cardamom bitters - Girl & Tonic

The Bride Wore Red Cocktail| A Whiskey and Wine Cocktail Made with a Cranberry Red Wine Reduction Syrup

by corrie.pennington / November 24, 2020

The Bride Wore Red cocktail is an amazing whiskey and wine drink made with a cranberry red wine reduction syrup. It’s spicy and sweet with amazing complexity and warmth. It’s quite possibly the best cocktail for the colder months ahead.

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One of the best things about colder weather is the rich meals and drinks. The recipe for The Bride Wore Red feels like a combination of both. Warm, spicy rye whiskey + rich red wine + tart cranberry sauce + warm spices… is your mouth watering yet? This drink does require a little more effort, especially in comparison to the rest of my super easy beginner-level cocktails, but it is well worth the extra work. Plus you’ll be able to use up that cranberry sauce that always seems to linger longer than the rest of the Thanksgiving and Christmas leftovers.

To learn how to make the cranberry red wine reduction syrup (the star of this cocktail recipe IMO), you can check out the recipe post here. The great thing about it is that you change up the spices, too. Love the taste of star anise? Add some. Hate cardamom? Leave it out.

My inspiration for The Bride Wore Red cocktail was a bit of a journey. The first recipe that came to mind when I got a new bottle (actually, my first-ever bottle) of rye was to make the New York Sour again. The last time I made it, I used corn whiskey and I didn’t like it. I figured I should give that classic cocktail a fair shot.

But then I looked up some other classic rye cocktails and the Vieux Carré and the Saratoga caught my eye. The Bride Wore Red cocktail was inspired by those and the New York Sour. I may be biased, but it turned out dang good. I’ll admit I had to play with the ratios a bit because that cranberry red wine reduction syrup is sweet. But as is the case with every cocktail recipe, feel free to adjust the ratios to your own liking, too.

Speaking of adjusting the recipe, you can use your favorite whiskey instead of rye if you want. I do think the spiciness of the rye balances out the sweetness of the cranberry red wine reduction syrup. But I think it will work well with bourbon or Irish whiskey, too.

The rye that I used is called the Dorothy Arzner Straight Rye Whiskey. Dorothy Arzner was the first woman to direct a sound film and she was also the first woman to join the Directors Guild of America. She directed many famous films such as The Bride Wore Red, Merrily We Go to Hell, Christopher Strong, and Dance, Girl Dance. It seemed only fitting to name this cocktail after one of her movies.

Do you have any other favorite cold-weather cocktails? Let me know in a comment– I’m always down for trying out new cocktail recipes. And if you make The Bride Wore Red, please please please tag me on Instagram!

Ingredients for The Bride Wore Red – A Whiskey and Wine Cocktail

1 1/2 oz rye whiskey
3/4 oz brandy
1/3 oz cranberry red wine reduction syrup (find the recipe here)
1 dash cardamom bitters
1 dash orange bitters
dehydrated orange slice, to garnish

How to Make a The Bride Wore Red Cocktail

Add all ingredients, except for the orange slice, to a cocktail glass with a large ice cube. Stir using a bar spoon. Place a fresh large ice cube into a lowball glass. Strain the cocktail into the glass. Garnish with a dehydrated orange slice.

The Bride Wore Red

The Bride Wore Red cocktail is an amazing whiskey and wine cocktail made with a cranberry red wine reduction syrup. It's spicy and sweet with amazing complexity and warmth. It's quite possibly the best cocktail for the colder months ahead.

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Prep Time 3 mins

Course Drinks

Servings 1

Equipment

cocktail glass
bar spoon

Ingredients

1½ oz rye whiskey
¾ oz brandy
⅓ oz cranberry red wine reduction syrup*
1 dash cardamom bitters
1 dash orange bitters

Instructions

Add all ingredients, except for the orange slice, to a cocktail glass with a large ice cube.
Stir using a bar spoon.
Place a fresh large ice cube into a lowball glass.
Strain the cocktail into the glass.
Garnish with a dehydrated orange slice.

Notes

*You can find the recipe for the cranberry red wine reduction syrup here. It’s a great way to use leftover cranberry sauce.

Keyword apple brandy, cardamom bitters, cranberry red wine reduction for cocktails, cranberry red wine reduction syrup, cranberry sauce, orange bitters, rye, rye whiskey, whiskey, whiskey and wine cocktail

If you love the idea of a whiskey and wine cocktail, check out the Gin & Cabernet Sour. It’s one of my all-time favorites.

vodka

Golden Pothos Cocktail| A tantalizing vodka or gin cocktail with turmeric & cardamom

by corrie.pennington / April 9, 2020

The Golden Pothos cocktail is a Girl & Tonic original. It’s a tantalizing (if I may say so myself) vodka cocktail with turmeric and cardamom. It’s a whole slew of adjectives: bright, effervescent, bitter, earthy. My husband, who is not a big cocktail fan, actually liked it. He liked it. He actually said “Hmm, pretty good.” If that doesn’t compel you to try making one, I don’t know what will.

If you’re a fellow plant lover, you’ll recognize the name of this cocktail and know why I picked it, based on the color of the drink. Actually, I don’t know if I can call myself a plant lover. I think I’m verging on plant hoarder. I have 17 houseplants, a propagation station, a dozen outdoor plants, and a [humble] vegetable garden. Here’s a selection of some of my favorites (I actually say “This one’s my favorite” about all of them, but don’t tell them that):

Now, don’t misunderstand me. I may be a plant lover but I am NOT a plant expert. Many a plant has died under my care, but as the years pass I’m getting better at figuring out what each one needs. That, and I have a pretty awesome plant bestie that helps me with troubleshooting from time to time.

We frequently swap plants, give each other cuttings, go plant shopping together, and send each other detailed videos of our plants’ growth. For real. I’ve given her cactus cuttings, only to have to get a cutting from that cutting because my original died a sad death in an unexpected freeze. Plants are the gifts that keep giving.

The Golden Pothos is a tantalizing vodka cocktail with turmeric and cardamom. It's bright, effervescent, earthy, and a touch bitter. If you're a fellow plant lover, you'll recognize the name of this cocktail and know why I picked it, based on the color of the drink.

Actually, that plant bestie is also my cocktail bestie. She and I began exploring craft cocktails together in Reno years ago. We had our own special happy hour several days a week in her beautiful midcentury home. Yep, those were the days. Now we live in different cities but we still share pictures of our cocktails (and plants) frequently. Moral of the story: get you a plant/cocktail bestie.

If you’re looking to get into houseplants or you’re wanting to liven up your living space with some green, check out golden pothos (sometimes called Devil’s Ivy). It’s pretty hard to kill, does well in low and bright light, and is easy to propagate. Or just make yourself a Golden Pothos cocktail instead.

The first several times I made this cocktail, I made it with vodka. And it was great. Then one day I decided to use gin and wow. WOW. I also made it with a citrus tonic and that combination made all the flavors in this cocktail come. to. life. If you can find citrus tonic, please please please try it in this recipe. And try this recipe with both vodka and gin and then let me know which one YOU prefer in a comment or over on my IG.

The Ingredients for a Golden Pothos Cocktail

1 1/2 oz vodka or gin
1/2 oz orange liqueur/triple sec
3/4 oz freshly-squeezed lemon juice
1/2 oz cardamom simple syrup
pinch of turmeric
2 drops of cardamom bitters
tonic water

How to Make a Golden Pothos Cocktail

Combine all ingredients except the tonic water into a cocktail shaker filled with ice. Shake well. Pour into a lowball glass with ice and top off with tonic water. Alternatively, you could pour it into a coupe glass and add just a splash of tonic. It’s great both ways.

The Golden Pothos cocktail is a craft cocktail with cardamom, turmeric, and tonic. It's perfect for people who don't like sweet drinks.

vodka

Rub of the Green | An Unexpected St. Patrick’s Day Cocktail

by corrie.pennington / March 17, 2020

A “rub of the green” is a way to usher in good luck, particularly in sports, but I think we could all use some extra luck (or maybe common sense and courtesy) in these crazy times. I know everyone has been reading post after post about COVID-19/Coronavirus, so I won’t say much about it except to say it WAS my inspiration for this cocktail, in a way. But whether you normally like to go on out St. Patrick’s Day or not, chances are most people around the world will be staying in this year.

The Rub of the Green is a nontraditional St. Patrick's Day cocktail made with matcha simple syrup.

To be honest, I’ve only really celebrated St. Patrick’s Day once. Unless wearing green on March 17th counts, I’ve never been a bit St. Patty’s celebrator. Don’t get me wrong– I think Saint Patrick himself was, well, a saint– but the thought of drinking dyed-green beer all day makes me want to turn green. I’m not a proponent of binge drinking and I feel that’s what St. Patrick’s Day has become, or has been. Hoards of drunk people being out and about? Ehh, no thanks. Then again, I’m not a fan of sober crowds either. Is my introverted side showing?

But while St. Patrick himself is still in this conversation, check out this short 2-minute history video:

Someone who willingly went back to his captors to tell them about the forgiveness and love afforded them in Jesus? Sounds like someone to be celebrated after all. Although I’m not sure downing beers beside a bright-green river would make him feel particularly honored. Perhaps we can just try to bestow a little more kindness and love to those who are different than us. I think he’d like that a little more. If you’re intrigued by St. Patrick, here’s a more detailed history.

As I mentioned earlier, COVID-19 served as a starting board for my St. Patty’s recipe. I wanted to make a green cocktail for this holiday but I was not about to brave the crazed aisles of my local grocery store again. So, I resorted to looking through my pantry for green things. Hm… limes… tonic… OH! MATCHA POWDER… honeydew milk tea powder… cardamom… Turns out mixing honeydew milk tea powder with vodka is not very good. Maybe I’ll take that challenge on another day. BUT I was really into the matcha idea.

And thus the matcha syrup was born. You can check out the full recipe here. It is delightful and I’m excited to see what else I can make with it. It’s earthy but obviously sweet, hence the “syrup”. I’ve half a mind to use it to sweeten my iced green tea for an extra boost.

If I could go to the store, I would get some lime sparkling water to use in place of the tonic water. Tonic is a bit overbearing for such a delicate flavor like matcha. But, it was still definitely tasty.

Happy St. Patrick’s Day, y’all!

The Ingredients

1.5 oz vodka
3/4 – 1 oz matcha simple syrup
1/2 oz lime juice
2-3 dashes cardamom bitters (optional)
sparkling water or tonic

How to Make a Rub of the Green

Make your matcha simple syrup. Add matcha syrup, vodka, lime juice, and bitters to a cocktail shaker filled with ice. Shake. Pour into a lowball glass filled with ice and top off with sparkling water or tonic. Garnish with mint.

gin

Solomon’s Bazaar | An Alluring Spiced Gin Cocktail

by corrie.pennington / February 4, 2020

Solomon's Bazaar | An exotic Opihr spiced gin cocktail with orange, rosewater, cardamom, and honey.

The ingredients in Solomon’s Bazaar are a little more exotic and the flavor profile’s more sophisticated but this drink is still far from difficult to make. Besides, once you invest in some of these ingredients, your home bar will go from basic to impressive. You might even find yourself inspired to experiment with them.

Solomon's Bazaar | A Gin Cocktail. An exotic Opihr spiced gin cocktail with orange, rosewater, cardamom, and honey.

The particular brand of gin that I used makes the drink, in my opinion, but I think any brand could work. Opihr was my inspiration for this gin cocktail and I built everything around it. It’s considered an oriental spiced gin and uses spices and botanicals meant to evoke the tastes & aromas of exotic spice markets: black pepper, cardamom, and ginger from India, cubeb from Malaysia, coriander seed from Morocco, cumin from Turkey, bitter oranges from Spain, angelica from Germany, juniper from Italy, and grapefruit peel.

Opihr gets its name from the legendary port that flourished during the days of King Solomon; it was renowned for its gold, silver, pearls, ivory, apes, peacocks, and sandalwood.

The backstory behind this gin inspired me to create an exotic gin cocktail that could recreate the experience of walking through an ancient Middle Eastern spice market. Luckily for you, you won’t have to wade through bustling streets to find what you need. Amazon Prime leaves with you no excuse to recreate the exotic and sophisticated Solomon’s Bazaar.

A gin cocktail made with Opihr spiced gin, rosewater, orange juice & zest, cardamom bitters, and honey.

The Ingredients for Solomon’s Bazaar

1 1/2 – 2 oz. gin (if you live in the Lonestar State like me, Opihr can only be found at Spec’s)
1/2 oz. freshly-squeezed orange juice
1/2 oz freshly-squeeze lemon juice
zest from an orange
1/2 oz honey simple syrup
1/4 teaspoon rosewater (it’s potent- always err on the side of too little)
a couple dashes of cardamom bitters

How to Make a Solomon’s Bazaar

Zest half an orange over your cocktail shaker. Add ice. Pour in gin, juice, & honey syrup. Carefully add a quarter teaspoon of rosewater. You can always add more if you want but I have ruined many a drink by accidentally using too much. Add two dashes of cardamom bitters (or traditional aromatic bitters if its what you have). Shake shake shake. Strain into a coupe glass. Sip & find yourself transported to the markets of Opihr.

Interested in making another gin cocktail? Check out the Gimlet, a French 75, Down the Bunny Trail, or a Gin Campari Sour.