It’s Mixology Monday CV and we’re excited about hosting!  The theme, “Brace Yourself,” is a challenge to concoct a cocktail that will fortify the will to venture forth into Winter.  With the fun and games everyone is having this weekend on the East Coast, it’s a fitting theme.

This month we offer two drinks, (actually 2 shots), to provide the liquid courage required for our outdoor adventures.  Both use a spirit that is rarely even mentioned in cocktail circles.   Since I am likely the only contributor to Mixology Monday that has a bottle of this stuff, a back story is required.  We were at Parliament in Dallas a while back and started chatting about their barrel aging program.  They gave us a shot of an aged drink to see what we thought.  It was definitely whiskey, but was mellowed with a hint of spice, vanilla and cloves.  We weren’t able to guess, so we asked what it was:  Fireball Whiskey!

We use our barrels to age successive cocktails/spirits/fortified wines.  The fun is in the adventure of how each cocktail affects the next inhabitant of the barrel.  Being a little uncertain about what I’d put in a barrel after Fireball, I went with the barrel stave in the bottle.  It took a little longer than I expected, but after 4 weeks the Fireball was approaching the flavors we’d experienced at Parliament.  Now for the shots:

Into the Wind

I thought of this immediately after our trip to Parliament. Porter’s Fire, which is a Canadian Whiskey with “cinnamon and hints of vanilla,” posted a drink combining it with amaretto.  So, substituting the new and improved barrel aged Fireball for the Porter’s Fire, you get the sweetness of the amaretto cut by the spice of the aged and mellowed Fireball.  Toss in Dale DeGroff’s Pimento Bitters for a little added complexity.  If it’s still too sweet for you, reduce the amount of amaretto.

• 3/4 oz. Barrel Aged Fireball Whiskey
• 3/4 oz. Amaretto
• 2 Dashes Dale DeGroff’s Pimento Bitters

1. Combine ingredients in a shot glass
2. Serve

Frost Buster

Amaretto is good so why not Jägermeister?  The clove and vanilla with the remaining spice of the cinnamon in the aged Fireball, blends with the herbs in the Jägermeister.

• 3/4 oz. Barrel Aged Fireball Whiskey
• 3/4 oz. Jägermeister

1. Combine ingredients in a shot glass
2. Serve

 

 

I served both of these shots this past weekend and got thumbs up all around.  So sip’m or slug’m, they’ll keep you warm for at least a minute or two!

Cheers!

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We are very pleased to be hosting this Month’s Mixology Monday, the world’s most excellent online cocktail party, (the Roundup is here).  Now that the holidays are behind us, we get to deal with the rest of winter… that magnificent season of grey skies, blustery winds, freezing sleet and blowing snow.  January is Mixology Monday CV and we’re definitely talking cocktails.

Winter usually evokes scenes of roaring fires with glasses or mugs filled with warming liquid fortifying us against the cold and damp. Winter provides the shared universal experience that spans language, geography and the centuries – that moment just before you step out into the cold; to walk to the bus stop, hit the ski slope, shovel the snow or feed the livestock. So what adult beverages can best prepare the body and steel the will for that moment when we  go forth into Winter?

Thus, the theme for Mixology Monday CV is “Brace Yourself.”  The challenge is to create a cocktail that will buttress oneself for Winter’s outdoor adventures.

Here’s how to play:

So this leaves us 2 weeks to concoct some awesome examples of liquid courage!  Once again, the submissions are due midnight of January 25th.  Midnight can be whatever time zone you’re in and I will accept late entries.

Thanks again to Frederic Yarm of the CocktailVirgin blog for allowing us to host this month and for keeping Mixology Mondays entertaining and inspiring, (and for coming up with the cool meme).

This cocktail combines the fruit flavors of Dorcol’s Kinsman Rakia Apricot Brandy with the sweet sherry flavors of Pedro Ximénez.  Then the dried chile notes of the Ancho Reyes weigh in.  Finally, on the finish, the slightest heat from the Habeñaro Shrub can be appreciated.

• 1 1/2 oz. Kinsman Rakia Apricot Brandy
• 3/4 oz. Pedro Ximénez Sherry
• 1/4 oz. Ancho Reyes
• 4 Drops Bittermans Habeñaro Shrub
• Orange peel for garnish

1. Chill a cocktail glass with ice and water
2. Combine all ingredients, except the garnish, in a mixing glass with ice and stir to chill
3. Strain into chilled cocktail glass
4. Express the orange peel over the drink and discard the peel

Cheers!

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We offered a number of libations this Christmas Season.  A few were favorite cocktails that we rechristened with seasonal names, we added some new ones that we found, and we created a couple of original recipes.  Some can be made Zero Proof so everyone can be in on the fun!

Berry Delicious

I got this idea from Porter’s Fire, which is a Canadian Whiskey with “cinnamon and hints of vanilla.”  I haven’t been able to find Porter’s Fire so I used Fireball.  The combination of cinnamon spice and the nutty Amaretto is awesome.

• 3/4 oz. Fireball Whiskey
• 3/4 oz. Amaretto

1.  Combine in a shot glass and serve

Blazing Prancer

If Amaretto works, why not Jägermeister?  Especially if the Fireball has been barrel aged.  I aged the Fireball in a small jar with a barrel stave for 2 weeks.  A little clove and vanilla to go with the cinnamon blends with the herbs in the Jägermeister.

• 3/4 oz. Barrel Aged Fireball Whiskey
• 3/4 oz. Jägermeister

1.  Combine in a shot glass and serve

Three Wise Men

Gold, frankincense and myrrh. Too many of these and you’ll act like Larry, Moe and Curly!

• 1 1/2 oz. Ford’s Gin
• 3/4 oz. Carpano Bianco Vermouth
• 1/4 oz. St. Germaine Elderflower Liqueur
• Edible Gold Stars (available here) for garnish

1. Chill a cocktail glass with ice and water
2. Combine gin, vermouth and St. Germaine in a mixing glass with ice and stir to chill
3. Strain into chilled cocktail glass
4. Gently float a few gold stars on the surface and serve

Elf Magic

Better than dessert—Chocolate mint cream.  (Yes, it’s a Grasshopper)

• 1 oz. Crème de Menthe
• 1 oz. Crème de Cacao
• 2 oz. Heavy Cream

1. Chill a cocktail glass with ice and water
2. Combine all ingredients in a shaker with ice and shake to chill
3. Strain into chilled cocktail glass

Frosty Night

A Holiday version of a Cosmopolitan. This cocktail is pretty and sophisticated.

• 1 ½ oz. vodka
• 1 oz. White grapefruit juice
• 1/2 oz. Cointreau
• 1/2  oz. Simple Syrup
• 4-6 fresh cranberries for garnish

1. Chill a cocktail glass with ice and water
2. Combine all ingredients, except garnish, in a shaker with ice and shake to chill
3. Strain into chilled cocktail glass
4. Either float the cranberries on the drink or skewer them on a pick.
5. Serve

Rudolph Bubbly

Even Champagne can use a little dressing up!  This is from Chris Tunstall at abarabove.  I am re-posting it here because making a syrup from jellied cranberry sauce is a great idea, (for other awesome ideas, you should check out their site).

• 2 oz. Cranberry Syrup – see below
• 4 – 6 oz. Champagne (or Sparkling Cider)

1. Chill a cocktail glass champagne flute with ice and water
2. Add Cranberry syrup to glass and top with Champagne or cider

Cranberry Syrup

The syrup is extremely easy.  It will take about 15 minutes, including time to cool.  You will need:

• 1 – 14 oz can jellied cranberry sauce
• 2/3 cup sugar
• 2/3 cup water

1. In a quart sized microwavable container, melt the cranberry sauce on high in 30 second intervals, stirring in between.
2. Meanwhile, using a small sauce pan on the stove, dissolve the sugar in the water.
3. When the the sugar is dissolved, add the melted cranberry sauce and stir to combine.
4. Allow to cool.  This will keep refrigerated in a sealed glass bottle for at least a week.

Santa Sparkle

Mint with a little sparkle!  Can be Zero Proof.

• 2 oz. Crème de Menthe or Crème de Menthe syrup
• 4-6 oz. Champagne or Sparkling Grape Juice

• Chill a cocktail glass champagne flute with ice and water
• Add Crème de Menthe to glass and top with Champagne or Grape Juice

 Holly Leaf

Creamy mint richness.

• 1 oz. Crème de Menthe or Crème de Menthe syrup
• 2 oz. Heavy Cream

1. Chill a cocktail glass with ice and water
2. Combine all ingredients in a shaker with ice and shake to chill
3. Strain into chilled cocktail glass

Cheers!

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