Month: March 2020

Matcha simple syrup is a great way to invigorate your iced tea, sparkling water, or a cocktail.
simple syrup

Matcha Simple Syrup

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Matcha simple syrup is an excellent way to add an extra boost to your iced green tea, invigorate your sparkling water, or incorporate an earthy flavor into cocktails.

Matcha simple syrup is an excellent way to add an extra boost to your iced green tea or to incorporate an earthy flavor into cocktails. Matcha is finely ground green tea leaves. It has a ton of health benefits:

  • boosts metabolism
  • detoxifies the body
  • calms and relaxes, despite the caffeine it also possesses
  • improves concentration
  • high in antioxidants (in fact, it has over 100x more antioxidants than regular green tea!)
  • lowers cholesterol
  • has several vitamins and minerals like vitamin C, zin, magnesium, selenium, and chromium
  • is said to have cancer-fighting abilities, thanks to its high quantity of a catechin called EGCG (epigallocatechin gallate)
Matcha simple syrup is an excellent way to add an extra boost to your iced green tea, invigorate your sparkling water, or incorporate an earthy flavor into cocktails.

Disclosure: Some of the links below are affiliate links. If you buy a product via my affiliate link, I will receive a commission. This is at no additional cost to you. I only recommend products I actually like! 

Now granted, I only use a little of matcha in this recipe, and its quite literally steeped in sugar. So who’s to say how much of these benefits you’ll get from the syrup. I would guess not much. BUT it will impart a beautiful earthy flavor and green tint to your cocktails. That’s benefit enough for me. 🤷🏻‍♀️ Not a cocktail drinker? (Hi Mom) You can add this to your iced green tea or sparkling water for an extra boost of flavor and maybe, like, one or two tiny health benefits.

Ingredients

  • 1/2 teaspoon matcha powder (it’s pricey but a little goes a long way, even if you’re using it for tea)
  • 1/4 cup sugar (you could use stevia, coconut sugar, or agave to make this much healthier, but the ratios will be different)
  • 1/4 cup water

How to Make Matcha Simple Syrup

Add the sugar and water to a small saucepan and bring to a boil, or until sugar is dissolved. Remove from heat and add the matcha powder. It will clump so whisk well. I whisked it as well as I could before pouring it into my ultra-mini mason jar. Then I put the lid on and shook it again. That’s what finally got the last remaining clumpies out.

I opted to make a very small batch of this so that it wouldn’t go bad before I got to use it all (I’d say 4 weeks in the fridge max). Feel free to double it!

Matcha simple syrup is an excellent way to add an extra boost to your iced green tea, invigorate your sparkling water, or incorporate an earthy flavor into cocktails.

Feeling inspired? Check out my honey syrup, rose syrup, and beet syrup recipes.

Royal Rose - Organic Simple Syrup
whiskey

Irish Mule | The Easiest Way to Celebrate St. Patrick’s Day

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An Irish Mule is an easy way to celebrate St. Patrick's Day. This light and refreshing cocktail only has 3 ingredients: whiskey + ginger beer + lime juice.

The Irish Mule, sometimes dubbed a Dublin Mule, is another super simple cocktail. If you can make a Moscow Mule, then you can make an Irish Mule. The only thing we’ll be doing differently is swapping out the vodka for whiskey. Ideally, you would use Irish whiskey but I usually only have corn whiskey on hand. If you’re curious about the distinctions between all the different types of whiskeys (bourbon, rye whiskey, corn whiskey, etc.) read this enlightening article.

Disclosure: Some of the links below are affiliate links. If you buy a product via my affiliate link, I will receive a commission. This is at no additional cost to you. I only recommend products I actually like! 

Since I have Celiac disease, I steer clear from anything with wheat, barley, or rye. There is a lot of debate in the medical world about whether or not whiskey with gluten-containing grains is safe for consumption for individuals with Celiac. Some say the distillation process obliterates the gluten protein while others say even a trace amount is enough to cause an immune reaction. Personally, I’ve been playing it safe since I was diagnosed in 2014. Corn whiskey for me!

How amazing are these clovers? I mean, check out the size of the one in the mug–it’s bigger than a quarter! I live a bit out in the country and the back of our property is covered with clovers. In fact, they’re a favorite snack for our chickens. I *will* confess that I spent a little too much time looking for a four-leafed one. Alas, those may be as elusive as the leprechauns at the end of a rainbow.

Did you know that the reason clovers are associated with St. Patrick’s Day is because Saint Patrick used them as a means to explain the Holy Trinity? It’s a model that falls short of explaining such a complex concept, but that’s a topic for a theology blog, not a cocktail blog. 😅

While you definitely don’t have to serve this cocktail in a copper mug, using one definitely does up the experience. Check out all of these gorgeous options that are all less than $20.

If you like whiskey (not everyone does) and you like ginger beer (not everyone does), then you’ll enjoy the Irish Mule. Happy [early] St. Patrick’s Day!

An Irish Mule is an easy way to celebrate St. Patrick's Day. This light and refreshing cocktail only has 3 ingredients: whiskey + ginger beer + lime juice.

The Ingredients

  • 1.5 – 2 oz whiskey (Corn whiskey keeps things 100% gluten-free, but Irish whiskey makes this drink authentically Irish. You do you, boo.)
  • 4+ oz ginger beer (this one is my favorite)
  • 1/2 lime

How to make an Irish Mule

Fill a copper mug (or a lowball glass) with ice. Pour in your whiskey and fill the rest of your mug with ginger beer. Squeeze in half a lime. Stir to mix.

Wedding Gifts Copper Mugs Moscow Mules
Copper Mugs Moscow Mules
Whiskey Sour
whiskey

Whiskey Sour

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The whiskey sour gets a bad rap. To be honest, prior to creating the one you see in the picture, I’d only had one once… and that was the LAST one I ever planned on having. A friend bought it for me at a bar so I politely sipped until, Oh wait, someone’s calling me– hang on! *quickly places down drink & feigns sadness when it disappears a few minutes later* Don’t act like you’ve never been saved by a fake phone call.

Disclosure: Some of the links below are affiliate links. If you buy a product via my affiliate link, I will receive a commission. This is at no additional cost to you. I only recommend products I actually like! 

Most whiskey sours at your typical bar are going to be made with a whiskey sour mix. Y’all. Syrup-y mixes are rarely good. And if you’re the type who loves whiskey sour mix (no minimal judgment), I think you’ll enjoy a real whiskey sour ten times more. Fresh is always best. Change my mind.

One way that traditional whiskey sours are different from frat party whiskey sours is that the traditional version calls for an egg white. Truthfully, anytime I saw “egg white” as a cocktail ingredient, I kinda shuddered. I knew enough to know that they’re added to create foam and give drinks a silky texture… but the mental block was too great. Perhaps the apprehension stems from a childhood of banned raw cookie dough and a fear of Salmonella.

BUT I recently learned that only 1 in 20,000 eggs have Salmonella and that the average consumer will encounter 1 contaminated egg every 84 years. I’m not a big math person, but those numbers made me feel a lot more comfortable about using a raw egg white in a cocktail.

Plus, I also have my own backyard chickens so that puts me even more at ease. Although a healthy-looking chicken can still have Salmonella pop up in their eggs, it’s rare. But if you’re really freaked out by the possibility, just buy pasteurized egg whites in a carton. If you just need additional information before you can proceed, here’s a great article to read. Didn’t mean for that to rhyme but that was cool.

Here’s the little lady that made this classic cocktail possible. Internet, meet Helen. Helen, meet Internet. She’s a cochin (excuse her dirty feet feathers, but aren’t they adorable?) and is sweet as can be. She’s one of the more timid chickens my husband and I have had over the years but I absolutely love looking out the window and seeing her little cotton ball butt running across the yard.

If you’re starting to get serious about making cocktails at home, make this classic recipe and use a raw egg white. I double-dog dare you.

The Ingredients

  • 2 oz whiskey (I used a corn whiskey because it’s 100% gluten-free but you can use whatever you like)
  • 3/4 oz freshly-squeezed lemon juice
  • 1/2 oz simple syrup
  • 1 egg white – optional
  • 1-2 dashes Angostura bitters – optional

How to Make a Whiskey Sour

If you’re not using an egg white, just add all ingredients to a cocktail shaker with ice and shake. If you are feeling adventurous, or you already know you love an egg white in your drink, add all ingredients to your cocktail shaker WITHOUT ice. (This is called a “dry shake”.) Shake for 30-45 seconds. Then, add ice and shake for another 30-45 seconds. Your arm is going to be screaming but the more you shake, the better the egg white will incorporate into the drink and the more foam you’ll get. Strain into a coupe glass.

As the drink settles, the foam will rise to the top. Garnish with a few more dashes of bitters. Besides just looking fancy, they actually add to the aromatic experience of the drink.

vodka

Colorado Bulldog

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A Colorado Bulldog is the perfect cocktail for coffee lovers. It tastes like a melted root beer float and is decant, yet simple.

The Colorado Bulldog is a new-to-me cocktail I’m so excited to share with y’all. I know I posted another dessert cocktail earlier this week, but I’m being honest when I say I’m not *usually* a sweet drink kinda gal. It’s just that I made a double-batch of homemade coffee liqueur so now I need want to use it. I have to be in the right mood for a sweet drink but a coffee-flavored sweet drink almost always sounds nice.

Disclosure: Some of the links below are affiliate links. If you buy a product via my affiliate link, I will receive a commission. This is at no additional cost to you. I only recommend products I actually like! 

A Colorado Bulldog is the perfect cocktail for coffee lovers. It tastes like a melted root beer float and is decant, yet simple.

I had never heard of a Colorado Bulldog until my Mother-in-Law told me about them. She’s the one I shared my first White Russian with and she told me about Colorado Bulldogs then. The recipe intrigued me but my husband and I try hard not to keep coke stocked in the fridge. If I’m feeling like a fizzy drink, an unsweetened flavored sparkling water is often enough to satiate that need. But man, sometimes you just need a COKE.

And when I say coke, what I mean is soda. I’m from the south where “coke” means anything from Dr. Pepper to cream soda to Fanta and to, of course, Coca Cola. Speaking of regional words, did you know that SOME people in this blessed country call sprinkles “jimmies”? JIMMIES, for cryin’ out loud! I can’t process that information.

But I digress. The Colorado Bulldog is a sweet sip that’s perfect for after dinner. It honestly tastes like a melted root beer float. Er, a melted Coke float. If you’re looking for a way to use up that Kahlua that’s been hanging out in your bar cart for ages, make yourself a Colorado Bulldog. I think you’ll like it.

The Ingredients

  • 1 oz coffee liqueur (homemade always tastes better!)
  • 1 oz vodka
  • 2 oz Coke
  • 2 oz half and half (the real recipe calls for heavy cream but I always have 1/2 & 1/2 in the fridge)

The How-To

Fill a low-ball glass or a taller, skinny glass (how’s that for bartender lingo) with ice. Pour in the ingredients in the order listed. Coffee liqueur–> vodka–>Coke–>half & half. Pouring the half & half in last keeps the drink from fizzing up too much. If you’ve ever made a rootbeer float, you’ve seen what happens when you add Coke to dairy. Big ol’ pillowy bubbles. Stir together until you get a beautiful café au lait color.

A Colorado Bulldog is the perfect cocktail for coffee lovers. It tastes like a melted root beer float and is decant, yet simple.
vodka

White Russian | A Decadent 3 Ingredient Cocktail

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The White Russian is 90s classic thanks to the Big Lebowski. It's a simple yet decadent 3-ingredient cocktail that tastes like melted coffee ice cream. Make one. Your tastebuds will thank you.

My first time drinking a White Russian was at a casino in Reno, Nevada (which, BTW, is pronounced Nev-AD-a, not Nev-AH-duh… something we learned rather quickly). We had just moved there from Texas the day before and were looking to explore our new town. Like any newcomer would do, we headed straight downtown.

Disclosure: Some of the links below are affiliate links. If you buy a product via my affiliate link, I will receive a commission. This is at no additional cost to you. I only recommend products I actually like! 

I honestly can’t remember which casino we went to that night, but I DO remember my mother-in-law ordering us all a round of White Russians. Which, to my astonishment, were not only FREE thanks to us being seated at the Blackjack table, but also DELICIOUS. I’m not usually a sweet drink kinda person but I make an exception for these babies.

The White Russian is 90s classic thanks to the Big Lebowski. It's a simple yet decadent 3-ingredient cocktail that tastes like melted coffee ice cream. Make one. Your tastebuds will thank you.

I’d heard of White Russians from the movie The Big Lebowski but honestly, the thought of vodka and cream made my stomach churn a bit. Wow, though. It tastes like melted ice cream with a touch of coffee flav. The drinks were small (but free) so we kept ordering them. The cocktail waitress thought it was hilarious and even passed on a message from the bartender who informed us that he had not made the drink since the 90s. Maybe together we can bring this drink back into the spotlight a bit.

While you can certainly purchase Kahlua (especially if you want to be true to The Dude), I love making my own coffee liqueur. It’s easy and since you’ll already have the vodka on hand to make this drink, you might as well go the DIY hand-crafted route. There are a lot of different ratios for a White Russian. The most common is a 2:1:1/2 with vodka being dominant. Personally, I enjoy more of a 1:1:1 ratio. Again, though, if you’re wanting to honor The Dude, just eyeball it.

Using coffee ice cubes takes your White Russian game up a notch. The White Russian is 90s classic thanks to the Big Lebowski. It's a simple yet decadent 3-ingredient cocktail that tastes like melted coffee ice cream. Make one. Your tastebuds will thank you.

Instead of plain ol’ ice, I used coffee ice cubes that I had made using leftover coffee. This is honestly a rare thing– but when it happens, I pour whatever’s remaining into an ice mold so that I have it on-hand for cocktails and iced coffee.

Pouring the cream over the back of a bar spoon helps create a layered look in the glass. But since you’re gonna be swirling it all together anyway, it’s not a necessary step. It’s really just a fun way to use that rando bar spoon you bought.

The Ingredients

The How-To

Add ice to a lowball glass. Pour in the vodka and coffee liqueur. Pour the cream over the back of a bar spoon if you want to be unnecessarily fancy or just dump it in. Stir until the color is cohesive. Sit & enjoy & if anyone comes near you, feel free to shout “Careful, man, there’s a beverage here!”

The White Russian is the perfect cocktail for coffee lovers. And with only 3 ingredients, anyone can make it!

Love easy cocktails? Check out these recipes with only 3 ingredients: The Sidecar, an authentic Daiquiri, the infamous Moscow Mule, and my personal go-to the Dark & Stormy.