New Year, New Tastes

Many of us don't get out as frequently in the winter. The cold this morning was a reminder that winter hasn't really even started here, so we found a few cocktail recipes that will keep our interest through the next couple of months. These are reasonably easy cocktails, suitable for any non-professional bartender.

The Boulevardier

It's a Negroni, but with rye whiskey instead of gin. It's a natural evolution, bringing a dark spirit into a classic drink that we love. Your blogger enjoyed a Negroni or two over the holiday season, as the red drink color seemed perfect for the season. Having a brown beverage (rye) instead of clear (gin) makes the change visually interesting as well.

Ingredients
1.5 oz rye whiskey. If you like local, try Dad's Hat.
.75 oz Campari
.75 oz Martini & Rossi sweet vermouth

Stir ingredients with ice, then strain into a coupe glass.  Serve "up" and garnish with an orange twist.

Slow Cooker Sangria

Obviously, this recipe is a bit more involved, but the payoff is worth it. You may want to bookmark this one for your Super Bowl party.

Ingredients:
2 bottles red wine, 750ml each. We always prefer a Spanish red as a Sangria base
2 cups strong hibiscus tea (brewed from 4 bags)
1 cup Christain Brothers brandy
1/2 cup DeKuyper Triple Sec
1 each: lime, orange and lemon
1/2 cup sugar
2 cinnamon sticks

1: Bring 2 cups of water to a boil. Add 4 hibiscus tea bags and remove from heat. Steep tea bags for 5 minutes. Squeeze tea from bags and discard spent bags. Set steeped tea aside.

2: Cut lemon, lime and orange into thin slices and add to slow cooker. Break cinnamon sticks in half and add to slow cooker. Pour remaining ingredients into slow cooker (including the tea) and stir until sugar dissolves.

3: Heat on low setting for 1 hour before serving. Keep warm, if possible, during serving.

4: Before serving, garnish each mug with citrus slices and a cinnamon stick.

The Applejack Sazerac

The Sazerac is a classic New Orleans cocktail, so look at this as a winterized version. Sip this by the fireplace.

Ingredients
2oz Applejack
.25 oz maple syrup (use the real thing, not store-brand pancake syrup)
3 dashes bitters

Stir ingredients with ice, then strain into an old fashioned glass.  Serve "up" and garnish with a lemon twist.

Hot Apple Pie 43

You've probably seen Licor 43 in our store and wondered about it. It was developed in Spain, about 100 years ago. The name Licor 43 is derived from the 43 ingredients from which it was originally made, principally fruits, herbs and spices from the Mediterranean basin.

Today, citrus fruits infused with selected botanicals lend the liquid aromatic, citrus essences, a delicate vanilla touch and just a hint of caramel.

Taste the warming, lightly spiced flavors of hot apple pie in this mouth-watering dessert cocktail.

Ingredients:
.75 oz Licor 43
5  oz apple juice
1 cinnamon stick
whipped cream and ground cinnamon, to garnish

Heat the apple juice with the cinnamon stick and stir the Licor 43 into the warmed mixture. Remove the cinnamon stick and pour into your coffee glass. Garnish with whipped cream and a sprinkle of cinnamon to finish.