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Bourbon Sparkling Apple Cider Cocktail Recipe | A Well Crafted Party
A Well Crafted Pantry

Bourbon Sparkling Apple Cider Fall Cocktail Recipe

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It’s Fall, y’all! And, in the Fall I crave bourbon. For a recent low-key Fall party, I crafted a super simple, but delicious cocktail featuring Broken Top Bourbon, sparkling wine, and apple cider. I put it together on the bar so guests could make their own. However, you could also pre-prep and create a delicious punch! This cocktail would be a great addition to your Thanksgiving table and would also be a tasty addition to the winter holiday season!

This post is in partnership with Cascade Street Distillery. I was provided a complimentary product. All opinions are my own. Thank you for reading and learning more about the companies that support this blog. 

Bourbon Sparkling Apple Cider Cocktail Recipe | A Well Crafted Party

When I say that this cocktail is simple… I mean it. I love a well-crafted cocktail with gorgeous ingredients and garnishes, but I also really value simple (but quality) solutions to hosting events. There are a lot of things happening when you host, might as well make it easy on yourself if you have a great and easy solution! One way to really make this cocktail hit a home run with your guests is by picking really good ingredients. I picked a local hand-pressed apple cider and Oregon-produced, small-batch bourbon that has been aged in charred oak barrels and has notes of caramel and vanilla. Taking extra steps of garnishing your drinks with things like a cinnamon sugar rim, apple slices, or cinnamon sticks will also make this drink extra special.

Bourbon Sparkling Apple Cider Cocktail Recipe | A Well Crafted Party

Bourbon Sparkling Apple Cider Cocktail

Single Glass:

Combine 1.5 oz of Broken Top Bourbon (or your favorite bourbon), 2 oz of chilled apple cider, and 3 oz of chilled sparkling wine in a glass. Garnish with apple slices, cinnamon sticks, or a cinnamon sugar rim.

Punch: Makes 8 glasses

Note: When making this pitcher cocktail I recommend adding ice cubes made of apple cider rather than water so that the drink doesn’t dilute in flavor as the ice melts. Due to the addition of ice, there is a bit more bourbon than what you’d have in a single glass portioning.

Combine 2 cups of bourbon, 3 cups of ice, 2.5 cups of apple cider, and 1 bottle of sparkling wine in a punch bowl or pitcher. If you are creating a punch bowl then add in apple slices and cinnamon sticks for garnish.

What type of spirit do you prefer in the Fall? Do you have a favorite Fall cocktail? Share in the comment section below!

 

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Earth Day tips with Imperfect Produce | A Well Crafted Party
A Well Crafted Party

Earth Day Celebration Tips with Imperfect Produce

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Earth Day is coming up soon and while you may not necessarily plan to host a big Earth Day celebration, it is a good opportunity for us all to look at our overall impact on the planet and make a few easy changes! I partnered up with Imperfect Produce to bring you a few easy (and tasty) ideas on how to be a little bit more Earth-friendly in your celebrations.

This post is in partnership with Imperfect Produce. All opinions are my own. Imperfect Produce is a delivery company that sources “ugly” produce straight from the farm and delivers it to your door at 30-50% less than grocery store prices. See my spot on KGW’s Portland Today introducing Imperfect Produce below! 

Tips for an Earth Day Celebration

I throw a lot of parties. I have to admit, I’m not always as earth-friendly as I really should be. I’m busy, on a limited budget, and often make choices based on ease, affordability, and effort. However, I also really believe that we each need to do a better job at protecting our limited resources and our home planet!

You know the saying… Reduce, Reuse, Recycle! That isn’t just a thing we repeat in elementary school when we are learning about conservation. Those three little words can help move us toward being better stewards of our earth in areas of adulthood as well. The below tips (based on this saying) can be integrated into ANY celebration to make it more Earth-friendly in easy, affordable, and effortless ways!

Reduce

One of the easiest ways to celebrate while reducing your overall impact is to focus on where you are sourcing your food. Foods that come from close by, are in-season, and ethically sourced all help to reduce the environmental impact of putting that food on your table.

Another option to help reduce is to source your produce from Imperfect Produce, a company that helps reduce food waste. Grocery stores often require stringent requirements of the foods that they purchase because the more appealing those items look, the more likely they are to sell. Imperfect Produce sources the vegetables and fruits that farmers cannot sell to traditional buyers, but are perfectly usable.

Afraid of getting vegetables or fruits you won’t eat? No need! This company is one of the few produce delivery companies that let you select which items you want to include in your box! Bonus? While you reduce your impact on food waste, you’ll also be reducing the impact on your wallet.

Reuse

One of my biggest failures in earth-friendliness is usually using paper products for their easy and customizability. Listen, I’m not going to tell anyone they CAN’T use a paper plate at a party… you’ve got a lot going on to have to worry about that. However, I do recommend–and make efforts to practice– using reusable dishware and napkins as much as possible. It looks beautiful. It doesn’t break under the weight of a plateful of delicious food. It is also better for the planet. If you are hosting a HUGE event and just are not going to deal with reusable dinnerware, I highly recommend getting compostable dinnerware (affiliate link).

Don’t limit your “reuse” to tablewear… reuse home decor as party decor. Use planters as stands for platters or your herbs to decorate! Leftover food from your party? Make sure to reuse what you can for leftovers or perhaps make a tasty breakfast!

citrus tart

Recycle

Finally, once you are done with all the celebrating make sure you are taking the time to recycle things like glass, cans, plastic, etc. Party printables should be thrown in recycling… not the trash! If available, compost your food scraps. Make sure you have out a recycling can during the party so you don’t have to sort through the trash at the end to find bottles or cans.

Need some recipe ideas for Earth Day? Try the ones I created from my latest Imperfect Produce box!

What do you do to help reduce your impact on the planet? Comment below and have a great Earth Day!

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A Well Crafted Pantry

Corned Beef and Cabbage Hand Pies

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I recently discovered that corned beef and cabbage isn’t actually Irish, but it certainly is a traditional dish at my St. Patrick’s Day celebrations! I look forward to it each year. This year I decided an appetizer twist on this classic St. Patty’s Day meal was necessary.

Corned Beef and Cabbage Hand Pies

This recipe makes 24 three-inch hand pies. However, if you have a large piece of corned beef you could easily add more pie dough to your plans and make more!

Ingredients:

  • 1.5 lb corned beef roast
  • 1/4 a head of cabbage thinly sliced
  • 1/2 medium-sized yellow onion thinly sliced
  • 4 nine-inch rounds of pie dough (I did pre-made but you could absolutely make your own!)
  • 1 egg
  • Olive oil, salt, & pepper

Corned beef takes a long time to make. However, it’s delicious and completely worth it! Follow the directions that come on your corned beef roast. I used my crockpot and cooked the roast on low for 8 hours. My directions will begin after the corned beef is cooked. You could absolutely pick up corned beef at a deli and make this dish!

Pre-heat your oven to 450 degrees F.

Directions:

  1. Sauté your cabbage and onion in a saucepan over medium heat until slightly translucent and browned.
  2. Dice your cooked corned beef and mix into the cabbage and onion mixture.
  3. Cut circles from your pie dough using a cookie cutter or glass.
  4. Using a rolling pin, roll out your circles of dough just a bit.
  5. Pile the corned beef and cabbage mixture in the center of a pie dough round. Top with another round of pie dough and crimp the edges to seal. Continue until all pie dough is used.
  6. Put on a parchment lined cookie sheet. Cut small slots into the top of each pie to let steam out.
  7. Crack your egg into a small dish and add a tablespoon of cold water. Whisk the egg until it makes an egg wash. Using a pastry brush or your fingers, brush egg wash onto each pie.
  8. Bake in the preheated oven for approximately 10-12 minutes or until browned.
  9. Serve with mustard or a delicious Russian dressing.

Do you have St. Patrick’s Day plans? Share below!

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