Caff & Chill
This is the Spring of Strawberry. Don’t say you weren’t warned. This one is a sipper but is still bright and on the refreshing end of things, complex but all too easy to enjoy. The predominant flavors are strawberry (easy syrup, see below), coffee (incredible liqueur from @tempus_fugit_spirits), and mint (Braulio, fernet). The base is a split of Irish whiskey and reposado, bringing vanilla and gentle oak notes— here, it is more of a foundation for the primary flavors and is intentionally not assertive.
Daiqu-tini
Class switch alert! It’s been awhile since I’ve attempted to convert a classic cocktail to a different style of drink. It’s hard to mess with a classic like the daiquiri, but to me the essential essence of the drink is the freshness of the lime and the way it reacts around any given rum. Yes, there is sugar, but with the acidity of lime juice that serves more as a balancing measure.
So Kozy
The aquavit kick continues, courtesy of my friends at @nordenaquavit. This drink uses a special bottle of aquavit aged in ex-bourbon barrels and finished in a bourbon barrel aged stout barrel. I enjoy sipping this one as much as most whiskeys, so the goal of a cocktail is to stay out of the way and help the bright spots shine.
First Stop
It isn’t the most featured spirit on this page, but I do really enjoy rum. There is something so refreshing and invigorating about a daiquiri, especially, and this tends to be my starting drink with a new rum. I recently received @dentedbrickdistillery’s Premium Rum, which is a deliciously complex white rum made primarily with sugar cane. It has some grassy, light funk as expected but it is rounded out with some molasses so can still function as rum more than rhum agricole.
Odd Couple
I’ve tried a lot of split bases along the way. It might be a sickness, but if it is, I don’t want the cure. If nothing else, two primary spirits allow for more dots to connect to other flavors/ingredients. Sometimes, there is an amazing synergy— like here, for example, the grassy funk from the cachaça totally changes in the presence of the savory-leaning botanicals of the aquavit. Seriously, give this split a try. (I may also need to try with rhum agricole now too!).
Brujería
This drink (which means “witchcraft” in Spanish) is in the French ‘75 family, which also contains the Old Cuban (rum, lime, syrup, bitters, champagne). I chose the name because of the Old Cuban inspiration and inclusion of Strega (which means “witch” in Italian). Still with me?
Element of Surprise
I have a broad palate, but whisk(e)y still remains my favorite. Usually I gravitate to boozy/stirred drinks, almost to the point of ignoring sour-style drinks. And then a drink comes along like this one and I have to look myself in the mirror and ask: what are you doing, man?? Re: it’s incredibly delicious, refreshing, and such a great way to enjoy an awesome Irish whiskey.
Xmas Party Hop
I’m excited to be part of the latest volume of #soundtrackmyfriendsdrink volume 17: secret Santa edition. I got @offthewalljosh— a new account for me. Josh picked whiskey, and “Rockin’ Around The Christmas Tree”. Off to a good start! I noticed a few agave spirits and a lot of fresh ingredients on his page though so I went with an unusual split of Irish whisky and añejo tequila to pair with a homemade berry/habanero shrub. The build is vaguely boulevardier-esque, but with some elements dialed back a bit. This allows the berry notes to shine through as well as the nuanced, slightly oaky base that includes delicious dried fruit notes from the whisky.
The Underground
Let me start off by saying that this drink is SO tasty. I love stirred agave drinks, in part because there just aren’t that many out there. Tequila is good for so much more than sour-style (re: marg/paloma) drinks! If you haven’t had many, then give this one a spin.
Not Harry’s Butter Beer
This is not a Harry Potter post. My #dothedont crew decided to create a new group post, the #dirtysodachallenge. This was based on a diabetes-inducing lineup of spiked soda drinks— see @what.i.drink.eat.see for the full list and description. I chose “buttery beer”, which includes root beer, butterscotch, and vanilla cream.