Tag Archives: Spring Equinox

April Shower Spring Cocktail

Posted on April 29, 2013 | Leave a comment

April Shower Cocktail 371

Perhaps we can encourage a bit of warm and thirsty weather with a bit of spring cocktail sipping. The Americano is a great highball drink to keep in mind when thinking of spring cocktail possibilities. It can go from deep and lush to light and refreshing by just altering the spirit ratios. Spring also gets me in the mood for one of my favorite classic cocktails; the French 75. Gin is traditional, but I prefer mine with cognac. Sipped on the deck with the sun shining or while listening to the rain makes no difference. Just knowing spring is in the air is perfect!

Speaking of rain… Hopefully the all too familiar saying, “April showers bring May flowers,” holds true.

The April Shower cocktail is quick and easy to build over ice. Fresh orange juice combined with the Benedictine leans this a little toward the sweeter sider. Dial back the Benedictine just a smidgen if you like. The drink is a bit fruity like a good spring cocktail should be.

April Shower Cocktail 346

April Shower

1 ounce Brandy

2 ounces Orange Juice

1 ounce Benedictine

Club Soda – approximately 3 ounces

2 Cherries Garnish

Build in highball glass over fresh ice. Top with club soda. Stir. Garnish with cherries.

Garnishing Tip:

I like to layer garnishes within rocks and highball drinks when possible. Layered garnishes add visual appeal and splash of color to the drink.

Layered Cherries Garnish in April Shower Cocktail

Layer garnish by placing a few cubes of ice in the bottom of glass followed by cherry. Continue with another cube or two of ice followed by another cherry and so on until you end at the top of the glass with cherry on top. This does mean using more than the specified “2” cherries garnish in the recipe, but cocktail sipping is meant to be fun. So get a little carried away with those cherries. You know you want to double dip in that jar anyway!

Find more fun garnishing ideas on my Pinterest page.

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Posted in Long Drinks

Tagged April Shower, Benedictine, Brandy, Cherries, Club Soda, Garnishing, Orange Juice, Spring, Spring Cocktails, Spring Equinox

Jacob’s Ghost White Whiskey Spring Drink Recipes

Posted on March 29, 2013 | Leave a comment

Jacob's Ghost White Whiskey Bottle Photo 028

Jacob’s Ghost White Whiskey – photo by Cheri Loughlin, The Intoxicologist

You’ll notice Jacob’s Ghost White Whiskey doesn’t say “moonshine” on the label. It’s White Whiskey, not moonshine. It isn’t backwoods, bootleg liquor of the illicit sort. It isn’t unaged whiskey, otherwise known as white dog. This is one-of-a-kind, aged whiskey, made from the same mash bill Jacob Beam started with so long ago in 1795.

Jacob’s Ghost White Whiskey doesn’t say “moonshine” on the label. It’s White Whiskey, not moonshine. – photo by Cheri Loughlin, The Intoxicologist

It’s white whiskey that could be consumed straight or on the rocks, but why do that when there are plenty of drink recipes with whiskey available to tweak with this spirit variation?

Jacob’s Ghost is aged for at least one year in charred, white oak barrels yielding a light-bodied 80-proof whiskey. It is clean and crisp on the nose with hints of light vanilla and sweet corn undertones. The aging process renders a smooth, sweet flavor with hints of smoke, rounded out by soft barrel notes on the finish. – Brand fact sheet information

Some like Jacob’s Ghost White Whiskey just the way it is, but it’s also fun to shake things up a bit with a few whiskey spring cocktail drink recipes. – photo by Cheri Loughlin, The Intoxicologist

Some like Jacob’s Ghost just the way it is, but it’s also fun to shake things up a bit with a few whiskey cocktail drink recipes. The whole speakeasy movement and throwback to Prohibition Era cocktails has brought new thought to reinventing the way classic cocktails are fashioned. The following are a few brand recommended drink recipes for spring sipping.

Southern Storm – created by Tony Devencenzi, San Francisco

1-1/2 ounce Jacob’s Ghost White Whiskey

1-1-2 ounce Pineapple Juice

1-1/2 ounce Ginger Beer

4 to 5 dashes Angostura Bitters

Pineapple Wedge Garnish

Combine whiskey and juice in cocktail shaker with ice. Shake to blend and chill. Strain into highball glass over fresh ice. Top with ginger beer. Add dashes of bitters. Garnish with pineapple wedge.

You thought you knew the easy 2 ingredient beer cocktails; Shandy and Shandy Gaff. Now get to know them a little better by adding some ghostly spirit to the cocktail.

Jacob’s Shandy – created by Lynn House, Chicago

1 ounce Jacob’s Ghost White Whiskey

2 ounces Lemonade

1 ounce Light Beer – chilled

Lemon Wheel Garnish

Combine whiskey and lemonade in cocktail shaker with ice. Shake to blend. Strain into chilled rocks glass – no ice. Top with chilled beer. Garnish with lemon wheel.

The Moscow Mule is a classic vodka drink recipe with simple two ingredients. Jacob’s Ghost sweetens the deal by making this a white whiskey drink recipe with dazzling ginger liqueur topped with the traditional ginger beer.

Clermont Mule – created by Larry Rice, Kentucky

1 ounce Jacob’s Ghost White Whiskey

1/2 ounce Lime Juice

1/2 ounce Simple Syrup

1/4 ounce DeKuyper Ginger Liqueur

Ginger Beer

Build liquids in rocks glass over fresh ice in order given, saving ginger beer until last. Stir gently. Top with ginger beer.

Jacob’s Ghost White Whiskey began selling nationwide February 2013 for suggested retail price of $21.99 for 750ml bottle.

Tasting notes & cocktail recipes sponsored by representatives of Beam Global – Jim Beam on Facebook – JimBeamOfficial on Twitter

Cheri Loughlin Beverage Consultant & Photography Services

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Posted in Long Drinks, Short Drinks, Sponsored Posts

Tagged Angostura Bitters, Beer, Classic Bitters, DeKuyper Ginger Liqueur, Fresh Lime, Ginger Beer, Ginger Liqueur, Jacob's Ghost White Whiskey, Jim Beam, Lemonade, Moonshine, Pineapple Juice, Simple Syrup, Southern Storm, Sponsored Post, Spring Cocktails, Spring Equinox, Whiskey, White Whiskey

Drink in the Beaches of Blue Hawaii

Posted on March 20, 2013 | Comments Off

With Spring Break in full swing for some, yet the beautiful beaches out of reach for the vast majority it seems appropriate to bring Hawaii to the masses in the form of drink. Perhaps Hawaii is better known for more unusual drinks using ingredients such as papaya or Li Hing Mui, but the Blue Hawaiian is the cocktail with the namesake.

Happy 1st Day of Spring! What better way to celebrate spring than dream about catching a few Hawaiian waves. YouTube video posted by gdaniels32. Be sure to click through and subscribe to the original feed and look up the photography at www.beachboyphotography.com.

In researching the Blue Hawaiian, so many versions surfaced it was difficult to decipher which one was the “real” Blue Hawaiian and which ones were the imposters. What also came to the forefront is another drink often confused for the Blue Hawaiian; the Blue Hawaii. These two drinks share a name so similar it is no wonder they are often confused by many a bartender and patron alike. So let’s break down the difference.

A true Blue Hawaiian never contains vodka, but rather rum. It also uses cream of coconut rather than sweet and sour mix. Adversely, the Blue Hawaii uses vodka instead of rum and sweet and sour mix, but no cream of coconut. Both however share something in common always; Blue Curacao.

Blue Curacao is essentially an orange liqueur infused with the dried peels of the Larahas plant which is derived from the Valencia orange. The difference between Blue and Orange Curacao is the color. Substituting one for the other in a drink will only change the color, not the taste.

The Blue Hawaii has an advantage over the Blue Hawaiian in that it makes for quite the easy party punch as well as individual cocktail drink. Since the Blue Hawaiian traditionally calls for cream of coconut which needs thorough stirring, shaking or blending, it is not conducive to a punch bowl setting.

So, you decide. Pour over ice, stir, shake, or put the blender on puree. Set your sights on the sandy beaches of Hawaii, sit back and sip a tall, cool one. Choose one or try them all.

Blue Hawaiian

1 ounce Light Rum

2 ounces Pineapple Juice

1 ounce Blue Curacao

1 ounce Cream of Coconut

Pineapple Chunks Garnish

1 cup Ice

Combine liquids and ice in blender. Blend until all ice is thoroughly blended in cocktail. Pour into highball glass or decorative glass. Garnish with skewered pineapple chunks.

Blue Hawaii

1-1/2 ounce Vodka

1 ounce Blue Curacao

1 ounce Sour Mix

1 ounce Pineapple Juice

2 to 3 ounces Orange Juice

Pineapple Chunks & Maraschino Cherry Garnish

Combine liquids in highball glass over fresh ice. Stir to blend. Garnish with pineapple chunks and maraschino cherry.

Blend both worlds by trying the Blue Hawaii Cocktail.

Blue Hawaii Cocktail

1 ounce Vodka

1/2 ounce Blue Curacao

1/2 ounce Coconut Rum

1-1/2 ounce Pineapple Juice

3/4 ounce Lime Juice

Lemon Twist

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

See alternative reader version of the Blue Hawaii drink.

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Posted in Cocktails

Tagged Blue Curacao, Blue Hawaii, Blue Hawaii Cocktail, Blue Hawaiian, Coconut Rum, Cream of Coconut, Fresh Lime, Orange Juice, Pineapple, Pineapple Juice, Rum, Sour Mix, Spring, Spring Cocktails, Spring Equinox, Video, Vodka

Barefoot Raspberry Lemonade

Posted on March 20, 2012 | Leave a comment

It is said that the first day of winter is that much closer to the first day of spring. That day is finally here. Spring Equinox 2012 is today, Tuesday, March 20. Time to dust off the outdoor furniture, light the grill and whip up easy breezy springtime drinks. Sip happy! Sip Barefoot.

Barefoot Raspberry Lemonade – created by Cheri Loughlin

2-1/2 measure Barefoot Riesling

3/4 measure Raspberry Liqueur

1/4 measure Triple Sec

2 measures Lemonade

Skewered Fresh Raspberries or Lemon Wheel Garnish

Combine liquids in cocktail shaker with ice. Shake to blend and chill. Strain into chilled cocktail glass or strain into highball glass over fresh ice. Garnish with raspberries or lemon wheel according to preference.

Cocktail Recipe and Photo commissioned by Barefoot Wine & Bubbly

Twitter, Facebook, StumbleUpon – str8upcocktails @ gmail.com – ©2012 Cheri Loughlin-The Intoxicologist, All Rights Reserved. All opinions, reviews and spirits’ coverage are the personal opinion and decision of Cheri Loughlin.