, lightly simmer them, then puree them with a bit of water in the blender and strain out any chunks. Of course you can also use store-brought pear juice for an easier option. Regardless, this cocktail will be a cozy, warming bouquet of fall flavors.

I decided to play with Scotch in this cocktail, and chose an intriguing bottle of Monkey Shoulder that I stumbled upon at Trader Joe’s. Monkey Shoulder is a blended malt Scotch that’s not smoky but rather mellow and smooth with notes of fruit and vanilla (a nice alternative to a bourbon). It’s an affordable price point and a great Scotch for mixing, particularly in this cocktail.

I also knew I wanted to incorporate sherry, which I’ve grown incredibly partial to the more I learned about cocktails. While I occasionally use vermouth, I often find it to have too much funk or sweetness for my tastes. Sherry, on the other hand, adds just the right amount of complexity and offers a spectrum of varieties depending on the flavors I’m looking to compliment. I used Amontillado sherry in this cocktail - a medium dry variety with rich nutty notes. If you’re looking for a great one on a budget, check out Trader Joe’s (they have three varieties for $4.95 each).

While the sherry would have been delicious as is, I tried my hand at infusing it with cloves. This allowed me to add clove flavor without watering down the cocktail or adding more sugar. Clove worked beautifully with the palate of the Amontillado, and I’ve enjoyed trying the infusion in other cocktails as well.

Finally, I added a bar spoon of maple syrup to round out the cocktail and give it an impeccably smooth mouthfeel. The resulting cocktail starts with spiced ripe pear and finishes with the malty richness of the Scotch. It’s fantastic for the season and would serve as a delicious addition to a Thanksgiving dinner!

The Orchard’s Splendor

• 2 oz Scotch whisky

• 3 oz pear juice

• 0.5 oz clove-infused Amontillado sherry*

• 1 bar spoon maple syrup

• Dehydrated pear slice, for garnish

Shake liquid ingredients with ice until chilled, then strain into a rocks class over a large ice cube. Garnish with a dehydrated pear slice and enjoy under a cozy blanket.

* To infuse sherry, add 1 tsp of cloves and 1 cup of Amontillado sherry to a jar and allow to steep for 24 hours. Strain and keep infusion in the fridge.

Thanks to Belen Aquino for the stunning cocktail photography.

Phoenix Tears

After going on a nostalgic binge of all the Harry Potter movies during the pandemic, I knew I wanted my Halloween cocktail to be Harry Potter-themed. It was easy coming up with initial ideas but not so easy to bring them to fruition (others I considered were something Lemon Drop related for Dumbledore’s favorite candy and a drink evoking the Pensieve). Ultimately, I landed on a concept that was timely given the pandemic and fun to embellish: Phoenix Tears.

If you’ve read the books or have general fantasy knowledge, you know that Phoenix Tears have magical healing properties. While this cocktail won’t magically heal you, it is packed with powerful immune boosting ingredients that will help keep you healthy: honey, ginger, calendula and grapefruit. I took a chance hoping that the flavors would play well together and was pleased that it paid off!

The cocktail is built on a base of my favorite British gin (because thank you for Harry Potter, England), Sipsmith London Dry Gin. Aside from having a stunningly beautiful presentation, this gin is such a solid juniper-forward variety for mixing cocktails. I often gravitate toward American gins with more varied botanicals but always come back to this one when I want a classic gin.

Next, I built a syrup from honey and calendula. Calendula has a mild lightly tart and somewhat nutty flavor that I optimized by letting the syrup steep for 2 hours. If you’re working with any dry botanicals in your cocktails, I recommend getting them in bulk and storing them in air-tight containers. This will save you money and give you more flexibility for future creativity. I found my dried calendula flowers on Etsy, but you can also grab them on Amazon or at a local bulk health foods store. The excess will make for a great herbal tea to get you through winter.

I added the ginger component through one of my favorite bitters and used fresh-squeezed grapefruit juice to balance the sweetness of the honey and add a bit freshness. The resulting cocktail starts with rich nutty smoothness finishing with the brightness of juniper and citrus. It’s unexpected in the best possible way.

If you’d like to go all out and replicate the garnish, you can pick up orange feathers and food-grade gold spray paint at Michael’s (I used food-grade paint instead of spray paint to avoid any unpleasant smells). I lightly misted the feathers, then connected three with some orange electrical tape and used a small bubble of the same tape to connect the feather trio to the glass. This was pretty fast to do for a couple of drinks and would be equally efficient for a larger gathering!

Phoenix Tears

• 1.5 oz London Dry Gin

• 0.75 oz honey calendula syrup*

• 2 oz fresh grapefruit juice

• 3 dashes ginger bitters

• Gilded orange feathers, for garnish

Shake ingredients with ice until chilled, then double strain into a tall coupe glass. Garnish with feathers and enjoy among magical folk and muggles alike.

* To make syrup, pour 1 cup nearly boiling water over 1 cup of dried calendula flowers and 0.5 cup honey in a small saucepan. Stir to dissolve honey, they cover with lid and allow to steep for 2 hours. Drain and store excess in the fridge for up to 3 weeks.

Thanks to Belen Aquino for the stunning cocktail photography.

The Grinch’s Tonic

This holiday, I gave myself a challenge (because I’m one of those strange people that enjoys putting myself in difficult situations). Could I create a delicious holiday drink with a notoriously bitter ingredient - Malört? I would never force anyone to unknowingly do a shot of it, but I love playing around with it in cocktails to add depth. For those of you who have somehow escaped it thus far, Malört is a spiced wormwood liqueur created by a Swedish immigrant in Chicago in the 1930s. It enjoys great infamy in Chicago and many enjoy forcing it upon their visiting friends as part of the “Chicago handshake” (a shot of Malört paired with Old Style beer).

I set out to create a bouquet of holiday flavors grounded with Malört’s bitterness. My goal was to create a drink that would allow people who don’t often have bitter cocktails to test the waters with a gentle introduction. I chose Hardy VSOP Organic Cognac for the base spirit for its wonderful aromatic smoothness, then added fresh muddled cranberries for a tart burst of flavor. Cranberries also make a beautiful festive garnish, both as is or candied in simple syrup and sugar.

I really enjoy the combination of cranberries and ginger in my cooking, so I mixed in one of my favorite ginger liqueurs, Barrow’s Intense. It can be hard to find a ginger liqueur that’s more spicy than sweet, and this one has the balance I’m looking for when I want ginger flavor.

Finally, I incorporated some fresh squeezed orange juice for citrusy freshness and expressed orange oil on the cocktail after mixing it up. The resulting drink starts out tart, fruity and smooth and finishes with a gentle bitter mouthfeel. It’s festive, yet sophisticated and a really fun way to create something delicious and pleasing with a notoriously bitter spirit like Malört.

The Grinch’s Tonic

• 1.5 oz cognac

• 1/4 cup cranberries

• 0.5 oz ginger liqueur

• 0.25 oz Malört

• 0.5 oz fresh orange juice

• Candied cranberries, for garnish*

Muddle cranberries in a shaker. Add ice and other liquid ingredients and shake until chilled. Strain into a festive coupe and garnish with a candied cranberry. Enjoy to warm your bitter Grinch heart this holiday season.

* To make candied cranberries, soak fresh cranberries in simple syrup, then allow to dry on a cooling rack. When cranberries are almost dry but still sticky, roll in sugar to coat. Store extras in the fridge for up to a few days.

Thanks to Belen Aquino for the stunning cocktail photography.

The Witching Hour

I love Halloween because, more than any other holiday, it gives us an excuse to be unapologetically imaginative through costumes, décor, food and drinks. I’ve particularly enjoyed parties with some sort of theme and cannot wait to see what my friends do for this year’s suggestion: 90s and early 2000s musicians. Can you guess who I’ll be dressing as?

One of my big goals with holiday drinks is to capture the mood without relying on gimmicks. I wanted this year’s Halloween cocktail to be mysterious and enchanting, perhaps even eerie. Everything clicked when I fortuitously stumbled upon this cloche at Target.

A few years ago, I got my hands on a smoking gun, but I struggled with devising an elegant process for smoking my cocktails. My typical solution was to cover a mixing glass with plastic wrap and squeeze in the smoking gun nozzle. That worked fine for flavor but didn’t quite do the aesthetic of the smoke justice. If you’re going to use a smoking gun, it’s fun to get as extra as possible. This cloche was the perfect find because it has a caned bottom which can allow the smoke in when the cloche is slid slightly off the side of a surface. Once the desired amount of smoke fills the cloche, it can be moved back entirely onto the surface to trap the smoke for as long as you wish. When you’re not using it for cocktails you could use it to trap in humidity for a picky plant or, as a friend suggested, protect your plants from your cat!

Having found this fun new toy, I decided to play with witchcraft imagery and channel my inner sorceress. I thought it would be fitting to create a deep red cocktail with hints of exotic spice and so The Witching Hour was born. Pomegranate juice served as the perfect base ingredient to give me both the color and depth of flavor I was looking for. When looking for pomegranate juice at the store, try to get one that doesn’t have any additives and is not from concentrate – the flavor will be much more potent, and the natural tartness of the juice will save you from having to add citrus for balance. I typically use this one, which you should be able to find in the unrefrigerated juice aisle or natural foods section.

I chose cardamom as my exotic spice because I adore that it’s both warming and fresh at the same time. It’s easy to incorporate as a simple syrup, and the syrup works for multiple uses (seriously, try it in your latte). To build more of a spice profile, I added some orange bitters and used rye whiskey as the spirit. Heaven’s Door shared some of their Straight Rye Whiskey with me recently, and I’ve really enjoyed mixing with it. Somehow it manages to be simultaneously smooth and spicy which worked very nicely in this cocktail.

The resulting drink is tart, full-bodied and intriguingly spiced with the intoxicating aroma of sweet applewood smoke. It’s fairly straight-forward to make (other than the smoke) but so interesting in flavor profile and friendly for batching. If you don’t have a smoking gun, consider presenting it with dry ice (you should be able to find some at a local grocery store). Just be sure to allow the dry ice to entirely dissolve before consuming the drink.

The Witching Hour

• 1.5 oz rye whiskey

• 1.5 oz pomegranate juice

• 0.75 oz cardamom syrup*

• 10 drops orange bitters

To make cocktail, shake all ingredients vigorously with ice until chilled, then strain into a coupe glass. If smoking, cover the cocktail and fill the enclosure with applewood smoke. Wait for 2-3 minutes, then remove the enclosure and serve immediately, cackling over your impressive show of sorcery.

*To make syrup, bring 1 cup of water to a simmer, then add 1/4 cup sugar and 1 tbsp cardamom seeds. Allow to steep for 10 minutes, then strain and allow to cool. Store excess in the fridge for up to 3 weeks.

Thanks to Belen Aquino for the stunning cocktail photography.

Classic Margarita

Summer is in full swing, and I don’t know what feels more appropriate than a fresh cold margarita enjoyed on the patio. Though summer entertaining can get hectic, I promise that you’ll appreciate making a margarita with fresh citrus versus a mix and it won’t take you more time or effort. With a few spirits in your bar and fresh limes and simple syrup in your fridge, you’ll be set. For this post, I’m partnering with the folks at Jim Beam and Drizly to share the making of the refreshing Sauza® Classic Margarita.

Tequila was a spirit I struggled to enjoy at first and am still a bit picky with. However, I was pleased to find that Sauza® Signature Blue Silver Tequila was both affordable and mixed smoothly with palatable flavor. I added DeKuyper® Triple Sec Liqueur for the orange component and appreciated that it didn’t include high fructose corn syrup or artificial color or flavor while not breaking the bank.

Instead of adding agave for more sweetness, I made a simple syrup from organic cane sugar. While white granulated sugar will do the trick, using a sugar that’s less refined will give you a richer flavor. You could play around with this recipe and try something like demerara sugar if you’d like a more molasses-forward sweetness.

As I mentioned in the beginning, perhaps the most important ingredient in a good margarita is fresh citrus. Get your limes in bulk - they’ll easily keep in the fridge for several weeks and supply you with bright and flavorful cocktails. You can squeeze them by hand, with a manual tool (easily found online, at any kitchen store or even your local grocery store) or an electric tool if you’re making up a pitcher.

I used pink Himalayan salt and edible marigold flowers for my garnish. the Himalayan salt has a milder flavor that doesn’t take away from the cocktail, and the marigolds added a beautiful pop of color. Get the perfect salted rim by cutting a small slit in a wedge of lime and wiping it around the rim of your glass. Then, dip the glass in salt which you’ve spread in a circle roughly the diameter of your glass rim. It’s ok to dip the glass several times if some sections didn’t stick the first time.

If you’re not growing marigolds in your garden, Whole Foods often has packages of edible flavors in the herb section.

Classic Margarita

• 1 ½ oz Sauza® Signature Blue Silver Tequila

• ½ oz DeKuyper® Triple Sec Liqueur

• 1 oz lime juice

• ½ oz simple syrup

Add ingredients to an ice-filled shaker. Shake and strain over ice into a margarita glass. Garnish with edible flowers or a lime wedge and serve. Salt is optional.

Thanks to Belen Aquino for the stunning cocktail photography. This post is sponsored by Jim Beam in collaboration with Drizly.

Dusk to Dawn

With more hours of sunshine, buds appearing on trees, and my first seed garden happily sprouting on the windowsill, I’m in full spring mode and planning for patio entertaining. Springtime encourages me to transition from the richness of whiskey cocktails to the lightness of gin cocktails, but I crafted this cocktail with a barrel-aged gin to make that transition smoother. As I’ve mentioned in earlier posts, barrel-aged gin is an excellent option for guests who are weary of the juniper and other herbal notes of traditional gins. Aged gins tend to carry the richer oaky mouthfeel of whiskey with a smoother layer of herbal flavor.

KOVAL barrel-aged gin is one of my favorites, in part due to the flavor profile and in part due to the gorgeous bottle design (pro tip: keep the bottle once it’s empty and add a pour spout to use for storing olive oil on your kitchen counter).

Choosing a more rounded gin allowed me to add different herbal notes with one of my favorite new liqueur additions to the home bar: Italicus. This liqueur is technically an Italian aperitivo but it’s not bitter as you would expect. On the contrary, this liqueur is citrus and floral forward and incredibly bright. It’s primarily built with bergamot and another Italian citrus variety with the addition of chamomile, lavender, gentian, rose and melissa balm.

To continue along the path of juicy, fruit-forward flavors, I added muddled Champagne grapes to the mix. This grape variety is small, sweet, and crisp with just a hint of tartness. They’re wonderful muddled and double as a beautiful edible garnish for this cocktail. If you can’t find Champagne grapes in a store near you I’d recommend using ripe green grapes instead.

I finished this drink off with a touch of lemon juice to balance the sweetness of the fruit and liqueur and a splash of club soda for bubbles.

The resulting cocktail is bursting with citrus, ripe fruit, and herbal notes yet is incredibly smooth and refreshing.

Dusk to Dawn

• 1.5 oz barrel-aged gin

• 0.5 oz Italicus liqueur

• 1 palm-sized step of champagne grapes (with another step for garnishing)

• 0.25 oz fresh lemon juice

• Club soda, to top

Muddle grapes in a shaker until all juice has been released, then add ice and all ingredients other than the club soda. Shake until chilled and strain into a stemmed glass. Top with club soda as desired and garnish with additional grapes. Enjoy on the patio in the warm, tranquil dusk of springtime.

Thanks to Belen Aquino for the stunning cocktail photography and to Gather Vintage Tablescapes for the beautiful vintage glasses and tray.

A Romantic Gesture

With Valentine’s Day approaching, it’s natural to reflect on what constitutes a romantic gesture. For me, a romantic gesture is all in the thought, effort or passion put into making your loved one feel your affection. This is true any time of year and applies to other loved ones in my life, like family and friends. A carefully crafted cocktail or a beautifully presented dessert can truly create a whole experience for someone. For this recipe, I partnered with local Indian sweet-maker Simply Mithai to create a cocktail and dessert pairing to share with the special person or people in your lives.

My inspiration started with chocolate, as Ambreen of Simply Mithai crafts gorgeous hand-painted filled chocolates. I’ve had the most success getting a rich chocolate flavor from cacao nibs, especially after toasting them to release more flavor and aroma. Cacao nibs are just pieces of cacao beans that have been dried, fermented and crushed. They don’t inherently contain any sugar and are packed with fiber, protein and antioxidants.

I love using them for chocolate flavor and a satisfying crunch in baking, but they’re also fantastic for syrups and infusing spirits. In this case, I roasted them in the the oven, then simmered them with water and raw cane sugar to create a deliciously rich syrup. Rather than discarding the used cacao nibs, I threw them into a batch of healthy muffins to enjoy over the work week.

A recipe that starts with chocolate can go many ways, but I really wanted to maintain a fresh, not overly sweet flavor profile. To do so, I chose one of my favorite fruits of the season, Cara Cara oranges, as my next ingredient. If you haven’t already has this epiphany, not all oranges are created equal. They offer a surprising range of colors and flavors and get a lot more interesting than your typical navel orange. Cara Cara oranges are a reddish-pink on the inside and are sweeter and less acidic, with some notes of red berries. Fresh Cara Cara juice paired wonderfully with the cacao nib syrup, adding some tang, freshness and delicate fruitiness.

I wanted a spirit that would play nicely with the chocolate and orange flavors rather than overpowering them, and jumped on my friend Lindsay’s idea to use white whiskey. White whiskey can range in flavor depending on the grain but is typically sweeter, less oaky and has more of a bite. Long Shot White Whiskey by Union Horse Distilling was a fun one to incorporate as it tastes a bit like a smoother unaged tequila and mixes well while retaining its character.

I finished the cocktail with a bar spoon of rose water for a touch of floral flavor and served it in an elegant coupe glass garnished with a Simply Mithai chocolate. If you choose to use a chocolate as a garnish, be sure to first heat your cocktail pick in some hot water so it can pierce the chocolate without breaking it (a shout-out to my crafty husband for having a steady hand to pull this off).

The resulting cocktail is a vibrant orange color and starts with tang, fruit and a hint of rose on the palate, finishing with the satisfying creaminess of chocolate.

A Romantic Gesture

• 1.5 oz white whiskey

• 1.5 oz fresh Cara Cara orange juice

• 0.75 oz toasted cacao nib syrup*

• 1 bar spoon rose water

To make cocktail, add all ingredients to a shaker with ice and shake until chilled and slightly foamy. Double strain into a coupe glass (single strain if you prefer pulp) and garnish with a chocolate. Present to your loved one as a thoughtful, romantic gesture.

*To make syrup, roast 0.5 cup of cacao nibs in the oven at 400 ºF for about 5 minutes, or until aromatic. Remove cacao nibs from oven and add to a small saucepan with 1.5 cups of water and 0.25 cup of raw cane surgar. Simmer for 15 minutes, then strain and allow to cool. Store excess in the fridge for up to 3 weeks and be sure to shake before using as it will separate due to the natural oils.

Thanks to Belen Aquino for the stunning cocktail photography, Lindsay for lending me the lovely Pottery Barn Monique Lhuillier coupes and arrow cocktail picks and Simpy Mithai for creating such beautiful chocolates and orange rose cake for the occasion!

Cacao Mulled Wine

How do you cope with cold weather? Do you embrace it, avoid it or find carefully crafted ways to enjoy it (ie. with lots of layers and warm beverages)? I’m in the last category. I appreciate the magic of winter but need to be surrounded by multiple sources of warmth to get through it with a positive attitude. Mulled wine is one of those beverages that truly elevates the winter experience. Imagine standing in the midst of a Christmas market like Chicago’s own Christkindlmarket, surrounded by twinkling lights and enjoying a steaming mug of spiced wine as fluffy flakes of snow settle softly around you. It’s hard not to admit that winter has some charm when you find yourself in such a lovely situation.

Typical spices for mulled wine include ginger, cloves, cinnamon, star anise, cardamom and nutmeg. While I love the flavor and aroma of this combination, I wanted to try a different direction. What comes to mind as a natural pairing to red wine? Chocolate and cheese would be the most notable but cheese is probably not what you want actually in your wine (if you find a way to do it, more power to you). I settled on the concept of chocolate and thus decided to infuse my wine with cacao nibs, Ceylon cinnamon, cardamom and Cara Cara orange.

I looked for a rich red wine with chocolate tasting notes as the base to complement the cacao nibs. The Chilean Cabernet Sauvingon by Root: 1 was the perfect price point (I recommend not spending more than $10 on a bottle if you’ll be infusing it or adding juices) and the ideal flavor profile - black currant, mocha and chocolate.

Though I used cacao as my main flavor, I decided to add the Ceylon cinnamon and cardamom as they both pair beautifully with chocolate. I added both the peel and juice of a ripe Cara Cara orange to get both the bright essential oils of the skin and sweet tartness of the orange itself. Cara Cara oranges are my personal favorite as they’re sweeter and more flavorful than the typical navel variety.

Finally, I sweetened the wine with a German honey liqueur for both an extra kick and a smooth, richer sweet flavor. If you can’t get your hands on a honey liqueur, consider adding honey and brandy as a substitute. I prefer to make my mulled wine slightly more tart than sweet but feel free to play with the ratios to your liking.

The resulting mulled wine is warming and refreshingly bright with a delightful lingering flavor of spiced chocolate on the finish. It’s the perfect drink to share with friends or family anytime in the winter but especially over the holiday season.

Cacao Mulled Wine

• 1 bottle Cabernet Sauvignon (Root: 1 or another variety with chocolate notes)

• 4 oz honey liqueur

• Juice and peel of 1 Cara Cara orange

• 2 tbsp cacao nibs

• 0.5 tsp cardamom seeds

• 2 Ceylon cinnamon sticks

Add all ingredients to a pot and put on the stove on low heat. Bring to a light simmer and keep at that temperature for 45 minutes - 1 hour, stirring and tasting occasionally. Strain and serve immediately when ready. Garnish with a cinnamon stick or orange twist and enjoy with loved ones and good cheer.

Thanks to Belen Aquino for the stunning cocktail photography and to Gather Vintage Tablescapes for the beautiful vintage glasses and tray.

Take it Sloe

This drink has two big cocktail firsts for me: sloe gin and a liquid mysteriously referred to as aquafaba. On the surface, it's a Sloe Gin Fizz with the rich addition of Japanese whisky. As you peel away the layers, you'll find it to be bursting with jam and spice flavors with a hint of savory notes and balanced sweetness. This Sloe Gin Fiz is also vegan, thanks to the aquafaba being used as a substitute for egg whites. 

To talk about the Sloe Gin Fizz, we need to back up and define sloe gin. Have you had it before? Or rather, have you had a good one before? If not, you really need to get your hands on some. 

Sloe gin dates back as far as the 17th century in the UK, when blackthorn hedges started being used to break up the land. The hedges yielded tart, plum-like berries that countryside folk steeped in alcohol and enjoyed as a wintertime treat after the autumn harvest. As sloe gin became more popular recently, many producers used added flavor rather than the actual berries to give sloe gin its distinctive color and taste.

I first discovered the liqueur through Sipsmith, so my standards were set high. Their take on sloe gin is made by infusing London Dry Gin with sloe berries picked in autumn and is absolutely delicious both on its own and in cocktails. The flavor is comparable to a black currant liqueur but not as sugary and with more spice and tartness. It's my absolute favorite liqueur to sip on the rocks by the fire after I come home on a cold winter day. 

I wanted to give this cocktail more body for the coming of fall, so I chose to use Japanese whisky, rather than gin, for the base spirit. The Coffey Grain Whisky, by Nikka served me very well in this application. Distilled primarily from corn in Scottish Coffey stills imported to Japan in the ‘60s, this whisky is naturally sweet yet bold, with vibrant notes of spice and fruit. It balanced the sloe gin wonderfully with each ingredient shining through in the final cocktail.

Now that I have you hooked with two delicious spirits, it’s time to get a little weird. What, you ask, is aquafaba? It’s nothing more than a fancy name given to the liquid in a can of chickpeas to make it sound less scary. So yes, it’s essentially bean water, but look how beautiful it looks topping that lovely drink! If you avoid egg whites because you’re concerned about potential for bacteria, you’re vegan, or the smell bugs you, aquafaba is a great alternative for foam. I’d recommend using it in bolder cocktails, but it doesn’t have a strong flavor or smell. It’s important to choose a can with either no, or very minimal salt as that may interfere with the flavor of your cocktail. The preparation is similar as to what you’d do with an egg white cocktail - dry shake all of the ingredients with aquafaba to form the foam, then add ice and shake until chilled.

I added a healthy bit of lemon to give the drink a sour finish, and then formed the rich foam with the help of club soda. The secret to getting the most (and the most flawless) foam is to add the club soda to the glass first, and then pour all of the other ingredients from the shaker on top. As the foam from the shaker comes into contact with the club soda, it’ll continue to build and fluff out.

If you’re feeling especially adventurous, you absolutely must try your hand at bitters art. As long as you have a fairly sturdy foundation of foam and a good dropper bottle for your bitters, it’s totally attainable. I used Angostura Bitters for the extra spice and pop of color but poured some into a small dropper bottle so I’d have more control. Make sure you have a fine-point tool like a toothpick or a cocktail pick to finish the design. Once you have everything ready, place 5 drops in an incomplete circle on the surface of the foam. Then, use your fine-point tool to gently trace the shape of the circle through the middle of each dot, forming a trailing heart shape. Don’t be discouraged if it doesn’t work the first few times - it’s just an excuse to have more cocktails!

The resulting drink is lovely to look at, creamy and satisfying while also wakening your taste buds with a delightful bouquet of jammy fruit, spice and tartness.

Take it Sloe

• 1.5 oz Nikka Coffee Grain Whiskey

• 0.75 oz Sipsmith Sloe Gin

• 0.5 oz lemon juice

• 0.75 oz aquafaba

• 1 oz club soda

• Angostura Bitters, for garnish

Add all ingredients other than club soda and bitters to a shaker and dry shake for 10-15 seconds to form the foam. Add ice and shake until chilled. Pour club soda into glass. Strain liquid from shaker slowly into glass over club soda, allowing foam to build. Top with several drops of bitters (instructions for bitters art shown above). Enjoy while escaping the first chill of fall for profound, cozy conversations with friends.

Thanks to Belen Aquino for the stunning cocktail photography and to Gather Vintage Tablescapes for the beautiful vintage glasses.

A Long-Awaited Spring

Living in the Midwest, you get used to unexpected seasonal patterns. Some years, we get graced with a beautiful spring but usually it's a bit of a climate roller coaster. Don't get me wrong, I love seasons. It's the change and uncertainty that make us Chicagoans appreciate nice weather when it happens and to fully take advantage of it. After six months of winter and several April snow showers, I was thrilled to see crisp green buds appearing on trees and fragrant flowers popping out of the ground. Even with some unavoidable variation in temperatures, we've been spending every evening dining on the rooftop and delighting in the sunset displays. For me, springtime evokes a transition from anticipation to wonder as life and color return to the outside world.

I wanted to capture the coming of spring in a brunch-friendly cocktail just in time for Mother's Day. My goal was to create something delicate, fragrant and wonderfully smooth. I had recently gotten my hands on some St. George California Citrus Vodka and let its crisp floral flavors inspire my brainstorming process. Gravitating typically to gin or whiskey, I hadn't previously found a vodka to write home about. I typically approached vodka as an ingredient to disappear and allow the other components of the cocktail to shine. This vodka, however, is so ridiculously delicious that it can easily be enjoyed neat at room temperature. Built on a foundation of Barlett pears with no additives, the vodka is then infused with Valencia orange, Seville orange, and bergamot peels. The resulting spirit shines with bright citrus and herbal notes with an almost sweet juicy finish. 

I thought the vodka would pair nicely with a jammy flavor so I incorporated some cold-brewed hibiscus tea. Hibiscus has a stunning natural hue and a vibrant tartness that I thought would enhance, rather than overpower, the vodka's citrus notes. Then I decided to get a little weird and try out an ingredient that has always mystified me in cocktails: yogurt. Though it sounds bizarre, Greek yogurt in particular can add to a cocktail's tartness while also imparting a creamy texture. I promise that it doesn't taste like eating a spoonful of plain yogurt - you just need to be smart about the other ingredients you mix it with. I chose to work in a wildflower honey syrup to take the bite our of the yogurt and blend it in as a more complimentary rather than center-stage component. The honey worked beautifully to tie everything together and balance out the tartness of the hibiscus and Greek yogurt. 

I finished the drink with some stunning edible flowers I spotted at Whole Foods. I have been hunting for these in stores for some time and haven't yet had the chance to plant them in my own garden. Whole Foods packages up a variety in the refrigerated herbs section - just be sure to get them shortly before you plan to use them as they do spoil quickly. I love how the flowers enhance the vibrant character of this cocktail and create an extra special treat for whoever you choose to share it with. The resulting cocktail is lightly tangy with notes of citrus and jam rounded with a creamy sweet smoothness. It's delicious at any time of day, but I think it would be especially wonderful with brunch.

A Long-Awaited Spring

• 1.5 oz St. George California Citrus vodka
• 1 oz cold-brewed hibiscus tea*
• 0.5 oz wildflower honey syrup**
• 1 tbsp plain Greek yogurt
• Edible flowers, for garnish

Add all ingredients other than flowers to a shaker with ice and shake vigorously until chilled and frothy. Strain into a Nick and Nora or other stemmed glass and garnish with 1-2 edible flowers. Enjoy outdoors to complement the delicious brunch you prepared for your mother.

Thanks to Belen Aquino for the stunning cocktail photography and to Gather Vintage Tablescapes for the beautiful vintage glasses.

Tea Time

Ever since I can remember, I've had a strong love for tea. Fresh, energizing green teas tend to be my favorites, but I've truly enjoyed most varieties I've tried and always look forward to expanding my tea knowledge. Without doubt, I have my father to thank for this appreciation. He's been teaching me about tea since my youth and continues to share new ones that he's discovered. Perhaps you can say that each of our food and beverage loves is a mix of genuine flavor perception and nostalgic or emotional value.

View fullsize

Given my feelings toward tea, I take hot toddies very seriously. The traditional hot toddy is a cocktail made with tea or warm water, liquor, lemon, honey, and optional spices. In my opinion, if all you can get at a bar is a Lipton tea bag with a packet of sugar, a piece of lemon, and a hearty pour of rail whiskey, perhaps grab a beer instead. Hot toddies are a drink to be treasured and appreciated because they allow so much room for experimentation. You can dream up countless combinations by swapping teas and playing with herbal and spirit components. Even the variety of honey you choose plays a pivotal role in the flavor profile of the finished cocktail.

View fullsize

I wanted to take the hot toddy inspiration to a more imaginative level with an unexpected tea, surprising botanicals, a quality spirit, and the use of my favorite type of honey. If all of these ingredients seem daunting, feel free to play around while sticking with the basic rations. Consider starting with a tea and honey you have in your pantry, then work your way to acquiring these specific ingredients if you're hooked on the hot toddy concept. 

View fullsize

View fullsize

I started with a base of hot osmathus oolong tea and added Copper and Kings American Craft Brandy, buckwheat honey, fresh lemon and 11th Orchard Birch Bark Bitters. The tea has a buttery sweetness with floral and fruity notes from the osmanthus. It's wonderful enjoyed on its own and really makes this drink shine by creating a smooth and complex foundation. I took special care selecting a smooth spirit to add to the cocktail as serving a drink warm can amp up the bite of sharper varieties. Copper and Kings American Craft Brandy gave me exactly what I wanted - oak-aged smoothness with a hint of fruity spice.

View fullsize

If you've never tried buckwheat honey, I highly recommend you get your hands on it. It's on the dark end of the honey spectrum, almost like a molasses, with a distinctive scent and a rich, nutty, slightly bitter flavor. It's not for everyone but it'll be a game changer in your drinks if you enjoy the taste. I grab mine at a local honey farm in Southern Wisconsin which offers the added bonus of helping with seasonal allergies (eating local honey can help with pollen sensitivity). The honey added smoothness and aroma to this cocktail, blending beautifully with the oolong and brandy.

View fullsize

I finished off the drink with some fresh lemon for balance and a dropper of birch bark bitters for brightness. The bitters are from a new Chicago-based company called 11th Orchard who specialize in locally foraged ingredients that are indigenous to the area. All of their products are fantastic but the birch bark variety really surprised me with its minty sweetness. You won't be able to find these bitters in stores outside of Chicago, but they're available for purchase online. 

The resulting cocktail is warming, unbelievable smooth and uplifting with its rich bouquet of fruity, nutty and floral aromatics. If you have a tea set at home, it'll make the presentation even more lovely and special for your guests. 

View fullsize

Tea Time

• 5 oz freshly brewed osmanthus oolong tea
• 1 oz aged brandy
• 1 tsp buckwheat honey
• 0.25 oz fresh lemon juice
• 15 drops (roughly 1 dropper) birch bark bitters

To make cocktail, brew and strain tea and allow to cool to drinking temperature. Stir in buckwheat honey until dissolved, then add brandy, lemon juice and bitters. Serve in a tea cup and garnish with a fresh or dehydrated lemon slice. Enjoy while savoring the last few weeks of winter and calming your eager anticipation for springtime. 

Thanks to Belen Aquino for the stunning cocktail photography and to Gather Vintage Tablescapes for the beautiful vintage tea set.

Electrify Me

A great lesson I learned from planning my wedding is that traditions are what you make them. In any celebration, we have the choice of which traditional components to accept and which to set aside in favor of more personalized practices. The same applies to Valentine's Day. My husband and I are always open to another excuse to celebrate our relationship but we don't entirely play by the rules. We try to do a staycation and a nice dinner sometime during the month of February because we've found experiences to often be more meaningful than possessions.

View fullsize

Instead of giving your partner or galentine flowers this week, consider sharing an experience with them by putting your effort into a beautiful, aromatic, and memorable cocktail. This drink takes inspiration from a timeless bouquet of roses, but I wanted to take the floral element in a different, surprising direction and to break the stereotype of floral drinks being a feminine enjoyment. 

View fullsize

I knew I wanted to build the drink on a base of gin but chose a more complex option - St. George Dry Rye Gin. I love that this gin is less Juniper forward and offers the rich grain finish of warm spice, similar to a rye whiskey. If you're weary of gins but haven't tried this one yet, it may just change your mind with its smooth yet peppery flavor. I further enhanced that electrifying kick with a 24 hour infusion of black peppercorns. The infusion is quite easy to achieve - simply add gin and cracked peppercorns to a glass jar in the proportions detailed below, then strain with a fine mesh strainer when finished. 

View fullsize

The peppery spice provided an excellent juxtaposition to the other key ingredient in this cocktail - hibiscus rose syrup. This syrup is made with dried hibiscus flowers and rosebuds (find these on Amazon or at a nicer grocery store) and is both tart and delicately floral. Both the hibiscus flowers and rosebuds also give the syrup, and the resulting cocktail, a stunning deep pink hue.

View fullsize

I finished the drink with egg white to smooth out the pepper to a palatable level and added some fresh lemon to enhance the tartness and help develop the egg white foam. To finish the cocktail, you can garnish with either fresh rose petals or the dried rosebuds you used for the syrup. The resulting drink is tart, pleasantly floral with an electrifying touch of peppery spice. 

View fullsize

Electrify Me

• 1.5 oz black peppercorn-infused Dry Rye Gin*
• 1 oz hibiscus rose syrup**
• 0.5 oz fresh-squeezed lemon juice
• 1 egg white

To make cocktail, shake all ingredients without ice for about 10 seconds, occasionally releasing the pressure built up in the shaker. Add ice and shake until chilled. Double strain into a coupe glass and garnish with fresh flower petals or dried rosebuds. Enjoy with mood lighting and good company.

* For black peppercorn-infused Dry Rye Gin, add 1/2 tbsp freshly cracked black peppercorns and 1 cup of Dry Rye Gin to a glass jar and allow to sit for 24 hours, shaking occasionally. Strain with a fine mesh strainer.

*To make hibiscus rose syrup, add 1 tbsp dried hibiscus flowers, 1 heaping tbsp rosebuds and 1/4 cup sugar to a small saucepan with 1 cup water. Bring to a boil and simmer for 15 minutes, then strain and allow to cool. Store excess in the fridge for up to 3 weeks.

Thanks to Belen Aquino for the stunning cocktail photography!

Persimmon Boulevardier

You may not have tried the classic Boulevardier cocktail, but I'm betting you've been exposed to its cousin of sorts, the Negroni. Both are very booze-forward (aka entirely booze) with a hint of citrus, a lot of depth, and an overall bitter finish. The difference between the two is the base spirit - the Boulevardier features bourbon or rye whiskey while the Negroni is built on a foundation of gin.

View fullsize

I had never tried making the Boulevardier but thought that the richer flavor of whiskey could better balance the bitterness of the aperitif component and therefore wanted to explore further. Though the traditional recipe calls for Campari, I prefer using ingredients with all-natural color and flavors and thus chose to incorporate a new brand local to Chicago - Apologue Liqueurs.

View fullsize

With one of the founders of the company coming from an accomplished industry background at The Violet Hour and Letherbee Distillers, I figured Apologue would offer a quality product. I certainly wasn't disappointed. Robby and Jordan were able to create an offering of three unique and dynamic natural liqueurs crafted from predominantly local ingredients. I tend to always favor well-established French brands for liqueurs, but Apologue has really shaken things up by bringing a fresh perspective to the market, and I'm thrilled to see their products being incorporated at bars throughout Chicago.

View fullsize

View fullsize

For this drink, I used their take on Campari - Persimmon Bittersweet Liqueur. The liqueur is pleasantly sweet, with a burst of warm spice and a finish of smooth fruity bitterness. I don't typically enjoy simply sipping an aperitif but this liqueur is truly an exception.

View fullsize

While I wanted to combine the persimmon liqueur with whiskey, I didn't want all of the more subtle notes in the liqueur to be overshadowed. I therefore chose to use a white rye from KOVAL, a sweeter and almost vegetal counterpart to the oak-aged variety. As prescribed, I finished the drink with a touch of sweet red vermouth but decided to use slightly less than the traditional Boulevardier recipe calls for. Though I enjoy vermouth, I wanted it to bring the other two ingredients together rather than compete with either of them. The resulting cocktail is strong yet bright, palatably bitter, and perfect for warding off the winter chill. 

View fullsize

The Persimmon Boulevardier

• 1.5 oz white rye whiskey
• 1 oz Apologue Persimmon Liqueur
• 0.75 sweet red vermouth (I used Noilly Prat)

Stir all ingredients with ice until chilled, then strain into a rocks glass over a large ice cube. Garnish with a dehydrated persimmon slice or an orange twist and enjoy while wrapped in a blanket cocoon

Thanks to Belen Aquino for the stunning cocktail photography and to Gather Vintage Tablescapes for the beautiful vintage glasses.

Festive Pines Punch

The thing I love most about my craft is the opportunity to share it with those I love. However, I try to strike a balance between being a good hostess, creating imaginative cocktails and actually enjoying the company of my loved ones. The best way I've found to accomplish all of those things is to create cocktails in punch form. You can make a punch fit any style of party by adjusting the presentation. This particular creation is meant for a festive holiday gathering.

View fullsize

Before we get to the drink itself, let's talk ice. Typical cloudy ice cubes just aren't the most attractive thing to look at and tend to melt fairly quickly due to the air bubbles they contain. You can always cover them up with punch garnishes such as flowers and citrus fruit but there's another, fairly effortless alternative: use a silicon bundt cake pan to make a decorative ring of ice. I picked this one up on Amazon for under $12 and was so impressed with the result. It didn't take too long to freeze (I made mine overnight), looked lovely, and melted slowly. You can fill yours with herbs and fruit if you wish, but I found that doing so discolored the ice and therefore added my garnish separately.

View fullsize

View fullsize

I had picked up a bottle of Far North Solveig Gin while travelling to Duluth, Minnesota and wanted to incorporate it into a festive cocktail that did the beautiful bottle justice. Aside from the eye-catching branding, the gin is really well done. It's made with winter rye grain and features citrus, pine, lavender, thyme and coriander flavors. While I always appreciate a straightforward gin, I get so excited to see distilleries playing with different grains and unique botanicals. 

View fullsize

The typical ingredient used for festive holiday color is the cranberry, but I wanted to explore an alternative and settled on concord grapes for both their high pigmentation and rich flavor. You may liken concord grapes to typical "grape" flavor but the fresh fruit is so much brighter and sweeter. I bought them at the height of their freshness and chose to preserve them in syrup form. I added rosemary to the syrup for a savory aromatic note and to complement the botanicals of the gin.

View fullsize

To finish off the cocktail, I added fragrant Meyer lemon juice and Cava, a Spanish variety of sparkling wine. I prefer to use lower cost sparkling wines when I'm adding them to cocktails instead of enjoying them on their own. The Cava category tends to offer a good selection of low cost options with a nice citrus flavor that doesn't steal the show. The resulting punch is wonderfully festive, fragrant and sweet-tart. While it features gin as the main spirit it's got enough other flavors in tow to appeal even to gin skeptics. 

View fullsize

Festive Pines Punch 

Ratios for 1 serving (scale up as needed):

• 1 oz gin
• 2 oz Cava sparkling wine
• 0.5 oz concord grape rosemary syrup*
• 0.25 oz Meyer lemon
• Fresh rosemary, for garnish

Chill ingredients prior to serving. Scale up the recipe as needed and combine all ingredients other than garnish in a punch bowl over a ring of ice. Stir to chill and combine and then garnish with fresh rosemary. Enjoy with holiday cookies and good cheer.

* To make syrup, combine 1 lb grapes, 3 cups water and 1 cup sugar in a medium pot. Simmer for 15 minutes, then add 3 sprigs of rosemary. Simmer for 10 more minutes, stirring occasionally, then strain and allow to cool. Store excess in the fridge for up to 3 weeks.

Thanks to Belen Aquino for the stunning cocktail photography and to Gather Vintage Tablescapes for the punch bowl, cups and tray. 

Faraway Plains

After first setting eyes on a Smoking Gun at Apogee Lounge, one of the most imaginative bars in Chicago, I knew I'd eventually need to add one to my arsenal of mixology toys. Quite conveniently, the maker Breville reached out and offered to provide me with one in exchange for participating in a virtual holiday "mix-off" along with 9 other influential bartenders and mixologists. Getting the opportunity to play with a new medium made me want to take my cocktail creation in a completely different direction from anything I'd done before.

View fullsize

I selected Japanese whiskey and sherry to form the backbone of my cocktail. Both are ingredients that are praised in modern cocktails yet I had only tried them when going out for drinks. I quickly found that Japanese whiskeys come in quite a range of prices and flavor notes but Kikori Whiskey seemed like a particularly intriguing option to mix with. Made entirely from rice and aged in sherry casks, Kikori feels like a mash-up of the best attributes of saké and more traditional whiskey. It's a wonderfully unique addition to the world of whiskey and features a floral aroma with a caramel smooth finish. 

View fullsize

View fullsize

I also learned that sherries come in many varieties, each of which boast a unique flavor profile. Sherry is defined as Spanish fortified wine crafted in the region surrounding the city of Jerez de la Frontera (the word "sherry" stems from "Jerez"). Within that category, the wines vary from very dry to sweetened and have undergone different degrees of aging and oxidization. I chose the Manzanilla variety which falls on the drier end of the spectrum and was named with the Spanish word for chamomile tea due to flavor similarities. 

View fullsize

I played up the floral notes in the whiskey and manzanilla sherry with fragrant fresh-squeezed Meyer lemon juice and a wildflower honey syrup. The honey syrup balanced the dryness of the sherry, and the Meyer lemon juice tied the other ingredients together with a touch of pleasant acidity. 

View fullsize

The coolest thing about using the Smoking Gun in creating a cocktail is that you can fill it with a number of different wood chips, dried herbs or dehydrated fruit. This allows you to enhance the drink's flavors by engaging the sense of smell and truly takes the cocktail to the next level. I used applewood chips and dried chamomile flowers to smoke this drink. The applewood chips created a sweeter, fruity smoke and were a perfect match for the floral sweetness of chamomile. As a sidenote, I highly recommend getting dried chamomile flowers in bulk instead of buying it in teabag form - it's cheaper, more flavorful and lovely for garnishing!

View fullsize

The resulting cocktail is a bouquet of flavors unlike any I've enjoyed before - it starts out with a bit of floral dryness, transitions to the creamy smoothness of the honey and whiskey and finishes with a touch of sweet smoke.

View fullsize

Faraway Plains

• 2 oz Kikori Japanese Rice Whiskey
• 0.5 oz Manzanilla Sherry
• 0.5 oz wildflower honey syrup*
• 0.25 oz fresh Meyer lemon juice
• Dried chamomile and applewood chips, for smoke
• Fresh chamomile flowers, for garnish

Add first four ingredients to a mixing glass over ice and stir until chilled. Cover mixing glass with a julep strainer so only the spout is exposed. Insert the tube of the smoke gun through the mixing glass spout. Place a light covering of applewood chips and dried chamomile in the burn chamber of the smoke gun, ignite, and use the higher fan setting to fill the mixing glass with smoke. Once filled, remove the smoke gun tube from the mixing glass, change the orientation of the julep strainer so the handle covers the spout and allow for the cocktail to infuse with smoke for several minutes. Give the mixing glass a swirl and strain the contents into a Japanese tea cup or punch glass. Garnish with fresh chamomile flowers. 

* To make wildflower honey syrup, add 1:1 parts wildflower honey and almost boiling water to a leak-proof glass jar and shake until honey is dissolved. Open jar to allow syrup to cool and store excess in the fridge for up to 1 month. 

Thanks to Belen Aquino for the stunning cocktail photography and Breville for the Smoking Gun.

Vinyl Hour

If you're a Chicago local, have ever visited our city, or simply follow the spirits industry, there's little chance that you haven't heard of The Violet Hour. Hidden behind a wall that regularly rotates between contributions from various artists, The Violet Hour is an intimate speakeasy lounge that focuses largely on pre-prohibition era cocktails. Their rotating cocktail menu is simultaneously creative and highly formulaic, and all of the drinks I've had the pleasure of trying are both complex and perfectly balanced. 

Lucky for us, The Violet Hour has now made a taste of their signature flavors available for home bartender use. Managing Partner Eden Laurin crafted the first cocktail syrup, Batch No.1, with a natural blend of scorched demerara sugar, vanilla, orange, and bittering agents like wormwood, caccia bark, and licorice root. Her idea was to create a one-stop, approachable product that would efficiently offer sweetness and depth. My husband and I enjoyed the syrup in a Pimm's Cup and Sazerac while visiting the bar, but it's really so delicious that I could add it to just about anything or simply have a spoonful for dessert. One of the things that I found particularly meaningful is that Eden has used this product release as a means to help others. A portion of the proceeds goes to her nonprofit project, The Drinking Fountain, which aims to give back to communities who struggle with clean water access.

The syrup was so packed with flavor that I didn't need to do much to make it shine. Eden's recommended recipe is to adapt the syrup into an Old Fashioned with 2 oz of your favorite spirit and a citrus peel. I ran with that inspiration but added several complimentary components. 

I knew I wanted to pair the syrup with KOVAL bourbon given it's lovely vanilla sweetness but decided to pack in more fall flavor by infusing the bourbon with fresh black figs. Since figs aren't in season for long, infusing them into a spirit is a great way to make their flavor last. You could also try this with frozen figs (I've seen some at Trader Joe's) or even dried figs (though look for ones without any added sugar). The infusion took only 5 days and was so tasty that I would gladly just sip it on ice. I then chose to add fresh-squeezed navel orange juice for some citrus brightness that wouldn't distract from the drink's velvety sweetness. While lemon and lime are excellent in lots of applications, they tend to steal the show pretty quickly and can distract from the rich profile of whiskey

I finished off the drink with flamed orange peel for a deeper, roasted citrus oil scent and flavor. For garnish, I added fresh figs but you could use the citrus twist if you're making this drink after fig season is over. The resulting drink was strong yet delightfully smooth with an uplifting scent, rounded sweetness, and lingering complexity.

Vinyl Hour

• 2 oz black fig-infused bourbon*
• 0.5 oz fresh-squeezed orange juice
• 1 barspoon Violet Hour Batch No. 1 Scorched Demerara Cocktail Concentrate
• Strip of orange peel
• Fresh fig, for garnish

Stir all ingredients other than orange peel and fig with ice until chilled, then strain into a rocks glass over a large ice cube. Run a flame along the orange peel and then express the orange oils onto the surface of the cocktail. Cut the fig in half lengthwise and slide both halves onto a cocktail spear. Enjoy while getting cozy under blankets and jamming out to your latest vinyl finds.

*To make fig-infused bourbon, place 4 sliced black figs into a 16 oz jar and fill with bourbon to the top. Put in a dark place and allow to infuse for 4-5 days, shaking and tasting occasionally. Strain with a fine mesh strainer when you're happy with the flavor. 

Thanks to Belen Aquino for the stunning cocktail photography and to Gather Vintage Tablescapes for the glass. 

The Swaying Stalk

If you've been following my blog for some time, you've probably noticed that I enjoy using infusions in my cocktails. They're quite easy to prepare if you understand the proper length of infusion time for various ingredients. Simply add fruit, herbs, tea or spices to liquor, wait while it infuses, and then strain out all of the solids to stop the process. Infusions are an excellent way to add complexity to a drink because they have no added sugars and don't water down the overall cocktail. I've done infusions for both flavor and color with great results.

I was recently approached by the company Teroforma to test 1pt, their newest product line of artisanal spirit infusion blends. This blog is a space for me to share my findings on brands whose ingredients and value propositions I support, and 1pt met and exceeded my criteria. I've typically done infusions with one or maybe two ingredients at a time and then added additional flavors in the cocktail mixing process. In contrast, all of of 1pt's seven blends feature at least four thoughtfully layered herbs, spices and teas, meaning you don't need to add much to the infused spirit to make a fantastic cocktail. I chose to play with their Citrus Blend, a mix of lemongrass, ginger, lemon verbana, Yerba Mate, and marigold petals. 

Given the freshness and citrus character of the infusion ingredients, I chose to use a London Dry Gin for the spirit. London Dry Gin's aren't necessarily made in London nowadays but tend to be more juniper-forward, higher proof, and with a citrus component. Beefeater is particularly great for infusions as it's very reasonably priced, fairly straightforward in taste profile and therefore quite versatile. 

I wanted to use honey to completely smooth the bite of the gin and thus draw the focus entirely to the brightness of the infusion. Instead of using a plain honey syrup, I paired blackberries with wildflower honey for a pop of color and a delightfully tart fall flavor that I slightly accentuated with a bit of lemon. I then topped the drink with club soda to give it the refreshing feel of a gin and tonic.

For garnish, I added a fresh stalk of lemongrass and a dehydrated citrus peel. If you'd like to learn how to make dehydrated citrus peel in your oven, check out this earlier post. The resulting cocktail was fresh, herbaceous, bright and complex.

The Swaying Stalk 

• 2 oz 1pt Citrus-infused London Dry Gin*
• 0.75 oz honey blackberry syrup**
• 0.25 oz fresh-squeezed lemon juice
• 2 oz club soda
• Lemongrass stalk and/or dehydrated lemon slice, for garnish

Stir all ingredients other than garnish with ice, then strain into a stemmed glass and top with crushed ice. Garnish with lemongrass and dehydrated lemon and enjoy while taking a deep breath of cool air after a rainstorm.

*Infuse gin with 1pt Citrus Blend for 5 hours.

**To make syrup, bring 1 cup water and 1/2 cup blackberries to a boil and simmer for 15 minutes. Muddle the blackberries and then add 1/4 cup wildflower honey, stirring just until it dissolves. Allow to cool and store excess in the fridge for up to 3 weeks.

If you'd like to try 1pt for yourself, use the code valcohol10 for 10% off orders over $20.