BOURBON CHERRY PIE SMASH COCKTAIL

Ever since I made my Crepes Suzette Cocktail with the Orange Butter Simple Syrup, I have been wanting to put butter in another cocktail. There was something about the creaminess and that little bit of salt in the butter that just rocked that cocktail. Yesterday, after a particularly teeth gnashing day of working on my newest coloring book, I decided it was time to take a break and make myself a cocktail.
I went to the kitchen and there sat my dish of butter. So I went for butter simple syrup cocktail number two. I didn't have any plan, no special occasion was on the horizon so I hadn't been shopping for any specific ingredients. I just grazed the bar and fridge for what looked good to me in the moment.
I love it when no plan comes together.

BOURBON CHERRY PIE SMASH with A Cinnamon Maraschino Butter Syrup
INGREDIENTS: 2 Oz. Blanton's Bourbon 1/2 Cup Fresh (or frozen) Dark Cherries 1 Fresh Egg White (or 2 Tablespoons Pasteurized Egg White) 1/2 Oz. Lemon Juice 2 Tablespoons Cinnamon Maraschino Butter Simple Syrup (Recipe below) Large Ice Cube Ice
Garnish: 1 Sugared Pie, Pre-baked Pie Crust Square, 2 Luxardo Maraschino Cherries, 2 Dashes Woodford Reserve Spiced Cherry Bitters
Tools: Blender, Cocktail shaker
Glass: Old Fashioned
DIRECTIONS: Prepare the Cinnamon Maraschino Butter Simple Syrup and set aside to cool. Chill your glass in the freezer. Add all the ingredients except the ice to a blender and blend on high for one full minute. (This is my cheater's approach to dry shaking.) Add this mixture to a cocktail shaker filled with ice and shake until chilled. Pour, do not strain, over the large ice cube in the old-fashioned glass. Tap on the cherry bitters, garnish with the pie crust square, a few Luxardo Maraschino Cherries and serve.
CINNAMON MARASCHINO BUTTER SIMPLE SYRUP
1/2 Stick Salted Butter 1 Stick of Cinnamon Juice & Zest of 1 Large Lemon 2 Tablespoons Demerrara Sugar 1 Tablespoon Luxardo Maraschino Liqueur
Melt the butter in a small sauté pan. Grate the lemon zest over the butter then squeeze in the juice of the lemon. Add the sugar and the cinnamon then cook over medium high heat just until the syrup thickens, about a minute. Watch carefully,  this can burn quickly. Stir in the Luxardo. Set aside for your cocktail and allow to cool a bit.
Cherry Pie Day is February 20th AND ... Twin Peaks Day is February 24th!

Updated 2-2025 PLEASE DRINK RESPONSIBLY

WILDLING WASSAIL for Game of Thrones

"Free folk don't follow names, or little cloth animals sewn on a tunic ... They won't dance for coins, they don't care how your style yourself or what that chain of office means or who your grandsire was. They follow strength. They follow the man." ~ George R.R. Martin, A Dance with Dragons (A Song of Ice and Fire, #5)
Descended from the First Men, the Free Folk are the inhabitants of the North who were unlucky enough to be living north of The Wall when it was constructed eight thousand years ago. They are feared and viewed as savages and barbarians by the Seven Kingdoms who derisively call them Wildlings.
Doomed to endure the ice and cold of the North the Free Folk were shut off from "polite society" by The Wall for eight thousand years, kept at bay by the Night's Watch. Like everyone else, the Watchers had forgotten the wall was originally constructed to keep out White Walkers (now viewed as myths) and not Wildlings. Then Jon Snow came along and things got wild from there.
I see them as the Druids of The Lands of Ice and Fire, sort of the ancient Celts to the Medieval feudal folk of The Seven Kingdoms. The Celts loved their ales so I figure the Free Folk were wild enough to have discovered fermentation themselves and probably liked it a little spicy.

WILDLING WASSAIL A Spiced Apple Ale Punch (Serves up to 8)
INGREDIENTS: Roasted Red Apples (Recipe below.) 3 Bottles of Redd's Apple Ale 1 Cup Madeira Wine 1 Slice Fresh Ginger 1/2 Teaspoon Grated Nutmeg 1/4 Teaspoon Powdered Allspice 1 Cinnamon Stick 1 Cup Brown Sugar
Garnish: Fresh Apple Slices, Cinnamon Stick
Tools: Baking dish, Crock pot, Ladle
Glass: Old Fashioned
DIRECTIONS: Roast the apples. Add ingredients to the crock pot and simmer on low for 2 hours. Add the roasted apples. Allow to cool. Ladle wassail into the punch cups , garnish with a slice of apple and a cinnamon stick and serve.
Yes, you can serve this hot.
ROASTED APPLES Chop 4 red apples into an 8"x8" baking dish. Toss with brown sugar, add a half a cup of water to the baking dish and bake at 350 until the apples are tender.
"If we die we'll die, but first we'll live." ~ Ygritte

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MOONSHINE MADNESS

MOONSHINE: White Lightning, Mountain Dew, Hooch, White Whiskey, White Dog, Pop Skull, Bush Whiskey, Donkey Punch, Kickapoo and a host of other nicknames.

WHAT IS MOONSHINE?
  Illicitly and illegally distilled and distributed corn liquor found chiefly in the areas of the southern U.S. Yes, ILLEGAL, though the term has crept into legal, federally monitored distilled brands in the last few years. Generally made from a corn mash, real moonshine - the kind made ILLEGALLY by Popcorn Sutton (more information below*) and his Appalachian brethren - is a high proof, clear whiskey. The word "moonshine" is believed to have come from a term for early English Smugglers combined with the fact that most moonshine was produced at night to avoid the notice of the revenuers.
Believe it or not, NASCAR is closely associated with moonshine. The earliest NASCAR drivers, like Junior Johnson, were originally drivers for the illegal whiskey trade who souped up their cars in order to avoid capture. Don't believe me? Just ask NASCAR.
Below are some of my recipes for homemade liquors and liqueurs. I've done tons more (I've even infused booze into whipped cream), I think I've think infused nearly every fruit and herb, and quite a few veggies, candies and spice, into some type of alcohol. I just didn't post all the recipes.
Technically these recipes are not really moonshine because I have not distilled anything, I have simply infused flavors into existing distilled booze. However, if you are like me, it's doubtful you have a copper still laying around your house either. But flavoring your own booze is almost as fun, and it's not illegal.
BACON VODKA  BASIL INFUSED GIN
BLACKBERRY LIQUEUR
BLUEBERRY LIQUEUR & VODKA
BLUEBERRY MINT BOURBON
CANDIED PECAN LIQUEUR
CANDY CORN VODKA
CANDY CORN MOONSHINE
CARAMEL APPLE VODKA
CARAMEL INFUSED LIQUEURS
CHOCOLATE CANDY CANE VODKA
CHOCOLATE CAKE LIQUEUR
CHOCOLATE VODKA & LIQUEURS
CHRISTMAS CANDY LIQUEUR
CRANBERRY LIQUEUR
ESPRESSO VODKA
GARLIC VODKA
GINGERBREAD LIQUEUR
GOOD & PLENTY LIQUEUR
HEIRLOOM TOMATO VODKA
INDIAN CANDY CORN VODKA
KAHLUA RECIPE
LEMONCELLO
ORANGECELLO
PUMPKIN LIQUEUR
QUICK PUMPKIN LIQUEUR
ROASTED HATCH CHILE & CILANTRO TEQUILA
SKITTLES VODKA (If you must)
TOASTED WALNUT MAPLE BOURBON
VANILLA BEAN LIQUEUR
*Marvin "Popcorn" Sutton  (B. October 5, 1946 - D. March 16, 2009) Famous Appalachian moonshiner from Cocke County, Tennessee.

Either the 1st Thursday in June or June 5th is National Moonshine Day. I say Go With BOTH!
"Jesus turned water into wine. I turned it into likker." ~ Popcorn Sutton
Updated 6-5-2018 PLEASE DRINK RESPONSIBLY

DRIVING MISS DAIQUIRI Watermelon Mint Daiquiri Cocktail

  (Cocktails inspired by the movies, Oscar nominees and winners.)   

  DRIVING MISS DAISY, 1989  Nominated: Morgan Freeman - Best Actor in a Leading RoleDan Aykroyd - Best Actor in a Supporting RoleBest Art Direction, Best Film Editing, Best Costume Design Won, 1990:  Best Picture, Best Actress - Jessica Tandy, Best Writing (Screenplay), Best Makeup   Also won: Golden Globes: Best Picture, Best Actor, Best Actress BAFTA: Best Actress   Daisy Werthan: What are you doing? Hoke Colburn: I'm tryin' to drive you to the store!   Who doesn't love this film about an elderly Southern lady's contentious but admiring relationship with her African American chauffeur?  

  I loved the story and the whole cast and that theme song is a favorite of mine. One of my other favorite things about the movie is how Miss Daisy's car ages right along with the characters. It's a classic in my movie line up, one I watch at least once a year. Any movie that makes reference to the Piggly Wiggly always gets my vote.   It was also a perfect way to pun another Daiquiri for my movie themed cocktail series. Think of this as a mini Mojito, if you make this in a Collins glass and add soda you have a Mojito, but you won't have the fun cocktail pun.  

The

DRIVING MISS DAIQUIRI Watermelon Mint Daiquiri Cocktail   INGREDIENTS: 2 Oz. Bacardi Light Rum 2 Oz. Fresh Watermelon Juice 1/2 Oz. Fresh Lime Juice 1/2 Oz. Mint Simple Syrup 4 Fresh Mint Leaves Ice
Garnish: Watermelon Wedge, Mint Leaves, Lime Quarter 
Tools: Muddler, Cocktail Shaker
Glass: Punch Cup
DIRECTIONS: Purée watermelon in a food processor, then strain into a small bowl. Muddle the mint leaves, fresh lime juice and simple syrup in the bottom of your cocktail shaker. Fill the cocktail shaker with ice, pour in the rum and watermelon juice then shake until well chilled. Strain into the punch cup, garnish and serve.   Daisy Werthan: Hoke? Hoke Colburn: Yes'm? Daisy Werthan: You're my best friend. Hoke Colburn: No, go on Miss Daisy. Daisy Werthan: No, really, you are... Daisy Werthan: You are. Hoke Colburn: Yes'm.
MORE MOVIE COCKTAILS   Updated 7-2018 PLEASE DRINK RESPONSIBLY  

FIRE & BLOODY MARY Game of Thrones Cocktail

"I will take what is mine with Fire and Blood." ~ Daenerys Targaryen

I had to do it. Tonight's episode is called Blood of My Blood. Besides it's Sunday and Bloody Marys are kind of my traditional Sunday drink.
Plus, I like a good cocktail pun. I also like history and historical references abound in Game of Thrones, including comparisons of Melisandre to Queen Mary I of England, aka Bloody Mary. 
Evidently we're in for some surprises with tonight's episode and surprises on Game of Thrones usually involve some blood so Bloody Marys are appropriate.

FIRE & BLOODY A Game of Thrones Bloody Mary
INGREDIENTS: 3 Oz. Chilled Crystal Head Vodka 6 Oz. Organic Tomato Juice 4 Dashes Soy Sauce Sriracha Hot Sauce, to taste 1 Tablespoon Lemon Juice 1/2 Teaspoon Garlic Powder 1 Teaspoon Celery Salt 1/2 Teaspoon Black Pepper Ice
Rim Ingredients: Black Lava Salt, Chili Powder and Celery Salt.
Garnish: Fresh Cilantro & Sriracha Cream Cheese Stuffed Olives (Recipe below.)
Tools: Cocktail Shaker
Glass: Pint or Highball
DIRECTIONS: Mix a few dashes of Sriracha, some cilantro and a few dashes of soy sauce in 1 tablespoon of softened cream cheese then stuff this in some green olives. Set aside to garnish the cocktail with later. Coat half the glass rim with some tomato juice then dip in the mixture of Black Lava Salt, chili powder and celery salt. Chill glass in the freezer. Combine ingredients with ice in your cocktail shaker and shake really well to mix the ingredients in with the tomato juice as you chill and dilute. Strain into your pint glass, garnish and serve.

Updated 7-2018 PLEASE DRINK RESPONSIBLY

SUMMER COCKTAILS

    "And so with the sunshine and the great bursts of leaves growing on the trees, just as things grow in fast movies, I had that familiar conviction that life was beginning over again with the summer." —F. Scott Fitzgerald, The Great Gatsby
SUMMER COCKTAILS 
As the weather heats up and we slide into summer, our cocktail thoughts turn to cool, refreshing drinks. The kind of drinks you would enjoy while sitting out on an early summer evening watching the sun go down. Tall drinks with lots of ice and summer juices and fizzes that slide down just a little too easy. Tart, fruity drinks loaded with garden fresh goodness. Frozen, slushy, brain-freezing glasses of chillness. Drinks made with gin and vodka, maybe a little rum or tequila, or perhaps a wine cooler or punch. Coolers, Mojitos, Sangría, Fizzes, Juleps, Collins, Cobblers, Bucks, Rickeys, Smashes. Yeah, like that.
So I've gathered together some of my favorites for you to enjoy this summer. Sit down, get comfy, this is a long list, I drink a lot in summer.
BASEBALL INSPIRED COCKTAILS
COBBLERS  BERRY CHERRY SHERRY COBBLER
BLACK EYED SUSAN COBBLER
WHISKEY CHERRY COBBLER
COLADAS CARROT COLADA  HIBISCUS COLADA FRAPPÉ
RASPBERRY PINA COLADA
SNEAKY TIKI  STRAWBERRY PINA COLADA
COOLERS
AN APERITIF TO REMEMBER
JUNGLE JUICE
NEVERLAND COOLER
PALOMA RAZPIROSKA SKIP AND GO NAKED
STONED TEQUILA SUNSET STRAWBERRY BASIL MOSCATO COCKTAIL
WATERMELON ORANGE COOLER
FIZZES (Collins, Rickeys, Slings) ABSINTHE MINDED LEPRECHAUN FIZZ
BLACKBERRY BOURBON FIZZ
CHERRY DIAMOND RAMOS FIZZ
CHERRY PEACH WHISKEY RICKEY
GOLDEN RAMOS FIZZ
HIBISCUS HEART FIZZ
PIMM'S BERRY CUP #1RAMOS GIN FIZZ
SPICED RUM POMEGRANATE FIZZ
STONED TEQUILA SUNSET
TERRI'S CHERRY 75
TIJUANA JACKASS
TWISTED FAIRYTALE FIZZ
THYME for a LEMON CHERRY SLING
FLOATS WITH BOOZE CHOCOLATE PORTER BEER FLOATS (2) DECADENT DUTCH FLOAT
FERNET MOCHA FRAPPÉ CHOCOLATE SHAKE
PEACH MELBA BEER FLOAT
REALLY DRUNK BROWN COW
SLIGHTLY BANANAS, DEFINITELY COCONUTS, CHOCOLATE BOOZY SHAKE
FROZEN DRINKS & BOOZESICLES ALL MY MARGARITAS HERE ALL MY DAIQUIRIS HERE RED NOSE SLUSHY
RED, WHITE & BOOZESICLES
JULEPS & SMASHES
ALL MY JULEPS
TEQUILA POMEGRANATE SMASH
WHISKEY PEACH SMASH
MELON COCKTAILS
MOJITOS
BLACKBERRY MOJITO
CHERRY BASIL MOJITO
CHIPOTLE WATERMELON MOJITO
GRAPEFUL DEAD MOJITO
GRILLED PINEAPPLE MOJITO
Mind Your Ps & Qs PEA SHOOT CUCUMBER MOJITO
ALL MY SANGRIAS
SUMMERY SOURS APPLE GO BRAGH SOUR
APRICOT LAVENDER BOURBON SOUR
BLOOD ORANGE BLACKBERRY BOURBON SOUR
PINEAPPLE PISCO SOUR
SPICED LAVENDER BEES KNEES
TANGELO BOURBON TANGO
TIPSY MISS
WATERMELON ROSEMARY GIN SOUR
TIKI COCKTAILS BEACH BUM
DRUNKEN BABY DOLE PINEAPPLE WHIPS
LOST MAI TAI
MERINGUE ISLAND PUNCH
TRIPLE RUM PUNCH
TONICS BUTTERFLY PEAFLOWER & ELDERFLOWER BLACKBERRY BLACKCURRANT CUCUMBER MINT & GREEN TEA STRAWBERRY BASIL VODKA TONIC VODKA TONIC BAR WILD HIBISCUS
And if that's not enough for you, you can use my search bar at top and search for any summer fruit, herb, flavor or booze that you prefer.
"Everything good, everything magical happens between the months of June and August."
—Jenny Han, The Summer I Turned Pretty
Have a great cocktail filled summer! 

Updated 6-21-2018 PLEASE DRINK RESPONSIBLY

The WAKE UP CALL, An Espresso & Wine Cocktail

Today was National Wine Day and it also happened to be National Iced Coffee Day. I kept thinking all day, could I? Should I?

Some said it couldn't be done, combining wine with coffee. At least not if you want to end up with a good cocktail.
You just can't say things like that to me, I take it as a challenge.
The WAKE UP CALL A Wine & Espresso Cocktail
INGREDIENTS: 4 Oz. Alamos Malbec Red Wine 2 Oz. Caffè Borghetti Espresso Liqueur 1/4 Oz. Fernet Branca 2 Tablespoons Pasteurized Egg White 1 Tsp. Orange Simple Syrup 3 Dashes Fee Brothers Aztec Bitters Ice
Garnish: Espresso powder, cocoa nibs, orange twist, edible gold stars
Tools: Cocktail shaker
Glass: Old Fashioned
DIRECTIONS: Dry shake all the ingredients except the ice in a cocktail shaker. Add the ice and shake again until chilled. Add a large ice cube to your glass then strain in the cocktail. Garnish and serve.
Yeah! So there! AND it's delicious, subtle and sophisticated. So I gave myself little gold stars.
Neener, neener, neener.
 

Updated 7-2018 PLEASE DRINK RESPONSIBLY