Tag Archives: Blueberries

All the Beautiful Berries Sangria Recipe

Posted on June 14, 2013 | Leave a comment

All the Beautiful Berries Sangria contains fresh blueberries, blackberries, strawberries and raspberries. – recipe and photo by Mixologist Cheri Loughlin, The Intoxicologist

When you can’t decide which berry is the best, you need the All the Beautiful Berries Sangria recipe.

Grocery stores know how to hook consumers. They place all the gorgeous, ripe berries center stage in the produce department. Then they have huge platters of fresh ripe berries with tasting picks so we can sample the luscious, succulent berries right there on the spot. Of course every season is perfect for berries, but summer is the peak season for beautiful, delicious, huge berries. Who can resist?! Yeah, me neither.

All the Beautiful Berries Sangria Recipe

Every season is perfect for berries, but summer is the peak season for beautiful, delicious, huge berries. Who can resist?! Yeah, me neither. All the Beautiful Berries Sangria recipe and photo by Mixologist Cheri Loughlin, The Intoxicologist

All the Beautiful Berries Sangria – recipe by Cheri Loughlin, The Intoxicologist

16 ounces Fresh Strawberries

6 ounces Fresh Blackberries

6 ounces Fresh Blueberries

6 ounces Fresh Raspberries

1 Fresh Lime

8 ounces Brandy

3 ounces Coconut Rum

3 ounces Velvet Falernum Liqueur

3 ounces Orgeat Almond Syrup

2 – 750ml Bottles Moscato Wine

Hull fresh strawberries and cut into quarters. Slice lime into wheels and cut wheels in half. Place all fresh fruits in large pitcher. Top with brandy, coconut rum, Falernum liqueur, Orgeat and Moscato wine. Stir. Cover with plastic wrap. Refrigerate several hours or overnight.

Stir briefly before serving. Serve in goblet over ice. Place a spoonful of berries in each cup when serving.

All the Beautiful Berries Sangria Recipe Notes, Tips and Tricks

The berries soaked up quite a bit of the alcohol in the marinating process. To distribute the flavor I placed about 1/3 cup of berries in a goblet and very lightly mashed them with the back of a spoon. All the Beautiful Berries Sangria recipe and photo by Mixologist Cheri Loughlin, The Intoxicologist

All the Beautiful Berries Sangria recipe started with a basic Sangria recipe. This recipe developed to include a little more fruit than the basic recipe uses as a guideline. I couldn’t resist adding more berry fruits, because the berries were so delicious. I also served this Sangria a little differently than usual. The berries soaked up quite a bit of the alcohol in the marinating process. To distribute the flavor a bit I placed about 1/3 cup of berries in a goblet and very lightly mashed them with the back of a spoon. The idea is not to crush them, but just release some of the flavor back into the Sangria. This way there are not pockets of pure fruit alcohol.

Try skipping the ice and top the Sangria off with chilled Ginger Ale, Club Soda or flavored sparkling water for a little something different. All the Beautiful Berries Sangria recipe and photo by Mixologist Cheri Loughlin, The Intoxicologist

I am not a huge fan of ice in my Sangria, so I actually skip the ice in mine. Serve yours with or without ice. If the Sangria is too strong for you without ice melt, top with a bit of club soda or ginger ale. But make sure your club soda or ginger ale is well chilled first. Other options to consider are flavored sparkling waters that complement the Sangria flavor.

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Posted in Pichers & Punches

Tagged Blackberries, Blueberries, Brandy, Coconut Rum, Falernum, Moscato, National Moscato Day, Orgeat, Raspberries, Sangria, Strawberries, Velvet Falernum

Take Me to the Tropics Sangria Recipe

Posted on April 19, 2013 | Leave a comment

A good Sangria recipe is one of the most adaptable drinks recipes one can make. It can be made light and refreshing for summer sipping. Or vary the ingredients for a lush, cozy drink during cooler months. Sangrias also make hosting duties fairly easy when entertaining since they can be made ahead of time in pitcher form for batch serve. Better yet, guests will be impressed with your awesome bartending skills. What’s not to love?!

The Take Me to the Tropics Sangria recipe is fruity with light coconut flavor. The color is pale pink so the whole fruits take center stage as edible garnish. This is summery fresh Sangria ideal for outdoor entertaining. The color lends itself to bridal parties and baby showers due to the color.

Take Me to the Tropics Sangria – created by Cheri Loughlin

1-750ml Bottle Riesling Wine

12 ounces Fresh Blueberries – cut small slit in side or cut in half

15 whole Fresh Blackberries

3/4 cup Fresh Mango – cut into 3/4 inch pieces

1/2 Orange – Quartered & Sliced

3 ounces Coconut Rum

3 ounces Coconut Juice

1 Tablespoon Simple Syrup

3 Sprigs Fresh Rosemary – Smack on hand to release aroma

Grated Coconut Garnish – optional

Place all ingredients, except optional grated coconut garnish, in pitcher. Stir. Cover. Refrigerate overnight. Serve over ice. Garnish with grated coconut if desired.

Why do people love Sangria so much? It’s fairly inexpensive and easy to make. It’s delicious and not overly sweet. A good Sangria recipe is fairly flexible to fruits and juices one has on hand. Alcohol content is usually less than single serve cocktails.

Find a few more Spanish inspired drinks and Sangria recipes in the post Wine, Sangrias & Spanish Inspired Cocktails. Learn a little about The History of Sangria and sample one of the original red wine punches, the 1800s Claret Cup Recipe found at Wine Intro.

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Posted in Cocktails, Wine Cocktails

Tagged Blackberries, Blueberries, Coconut, Coconut Juice, Coconut Rum, Mango, Orange, Riesling Wine, Rosemary, Sangria, Simple Syrup, Wine

Blueberry Lavender Syrup

Posted on November 23, 2012 | Leave a comment

Homemade flavored syrups are a terrific way to add unique flavor to cocktails and non-alcoholic drinks. Add syrup to champagne or club soda for a quick and easy tasty treat. This particular syrup goes the extra mile by providing double duty at the breakfast table. Blueberry Lavender Syrup is wonderful drizzled over pancakes and waffles.

Blueberry Lavender Syrup – created by Cheri Loughlin

8 cups Sugar

4 cups Water

1 pound fresh or frozen Blueberries

1/2 cup Lavender

Zest & Juice of 1 Lemon

Place all ingredients in saucepan over medium low heat. Stir continually until liquid begins to simmer. Remove from heat. Strain into heat proof container with lid. Store in refrigerator.

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Posted in Mixers & Garnishes

Tagged Basics, Blueberries, Blueberry Lavender Syrup, Blueberry Syrup, Fresh Lemon, Lavender, Lavender Syrup, Mixer, Sugar, Syrup

Blue Raspberry

Posted on July 2, 2012 | Leave a comment

The day goes a lot smoother when mornings begin with the whir of a blender.

Blue Raspberry – created by Cheri Loughlin

1 cup Diet Blueberry Pomegranate Juice

1/2 cup Diet Cranberry Juice

1 cup Frozen Unsweetened Raspberries

1/2 cup Frozen Unsweetened Blueberries

1 Banana

3/4 cup Almond Milk

1 cup Lite Vanilla Yogurt

Whipped Cream Garnish

Place all ingredients except garnish in blender (no ice). Blend until completely smooth. Pour into glasses. Top with whipped cream. Serves 4.

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Posted in Mocktails

Tagged Almond Milk, Banana, Blue Raspberry, Blueberries, Blueberry Pomegranate Juice, Cranberry Juice, Independence Day, Non-Alcoholic Drinks, Raspberries, Smoothie, Vanilla Yogurt, Whipped Cream

Blueberry Hill

Posted on June 19, 2012 | Leave a comment

Get your summer thrill with the sweet flavor of blueberries in your glass.

Blueberry Hill – created by Cheri Loughlin

1-1/2 ounce Blueberry Vodka

3/4 ounce Limoncello

1/2 ounce Fresh Lemon Juice

1-1/2 ounce Blueberry Juice

Lemon Wheel Garnish

Combine liquids in cocktail shaker with ice. Shake to blend and chill. Strain into chilled cocktail glass. Garnish with lemon wheel floated in the cocktail. Optional: Top with 1/2 to 1 ounce of Brut Champagne for extra bubbly thrill. Garnish with skewer frozen blueberries.

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Posted in Cocktails

Tagged Blueberries, Blueberry Hill, Blueberry Juice, Blueberry Vodka, Champagne, Fresh Lemon, Limoncello

Berry Tango

Posted on February 21, 2012 | Leave a comment

The fresh berries are plenty sweet to negate the need for added sugar. After sampling this blend with various Cachaca spirits it becomes apparent that brands with weaker drive get lost under strong fruit flavor and sweetness.

Berry Tango – created by Cheri Loughlin

2 measures Cachaca

1 Fresh Strawberry

5 Fresh Raspberries

6 Fresh Blueberries

Muddle fresh berries with Cachaca in bottom of a mixing glass. Add ice. Shake to blend. Strain into a rocks glass over fresh ice. Garnish with skewer of fresh berries if desired.

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Posted in Cocktails

Tagged Blueberries, Cachaca, Raspberries, Strawberries

Manhattan Nights Holiday Cocktails

Posted on November 7, 2011 | 2 Comments

The Manhattan Nights B&B cocktails created by master mixologist, Gary Regan, are sure to delight and please the senses. These bold creations go beyond the average and venture into the extraordinary. Such is to be expected when one combines Benedictine and Brandy with celebrated Ardent Spirit, Gary Regan. Each are truly unique “spirits”.

Botanical Breeze - photo copyright Cheri Loughlin B&B liqueur is an audacious combination of Benedictine liqueur and fine French cognac. Invented at New York’s “21 Club” in the 1930’s, it is the first mixed drink ever bottled and sold in the United States. B&B is excellent as an after dinner cocktail and also pairs exceptionally well with desserts as can be seen with the recently launched “Manhattan Nights” program which also includes New York pastry chef Martin Howard.

The following cocktails created by Gary Regan correspond to the desserts from the “Manhattan Nights” project. Never shying away from a creative challenge, Gary infuses his cocktails with tequila, bourbon, absinthe, Scotch, ginger and elderflower liqueurs. Each cocktail imparts a creative flair that is as unique as B&B with the style that is ardently Gary Regan.

Belle of the Ball

1-1/2 measures Bourbon

1/2 measure B&B Liqueur

1/2 measure Peach Schnapps

1/2 measure Lemon Juice

Lemon Twist Garnish

Combine liquids in cocktail shaker with ice. Shake to blend and chill. Strain into chilled champagne flute. Garnish with lemon twist.

Bohemian Breeze

1/2 measure B&B Liqueur

2 measures Sweet Vermouth

3 measures Lemon Lime Soda

2 dashes Classic Bitters

Orange Twist Garnish

Place all liquids in ice filled cognac snifter. Stir. Garnish with orange twist.

Bandit’s Bliss

2 measures Dry Vermouth

1/2 measure Cognac

1/2 measure B&B Liqueur

Orange Twist Garnish

Place liquids in ice filled wine goblet. Stir. Garnish with orange twist.

Bewildered Beauty

1-1/2 measure Dark Rum

1/2 measure B&B Liqueur

6 fresh Raspberries

2 Tablespoons Coco Lopez

1/2 cup Vanilla Ice Cream

Place all ingredients in blender. Blend until smooth. Pour into wine goblet.

Beauteous Bette

1 measure Reposado Tequila

1/2 measure B&B Liqueur

1/4 measure Ginger Liqueur

Champagne

3 fresh Blueberries Garnish

Place tequila, B&B and ginger liqueur in mixing glass with ice. Stir to chill. Strain into chilled champagne flute. Top with champagne. Garnish with skewered blueberries.

Botanical Breeze

1-1/2 measure Gin

1/2 measure B&B Liqueur

1/2 measure Elderflower Liqueur

1/2 measure Lime Juice

Kiwi Slice Garnish

Combine liquids in cocktail shaker with ice. Shake to blend and chill. Strain into chilled champagne coupe. Garnish with kiwi slice.

Babbling Brook

1-1/2 measure Scotch

3/4 measure B&B Liqueur

1/4 measure Absinthe

Lemon Twist Garnish

Combine liquids in cocktail shaker with ice. Stir. Strain into chilled cocktail glass. Garnish with lemon twist.

These cocktails make great additions to your home entertaining this holiday season. The look is elegant, the taste fresh and cutting edge and sure to satisfy a wide variety of tastes.

Twitter, Facebook, StumbleUpon – str8upcocktails @ gmail.com – ©2011 Cheri Loughlin-The Intoxicologist, All Rights Reserved. All opinions, reviews and spirits’ coverage are the personal opinion and decision of Cheri Loughlin.

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Posted in Christmas Cocktails, Cocktails

Tagged Absinthe, B&B Liqueur, Blueberries, Bourbon, Champagne, Classic Bitters, Coconut Cream, Cognac, Dry Vermouth, Elderflower Liqueur, Fresh Lemon, Fresh Lime, Gary Regan, Gin, Ginger Liqueur, Holiday, Ice Cream, Lemon Lime Soda, Peach Schnapps, Raspberries, Rum, Scotch, Sweet Vermouth, Tequila

Dazzling Black Razzle

Posted on March 28, 2011 | Leave a comment

Start the morning refreshed and revitalized with an enthusiastic jolt of fruited bliss. Black Razzle dazzles with flavors of sweet and tart intertwining on the tongue. Keep it lower calorie with unsweetened frozen fruits and diet juice. Take this frozen treat for an evening happy hour spin by adding a splash of dark rum to the mix.

Black Razzle – created by Cheri Loughlin

1 Fresh Banana – peeled

1/2 cup Lite Blueberry Yogurt

1 cup Frozen Blueberries – no sugar added

1 cup Frozen Raspberries – no sugar added

1 cup Diet Blueberry Juice

Whipped Cream Garnish

Place all ingredients except whipped cream in a blender in the order given. Puree until thoroughly blended. Divide mixture evenly between four small glasses or two large glasses. Top with whipped cream.

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Posted in Mocktails

Tagged Banana, Blueberries, Blueberry Juice, Blueberry Yogurt, Mocktails, Non-Alcoholic Drinks, Raspberries, Smoothie, Whipped Cream

Rise & Sunshine Fruit Smoothie

Posted on November 12, 2010 | 1 Comment

Make the most of morning get-up-and-go time with a quick fix lower calorie breakfast on the go treat for the entire crew. This easy to put together fruit smoothie relies on frozen fruit with low sugar and low calorie mix-ins that keep the girlish figure at its best. The real treat is the Rise & Sunshine Fruit Smoothie doesn’t short change the taste buds when it comes to flavor.

Choose your favorite fruit (strawberries, blueberries, raspberries, blackberries; you get the idea) and blend until deliciously smooth.

Rise & Sunshine Fruit Smoothie – created by Cheri Loughlin

16 ounces Whole Frozen Strawberries – Unsweetened

2 cups Tropicana Trop50 Orange Juice

1-1/2 cup Activia Lite Vanilla Yogurt

1 Banana

4 to 6 Fresh Strawberries Garnish

Whipped Cream Topping – Optional

Place frozen strawberries in blender. Add orange juice, yogurt and fresh banana. Puree until mixture is completely blended. Divide between four larger glasses or six smaller glasses. Garnish with fresh strawberry. Top with dollop of whipped cream if desired.

Serves 4 to 6. 486 Calories entire batch. 121.5 calories if dividing among 4 glasses. 81 calories if dividing among 6 glasses. Garnish not included in calorie count

Quick Tip: I use frozen fruits to keep the fruit smoothie rock solid chilled without the use of ice that will begin melting and water down the fruit smoothie. Purchase ready made unsweetened frozen fruit or flash freeze fresh fruit for later use.

Twitter, Facebook, StumbleUpon or Email: str8upcocktails @ gmail.com. Copyright 2010 Cheri Loughlin – The Intoxicologist – All Rights Reserved. All opinions, reviews and spirits’ coverage contained within are the personal opinion and decision of Cheri Loughlin, The Intoxicologist.

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Posted in Mocktails

Tagged Banana, Blackberries, Blueberries, Figure Friendly, Fruit Smoothie, Lower Calorie, Mocktails, Non-Alcoholic Drinks, Orange Juice, Raspberries, Rise & Sunshine Fruit Smoothie, Smoothie, Strawberries, Vanilla Yogurt, Whipped Cream

Absolut Berri Acai: Mint Condition Cocktail Spirit

Posted on February 25, 2010 | Leave a comment

From the outset Absolut Berri Acai seems to have missed the mad rush on the super fruit high of the little Acai berry. It has had its ups and downs in the press as to the magical benefits of consuming the little super fruit. In my opinion when mixing Acai with liquor in any form the retention for health benefits becomes debatable, so the remaining factor becomes taste. When it comes right down to it the Acai berry indeed infuses flavor into the spirit. Absolut Berri Acai hit upon something rather unique with this particular flavor that surprised my tingling taste buds.

Aroma: Candy-like, sweet, fruity, slight sweet tart catch-like tickle rises in the back of my throat when breathing in the fruity sweetness. No alcohol burn on the nose.

Tasted Neat: Not sweet at all. Definitely all vodka with some of the tattle tale burn. As much as I hesitate to make the connection – there is the fairest hint of cough syrup flavor lingering in the finish reminiscent of days of youth. I also detect a peculiar mint or refreshing feel in the after effect that I wasn’t quite expecting. It is a minty fresh effect as if having just popped a refreshing berry-mint chewing gum stick in my mouth and breathed in deeply. It is cool, lightly fruited and wafting mint as if lace just lilted over the tongue. Quite surprisingly nice really since there is no sticky sweet in this vodka at all.

Tasted Chilled: Some of the burn fades when chilled straight. Some berry flavors come across round, full and lush. Absolut Berri Acai does not round out in this particular fashion. It is an entirely different breed of character.

Berrily a Mojito – created by Cheri Loughlin

10 Mint Leaves

3/4 part Simple Syrup

4 Blackberries

10 Blueberries

1/2 Lime – Juiced

1-1/2 part Absolut Berri Acai

Club Soda

Mint Garnish

Muddle mint leaves and simple syrup in bottom of mixing glass. Add berries. Muddle again three or four times being careful not to completely mash. Add in juice of 1/2 fresh lime and Absolut Berri Acai with fresh ice. Shake vigorously. Strain into a highball glass over fresh ice. Top with approximately 1-1/2 part Club Soda. Garnish with mint leaf.

Traditionally Mojitos contain rum, but Absolut Berri Acai leant itself perfectly to this classic cocktail since the berry mint flavor came through astoundingly in the first round of sampling. The Berrily a Mojito takes a few extra seconds to put together due to the muddling, but fresh is best with most cocktails. This one samples out deliciously.

Absolut Berri Acai might not have round, lush and full going for it in the berry realm, but it definitely has creative possibilities for spring and summer cocktails and Sunday brunch champagne cocktails with puree filler. Another definite plus for those Friday night party goers; Absolut Berri Acai will make an excellent base for fun and fruity shots to line the bar.

Absolut Berri Acai Vodka sample for review courtesy representatives of Absolut Vodka.

Since readers already asked a comparison of Absolut Berri Acai Vodka versus Van Gogh Acai-Blueberry Vodka seemed necessary for completion of this review. Van Gogh Acai-Blueberry contains thicker viscosity, is definitely sweeter and obviously exhibits beautiful color. The cough syrupy flavor and alcohol burn show through a little with the Van Gogh Acai-Blueberry as well when sampled neat. Over all I wouldn’t necessarily say Van Gogh’s flavor is any better or worse than Absolut Berri Acai for cocktail creation. However, the upside of Van Gogh Acai-Blueberry is the color for aesthetics and 70 proof for lower alcohol content. The downside is added sugar. After the bottle has been opened the sugar granulates around the bottle top, so the fact there is sugar retained within the vodka cannot be denied. It also makes it difficult to reopen the bottle since it creates a sugar seal. Added sugar content makes it a little more difficult to add flavored liqueurs and juices for variety drinks without over sugaring cocktails. Color can sometimes become an issue when adding in particular juices and liqueurs as color combines and sometimes one winds up with not so appealing colors of cocktails. Van Gogh Acai-Blueberry prices out around $29.99 locally. Absolut Berri Acai has not arrived on shelves locally, but Absolut flavored vodkas price out at $24.99. Representatives for Absolut Vodka and Van Gogh Vodkas have both sent products for review past and present. Neither have been shown preference in this comparison.