Berry Good Cosmic Cocktails: Dark Side of the Moontini

October 25, 2017 1 Comment A Well Crafted Pantry

Whether you just want a tasty mysteriously dark cocktail to impress your guests at a Halloween party or something fun to spice up a space themed party, this cocktail packs a punch. Dubbed the ‘Dark Side of the Moontini’ this drink utilizes a ice ball created out of a triple-berry syrup that then melts into a mixture of bourbon and splash of berry soda water.

This post is in partnership with Oregon Berries. All opinions are my own. See my other collaborations with Oregon Berries: Triple Berry Smoothie with Miso & Marionberry Champagne Cocktail.

The star of this cocktail is the slowly melting ice ball created with a triple-berry syrup. The syrup is SO easy to create. I used Stahlbush Island Farms frozen black raspberries, raspberries, and Marion blackberries. I kept to the darker berries for a rich flavor that would pair well with the bourbon, but also to make sure my drink had a very dark color to it (naturally).

Triple Berry Simple Syrup

This triple berry simple syrup can be made to mix with cocktails or non-alcoholic drinks. I love this syrup in Italian Creme Sodas or mixed with lemonade. YUM.

Use the below portions to create a batch of syrup in any amount that you need:

1 part each type of berry
2 part water
2 part granulated sugar

Or, to make approximately 2.5 cups of syrup:

1 cup black raspberries
1 cup raspberries
1 cup Marion blackberries
2 cups water
2 cups sugar

Directions:

Put the frozen berries and water in a saucepan and cook over medium heat (stirring occasionally so it doesn’t stick) until the berries soften. Approximately 5 minutes.
Add the sugar. Stir until the sugar is dissolved. Approximately 5 minutes.
Strain the liquid from the berries. Squish the berries as you go to get all the lovely juices.
Refrigerate the berry syrup for up to two weeks

Create the Berry Ice Ball:

I use the individual ice spheres (affiliate link) to create my ice balls. I literally have these in my freezer at all times with at least two ice balls ready to go for when I want a bourbon on ice. I love the way they look, but even more, I love the way that they melt. To create the berry ice ball I didn’t want it to be TOO sweet, so I first filled the ice sphere mold a third of the way with water. I then complete the sphere with my berry syrup. I do freeze my ice balls overnight so that they are pretty hard. To release from the mold I put under running water for about 30 seconds.

The berry ice ball would be great with a delicious lemonade or even a plopped into a lemon drop cocktail. However, I wanted the cocktail to be both dark in color and in flavor. I wanted something complex. So, bourbon was my go to liquor.

Dark Side of the Moontini

(A Bourbon and Berry Cocktail)

Ingredients:

1 Berry Ice Ball
2 oz of your favorite bourbon
1 oz of berry flavored soda water

Directions:

Put berry ice ball in a martini glass
Add 2 ounces of your favorite bourbon
Top with 1 ounce (or to taste) of your favorite berry flavored soda water

This drink starts of strong and as the ice melts gets sweeter. It is a sipper for sure!

Cocktails

Saturday Spirits: Cherry Limeade Cocktail

May 27, 2017 1 Comment Cocktails

A million years ago I got my first real job as a carhop at my local Sonic Drive-In. It was my first of many, many years of creating fun drinks for people to enjoy. The classic and all-time favorite soda of mine was the Cherry Limeade. Sonic just had that secret recipe that really blended the flavors just right. Of course, there was also the perfection of Sonic ice. When Wild Roots Vodka sent a beautiful bottle of their Dark Sweet Cherry Infused Vodka my mind instantly went to creating a tasty, adult-only Cherry Limeade. I didn’t have the perfect Sonic ice to set it apart, but I did have the perfect blend of cherry and lime that made for a refreshing Summer beverage.

Sonic’s—likely not-so-secret—recipe for their Cherry limeades combined freshly squeezed limes, cherry syrup, maraschino cherries and Sprite to make the sweet and sour beverage. You could really do the same with this vodka, some limes, and Sprite. However, and perhaps this is my age showing, I’ve come to enjoy drinks with just a tad less sweetness than I have had in the past. I prefer to not use Sprite in favor of lime flavored soda water.

While it is called “Dark Sweet Cherry Infused” vodka I didn’t find the liquor quite as sweet as I expected. (Perfect for me!) But, if you do prefer a sweeter drink then perhaps sub the soda water for a lemon-lime soda or add a little bit more maraschino cherry juice than called for in the recipe below.

More uses for Cherry Vodka:

In playing around testing different drinks with the Wild Roots Dark Sweet Cherry Vodka I also tested it out in some cola and made a fabulous adult Cherry Cola. Check out the Wild Roots website for more Cherry Vodka recipe ideas. (Click the plus sign next to description of the Cherry Vodka on the site.)

Dark Cherry Limeade Cocktail

This drink recipe serves one. However, you could absolutely make a pitcher of this to serve in bulk by multiplying ingredients by the number of drinks needed. If you are making ahead, then mix everything but the soda water together and chill until needed. Add the soda water right before serving.

Ingredients:

1 1/4 oz White Rum (not a flavored variety)
1/2 oz of Dark Sweet Cherry Vodka
1 oz freshly squeezed lime juice
1/2 oz Maraschino Cherry Juice (May substitute grenadine to taste if you’d prefer)
Maraschino Cherries and Lime Slices for Garnish

Directions:

Note: Build this drink over ice. If you can get nugget ice then definitely go for that! I liked building my drink where the cherry was on the bottom because it looked so pretty as the color seeped to the top. Before drinking you’ll want to give it a stir with your straw.

Pour Wild Roots Dark Sweet Cherry Vodka and Cherry Juice over ice.
Pour in the Rum and lime juice.
Add in a few lime slices.
Top with Lime Soda Water
Garnish with a few Maraschino Cherries

This drink will be next to me most of this long-holiday weekend. Hopefully as I enjoy the swimming pool!

A Well Crafted Pantry

Cocktail Recipe: Perfect Margarita

February 22, 2017 2 Comments A Well Crafted Pantry

As a blogger in the food, entertaining, and lifestyle category I subscribe to a variety of emails and google alerts that may help spark a post now and again. I tend to not have too much trouble coming up with ideas… as a matter of fact the 25 drafts I have currently SCREAM the opposite. However, sometime an alert pops in that intrigues me. The recent notification that made me actually open my email for once (currently have 500 unread. yuk.) was that National Margarita Day is February 22nd! It intrigued me because margaritas are inherently summer drinks for this gal— an excuse to make one in February…. yes, please!

I received complimentary Tres Agaves Tequila and Margarita Mix as a compliment to my Margarita Day posts. For information on my policies for sponsored posts please read my policies page. All opinions are my own. Thank you to Tres Agaves for sponsoring this post! This post is intended for readers of legal drinking age. As always, drink responsibly.

What is your favorite type of Margarita?

A margarita in its simplest form is simply a combination of tequila, triple sec, and lime or lemon juice. Over time the margarita recipe has been altered and changed to represent several drinks with a common thread of tequila and citrus juice.

When ordering a margarita I typically go one of two directions. I order a top-shelf margarita on the rock or a perfect margarita–both with salt. When making at home I’ll occasionally pull out the blender for a nice frosty, blended margarita or decide to get fancy with it and make an Italian-version that features a hefty shot of Amaretto. I love Amaretto. There are so many ways to make a margarita… fruit flavored, herb garnished, blended, spicy, on the rocks, with beer, with sugar, or simple and classic…the list goes on and on. What is your favorite type of margarita?

What is a Perfect Margarita?

I’m not talking about what makes a really good or ideal margarita (although, if you ask me, it is all about the proportions of the ingredients) I’m talking… when you see the term “Perfect Margarita” on a menu at a restaurant, what in the world does that mean? In most cases, a Perfect Margarita is a margarita served “up” in a cocktail glass. This margarita may also be considered a Shaken Margarita. I really tend to like my margaritas on the rocks most of the time, but occasionally I want something a tad different. When drinking a perfect margarita you’ll want to have a tequila that you really enjoy the taste of as it will not be as masked or diluted as in a blended or on the rocks margarita.

How to Make a Perfect Margarita:

You can make your favorite margarita recipe into a perfect margarita by pouring the ingredients over ice in a strainer, shaking until chilled, and straining into a salt-rimmed and chilled martini glass. Garnish with a slice of lime!

Make a Tres Agaves Perfect Margarita:

Ingredients/Supplies:

1 cocktail shaker filled with ice
1 salt-rimmed and chilled cocktail glass
Lime slices
2 oz Tres Agaves Tequila
3/4 oz Triple Sec or Cointreau
1 oz Tres Agaves Margarita Mix

In most of my cocktail making I tend make my own syrups or juice mixes. However, if it is really good and already ready to go for me, I am not above using a pre-made item. The key is taste! I thought the Tres Agaves Margarita Mix was a tasty blend of citrus to sweetness for margaritas. If you do not have the Margarita Mix you can substitute that with a combination of 1/2 oz simple syrup, 1/4 oz lemon juice, and 1/4 oz lime juice.

Cocktails

Triple Berry Simple Syrup

Create the Berry Ice Ball:

Dark Side of the Moontini

More uses for Cherry Vodka:

Dark Cherry Limeade Cocktail

Ingredients:

Directions:

What is your favorite type of Margarita?

What is a Perfect Margarita?

How to Make a Perfect Margarita:

Make a Tres Agaves Perfect Margarita:

Have a very happy Margarita Day today — and, really, every day!