Ruby Rush
Alright, I have another drink for you today that includes the honey sumac syrup from the last post. Instead of gin, this time I went for a riff on a classic whiskey cocktail, the Gold Rush, which is an egg-less whiskey sour with honey syrup instead of simple. I added some Peychaud’s bitters to draw out some of the berry-esque notes from the sumac (and to enhance the beautiful red color).
Sweet Road Home
[#ad] Welcome back for our next @catanpisco and @settlersofcatan #sponsored drink! For number 6 in the series, we’re doing a long drink, inspired by the “Longest Road” card in the Settlers game. This is a riff on a French ‘75, which works great because the grape-based pisco and sparkling wine are natural partners. This riff is meant to highlight the wonderful floral notes in Catan pisco by bringing in elderflower and lavender. Top everything with a nice dry sparkling wine (I used a rosé brut), and the result is a delicious, refreshing, floral-leaning cocktail perfect for brunch or evening alike!
Bald Borough
A brief break from the summery cocktails for something dark and boozy. For me, this type of drink is always in season, though admittedly enjoyed inside more than out in the intense heat. It’s a Manhattan riff, subbing some of the sweet vermouth for Amontillado sherry and Fernet Vallet. Both of these are fairly dry, so a touch of syrup helps balance the equation.
Walk In The Woods
[#ad] We are officially halfway through the @catanpisco and @settlersofcatan series today! This drink brings you pisco in an Old Fashioned format. This is a style you don’t often see with pisco, so definitely give this a try because it’s delicious! The inspiration is the Wood resource card, combined with the fact that the late founder of Settlers, Klaus Teuber, was known to enjoy exploring the outdoors.
Berry Versatile
It’s officially the Summer of Strawberry. For one, little kids go through more fruit than several grown men, and currently we’re on a strawberry kick in our house. This inevitably means the occasional batch of strawberries about to go bad, which is actually the best kind for syrups and the like. To that end, I made a strawberry rhubarb ginger shrub that is amazing (full recipe on my website, link in bio) and good in everything I’ve tried it in so far.
Heated Negotiations
I’m back for the fourth chapter of the @catanpisco and @settlersofcatan collaboration! If you’ve ever played the game, this is probably a familiar scene: you want to build a City, but your opponent is refusing to give you the resources you need (at a fair price, that is). Things get tense, even a little spicy. This drink is just the diplomatic juice the situation needs.
Manhattan Old Fashioned
I’m excited to share the first of a couple drinks featuring an amazing Colorado-based distillery, @lawswhiskey. I had the chance to meet some of their team recently and they kindly sent some of their amazing whiskey. There are also some cool personal ties to their story that I’ll share during my next post. To start things off, I wanted to keep it simple, but of course with a twist.
Year Of Plenty
Drink number 3 of the @catanpisco and @settlersofcatan collaboration is a riff on the classic pisco sour (pisco, citrus, sugar, egg white). The inspiration was the Development Card named “Year of Plenty”, which made me think of Thanksgiving. To make a pisco sour fit for the holiday, I brought in cranberry, orange, and cardamom— a tried and true flavor combination.
Just Add Chips
When I first heard about San Miguel Southwestern Gin that @old_harbor was going to send me— full of lime, cilantro, and cucumber, among other botanicals— I immediately thought of salsa. But how could I bring in salsa into a cocktail? I’m curious to hear others’ approach here, but I went with a shrub.
Great Rinds Think Alike
I love the Drinkstagram community— among many things, it’s a great place for inspiration. My talented, creative, and hilarious buddy @highalcoholcontent recently posted a super cool drink with clarified watermelon vodka and fino sherry. That combination makes so much sense and sounds amazing, so I had to try it. I don’t have a centrifuge (or an awesome Dremel-fuge equivalent), so instead I made a low-ABV hack.