Sparkling Winter Cocktails

As Autumn turns to winter one often thinks of the same few cocktails, hot toddies, cider, mulled wine, and all things whisky. If you are a lover of bright effervescent cocktails, you often get left out in the cold. It doesn’t have to be that way. Grab your favorite bottle of bubbles and create one of these fizzy concoctions.

Wintry Night

This cocktail proves sparkling Rosés aren’t just for summer!

4 oz sparkling rosé

½ oz sweet vermouth

1 teaspoon cinnamon simple syrup

Splash of blood orange bitters

Orange peel for garnish

Pour rosé into a white wine glass, gently stir in sweet vermouth, and then simple syrup.

Dash bitters on top.

Rub orange peel on the inside rim of the glass before dropping it into the drink.

Sparkling Pisco Cobbler

This cocktail was designed to be a celebratory drink, but who is to say you can’t celebrate a Tuesday?

1 oz pisco

½ oz triple sec

½ oz lemon juice

2 oz Champagne

1 dash of orange bitters

2 dashes of aromatic bitters

1.5 cups ice

1 lemon wheel (garnish)

½ orange wheel (garnish)

3 blueberries (garnish)

Crush ½ cup of ice

Put crushed ice into a cocktail glass

In a shaker, add pisco, lemon juice, triple sec, and orange bitters with 1 cup of ice

Shake to chill and combine ingredients

Strain the mixture over the top of the crushed ice

Top with Champagne

Float aromatic bitters

Garnish and Enjoy!

Dark Cherry Mimosa

Looking for a winter twist on the classic summer mimosa? Try this dark cherry version!

1 oz grapefruit juice

2 bar spoons of Maraschino cherry syrup, from the jar

3 to 4 oz Prosecco, to top

Grapefruit rind, for garnish

Combine cherry syrup and grapefruit juice in a Champagne flute.

Top with Prosecco

Garnish with grapefruit slice and Maraschino cherry

First Flight

This riff of a French 75 replaces the gin with bourbon.

1 oz bourbon

1/2 oz lemon

1/2 oz orgeat (almond syrup)

2 dashes of Angostura bitters

Champagne

Combine all ingredients in a mixing tin with ice.

Shake and strain into a chilled flute.

Top with Champagne.

Gin & Rosé

Gin & Mediterranean Kiss

1 oz gin

¾ oz St. Germain

½ oz Aperol

½ oz fresh lemon juice

Sparkling rosé Garnish with an orange twist Shake the first four ingredients with ice and strain into a glass. Top with sparkling rosé and garnish with an orange twist.

Rosé & Gin ‘Rosy’ Gimlet

¾ oz gin

2.5 oz rosé wine

¾ oz lime juice

Add all ingredients to a cocktail shaker with ice and shake. Strain into a chilled coupe glass and garnish with a lime twist.

Ancho Reyes Cocktails

The Mexican Mule is a delicious mix of a Moscow Mule and a Margarita.

1.5 oz Ancho Reyes Original

1/4 oz Fresh Lime Juice

Ginger Beer

Fill a copper mule mug with ice. Add Ancho Reyes Original and fresh lime juice. Gently pour ginger beer on top and stir lightly.

Verde Gimlet

1 oz Ancho Reyes Verde

1 oz Gin

½ oz Fresh Lime Juice

¼ oz Simple Syrup

Add all ingredients to a cocktail shaker with ice and shake hard to chill and dilute. Strain through a fine mesh strainer into a coupe glass and garnish with a thinly sliced cucumber wheel.

Apple Cider Bourbon Smash

For the agave simple syrup

¼ cup Agave In The Raw®

¼ cup water

2 cinnamon sticks

For the cocktail

½ cup apple cider

2- oz bourbon

3 large drops orange bitters

Garnish

Thyme

Cinnamon sticks

Apple slices

Instructions

Make the Agave Syrup just as you would any simple syrup

To make this cocktail smoky, grab a fresh cinnamon stick, a plate (be sure it's one you don't care too much about) or wooden plank, a lighter, and your cocktail glass. Carefully run the lighter under the tip of the cinnamon stick until it begins to smoke. Place the cinnamon stick on the plate or wooden plank and cover it with your cocktail glass. You should begin to see smoke in the glass.  Keep the glass like this until you're ready to pour in your cocktail.

Fill a cocktail shaker with ice. Add the apple cider, bourbon, bitters, and 1 Tbsp of the agave syrup. Shake well.

Pour into cocktail glasses and top with fresh thyme, cinnamon sticks, and/or apple slices.  For an extra smoky flavor, run a lighter under the thyme or cinnamon stick until it begins to smoke, and place it in the cocktail

Gettin' Bitter in the Kitchen

As we learned last week, bitters are to cocktails are salt is to cooking. This got me thinking, how do you cook with bitters? What can bitters be used for? I know some claim bitters help relieve a hangover or a cure for hiccups (as my mother reminded me) but what can they do for your cooking and baking?

So, I sat down in front of my trusty laptop and started doing some research. The first and simplest thing I discovered was a few dashes of your favorite herbal or citrus bitter can take sparkling water from boring to WOW. This tip makes sense, and it is similar to a cocktail, but what about adding bitters to your coffee or hot cocoa? If you add a dash or two of a nut or savory bitter, you can create a delicious mocha without the calories. A chili pepper bitter will create a quick Mexican hot chocolate.

These are simple ways to use bitters, but wait, there is more. Bitters can be used in everything from sauces and marinades to cookies and cakes. Here are a few rules I discovered while researching this article.

1.      Marinades – Bitters not only add flavor to your dish but also help tenderize the meat. The basic rule of thumb is 1 teaspoon of bitters to 1 cup of marinade. You can always experiment until you get it just right for you.

2.      Homemade Sauces – Just a few dashes in your ketchup or barbecue sauce will add depth and dimension.

3.      Salad Dressings – Citrus or herbal bitters make a vinaigrette sing!

4.      Caramel Sauce – This is not something I make, but I like the idea of adding a dash or two of an orange or lemon based bitter to provide a little zing or a chocolate or nut bitter to create a warm depth in the sauce.

5.      Simple Syrup – if you make your own simple syrup, add some citrus or floral bitters and you have just created a fruit salad dressing.

6.      Cookies and Cakes (or baking in general) - Change things up by replacing the vanilla or other extract with a citrus or nut bitter.

CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES

Ingredients:

2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour

3/4 cup refined white sugar

3/4 cup brown sugar

1 cup butter, at room temperature

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 teaspoon nut or coffee bitters

1 egg

1 package semi-sweet chocolate chips

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Mix together dry ingredients, add butter, egg, and bitters, and then stir in chocolate chips. Roll into one-inch balls and place on a nonstick baking sheet about 2 to 3 inches apart. Cook for 8 to 10 minutes. Let cool.

STEAK (OR CHICKEN!) MARINADE

Ingredients:

2 ounces bourbon

¼ cup brown sugar

¼ cup orange juice

1 teaspoon aromatic bitters

1 tablespoon cherry preserves

1 tablespoon fresh ginger, minced

1 teaspoon cracked black pepper

1 tablespoon fresh garlic, minced

1 teaspoon tamari or soy sauce

Directions:

Mix ingredients and soak your favorite steak (or chicken) for three hours, or overnight, in the refrigerator.

Flourless Chocolate Stout Cake

I made this recipe many moons ago for Mother’s Day and it was scrumptious. I have always meant to make it again, but I would need more than just me to eat it.

Before we get to the recipe, we must learn about one of the main ingredients, Stout. The first known use of the word stout in reference to beer was in 1677 in the Egerton Manuscripts, the word was used to reference the strength of the beer. The word porter was first used in 1721 to describe dark brown beer which used roasted malts. Porters were very popular and were made in a variety of strengths. The stronger beers, those over 7% were called stout porters. So, are you confused yet? Stouts and porters have been intertwined for all of history, even today people still argue the differences. One thing about stouts, unlike porters, there are many more varieties available from Milk and Coffee Stouts to Oyster Stouts and Imperials. Most stouts produced in North America highlight flavours such as coffee, chocolate, and vanilla. Here is a quick breakdown of the main stout styles you will find in our cooler.

Oatmeal Stout - Historically an Oatmeal stout was made with a large amount of oats being added during the brewing process, usually 30-35%, today that percentage is much lower. Oatmeal stouts do taste like oats. The oats provide a smoothness to the stout.

Milk Stout – This is a stout that contains lactose sugar, which is derived from milk. The lactose sugar cannot be fermented by beer yeast, so it adds a sweetness and body to the beer. Historically milk stouts were deemed as nutritious and given to nursing mothers to increase milk production.

Irish or Dry Stout – These stouts are the opposite of the Oatmeal and Milk stouts. Irish stouts are unsweetened and dry. The most popular dry stout worldwide is Guinness.

Imperial Stout – Originally knows as a Russian Imperial Stout, this style of stout has the highest ABV which is usually 8% or higher. In the 18th century Thrale’s Anchor Brewery in London for export to the court of Catherine II of Russia. A recipe from 1856 shows that the beer would have been over 10% ABV.

Flourless Chocolate Stout Cake

Ingredients

12 oz semisweet chocolate, chopped

14 tbsp unsalted butter

1/2 cup stout beer

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1/4 tsp salt

6 eggs

1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder, divided

1/2 tsp instant espresso powder

Preheat oven to 300°F. Butter the bottom and sides of a 9" springform pan, and sprinkle 1 tablespoon of cocoa powder over bottom and sides. Shake the pan until the cocoa powder coats the buttered areas, discarding any excess loose powder.

Add chocolate and butter to a microwave-safe bowl and microwave in 20 second intervals, whisking well after each interval, until melted and smooth. Set aside to cool slightly.

In a mixing bowl, whisk together stout, sugar, and salt. Add eggs and whisk until combined.

Pour a small drizzle of the melted chocolate/butter mixture into the bowl with the egg mixture as you whisk constantly. Go very slowly as to not cook the eggs. Continue pouring the chocolate/butter into the egg mixture until everything is combined, whisking the entire time.

Whisk in the unsweetened cocoa powder and instant espresso powder.

Pour batter into prepared pan and bake for 45 or so minutes, or until the edges have set and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out mostly clean. Let cool completely in the pan set on a wire rack. Dust with confectioners' sugar or cocoa powder before serving. This cake is best stored in the refrigerator and enjoyed cold!

Mint Julep Frozen Yogurt

As I write this week’s newsletter, I am distracted by The Clovers 1952 R&B hit “One Mint Julep”, it is a very catchy little ditty. Focus Shelly, Focus….

I am sure you have figured out that today’s lesson is all about the Mint Julep and how to take this classic cocktail and make it into a yummy frozen dessert.

The Mint Julep is a cocktail with a very long and sorted history. The word Julep is a derivative the Spanish Arabic word Julepe. Early English juleps were primarily medicinal, lightly alcoholic, and often contained camphor.  In the United States the first reference of the word julep can be dated back to 1770. At this time, it was considered a prescription drink as can be found in the 1784 Medical Communication “sickness at the stomach, with frequent retching, and, at times, a difficulty of swallowing. I then prescribed her an emetic, some opening powders, and a mint julep.” In his 1803, London published, book John Davis describe a julep as "a dram of spirituous liquor that has mint steeped in it, taken by Virginians of a morning."

Throughout the years a Julep has been made with rum, brandy, cognac, genever and whisky. Today, the most popular version of the Mint Julep is made with four simple ingredients Bourbon, Sugar, Water, and Fresh Mint and poured over crushed ice. This version was made popular at the Kentucky Derby, in 1938 and over 120,000 Juleps are poured over this two-day event.

Unlike other bourbon-based cocktails the Mint Julep is a light and refreshing cocktail meant for sunny days which is why this recipe intrigued me so much. I don’t believe one could go wrong taking an already scrumptious cocktail and making it into a summertime dessert.

Mint Julep Frozen Yogurt

Ingredients

•             3/4 cup bourbon, divided

•             1/2 cup fresh packed mint leaves

•             1 cup sugar

•             3 cups plain, lowfat yogurt

•             1/2 teaspoon peppermint extract (optional)

Instructions

In a small saucepan over medium heat, combine 1/2 cup of the bourbon, mint leaves and sugar. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer until the sugar is dissolved and the mint has infused into the bourbon, about 10 minutes. For better minty flavor, try tearing or muddling the mint leaves before boiling to release some of the natural oils.

In a mixing bowl, combine the bourbon mixture, yogurt and peppermint extract, if using (only use if your mint leaves are weak, the flavor of the mixture should just be slightly minty, but mint varies from batch to batch). Chill mixture until completely cold, about 2 hours.

Freeze in a large bowl, stirring every 10-15 minutes until frozen. This method will result in an icier frozen yogurt.

Don’t forget your fancy hat!

 The Well Heeled Libationist

Chill Mint Shrimp Noodle Salad

We all need a little help in the kitchen to get out of our daily cooking rut, so I thought, hey why don’t I scour the internet for recipes and pairings?  

The first one I found is for a Viognier. What is a Viognier you ask? First things first Viognier is pronounced vee-own-yay, look we are smarter already! A Viognier is a white wine which, ranges in taste from lighter flavors of tangerine, mango, and honeysuckle to creamier aromas of vanilla with baking spices. If you enjoy Chardonnay you will like the weight of a Viognier. When pairing a Viognier you need to respect its delicate notes and medium acidity, therefore ensure the foods you are selecting are not too acidic or bold in flavor. The aromas of the food should play off the fruit flavors and creaminess of the wine, which is why I selected a Chili Mint Shrimp Noodle Salad for the pairing. This recipe can be found on the Chatelaine website. 

Ingredients 

• 125 g vermicelli noodles 

• 2 tbsp fish sauce 

• 1 tbsp brown sugar 

• 2 tsp lime zest 

• 2 tsp lime juice 

• 1 large mango, peeled and diced 

• 1/3 cup chopped mint 

• 1/4 cup unsalted butter 

• 2 fresh serrano chilies, seeded and minced 

• 1 tbsp finely chopped mint 

• 1/4 tsp salt 

• 340 g frozen raw large shrimp, thawed and peeled 

• 1 lime, cut in wedges 

• COVER mung bean vermicelli noodles completely with boiling water in a large bowl. Let stand, stirring frequently, until tender, 5 to 7 min. Drain noodles and rinse with cold water. Squeeze excess water from noodles. Return to bowl. 

• WHISK fish sauce with brown sugar, lime zest, and lime juice in a small bowl. Pour over noodles. Add mango and cilantro (or mint) to noodles. Toss until combined. 

• MELT butter in a large non-stick frying pan over medium. Add serrano chilies, 1 tbsp finely chopped mint, and salt. Stir constantly until butter foams, then add shrimp. Cook until shrimp is pink, about 4 min. Serve with mango-noodle salad and lime.