Bourbon Cranberry Cider

I have said it many times, but I will say it again...Fall is my favorite. And few things remind me more of  this fabulous season than Apple Cider and bourbon. Add cranberries to the mix and you pretty much perfect any scenario. 

I have made a few different cocktails with these mixes before and this was a quick one I came up with before a recent party. I went with what I had on had and the result ended up being exactly what I had been hoping for. Refreshing and light but with bold flavors. 

Bourbon Cranberry Cider

3 oz Apple Cider
1.5 oz Cranberry juice
.5 oz lemonade (optional)
1 oz bourbon

Combine all ingredients, shake or stir and serve over ice. I rimmed my glass with cinnamon sugar rim and garnished with granny smith apples and frozen cranberries. 

I used just this small amount of lemonade because I liked the added flavor but I abstained the second time I mixed this up and it was just as good. I also just used the frozen cranberries instead of ice the second version. The one step I will say is a must in this recipe is buying (or making!) FRESH apple cider, this makes a world of difference!

The Icy Hot

It may be hot as hades this week in North Carolina, but I still enjoy a piping hot mocha in the air conditioning. And Berentzen has done it again with their newest creation: Icemint. And it is the perfect addition to my morning mocha on a lazy Saturday morning. 

Although, believe me when I tell you that a little of this will go a very long way as it is coming at you from a stance of 100 proof. 

I made my regular mocha and just added 1/2 an oz of the Berentzen Icemint and then topped it off with fresh whip cream. Nothing better!

Ingredients

4 oz freshly brewed coffee

1 1/2 tbsp chocolate syrup

1 1/2 oz half and half 

1/2 oz berentzen icemint

whip cream

combine all ingredients, stir with a spoon and top with whip cream. And I am a huge chocolate fan, so I actually used chocolate coffee creamer (instead of half and half) on top of the chocolate syrup...but that's just me;)

I will also say, I am not the biggest coffee drinker so my version will be sweeter than your average mocha, please make it as you see fit and then just add the ice mint to your favorite mocha recipe. 

And ps, it "may be" very good in a dunkin donuts dunkachino. But don't ask me or anything...

I was provided with the berentzen ice mint. but all opinions are 100% my own.

Derby Days

One of my favorite weekends of the year is finally here. Derby time. Hats, party dresses, horses and my personal favorite: bourbon. I showcased two bourbon cocktails for you already this week. The Big Cherry and The Not So Old Fashioned. But today, here is a round up of five bourbon based drinks I think you should try. 

1)Pineapple Mint Julep. I spotted this on How Sweet Eats and it just looks divine. Excuse me while I omit the mint. I suppose it will then just be a pineapple bourbon cocktail. Fine by me. 

2)Strawberry Bourbonade Popsicles. I came up with this recipe on my other blog last summer and it is one of my favorites. I can't wait till the pool opens again in a few weeks. 

3) The Naughty Southerner. This drink combines my love of blackberries, pineapple and bourbon. I came up with this cocktail loosely based on a drink we had at the Trellis in Williamsburg. 

4) Blackberry-Lemon Sparkling Mint Julep. As I said about my previous drink, I heart some blackberry and I doubly heart anything with bubbles. Sign me up, this is courtesy of Mason from Mason Like The Jar ( Raleigh Gal, this also makes me happy)

5) And this drink is aptly titled for the upcoming derby, Louisville Limeade. I concocted this during basketball season last year and the next week, Louisville won the national championship. So, there's that.

What are your plans for the Derby? Do you ever celebrate with a party or watching the ponies?

The Not So Old Fashioned

Ok. I am going to say this and I do not say it lightly...this may be my favorite cocktail that I have ever had. It is certainly the best I have ever made. Again, as I stated yesterday, you can't really try to compete with classic cocktails. They are a stand by for a very good reason. And so I am not going to pretend that if you are old school, that you're going to fall over yourself like I did. But if you look at it for what it is, a tasty drink, then I think you would enjoy it.

As always, I will straight up tell you that the best way to enjoy good bourbon is neat. For me, there is no better. Especially if I am trying a new flavor. I want to let it roll over my tongue. That is about as close to bliss as you can get. But sometimes, I have company and want to create different libations for them. Because most of them haven't yet learned to appreciate bourbon the way it was meant to be. Never fear, I have hope I can get them on board. Except for my gal, Kat. Kat gets it. 

Even if you are not a big bourbon drinker, I think this cocktail would be one you'd enjoy. The added flavors of pear and apple meld perfectly with the bourbon. It is sweet, yet not overly so. And while I am a bourbon kinda gal, the original uses rye, which is making a come back. 

The Not So Old Fashioned  

2 maraschino cherries

2 oranges

1 tsp sugar or 1 small sugar cube

1 or 2 dashes of angostura bitters

1 tsp water

1 oz bourbon (or the original, rye)

1/2 oz Berentzen Apple Liqueur

1/2 oz Berentzen Pear Liqueur

Muddle 1 cherry, 1 orange slice, and the sugar, bitters, and water in a chilled Old Fashioned glass. Remove the orange rind. Add the bourbon, liqueurs and ice; stir. Garnish with a maraschino cherry and an orange slice.

I like to use my wild cherry bourbon soaked cherries for this also, you can see my recipe for those here.

Just a few days left until Derby Day! What are you drinking?

Linking up with the pin junkie

The Big Cherry

The first weekend of May is almost upon us. This usually makes me happy for two very specific reasons. The Derby and Cinco De Mayo. And, this week in particular, I am going to concentrate on the Derby. My mom lives for horse races and we usually watch it together. Or more so, she screams at the tv and I watch in amusement. 

Churchill Downs is quite the place to visit. But to me it means one thing...bourbon drinks. While the official drink of the Derby is a Mint Julep, I like to concoct my own creations using Kentucky's finest. I will have a few for you to try out this week and first up is my spin on a proper Manhattan. A total classic. My take is nowhere close to being old school, but that doesn't make it any less tasty. 

3/4 oz sweet vermouth
2 1/2 oz cherry infused bourbon
1 dash Angostura® bitters
1 maraschino cherry
1 twist orange peel

Combine the vermouth, cherry infused bourbon, and bitters with ice in a mixing glass. Stir gently. Place the cherry in a chilled cocktail glass and strain the whiskey mixture over the cherry. Rub the cut edge of the orange peel over the rim of the glass and twist it over the drink to release the oils but don't drop it in.

To make cherry infused bourbon, buy a jar of cherries. drain cherries, reserving 2 oz of the cherry juice. In a mason jar, add cherries, cherry juice, 2 oz Berentzen Wild Cherry liquer and 4 oz bourbon. Place lid on tighely and place in fridge at least over night. Can stay in fridge for a few months. I also used the bourbon soaked cherry to garnish. 

Sit back and enjoy the Derby!

Spicy Pear Spritzer

When I was asked to create another cocktail for Berentzen, I was more than excited. However, since then email had the subject "Challenge for You" I was a little more than intrigued. When I found out the ingredients, the intrigue turned to slight apprehension. But I have never been one to back down from a challenge, 

I had to concoct a drink using a Berentzen liqueur, Perrier and the kicker...sriracha. I was more than stumped at first. Wondering what I could possibly come up with. First thought was a bloody mary, but I don't drink those and couldn't really test it out. And what fun would that be? Then, I was leaning towards making a sriracha and salt rim. A trip down the wine aisle at our local grocery store sent a light bulb off in my head. And a spritzer it was. 

This was really simple to put together and when I took my first sip, I wasn't exactly sure what to expect. It was really good, it had a spicy tone to it, but more so it seemed spicy in almost a ginger way, not so much the heat factor. I think the lime, sriracha and honey melded really well together and the moscato and pear were a perfect match to offset the spice. 

This would never have been a combo I set out to create on my own, but I will definitely be making this a few times this summer! Perfect summer afternoon pick me up.

If you want a few other sriracha inspired cocktails, check out this list Societe Perrier put together.

Spicy Pear Spritzer

1 1/2 oz Berentzen Pear
1 Large Lime
1/2 tsp Sriracha
1 tsp Honey
2 oz Moscato (or your favorite sweet white wine)
2 oz Lime Perrier

Cut lime into four slices and place two slices in bottom of shaker. Using the sriracha bottle, place two to three small drops on the limes. Follow this with the honey. Muddle the ingredients together. Add in the Moscato and Berentzen Pear, along with ice. Shake vigorously for about ten seconds. Strain into a glass. Add in the two remaining lime slices and top with the Perrier.

Enjoy this refreshing drink, the perfect mix of sweet and spice!

Cran Apple Bundt Cake

One of my favorite things to do is use flavored liqueurs in recipes, it cooks the content out and the flavors become that much more intense. When Berentzen sent me a few samples to use, I was surprised when my samples turned out to be full sized bottles and I have been able to create far more recipes than I had originally intended. And I have no complaints here! 

I had a white cake mix hanging around and knew that I wanted to make use of it, once I realized I also had some cranberry juice, the idea came relatively quick. I think at first I assumed this was going to be a fallish cake, as cranberry and apple scream autumn, but it was so light! You can definitely make this year round.

For those of you that do not like using boxed cake mixes( I hear you, I tend to do both; scratch and box) you can most certainly just use this glaze!

Ingredients
1 box white/yellow cake mix
3 eggs
1/3 cup oil
3/4 cup cranberry juice
1/4 cup berentzen apple liqueur

Grease a bundt pan and bake according to directions, all I did was swap the juice/liqueur out for water. I used the amount this [articular cake called for, if your directions call for less than a cup of water, just use the 1/4 apple liqueur/3/4 juice. 

Once cake cools, place on a plate or cake pan and whip up the glaze. 

2 cups powdered sugar
2 oz berentzen apple liqueur
1 oz cranberry juice.

Place powdered sugar in a bowl and slowly add in the liquids, continuously whisking to remove any lumps. You can add more liquid or less, depending upon how thick you want your glaze!

Mine was a little thinner and it went right into the opening of the cake. We decided to make use of it and spooned extra onto our slices;) 

Bourbon Snow Cream

So, I had seen snow cream floating all around social media these past few months and especially these past few days and the only god thing about getting this snow, was the chance to finally make one. Living here for almost 9 years and other than one time, this was our first "real snow" Meaning there was almost 5 inches of accumulation and it was fluffy at first before the ice came to visit.

Once I saw the recipes, i knew I had to try and of course, bourbon had to join in on the fun. Almost all of the recipes I saw called for milk and I wanted to add in even more flavor, so I used a sugar free coffee creamer we had on hand in lieu of milk. So my recipe will be just a bit off of the norm. Feel free to use milk if you don't want to use creamer. And then, the second time we made it, we used the remainder of our bourbon eggnog, who says it is just for the holidays? 

Both recipes below!

ingredients
4 cups snow
1 cup bourbon eggnog

for bourbon caramel 
4 cups snow
3/4 cup caramel coffee creamer
1/4 cup bourbon

Mix together until you have the consistency you desire. I made mine a little more liquidy so I could enjoy in a glass with a straw. 

Sparkling Bourbon Cranberry Cider

Bourbon is the perfect drink for this time of year. Actually, let's not kid ourselves...bourbon is the perfect companion no matter the time of year. But, I will say it does warm you up a little more with these frigid temps. and by frigid I mean how it was only 57' in Raleigh today. 

We leave for Boston tomorrow where the high is supposed to be in the 20's and it is supposed to be 74' here on Saturday. Please excuse me while I go cry for a few minutes. I am trying to prepare, but this may be where my trusty bourbon comes in. A few sips here, a few sips there. No one will be any the wiser.

But if you want to enjoy your bourbon in a classier way than the brown bag, this is the perfect option for your next gathering! It is really light and refreshing and if you are not a big whiskey drinker, this is a good way to ease yourself in!

Ingredients

1 cup cran apple juice

1 cup apple cider

1/4 cup bourbon

1 bottle champagne

1/2 fresh cranberries

1 cinnamon stick(optional)

In a container, mix together all ingredients except the champagne and cranberries. I used one of my favorite bourbons, Evan Williams Apple Orchard. It is bourbon infused with cinnamon and a few other flavors. It is seasonal, so if you cannot find it, just add in the cinnamon stick when you combine your liquids. I would let the flavors marry for about an hour before you move onto the next step. and if you want to forgo the cinnamon, it is just as tasty...you have my word. 

Chill your mixed juice and then once you are ready to serve, drop a few cranberries in a your champagne glass and then fill  about 1/2 way full and top with your champagne. 

You could easily make these by the pitcher and you could use any cranberry juice you like. Cran raspberry may be good or even pear.

I have a feeling we may be ringing 2014 in with this tasty concoction! 

Linking up with Kristin today

Apple Cider Margarita

Let me say this from the beginning...I hate Apple Cider in its purest form. I just cannot drink it by itself. So last year when some friends asked me to create recipes using cider for the holidays, I was slightly apprehensive as to how I was going to go about it. and then I discovered something..

If you mix apple cider with just about any other flavor...I will instantly become a fan. haha First up last year was this apple cider sangria, followed by this apple cider mimosa and now, this year...I came up with a margarita version and then after I thought it up, my pinterest feed decided to humble me and let me know just how unoriginal my thought process really is. But, I will say that after looking through them, most of them have cinnamon or nutmeg and I stayed away from those.

This is really simple to create. The only tip I would give is to try and buy legitimate apple cider, if you don't have a local apple orchard, at least go for the for the jugs at the store that have obvious apple "bits" floating around.

Ingredients

4 oz apple cider

1 1/2 oz silver/gold tequila

1 oz triple sec

1 splash lime juice

sparkling cider/wine(optional)

Place all ingredients in shaker with ice and shake vigorously. Pour into a chilled glass and garnish with apple slices. If you so wish, top with sparkling cider or wine. In case you had yet to ascertain this little diddly about me...I am a lover of the bubbly. 

This is perfect for the upcoming holidays and you could easily swap this to make it a martini by using vodka in lieu of tequila.

Pumpkin Caramel Affogato

This is one of those simple drinks that makes me feel like a genius. And trust me, make this for yourself and you will understand what I am tooting my horn loudly over here about. Or really, you will probably only feel that way after you add the bourbon...but still. Besides, this is perfect without the bourbon and as a simple dessert/after dinner drink

One of my husband's favorite drinks to order is an affogato. This normally consists of vanilla gelato or ice cream topped with espresso(sometimes coffee) The espresso melts the gelato and it melds into this yummy thick concoction. I do not drink coffee, but this got me the first time I tried some of his. 

And so it got me to thinking- how could I play around with this recipe that was just fine without any tampering...and I came up with a version that is perfect in this fall weather. Even if it has still been in the 90's this past week in North Carolina. October means pumpkins. No.Matter,What.

Ingredients

Caramel gelato

pumpkin coffee

1 tbsp bourbon(optional)

Place the gelato in a glass and pour the hot, brewed coffee over the gelato. It will start to melt down into a glass of pure yummy, this is where you can make it better and add a little bourbon. You will not be sorry. This I promise you.

And thanks to my bestie for taking some photographs of my pictures this weekend and for giving me lots of tips. If you want an amazing instagram to follow, check out Shining Brightly Photography

Linking up with Riverton Housewives Roundup,Busy Monday show me your plaid, sweet sharing monday, your whims wednesday  Inspiration network,  family home life sugar bee life, tell us tuesday.wonderful food wednesday, Happy Hour Friday

Dole Rita

I suppose I could go for a stretch and reference this drink as a cocktail...and obviously I am going to. I was visiting my mom for the weekend, and I got the classy ladies drink of choice: Lime A Rita And once I got back to my mom's I noticed that she had some juice in the fridge and thought I would try and see what it tasted like.

What it tasted like was delicious. Yes, something can taste like and be delicious simultaneously. 

Now, for the easiest drink you could ever throw together. And you will be so chic while sipping it. And by chic I mean not at all, but who gets caught up in pesky details.

I suppose this is where I give you directions as to how to make this...

Pour a small amount of the juice in the bottom of the glass and top with the Lime A Rita. It is basically a redneck mimosa. Now that I think about it, let's pretend that is the name of this lovely beverage. 

Enjoy.

The Winnie

This drink may lend itself a little more towards the summertime, but if you're in an area like we are, it will still be in the high 70's some days...well into October. and so, you can enjoy this at least another few weeks. Or you can be like me and enjoy it whenever you want;)

When we were up in New Hampshire a few weeks ago, we paid a visit to A Castle in the Clouds, and while there we stopped halfway to the top, at the Carriage House, and took in the gorgeous views and had a drink.

They had a rather extensive drink list and many I had tried before, ergo...I tried something a little different. They had this and I thought it sounded `refreshing. and it was.

They named this after the famed Lake  Winnipesaukee, or Winni as some of the locals refer to it. There are amazing views of the mountains and the lake from here.

When I got home, I decided to try and recreate it, but making one slight adaption...I added pineapple juice.

Enjoy.

2 oz  blue curaco

2 oz citrus vodka

1 oz oj

1 oz pineapple juice

spritz of sprite(optional)

Place all ingredients in shaker and shake vigorously for about ten seconds. Serve straight up or over ice. If you are a fan of bubbles(like me;) then top with sprite or club soda

This would also be super yummy as a margarita and subbing tequila for vodka! Yum.

Linking up with Thirsty Thursday

Thirsty Thursday: Bourbon Sidecar

I am uber happy to be joining up with one of my favorite bloggers to co host in the weekly edition of Thirsty Thursday. Kristin from Hopelessly Ever After let me partake in Co-Hosting the weekly shenanigans with her this week. below is the rules, so join in the party. and she is always looking for co hosts, so if you'd like to join in on the fun, contact her! I am bringing you guys a spin on one of my favorite cocktails today, but first...



1. Follow Hopelessly Ever After and The Whimsy One via GFC or Bloglovin'.
2. Grab a button from below or Kristin's sidebar and put it in your post.
3. Write about your favorite alcoholic beverage.
4. Come back here and link up!!!
5. Get some new recipes or drink ideas for the weekend and make a new friend!! 6. Send a tweet with #ThirstyThursday and include @leggs532 and @Thewhimsy1 so we can see it!!

Anyone interested in co-hosting (it’s free) email Kristin at: hopelessly_ever_after@yahoo.com

<div align="center"><a href="http://www.hopelesslyeverafter.blogspot.com" title="Hopelessly Ever After"><img src="http://i93.photobucket.com/albums/l54/leggs532/linkupbuttonreal_zpsee8b2e2c.jpg" alt="Hopelessly Ever After" style="border:none;" /></a></div>

This drink is a classic and one that conjures up images of ordering your drink in a tea cup at a Speakeasy. A cocktail from the prohibition era and born in a Parisian cafe. And while the original uses cognac or brandy...I am nothing if not Southern, so why not use bourbon instead. I knew you'd agree. That's why we all get along so well. You guys are smart.

We were in New Hampshire a few weeks ago and I asked the bartender to make me this version and he so readily obliged. I had never had one but had read somewhere that people were requesting these. he had never made one either, but after he took a sip, he nodded his head in agreement that he approved. Turning people into bourbonistas...one stop at a time;)

Ingredients

3/4 ounce Cointreau

3/4 ounce lemon juice

1 1/2 ounces bourbon

Shake well with ice, then strain into a chilled martini glass that has had its outside rim rubbed with lemon juice and dipped in sugar.


This is such an easy and refreshing cocktail and one that is hard to go wrong with! I implore you to drink this tasty beverage. Stat.

Salted Caramel Mudslide

Since it is Fall, I wanted to revisit a drink I had made on my other blog last year. and I have revamped it quite a bit and it is so much easier now. Well, actually they were both quite simple, but this way is much easier to parlay via written word!

Ingredients

2 scoops salted caramel ice cream

1 tbsp Baileys

1 tbsp Kahlua

1 tbsp whipped vodka

 Heath bar topping(optional)

Place all ingredients in a blender with ice and blend till desired consistency. Pour in a glass(add caramel syrup to the glass for added flavor) Top with whip cream and heath bar pieces.

***Notes. I used this instead of ice cream

 You could use baileys caramel flavor or even vanilla vodka, cake vodka or the new caramel vodka. However you choose to make it, you can't go wrong! And I actually added a little caramel coffee creamer to make it a little creamier the second time. 

I also made caramel whip cream by using 1/2 cup cold whipping cream and adding 2 tbsp caramel syrup once stiff peaks began to form and continued whipping till completely stiff. 

linking up for Tell Us Tuesday

OTT: Richmond- Tazza Kitchen

For my foodies in Richmond, I have a new place for you guys to check out; Tazza Kitchen. We were in Richmond for my sissy in law's birthday and while the eats in Downtown Richmond are a plenty, we ventured out towards Short Pump for dinner the second night. They only opened last Wednesday and we left quite impressed. 

I loved the ambiance but not as much as I loved their white pizza. Oh. my. word. People. 

Prosciutto pizza with arugula.

 a perfectly made mojito

and as a {self proclaimed} bourbonista I am more than pleased to say the my Manhattan was pretty much close to perfect. As you already know I normally prefer my bourbon neat, but this way(if done correctly) can please my palate nicely.

I definitely recommend hitting this spot up. You can tell the owners are proud of the product they are putting out and since we had absolutely nothing left on our plates, I can say they have a pretty good reason to be pleased. If only I hadn't forgotten to take pictures of our small plates;)

Raspberry Limoncello Margaritas

We went traipsing all around New England with Wiki's family and while we were still in Boston, before leaving for the glorious land that is New Hampshire, I wanted to make a refreshing drink to enjoy on a very brisk night...next to the fire pit;) What screams summer more than 68' in August...

This was really easy to put together and you could make it a variety of ways. I have already changed it up twice since making it the first time on Saturday. However you slice it...this drink is awesome.

6 cups raspberry lemonade
1 cup limoncello
3/4 cup tequila
1/4 cup chambord(optional)
sprite/sparkling wine

Mix together all ingredients except for the bubbly options. Pour into glass and top with a little bubbly. The first time I used sprite, the second time I added a raspberry sparkling wine. It was so good! You could also swap the tequila for vodka. I added chambord once and abstained the second time. It was a little too sweet for me with it. You could also throw this in the blender with some ice and have a yummy frozen treat. and top that off with a floater of the sparkling wine or even more of the tequila and limoncello.

It may almost be Fall(Yay! and I already may have decorated;) but the weather is still warm for a while anyways. This is the perfect drink to carry you over till the crisp nights hit.

Linking up with Thirsty Thursday

Sparkling Raspberry Lemonade Margatini

I first debuted this drink on my other blog last summer…when no one knew about my whimsy self{aside from my real life peoples} ergo, very few people have seen this and I wanted to share it again today on my new Foodie/drinkie blog. As will be happening lots over the next few weeks, I had more than one entry that never even got to be loved and adored by anyone but lil ole me;) Shame. haha

Anyways, this was a drink I ended up throwing together on one of my many visits home to Virginia and as usual I was asked to play bartender. I made use of what I could find on short notice and this was the end result.

Ingredients(for 2 glasses)
6 oz raspberry lemonade{I used simply lemonade}
1 1/2 oz citrus vodka
1 1/2 oz silver tequila
2-3 oz champagne/sparkling wine

put all ingredients except champagne into shaker w/ice and shake vigorously. Strain into martini or margarita glass. Top glass w/Champagne/wine. Tip to your mouth...and let the good times roll.

You can also make this frozen which I did once and yes, please. I added fresh raspberries when I did that. I also used Cointreau in lieu of vodka and have used sprite instead of the sparkling wine. You really can’t go wrong. But seriously…

Just know this goes down way easier than you may have intended. I mean…way. Easier. As in. you can take this as a hint to have a good time…or heed it as a warning. Your choice. 

Linking up with
The Party Don't Start & Thirsty Thursday, & Hump Day Hop, & Thumpin Thursday