Tag Archives: apple

Have Yourself a Boozy Valentine’s Day

Cocktails / February 13, 2017 / No Comments.

Valentine’s Day. You either love it or hate it. It can be a day to celebrate your love for your significant other. Or it can be a day that just further reminds you that you’re single. But hey, either way, we say grab a cocktail and enjoy yourself. Whether you’re single, taken, or somewhere in-between, everyone can appreciate these brand new, delicious Smirnoff and Hornitos Valentine’s Day cocktails.

So grab your S.O., BFF or mix one up by yourself:

Cupid’s Kiss Martini

Ingredients:

1/4 cup Turbinado sugar
Caramel Sauce
3 oz. Smirnoff Kissed Caramel Vodka
3 oz. Horchata
3 oz. Cream
Whipped cream and ground cinnamon for garnish

In a cocktail shaker, mix ice, Smirnoff Kissed Caramel Vodka, Horchata, and cream. Shake and strain into a rimmed glass. Garnish with whipped cream and ground cinnamon.

Raspberry Kisses

Ingredients:

3 oz. Smirnoff Raspberry Vodka
1 oz. Limoncello
6 oz. Passion fruit juice
Fresh raspberries for garnish

In a cocktail shaker, mix ice, Smirnoff Raspberry Vodka, Limoncello, and passion fruit juice. Shake and strain into a glass over ice. Garnish with fresh raspberries.

These recipes put the real “V” in “V-Day” (vodka that is).

Now don’t forget about the “T” in ValenTine’s Day (you should be catching on by this point but if not, TEQUILA). Not as important as the “V” but equally delicious.

Mint Chocolate Black Barrel

Ingredients:

1 1/2 parts Hornitos Black Barrel Tequila
3/4 part chocolate liqueur
2 dashes of Angostura bitters
Mint leaves
Strawberry

Lightly muddle 3-5 mint leaves in a shaker. Add remainder of ingredients into the shaker with ice and shake vigorously. Strain into a martini glass and garnish with a strawberry.

Cupid’s Cider

Ingredients:

1 1/2 parts Hornitos Black Barrel Tequila
3/4 part apple cider
2 parts water
3/4 part cinnamon syrup
1 part fresh lemon juice
2 dashes Angostura bitters

Combine 1 part sugar, 1 part water and 4 crushed cinnamon sticks and bring to a boil to create cinnamon syrup. Allow the syrup to cool and combine all ingredients together. Garnish with a cinnamon stick and an apple wedge. Recipe can be served hot or cold.

Enjoy and have a great Valentine’s Day!

Her Shot: Boozy Apple Desserts for Apple Day

Cider / September 17, 2016 / No Comments.

“An apple a day keeps the doctor away.” Well, maybe not these kinds of apples. Nothing’s better than knowing fall is right around the corner- meaning boots, sweaters, and apple flavored everything. These boozy apple recipes will help you cope with those post-summer blues and get you ready to dive right in to the looming “pumpkin spice” season. Check out these awesome apple inspired recipes- all infused with booze…

Apple Cider Mimosas:

• 2 tbsp. sugar
• 1 tbsp. ground cinnamon
• 1 cup apple cider
• 1 bottle champagne

On a small plate, combine sugar and cinnamon. Dip the champagne flutes in water to wet the rims, then dip them in the cinnamon sugar mixture. Fill the champagne flutes ¼ full with apple cider, then top off with champagne.

Recipe from Delish

Boozy Apple Crisp:

• 8 cups sliced apples
• 1 tsp. cinnamon sugar
• 1 tsp. grated lemon rind
• 2 oz. Bourbon
• 1 oz. Orange Liqueur
• 2 tbsp. Molasses
For the Crumb Topping:
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• ½ cup light brown sugar
• ½ cup sifted flour
• ½ tsp. salt
• 6 tbsp. butter
• ¾ cup oatmeal
• 1 cup toasted, chopped walnuts
• Whipping cream or ice cream (optional, but encouraged)
• Caramel Sauce (also optional, also encouraged)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Arrange apple slices in greased casserole dish. Sprinkle cinnamon, lemon, bourbon and orange liqueur on top of apples. Drizzle molasses over apples. In a separate bowl, mix sugars, flour, salt and butter with a pastry blender or in a processor until crumbly; add the oatmeal and chopped walnuts and mix thoroughly. Spread mixture over top of apples. Bake uncovered at 350 degrees until apples are tender and top is lightly browned, approx. 1 hour. Serve warm with whipped cream or vanilla ice cream. Drizzle caramel sauce on top.

Recipe from creative-culinary

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Ciders for A Sizzling Summer

Beer / June 23, 2016 / No Comments.

While children enjoy their hot apple ciders on crisp fall days, adults have ciders they enjoy on hot summer days. What’s the difference? We’re glad you asked. While both beverages are composed of crushed fruits, ordinarily the apple, hard cider is fermented so it is carbonated and alcoholic (the best aspect). Ciders vary from taste to color, and we’ve found a few standouts that you’ll regret not trying this summer.

Angry Orchard Summer Honey

If you’re looking for something a little sweet, this is it. This golden beverage is the perfect combination of raw apple with tangy orange blossom honey. It may be too sweet for some, but we trust that anything with the word ‘summer’ in the title has to be good.

Ciderboys Raspberry Smash

This seasonal hit does everything right when it comes to fruitful pairings. It’s crisp tart finish is exactly what you need when your weather app says it’s a little too warm for comfort.

JK’s Scrumpy Northern Neighbor: Saskatoon Cuvee

While this cider is filled with fresh red fruits like cherry and the saskatoon prairie apple, it’s vanilla finish and deep coloring is what makes it different than the rest.

Original Sin Apple Cider

For those interested in a refreshing drink that isn’t overwhelmingly sweet, it doesn’t get much better than award winning cider Original Sin. Brewed in small batches with all natural ingredients, this beverage is “devilishly” delicious.

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5 Reasons to Drink This Weekend

5 Reasons To Drink This Weekend / June 10, 2016 / No Comments.

We’re not the type of people who need a reason to drink. If we’re breathing that’s reason enough. But for those who need more, here you go:

1. Ben Affleck & Matt Damon: To celebrate National Best Friends Day, good ol’ Ben posted a terrific throwback of he and Matt just being pals and enjoying each other’s company. So raise a glass and make a toast to your BFF.

2. Queen Elizabeth II: The royal family released a newly shot portrait of she and Prince Philip in order to commemorate their birthdays. Fair enough; we’d like to be photographed by Annie Leibovitz too. We suggest sipping on something strong to imagine that for your next birthday, you will also be given a present that is a picture of your face.

3. National Iced Tea Day: That’s right. This classic cooling-off bev is back and ready to be boozed up. Make some for yourself, or get a group together and consume a big batch of the delicious drink.

4. MacBook Pro: After taking a break from controlling our lives, Apple has apparently been rumored to be working on a new 13-inch MacBook to be released later this year. We say this in regards to this news as well as our drinking habits: Another one?

5. Roseanne Barr: There goes another one. Comedy guru Roseanne has officially stated that she endorses Donald Trump for President. We have nothing to say but: drink.

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Drink With Me, I’m Irish!

Our Stories / March 17, 2016 / No Comments.

Top o’ the mornin’ to ya! It’s St. Patrick’s Day!

In honor of this legendary Irishman, we have some extra special drink suggestions for you to get luck on your side. Ciroc has (oddly enough) come out with some green cocktail recipes, and we have to admit, they sound pretty darn delicious. So pucker up, and bring out your inner green.

O’ CÎROC

1.25 oz. CÎROC Ultra Premium Vodka
1 barspoon of Green Chartreuse
4 Lime Wedges (1/2 lime)
¾ oz Simple Syrup

Glass: Double Old Fashioned
Tools: Shaker
Preparation: Add lime wedges to a shaker tin and muddle heavily. Add the rest of the ingredients. Shake hard for 5 seconds. Pour into a double old fashioned glass and add fresh ice. The meat of the lime should be released into the glass.

CÎROC Shamrock Apple

¾ oz CÎROC Apple
¾ oz CÎROC Ultra Premium Vodka
¾ oz Fresh Lemon
½ oz Brown Sugar Syrup
1 oz Granny Smith Apple Juice
6 Basil Leaves

Garnish: 3 Basil Leaves
Glass: Double Old Fashioned Glass
Tools: Shaker tin, Strainer
Preparation: Add all ingredients into a Shaker Tin. Ice, Shake and Strain over Crushed Ice in Old Fashioned Glass. Top with a bit more Crushed Ice and Garnish with a Basil Leaf

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Her Shot: Slow Cooker Cocktails

Cocktails / October 18, 2015 / No Comments.

Crockpots: the most useful kitchen appliance for fall and winter cooking. Throw a plethora of ingredients into a slow cooker, set that baby to high-heat, and let ‘er cook! Hours later, while sparing every ounce of your effort, you have a delicious hot and ready meal. But food’s not the only tasty treat that comes out of a crockpot; warm and wonderful autumn alcohol can be made in a slow cooker, too. So slice those apples and bring out the bourbon – it’s time to make some big-batch crockpot cocktails.

Cinnamon-Pumpkin Hot Toddy: (8 servings)

5 cups water
½ cup pure maple syrup
1/3 cup canned pumpkin
1 cup rye whiskey or bourbon
½ cup apple-cinnamon schnapps/cinnamon schnapps
whipped cream
ground cinnamon and/or cinnamon stick

Combine water, maple syrup, and pumpkin in a slow cooker. Cover and cook on low-heat for 3 – 4 hours or on high-heat for 1 ½ – 2 hours. Stir in rye whiskey and schnapps. Pour into mugs and serve with whipped cream and ground cinnamon/a cinnamon stick.

Recipe found on bhg.com

Hot Caramel Apple Cider: (6 – 8 servings)

1 quart + 1 ½ cups apple cider
1 ½ cups apple liqueur
1 cup spiced rum
½ cup caramel-flavored syrup
3 apples, chopped
4 cinnamon sticks

Place everything in the slow cooker. Cook on low-heat for 1 to 2 hours. Serve warm and garnish with cinnamon sticks.

Recipe found on busy-mommy.com

Spiced Wine Cocktail: (6 servings)

1 (750 ml) bottle red wine
¼ cup honey
1 orange, zested and juiced
2 cups apple cider
5 whole cloves
4 green cardamom pods
2 cinnamon sticks
1 whole star anise
¼ cup brandy
orange slices, for garnish

In a large slow cooker, add wine, cider, honey, orange zest, and orange juice. Stir to mix together. Add cloves, cardamom, cinnamon, and anise. Cook on low-heat until warmed, about 30 minutes – 1 hour. Stir in brandy. Ladle into mugs and serve with an orange slice and/or cinnamon stick.

Recipe found on wellplated.com

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Her Shot: Fast Transitional Fall Sangrias

Cocktails / September 24, 2015 / No Comments.

The summer season may be on its way out, but that’s no reason to stop drinking like it’s summertime. As grapefruit and lemonade flavored booze gets packed away for next year’s beach trip, everything cinnamon, apple and pumpkin comes out to play. And play we will! Forget how miserable your farewell to summer is with these 10-minute transitional fall sangria recipes:

Sparkling White Cranberry Sangria (6-8 servings)

¼ cup sugar
1 cup rum
1 cup diced red apple
1 cup diced green apple
1 cup fresh or frozen cranberries
1 (750 mL) bottle chilled Chardonnay
1 cup chilled white cranberry juice
2 cups chilled club soda
lemon twist for garnish

In a large pitcher, mix together rum and sugar until sugar is dissolved. Add fruit, Chardonnay, and white cranberry juice. Chill for a few hours or overnight. When ready to drink, add club soda and stir, then pour concoction into ice filled glasses. Garnish with lemon twist and fruit from top of pitcher.

Recipe found on thekitchn.com

Pomegranate Sangria: (6-8 servings)

1 (750 mL) bottle red wine
2 cups Pomegranate juice
2/3 cup brandy
½ cup freshly squeezed orange juice
2 pears, chopped
1 apple, chopped
Pomegranate seeds for garnish

Pour wine, Pomegranate juice, brandy, and orange juice into a large pitcher and stir. Add fruit (minus the pomegranate seeds) and refrigerate for a few hours or overnight. When ready to drink, sprinkle a few pomegranate seeds into each glass before serving.

Recipe found on pink-parsley.com

Pumpkin, Cinnamon & Apple Spiced Sangria (4 servings)

2 apples, sliced
½ cup cranberries
1 tsp. salt
3 cinnamon sticks
1 orange, sliced
1 pear, sliced
2 Tbsp. pumpkin puree
2 cups apple or pumpkin flavored bourbon
1 ½ cups apple cider
Champagne

Add all ingredients except the champagne to a pitcher. Stir well and top off with champagne. Chill for an hour or so before serving.

Recipe found on blog.freepeople.com

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5 Reasons To Drink This Weekend

5 Reasons To Drink This Weekend / September 11, 2015 / No Comments.

We’re not the type of people who need a reason to drink. If we’re breathing that’s reason enough. But for those who need more, here you go:

1. World Records: 251 agave farmers broke the record for most Jimadores working in the same place at the same time this week. Applaud them for their work ethic and thank them for the countless bottles of tequila their harvest will produce.

2. Firenados: After lightning struck a Jim Beam warehouse in Kentucky, the booze lit up and got caught in a horrifying fire tornado. As if losing all of that bourbon wasn’t enough of a tragedy, now we have another natural disaster to fear for all of eternity.

3. Football: Last night’s much anticipated season opener between the Patriots and the Steelers didn’t disappoint. With one game behind us and a whole season to look forward to, it’s time to say goodbye to your personal relationships and say hello to your La-Z-Boy.

4. Colbert: The Colbert Drought finally ended this week when our new favorite Late Night host returned to TV. His premiere was perfect and so we raise a glass to all of the topical one-liners that lie ahead.

5. Apple: Their annual technology showcase brought us the Rose Gold iPhone and gave us a tour of Siri’s new home: The remote. Tally up how many beers you could buy instead of ordering a slightly newer phone then hit the bar to check your math.

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Cocktail Corner: Apple Cider Sangria

Cocktail Corner / August 26, 2015 / No Comments.

Yes, it would definitely be delightful is summer lasted all year long, but that wouldn’t be fair to the other seasons. Autumn is right around the corner and eager to greet the day with all of its pumpkin spice, crunchy leaf wonderfulness. We know some of you will find this seasonal change bittersweet, but we promise we’ll make the transition easy for you. Start out by making yourself a big batch of sangria—sparkling apple cider sangria to be exact. The weather may be getting colder, but a few sips of this cocktail will only make your insides feel as warm as your memories of sweet summertime.

Sparkling Apple Cider Sangria: (8 servings)

2 apples, peeled, cored and thinly sliced
½ cup cognac
2 cups apple cider
750ml bottle dry sparkling wine, chilled
¼ cup pomegranate seeds

In a large pitcher, add the apples (saving about ½ cup for garnish), cognac, apple cider, and chilled wine. Stir and fill the pitcher with ice. Pour the sangria into glasses filled with ice and garnish with sliced apple and/or pomegranate seeds.

Recipe found on thekitchn.com

Photo source: Personal Creations

Booze News Weekly

Beer / August 19, 2015 / No Comments.

Do you ever find yourself getting bored with your go-to booze? When you’ve grown tired of that mundane drink order, we’ll be here to walk you through what’s new and noteworthy this week:

Jim Beam Apple: Jim Beam released a new apple flavored 70 proof bourbon-based spirit just in time for the summer-to-fall transition. A blend of apple liqueur and Kentucky straight bourbon, Jim Beam Apple smells of crisp granny smiths with notes of oak complete with a sweet and grainy after taste. Drink alone or mix with club soda and lemon for a quick and easy cocktail—either way you’ll love what this juicy option has to offer.

Cerealiously Count Chocula: Black Bottle Brewery in Fort Collins, Colorado has some tricks (or should we say, Trix) up their sleeves. After basically buying all of the boxes of Count Chocula cereal within a 10-mile radius, the brewery created a Count Chocula flavored beer. Cerealiously Count Chocula has chocolate and marshmallow undertones (naturally) and will be released October 30^th as Black Bottle’s limited edition Halloween brew.

Stray Cat Gin: Copper & Kings American Brandy Company has strayed (pun intended) from their natural habitat to bring you Stray Cat Gin, a small batch artisanal spirit. After being aged in a Serbian juniper barrel for 12 months, the gin is double distilled until it reaches perfection. Having an “Old Tom” style profile, a creamy mouth feel, and a cloudy appearance, this apple-brandy based spirit is nothing to be trifled with. Only 750 bottles have been released, so if you’re seeking some Stray Cat Gin, we suggest you start moving!

Peanut Butter Raincloud Porter: Pawtucket’s Foolproof Brewery has partnered with neighboring company Nuts ‘N More to introduce Peanut Butter Raincloud Porter. Made with malted barley, hops, and Nuts ‘N More’s famous powdered peanut butter, this brew is sure to be a tasty treat, as it utilizes actual peanut butter as opposed to only an extract, spice or flavoring (like other brewers use). The company coins their creation—due to be on shelves near the end of September—is a pumpkin beer “disruptor,” as it offers a different yet delicious flavor for fall’s arrival.

Last Snow by Funky Buddha Brewery: Tasting similar to a Mounds candy bar, this dark-colored porter is an easy to drink treat for anyone who’s a fan of rich beers. Brewed with coconut and coffee, Last Snow also contains strong chocolate notes, making it perfect to drink with a dessert or by itself. In the past, the brewery only released Last Snow once every February; now, they will release a batch every August. As of noon yesterday, Last Snow is available and ready to be enjoyed.

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