The classic spritz cocktail is one you absolutely need in your home bartending arsenal. There are a few different ways to make a spritz, but we think our Grapefruit Spritz will be your new favorite summer cocktail!

What is a Spritz?

A spritz is a cocktail made with prosecco, a bitter liqueur, and a splash of soda water. It originated in Italy and it’s traditionally a pre-dinner drink. The bitter ingredient – called an aperitivo – is usually something like Aperol, Campari, Cynar, or Lillet.

The purpose of an aperitivo (also known as aperitif) as part of a pre-dinner cocktail is to stimulate the appetite with its dry, bitter nature. Italians often enjoy a spritz with a small snack before their larger evening meal.

We were gifted a bottle of Hotel Starlino Rosé Aperitivo to taste and create our own spritz for summer. And it’s one of our new favorites!

About Hotel Starlino Rosé Aperitivo

First of all, how gorgeous is this apothecary-style bottle? I just like looking at it on my bar. It feels like summer!

Hotel Starlino Rosé Aperitivo is made by the family-run Torino Distillati in Piedmont, Italy, the birthplace of aperitivo. After the grapes are harvested, herbs and botanicals such as elderflower, coriander, cloves, thyme, grapefruit and lemon peel are added. After 30 days in the still, the botanicals are extracted and the liquid distilled. It’s then mixed with wine and rested in stainless steel for six months. The final step is chill filtration before bottling.

This aperitivo is refreshing and delightful. It’s only 17% ABV, which is perfect for a pre-dinner drink or happy hour by the pool.

Grapefruit Spritz Recipe

We paired Hotel Starlino Rosé Aperitivo with Prosecco and grapefruit soda for a super-refreshing cocktail that’s simple as 1-2-3 to make! You can measure the ingredients, but this cocktail is just as easy to eyeball.

Just pour 3 oz chilled Prosecco, 2 oz Hotel Starlino Rosé Aperitivo, and 1 oz grapefruit soda into a glass over ice and garnish with a slice of grapefruit.

This Rosé Aperitivo would also be wonderful in cocktails such as the Bellini (add Prosecco and peach purée), the Paper Plane (add bourbon, amaro, and lemon juice), and the Naked & Famous (add mezcal, yellow Chartreuse, and lime juice). I’ll definitely be trying some of these out soon!

Grapefruit Spritz

Yield: 1

Prep Time: 2 minutes

Total Time: 2 minutes

Light and refreshing, the Grapefruit Spritz is perfect for a day by the pool or pre-gaming before a night out!

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Ingredients

• 1 oz Grapefruit soda
• 2 oz Hotel Starlino Rosé Aperitivo
• 3 oz Prosecco
• Slice of grapefruit
• Ice

Instructions

1. Pour all ingredients in a glass over ice.
2. Garnish with grapefruit slice.
3. Please drink responsibly.

The post Grapefruit Spritz {Your New Favorite Summer Cocktail!} appeared first on Spilling Tequila.

Tequila is often the spirit of choice on Cinco de Mayo, so what’s a bourbon lover to do? Turns out that tequila and bourbon combine just fine in this rich, smooth Maple Bourbon Margarita recipe.

I’m a big fan of bourbon. So I never hesitate to mix it in a cocktail when I want to try something new. When we were experimenting with new Cinco de Mayo cocktails, I wanted to try a bourbon’d up version of a margarita.

This drink has all the usual margarita ingredients, but with a twist. I settled on maple syrup for a sweetener in this Maple Bourbon Margarita because maple and bourbon go so nicely together. Throw in a few dashes of orange bitters and you’ve got a rich, slightly sweet, delicious cocktail.

Maple Bourbon Margarita Recipe

To make this cocktail, you’ll need 1 ounce of tequila, 1 ounce of bourbon, 1 ounce of pure maple syrup, 1/2 ounce of Triple Sec, 1/2 ounce of fresh-squeezed lime juice, and 3-4 dashes of orange bitters. I recommend a nice reposada tequila because they are aged in oak barrels and complement the bourbon well. We only had silver tequila on hand when we were photographing this drink, but I made it again with reposada and it’s even better.

If you usually drink your margaritas with salt, consider another option for this drink. It’s excellent with no additions at all, but for an extra sweet touch, rim your glass with maple syrup and dip in sugar before making your drink.

This margarita is easy to make. Simply combine all ingredients with ice in a cocktail shaker, shake until frosty cold, then strain into a glass with fresh ice.

When your bourbon-loving friends swing by for a Cinco de Mayo drink, surprise them with this excellent bourbon-infused margarita!

Maple Bourbon Margarita

Yield: 1

Prep Time: 3 minutes

Total Time: 3 minutes

A rich, bourbon'd up version of the classic margarita.

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Ingredients

• 1 oz reposado tequila
• 1 oz bourbon
• 1 oz pure maple syrup
• 1/2 oz Triple Sec
• 1/2 oz fresh-squeezed lime juice
• 3-4 dashes of orange bitters

Instructions

1. Add all ingredients to a cocktail shaker with ice.
2. Shake until frosty cold, then strain into a glass with fresh ice.
3. Please drink responsibly.

Nutrition Information:

Yield: 1 Serving Size: 1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 319Total Fat: 0gSaturated Fat: 0gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 0gCholesterol: 0mgSodium: 5mgCarbohydrates: 26gFiber: 0gSugar: 23gProtein: 0g

Nutrition information is estimated and should only be used as a general guideline.

The post Maple Bourbon Margarita: Something New for Cinco de Mayo appeared first on Spilling Tequila.

We’ve all heard of the whiskey sour, but did you know you can make a “sour” cocktail with just about any alcohol? This Tequila Lemon Sour recipe is bright and delicious – a perfect cocktail for Cinco de Mayo.

Sours are mixed drinks made with a base liquor, lemon or lime juice, and a sweetener/syrup. The whole “sour” category of drinks was also traditionally made with egg whites to produce a silky texture and a foam head.

Dry Shake vs. Reverse Dry Shake

For many years, I drank whiskey sours with a pre-packaged sour mix. The thought of raw egg in my drink? Blech. But then I tried it and I never looked back. Making a sour with an egg white gives it a wonderful, creamy texture that just can’t be beat.

The method I learned to make a sour is called a dry shake. You combine all your ingredients in a cocktail shaker without ice and shake vigorously. Agitating the whites causes their proteins to unfold and mixes in air bubbles, creating a nice foam that’s perfectly safe to drink. Once the ingredients are emulsified, you add ice to chill the drink and shake again.

Then recently I read about a reverse dry shake. What was this dark magic, I wondered? It was said that shaking your cocktail with ice after the dry shake was not recommended because it watered down the nice foam of the egg white. It sounded logical, so I put it to the test.

Tequila Lemon Sour Recipe

This tequila sour recipe calls for 1.5 ounces of tequila, 1 ounce of Limoncello, 1/2 ounce of Triple Sec, 3/4 ounce lemon juice, and 3/4 ounce egg white. I made one drink with the traditional dry shake: I combined all the ingredients in a cocktail shaker without ice then, after a good shake, I added in ice for another shake. Strain into a glass and you get the drink on the left in this photo:

Next, I tried the reverse dry shake. I combined all ingredients except the egg white in a cocktail shaker with ice. After shaking to chill, I strained out the ice, added the egg white, and shook again. This ensures the drink is chilled, but the egg white foam is not watered down. You can see the result in the drink on the right.

After tasting both drinks, I much preferred the traditional dry shake followed by the wet shake. It does break down the egg white foam a bit more, but it results in an even, silky consistency. The reverse dry shake resulted in an meringue-like foam with much more air and much more separation. The foam sat on the top of the drink, while the drink itself lacked the velvety taste of the traditional sour.

I hope you will test out both shaking methods for your next sour and let me know what you prefer. And enjoy this Tequila Lemon Sour!

Tequila Lemon Sour

Yield: 1

Prep Time: 3 minutes

Total Time: 3 minutes

A bright tequila sour that's perfect for Cinco de Mayo.

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Ingredients

• 1.5 oz tequila blanco
• 1 oz Limoncello
• 1/2 oz Triple Sec
• 3/4 oz fresh-squeezed lemon juice
• 3/4 oz egg white

Instructions

1. Combine all ingredients in a cocktail shaker without ice and shake vigorously for 20-30 seconds.
2. Add ice to the cocktail shaker and shake again until the shaker is frosty.
3. Strain into a glass and serve.
4. Please drink responsibly.

Nutrition Information:

Yield: 1 Serving Size: 1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 249Total Fat: 0gSaturated Fat: 0gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 0gCholesterol: 0mgSodium: 36mgCarbohydrates: 19gFiber: 0gSugar: 18gProtein: 2g

Nutrition information is estimated and should only be used as a general guideline.

The post Tequila Lemon Sour Recipe appeared first on Spilling Tequila.

After New Year’s Eve, St. Patrick’s Day may be the holiday most associated with drinking. These 7 St. Patrick’s Day drinks range from the classic Irish whiskey to the green Grasshopper, as well as a couple unique cocktails you might not associate with St. Patty’s Day. Tequila anyone?

And if beer is your chosen St. Patrick’s Day drink, check out our Guinness cocktail recipes!

Irish Old Fashioned

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The classic Old Fashioned is usually made with bourbon, but for this St. Patrick’s Day drink we’re using Irish whiskey, of course! We also used a honey simple syrup (get the recipe in our Ultimate Guide to Simple Syrups!) for a warm, rich taste.

In a rocks glass, add 2 ounces of your favorite Irish whiskey, 1/2 ounce honey simple syrup, and two dashes each of orange bitters and Angostura bitters. Add ice and stir well. Cut a piece of orange peel and express is over the drink. Rub the orange peel on the rim of the glass, then drop it in the drink.

Irish Lady

The Irish Lady is smooth and sweet and it might be your new favorite whiskey sour! To make this cocktail, add the following ingredients to a cocktail shaker (with NO ice):

• 1 1/2 ounces of Irish whiskey
• 1/2 ounce of triple sec
• 1 ounce fresh-squeezed lemon juice,
• 1/2 ounce simple syrup
• 1 egg white

Give it all a vigorous dry (without ice) shake to emulsify the egg white. Then add a couple ice cubes and shake again. Strain into a beautiful coupe glass and watch the foam rise to the top.

Grasshopper

Everyone wants a green cocktail for St. Patrick’s Day. But not many of them taste good. We experimented with several recipes using crème de menthe and they mostly tasted like medicine. But the Grasshopper – a classic, green dessert cocktail – has enough sweet to balance out the minty medicine taste.

To make a Grasshopper, first prepare your glass. Grate a chocolate bar onto a plate. Rub the rim of your glass with a little crème de cacao, then dip the rim in chocolate shavings. Next, add the following to your cocktail shaker with ice:

• 1 ounce cream
• 1 ounce white crème de cacao
• 1 ounce green crème de menthe

Shake well and strain into your prepared glass. Garnish with a clover to give this cocktail a beautiful finish!

Irish Cactus

You don’t normally think of tequila for your St. Patrick’s Day drinks, do you? Well, think again! This cocktail was probably our favorite of all the drinks we tried.

The Irish Cactus is super simple to make. Just combine two ounces of Bailey’s Irish Cream and one ounce of tequila in a shaker with ice. Give it a quick shake just to chill it, then strain and enjoy.

Irish Coffee

Another favorite, this boozy coffee is a perfect after-dinner drink. Start with 4 ounces of hot coffee and add 2 teaspoons of brown sugar. Stir to fully dissolve the sugar, then add 1 1/2 ounces of Irish whiskey. Stir and top with whipped cream and a dash of cinnamon or nutmeg.

Leprechaun Sangria

This sweet, tart, white sangria is a unique addition to your St. Patrick’s Day drink menu. To make it, pour the following ingredients into a large pitcher:

• 1 bottle of Pinot Grigio or similar white wine
• 1/2 cup triple sec
• 1 green apple, sliced
• 1 cucumber, peeled and sliced
• 3 kiwis, peeled and sliced
• 2 limes, sliced
• 1 cup limeade (we like Santa Cruz Organic Limeade)

Stir all ingredients together and chill for a couple hours before serving.

Lucky Punch

This one’s for the kid in all of us. Do you remember that punch your mom made by combining sherbet and ginger ale? It’s my kids’ favorite.

You can make this in a punch bowl – with or without alcohol. Combine a 2:1 ratio of limeade to ginger ale in a big bowl, then add in several scoops of lime sherbet. For an alcoholic version, add in lemon vodka equal to the amount of ginger ale.

To make a single serving of this cocktail, use the same 2:1:1 ratio. Pour 4 ounces of chilled limeade, 2 ounces of ginger ale, and 2 ounces of lemon vodka into a glass and stir. Top with a scoop of lime sherbet. It’s sweet and so delicious!

Feel free to play with your ratios – this recipe is very forgiving. You can make it more or less “sparkling” by adjusting the ginger ale, or add more vodka if you want it super boozy!

Let us know if you try any of these St. Patrick’s Day drinks!

The post 7 Lucky St. Patrick’s Day Drinks {Classic to Unique!} appeared first on Spilling Tequila.

This Pine Gin and Tonic recipe may seem a bit untraditional. Simple syrup and ice cubes made from pine needles? Who wants to drink a tree? Trust us – it’s surprisingly tasty (not to mention GORGEOUS!), with an earthy flavor that brings winter and Christmas to your taste buds.

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This cocktail involves a couple extra steps that you might want to prep the day before you actually want to make your drinks. You’ll need at least 2-3 hours to make your ice cubes and simple syrup.

How to Make Pine Ice Spheres and Pine Simple Syrup

The first step in creating this beautiful drink is to make the pine ice spheres. Start with a set of sphere ice molds. Place a small twig from a pine tree into each, cover with water, and let them freeze up.

Next, make your pine simple syrup. Simple syrup is a key ingredient used as a sweetener in many cocktail recipes. In its most basic form, it is made by combining equal parts sugar and hot water. Since sugar does not dissolve well in alcohol or in cold beverages, simple syrup is used to ensure that sweetness is uniformly mixed into a cocktail. 

To make this pine simple syrup, you first need to gather a couple boughs from a pine tree. We used about this much:

Remove the needles from the branches and rinse them well.

• Combine one cup sugar and one cup of water in a saucepan over medium-high heat. 
• Heat the mixture to a gentle simmer for 5 minutes to fully dissolve the sugar, stirring a few times. You want to see steam coming from the surface and a few bubbles. Do not let the water come to a vigorous boil or you’ll start boiling off water, which will affect your water to sugar ratio. 
• Lower your heat to medium-low. Add the pine needles to the pan and simmer gently for 15 minutes. Stir several times during the heating process. 
• Remove from the heat and cool for 5 to 10 minutes.
• Strain out the pine needles and pour the syrup into a clean, air-tight jar.

A mason jar is ideal for your homemade simple syrup, and it’s a good idea to sterilize your jar in boiling water before storing your syrup to guard against any bacterial growth. Store it in your refrigerator and it will stay good for about 2 weeks. If you want it to last longer, mix in a half-ounce of vodka to act as a preservative. This will extend your syrup’s life to about 4-6 weeks.

You can find a lot more detail and more than 40 recipes in our Ultimate Guide to Simple Syrup.

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Making a Pine Gin and Tonic

When your ice cubes and syrup are ready, it’s time to make the drink. Find a gorgeous glass that holds 8-10 ounces. Place a pine ice sphere in the glass. (Don’t forget to take a photo because it’s just so pretty!)

Pour 2 ounces of your favorite gin, a half-ounce of pine simple syrup, and an ounce of fresh-squeezed lime juice into a cocktail shaker with just one ice cube and give it a quick shake. You don’t want to water this drink down (since you’ll also be adding tonic water), but you want it to get mixed and cold before you pour it into the glass so the pine ice sphere doesn’t melt too quickly!

Strain into your glass, top with tonic water and enjoy!

Pine Gin & Tonic

Yield: 1

Prep Time: 5 minutes

Additional Time: 30 minutes

Total Time: 35 minutes

A beautiful, wintry, unique cocktail that will impress your guests.

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Ingredients

• 2-3 pine tree boughs
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 cup water
• 2 oz gin
• 1 oz fresh lime juice
• Tonic water

Instructions

1. To make the pine ice spheres: Place small pine twigs into sphere ice molds and let them freeze.
2. To make the pine simple syrup: Simmer 1 cup of sugar and 1 cup of water with the needles from 2 pine tree boughs. Gently simmer - do not boil! - for 15-20 minutes. Strain and cool.
3. To make the drink: Mix 2 oz gin, 1/2 oz pine simple syrup, and 1 oz lime juice with just ONE ice cube in a cocktail shaker. Give it a quick shake, then strain into a glass with your pine ice sphere.
4. Top with tonic water.
5. Please drink responsibly.

Nutrition Information:

Yield: 1 Serving Size: 1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 250Total Fat: 0gSaturated Fat: 0gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 0gCholesterol: 0mgSodium: 0mgCarbohydrates: 0gFiber: 0gSugar: 0gProtein: 0g

Nutrition information is estimated and should only be used as a general guideline.

The post Pine Gin and Tonic: A Drink to Impress Your Friends appeared first on Spilling Tequila.

If you love the spicy, not-too-sweet taste of ginger beer, you’ll love these ginger beer mocktails. These drinks are chock-full of vitamin- and antioxidant-rich juices, but they’re fancy enough to make you feel like you’re drinking a cocktail. And when you’re ready for an alcoholic beverage, I’ve provided alcohol suggestions to easily transform these mocktails into cocktails.

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Ginger beer is not actually beer and contains no alcohol. It’s a stronger, spicier, and less-sweet version of ginger ale. I love the robust taste and the fiery kick of ginger. Some of my favorite ginger beers include:

• Q Mixers Spectacular Ginger Beer: made with agave nectar and extra spices.
• Franklin & Sons Ginger Beer: extra-carbonated and super flavorful.
• Fever-Tree Premium Ginger Beer: brewed with three types of ginger for extra flavor.
• Zevia Mixer Ginger Beer: a sugar-free option made with Stevia.

Beet Ginger Beer Mocktail

Beet juice is a delicious, super-healthy ingredient for mocktails. Even if you don’t love the flavor of beet juice, it transforms in this delicious, vitamin-packed drink. It also adds amazing color!

• 4-5 mint leaves
• 1/2 oz lime juice
• 1/2 oz ginger honey syrup
• 2 oz beet juice
• ginger beer

Put the mint leaves and lime juice in a cocktail shaker and muddle gently. Add the ginger honey syrup, beet juice and ice, then shake until frosty. Strain into a glass with fresh ice and top with ginger beer. Add a sprig of mint for garnish.

Make it a mule by adding 1.5 ounces of vodka!

Double Ginger Lemon Mocktail

Getting bored with plain water or seltzer? This mocktail will level up your hydration game!

• 1 oz fresh-squeezed lemon juice
• 1/4 tsp freshly-grated ginger
• seltzer or sparkling water
• ginger beer
• lemon slice (or wedge) and blueberries

Mix the fresh ginger into the lemon juice in a tall glass. Top with equal parts seltzer and ginger beer – or use whatever ratio tastes good to you! Top with a few blueberries and a slice of lemon.

This mocktail is just screaming for a couple ounces of your favorite gin!

Ginger Sunrise Mocktail

This mocktail is super easy to make. Simply stir together the shrub and all the juices with ice and top with ginger beer. It’s delicious in the morning, after a workout, or any time of day!

• 1/2 oz ginger shrub
• 1/2 oz lime juice
• 2 oz pineapple juice
• 2 oz orange juice
• ginger beer

Add 1.5 ounces of tequila and a splash of grenadine for a tasty riff on the Tequila Sunrise!

Ginger Pineapple Grapefruit Mocktail

The sweet flavors of pineapple and strawberry are balanced with grapefruit, bitters, and ginger beer in this beautiful mocktail.

• 1 oz pineapple juice
• 1 oz grapefruit juice
• 1/2 oz strawberry simple syrup
• 2 dashes Angostura bitters
• ginger beer

Add all ingredients except the ginger beer to a cocktail shaker with ice. Shake well until the outside of the shaker is cold and frosty. Strain into a tall glass with fresh ice and top with ginger beer.

Add 1.5 ounces of bourbon for a delicious cocktail!

Ginger Blood Orange Mocktail

This mocktail is made with ginger beer and another carbonated beverage I want to tell you about – HOP WTR.

HOP WTR is a sparkling water that is brewed with hops, giving it a light, beer-flavored seltzer taste. It’s completely non-alcoholic, but it claims to give you a “buzz” due to the addition of adaptogens (herbs that work to counteract stress in the body) and nootropics (supplements that may improve cognitive function). It’s calorie-free, sugar-free and gluten-free, and tastes a lot better than a regular seltzer.

After trying out HOP WTR for several days, I can say that for me, it helps take the edge off a stressful day. I feel a bit more relaxed and little more focused after I drink a can.

To make this mocktail, you’ll need:

• 1 blood orange
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly grated ginger (or more to your taste)
• ginger beer
• 1 can Blood Orange HOP WTR

In a tall glass, mix the juice of half the blood orange with the freshly grated ginger. Add ice to the glass and top with HOP WTR and a generous splash of ginger beer. Drop in a couple slices of blood orange and give it a good stir before drinking.

(Note: In the photo above, we made our mocktail in a smaller glass because we drank half the can of HOP WTR before making the mocktail.)

It’s not recommended to mix HOP WTR with alcohol. To make this a cocktail, take out the HOP WTR and add 1.5 ounces of orange flavored vodka.

These ginger beer mocktails are the perfect way to mix yourself up a fancy beverage while staying sober and healthy. Cheers!

The post 5 Ginger Beer Mocktails To Spice Up Your Life appeared first on Spilling Tequila.

This Fireball Eggnog recipe will spice up your favorite Christmas drink! Creamy eggnog blends deliciously with the cinnamon heat of Fireball Whiskey. Then we added a bit of orange flavor for a twist!

It’s the season of eggnog and sure, you can buy a boozy, pre-made version in your local liquor store, but what fun is that? Just buy some eggnog at the grocery store and try one of these two recipes to spike it up for the holidays.

Does Fireball Go With Eggnog? Yes!

Ever since Walmart started selling a non-alcoholic Fireball eggnog, people have been going crazy for this flavor combination. But if you want an alcoholic drink, you’ll need to add Fireball whiskey. And while I usually can’t get enough of Fireball, adding it to already-flavored eggnog just seems WAY too sweet.

The Fireball web site has a recipe they call Firenog. It’s 2 parts Fireball Whiskey and 1 part eggnog. Sounds fine, but I can never just follow a recipe. I need to make it my own.

I’ve been experimenting a lot with bitters lately and I wanted to use these orange bitters from Scrappy’s to balance the sweetness of this drink. I also decided to add a touch of Triple Sec to enhance the orange flavor.

This Fireball Eggnog recipe is simple. Pour 4 ounces of eggnog, 1.5 ounces of Fireball whiskey, 1/2 ounce Triple Sec, and 3-4 dashes of orange bitters in a cocktail shaker with ice. Shake well until frosty cold, then strain and enjoy.

But if Fireball is not your thing, any whiskey or bourbon is generally excellent in eggnog.

How Much Whiskey Do You Put in Eggnog?

You’ll want a ratio of 4:1 eggnog to whiskey. For each glass, mix 4 ounces of eggnog with one ounce of whiskey, bourbon, or your spirit of choice. Mix well and served chilled or over ice.

There are many types of whiskey, so be sure to experiment with your alcohol of choice. I tried Misunderstood’s Ginger Spiced Whiskey, it was especially delicious! Chill this drink well and garnish with some crystallized ginger for a beautiful Christmas cocktail.

I hope you enjoy these eggnog variations and have a Happy Holiday season!

Fireball Eggnog

Yield: 1

Prep Time: 3 minutes

Total Time: 3 minutes

This Fireball Eggnog recipe will spice up your favorite Christmas drink!

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Ingredients

• 4 oz chilled eggnog
• 1.5 oz Fireball whiskey
• 1/2 oz Triple Sec
• 3-4 dashes orange bitters

Instructions

1. Add all ingredients to a cocktail shaker with ice.
2. Shake well until frosty, strain into a glass, and enjoy!
3. Please drink responsibly.

Nutrition Information:

Yield: 1 Serving Size: 1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 332Total Fat: 5gSaturated Fat: 3gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 2gCholesterol: 75mgSodium: 70mgCarbohydrates: 27gFiber: 0gSugar: 27gProtein: 6g

Nutrition information is estimated and should only be used as a general guideline.

The post Fireball Eggnog Recipe {With a Twist!} appeared first on Spilling Tequila.

The Mistletoe Mojito is a festive riff on the classic mojito. If you love a refreshing, minty mojito, you’ll love this holiday-themed version made with cranberry juice and cranberry simple syrup.

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We love mojitos. We’ve made them with blueberry, jalapeno, coconut, apple and basil, and even as a mocktail. So naturally we needed to make a Christmas version. And it needed cranberry juice and snowball ice cubes.

How to Make a Christmas Mistletoe Mojito

The first thing you need for this Christmas mojito is cranberry simple syrup. We love this Organic Cranberry Spice Syrup from Royal Rose Syrups, but making your own cranberry simple syrup is easy and delicious.

Combine one cup of fresh cranberries, one cup of sugar, and one cup of water in a saucepan and simmer for about 10-15 minutes. You want the cranberries to be softened but not popped. Remove from the heat and let it cool slightly.

Strain the fruit out with a fine mesh strainer, but don’t press the berries through because that will cloud the syrup. The cooked, strained cranberries are the equivalent of fresh cranberry sauce, so eat them with your holiday meal or enjoy them on yogurt or ice cream. And save a spoonful because you’ll use it in this drink.

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While your syrup is cooling, gather the rest of the ingredients for the Mistletoe Mojito: 6-7 mint leaves (or more to your taste), 2 ounces rum, 1 ounce fresh-squeezed lime juice, 1 ounce cranberry juice, 1 ounce cranberry simple syrup, and 1 spoonful (about a tablespoon) of cooked cranberries.

Add the mint leaves, spoonful of cooked cranberries, and lime juice to a cocktail shaker and muddle gently. You don’t want to mash the mint leaves, you just want to massage them to release the oils.

Next, add ice, simple syrup, cranberry juice, and rum to the shaker and shake well until frosty. Strain into a highball glass — and to really make the mistletoe magic, you’ll need three ice spheres (get these ice molds to make spheres) so it looks like a snowman!

Finally, top with club soda or seltzer and garnish with a couple fresh cranberries and a sprig of mint. Cheers!

Mistletoe Mojito

Yield: 1

Prep Time: 5 minutes

Additional Time: 25 minutes

Total Time: 30 minutes

The Mistletoe Mojito is a festive, holiday cocktail made with cranberry juice and cranberry simple syrup.

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Ingredients

• 1 cup fresh cranberries, plus a few for garnish
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 cup water
• 2 oz light rum
• 1 oz fresh lime juice
• 1 oz cranberry juice
• 6-7 mint leaves (or more to your taste)
• Seltzer or club soda

Instructions

1. To make the syrup: Simmer the cranberries, sugar, and water in a saucepan over medium heat for 10-15 minutes, then strain and allow to cool.
2. Strain gently, don't press the cranberries through the strainer because it will cloud your syrup.
3. Reserve a spoonful of strained cranberries. Save the rest of the cranberry sauce for a meal or dessert!
4. To make the cocktail: In a cocktail shaker, gently muddle the mint leaves, lime juice and about a tablespoon of cranberry sauce.
5. Add a few ice cubes, rum, cranberry juice, and 1 ounce of your cranberry syrup. Shake well until frosty.
6. Strain into a highball glass over ice spheres, top with club soda, and garnish with a couple fresh cranberries and a sprig of mint.
7. Please drink responsibly.

Nutrition Information:

Yield: 1 Serving Size: 1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 250Total Fat: 0gSaturated Fat: 0gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 0gCholesterol: 0mgSodium: 0mgCarbohydrates: 0gFiber: 0gSugar: 0gProtein: 0g

Nutrition information is estimated and should only be used as a general guideline.

The post Mistletoe Mojito appeared first on Spilling Tequila.

Vodka is the perfect spirit for Christmas cocktails because it doesn’t add a strong flavor to your drinks. You can let the flavors of the season shine! We created three vodka cocktails for Christmas that are sure to impress your friends and family.

Christmas Vodka Cocktails with NEFT

We were gifted a sample of NEFT Vodka and we loved everything about it – from the unique packaging to the smooth, clean taste with its slightly sweet finish. Crafted in the Alps of Austria for its oxygen-rich spring water, NEFT is an ultra-premium vodka with a taste as memorable as its container – this sophisticated metal drum that protects the vodka from light and heat. It’s available in black, white, or a seasonal pride theme.

Not only is the barrel stylish, it’s highly functional. After pouring, you screw the cap back on and push it down into the barrel top – making it portable, leak-proof and unbreakable. The barrel also keeps NEFT Vodka cold for up to 6 hours. But don’t freeze your vodka! Did you know that freezing vodka dulls its taste? Just chill it in the frig a couple hours before using.

Rosemary Vodka Cranberry

Our first Christmas cocktail is a riff on the classic vodka cranberry. Cranberry is a popular holiday flavor, but adding in a bit of orange and rosemary brings this drink to the next level.

• 2 oz NEFT Vodka
• 1 oz cranberry juice
• 1 oz orange juice
• 1/2 oz cranberry simple syrup
• 2 inches of fresh rosemary
• Frozen cranberries, sugar, rosemary and an orange slice for garnish

Muddle the rosemary in orange juice, then add the rest of the ingredients to the cocktail shaker with ice. Shake well and strain over fresh ice. Add an orange slice, rosemary, and frozen cranberries for garnish and sprinkle with sugar.

Ginger Vodka Cranberry

Another vodka cranberry riff, this cocktail uses ginger liqueur for a bit of a kick!

• 1.5 oz NEFT Vodka
• 1 oz Domaine de Canton Ginger Liqueur
• 1 oz cranberry juice
• 1/2 oz fresh-squeezed lime juice

For this beauty, simply shake all ingredients in a cocktail shaker with ice, then strain over fresh ice and garnish with cranberries and lime.

Coconut Chocolate Martini

Did you know that the classic martini is made with gin and vermouth – not vodka? But over time vodka became an acceptable substitute and bartenders everywhere started calling anything with vodka in it a “martini.”

This recipe is really about as far from a true martini as you can get, but it is served in a martini glass! And it makes a fantastic dessert cocktail.

• 2 oz NEFT Vodka
• 3/4 oz Cream of Coconut
• 1/2 oz Godiva Chocolate Liqueur
• 1/4 oz chocolate syrup (leave this out if you like it less sweet)
• Chocolate chips and coconut flakes to rim the glass

First, you’ll want to garnish your glass. Pour some coconut flakes on a plate. Melt 1/4 cup of chocolate chips (or more if you’re making several drinks) in wide bowl or plate in the microwave. Stir well so the chocolate is smooth, then roll the rim of your glass in the chocolate. Immediately dip the glass in the coconut flakes.

Pro tip: After making this drink, we recommend you only rim half the glass with chocolate and coconut. Rimming the full glass looks pretty, but the coconut hardens in the chocolate and it’s a bit “spiky” on your lips when you try to drink it!

Once your glass is prepared, pour the vodka, cream of coconut, chocolate liqueur, and chocolate syrup in a cocktail shaker with ice. Shake well – 30-60 seconds – to fully incorporate all the ingredients. Strain into your prepared glass and enjoy!

The post Three Christmas Vodka Cocktails That Will Impress Your Guests appeared first on Spilling Tequila.

Hanukkah, oh Hanukkah, come light the menorah,
Let’s have a party, we’ll all dance the hora —

{{ Insert screeching sound of a vinyl record stopping abruptly }}

No, there won’t be much partying or hora-dancing for Hanukkah 2020. But that doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy one of these amazing Hanukkah cocktails. Or two. Or five.

A Bit About Hanukkah

Somewhere around 2,200 years ago, the Jews lived in the Holy Land of Israel, which was ruled by the Persians and the Egyptian Greeks. They allowed the Jews to follow their religious traditions. But then King Antiochus IV came along and forced the Jews to worship Greek Gods. Anyone caught practicing Judaism could be killed.

A group of Jews called the Maccabees revolted and, after a 3-year war, they liberated Jerusalem from the Greeks. The Maccabees wanted to rededicate their temple to God, as the Greeks had been worshipping Zeus there. They lit the temple’s menorah (the Hebrew word for lamp) but they could only find enough oil to keep the menorah lit for one day. Miraculously, the menorah remained lit for 8 days!

Hanukkah, also known as the Festival of Lights, is celebrated for 8 days and Jews traditionally eat fried foods such as potato latkes and jelly doughnuts to commemorate the miracle of the oil.

Now I enjoy a peppermint or eggnog cocktail as much as the next person, but they don’t go very well with brisket and latkes. So I created five Hanukkah-themed cocktails to help celebrate the Festival of Lights. L’chaim!

Menorah Margarita

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This margarita is a bit smoky – like the candles on your menorah. It gets its beautiful blue hue from simple syrup and ice cubes made from butterfly pea flower tea (recipe below).

• Mix 1 ounce mezcal tequila, 1 ounce blanco tequila, and 1 ounce lime juice in tall glass.
• Add crushed ice and club soda, leaving about 1-2 inches at the top of the glass.
• Carefully top with crushed blue ice cubes.
• Slowly pour 1 ounce of blue simple syrup on top. As the syrup and ice cubes slowly mix with the lime juice, the bottom of the drink will start to turn purple. Once you mix it, it will all turn purple.
• Mix well before drinking to distribute the flavors.

How to Make Blue Simple Syrup

I made my blue simple syrup with butterfly pea flowers (click to buy some – they are really fun!). Here’s the step-by-step:

• Steep 1/4 cup dried butterfly pea flowers in a teapot with 4 cups of boiling water.
• Steep for 10 minutes, then strain out the flowers.
• Combine 1 cup of the blue tea in a saucepan with 1 cup of sugar. (Keep the rest of the tea to drink and to make ice cubes.)
• Heat the mixture to a gentle simmer for 5 minutes to fully dissolve the sugar. You want to see steam coming from the surface and a few bubbles. Do not let the water come to a vigorous boil or you’ll start boiling off water, which will affect your water to sugar ratio. 
• Stir with a whisk several times during the heating process. 
• Remove from the heat and cool for at least 10 minutes.
• Pour into a clean, air-tight jar. A mason jar is ideal for your homemade simple syrup. It’s a good idea to sterilize your jar in boiling water before storing your syrup to guard against any bacterial growth.
• Find more simple syrups recipes in our Ultimate Guide to Simple Syrups!

The remainder of your butterfly pea flower tea can be used to make blue ice cubes or to simply drink as a healthy tea. And if you don’t know about its magic color-changing properties, squeeze some lemon in your tea and watch it turn purple!

Vodka Gimel

Gimel is the best letter on the dreidel.

Dreidel is a game played on Hanukkah that involves spinning a 4-sided top. At the beginning of each round, every player puts one game piece into the center “pot.” Game pieces can be anything from pennies to poker chips to chocolate Hanukkah coins called “gelt.”

When it’s your turn, you spin the dreidel and the letter it lands on tells you what to do. You might get nothing (nun), you might get half the pot (hey), or you might have to put a piece in (shin). But when the dreidel lands on gimel, you win the whole pot!

A riff on the Vodka Gimlet, I enhanced this cocktail with a bit of blueberry. If you prefer the classic Gimlet, use gin instead of vodka.

• Combine 2.5 ounces of vodka (or gin), ½ ounce lime juice, and ½ ounce blueberry simple syrup in a cocktail shaker with ice.
• Shake until frosty, the strain into a coupe glass.
• Add blueberries for garnish.

Mazel Tov Cocktail

No, not molotov cocktail, but this drink does have some fire in it. And I tried so hard to make it flame. Cinnamon sticks don’t burn, they only smoke. Same with rosemary and thyme. Then I read that you could soak a sugar cube in high-proof alcohol and it would burn. No dice – even when I made a little “pool” of 100 proof bourbon inside the orange peel shell. (If anyone knows how to make a flaming cocktail garnish, please let me know!)

Flame or no flame, this fireball mixed drink pairs wonderfully with the applesauce on your latkes.

• Pour 2 ounces of Fireball Whiskey into a rocks glass (you can personalized ones – click here!).
• Add 2-3 dashes of Bitterman’s Burlesque Bitters (You need these bitters! They are a mix of hibiscus, acai, and long pepper – seriously, this stuff is amazing!)
• Add ice and stir.
• Top off with ginger ale and stir again.
• Garnish with orange peel, cinnamon stick, or something flaming!

The Jelly Donut

Jelly donuts, or sufganiyot, are a traditional Hanukkah treat. And there’s nothing wrong with starting your day with jelly donuts and a cocktail. It’s 2020.

• Rub a glass rim with lemon juice, then roll it in powdered sugar.
• Carefully place ice in the glass (I recommend ice spheres made with these molds). Don’t “drop” the ice in the glass – it will make the powdered sugar fly all over and fall off the rim.
• Pour 2 ounces of vanilla vodka, 3/4 ounce lemon juice, and 3/4 ounce Chambord liqueur in a cocktail shaker with 2-3 ice cubes.
• Shake until frosty, and strain into your prepared glass.
• Garnish with lemon peel and raspberries.

The Spinning Dreidel Hanukkah Gelt Cocktail

This sweet concoction goes down easy and makes a lovely dessert cocktail while playing dreidel.

• Squeeze some chocolate syrup onto a plate and dip a glass in it. Roll it around to get a good amount of chocolate on there and let it drip down inside the glass. For a cleaner look, you can melt some chocolate chips in the microwave and rim the glass in the melted chocolate – this is thicker and the chocolate will harden on the glass rim instead of dripping.
• In a cocktail shaker, add 1 1/2 ounces each of vanilla vodka, Rumchata, and Godiva chocolate liqueur.
• Add 3-4 ice cubes and shake for about 30 seconds.
• Strain into your glass and top with chocolate shavings.

I hope you enjoy these Hanukkah cocktails and have as much fun with them as I did. Happy Hanukkah!

The post 5 Hanukkah Cocktails to Put the Mazel in your Tov appeared first on Spilling Tequila.

You’ve got 99 problems, but gifts for the home bartender ain’t one! Buying gifts for the cocktail enthusiasts in your life is easier than ever with our extensive gift guide. Whether they have a fully-stocked home bar or they just enjoy mixing up a creative cocktail, your friends and family will appreciate these useful and unique gifts.

We have personal recommendations for bar tools, glasses, straws, ice, mixers, syrups, alcohol, home decor, clothing, subscription boxes, and more – all excellent gift ideas for the home bartender or mixologist on your list.

Cocktail Shaker: The Most Essential Bar Tool

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1. The most basic, and most important, tool needed to make cocktails at home is the cocktail shaker. A cobbler shaker has one shaker, a top with a built-in strainer, and usually a cap that doubles as a jigger to measure your ingredients. It’s an easy, all-in-one solution.

2. Then there’s the Boston shaker, which is two pieces and uses a separate strainer. It’s easier to use a Boston shaker when you need to strain out larger pieces of muddled fruit. With the cobbler, the fruit sometimes blocks the strainer and it’s harder to get all the liquid out. We love this Boston shaker set from A Bar Above, which comes in stainless steel or copper.

Related: Read more about the difference between a cobbler and a Boston shaker.

3. If you prefer a full bar set, this Premium Copper Bar Set comes with a Boston shaker, 3 strainers, a jigger, a muddler, a bar spoon and garnish picks. It’s beautiful and a fantastic value!

4. This 10-piece Bartender Kit is both stylish and functional. It comes with a bamboo stand that keeps everything in one place – no more digging in your kitchen drawers!

This Classic Cocktail Tool Crate from Man Crates would also make a fantastic gift for the new home bartender! It includes a 5-piece tool set and holder, plus 12 coasters that showcase classic cocktail recipes.

Basic Tools Every Home Bartender Needs

If your giftee is just starting to build their home bar, there are a few tools that will make mixology a lot easier and much more fun.

1. Many drinks call for juice and we always recommend fresh-squeezed over bottled. This manual citrus press makes it easy. 

2. A good jigger is also essential. You want one that has easy-to-see lines inside so you can measure 1/4 ounce, 1/2 ounce, and 3/4 ounce. Our favorite is this Barfly Japanese Jigger.

3. A bar spoon is a fantastic gift because it’s something not everyone would buy for themselves. I mean, everyone has spoons in their kitchen, right? You could get by without a bar spoon, but once you have this long-handled tool, you’ll wonder how you ever went without it. We love tools that do double-duty and this bar spoon will stir and work for pour-overs, and the opposite end is a muddler!

4. This wine chiller is a gorgeous white marble and will keep bottles frosty while you entertain.

5. An electric juicer is a bit more work than the hand press, but it will extract more fresh juice from your citrus. We love it for making multiple cocktails, or when juicing larger fruit, like grapefruit or oranges.

6. A beautiful addition to any home bar, this hammered copper ice bucket keeps you from having to run to the freezer over and over again.

7. If you spill a lot (like we do), get these bar towels. They keep you from wasting rolls of paper towels!

Glasses and Ice

Choosing the right glass for your cocktail is important. A glass that’s too big can change the aroma of your drink, cause you to add too much ice, or just make your cocktail look unappealing. Or when you top off a drink with tonic water or ginger beer, the wrong size glass can throw off the whole drink. Any of these beautiful glasses would make a perfect gift.

1. You’ll definitely need a good set of rocks glasses and these twisted whiskey rocks glasses are beautiful!
2. Forget those long-stemmed margarita glasses that spill all the time! We love these stemless margarita glasses, or try these 16-ounce margarita glasses!
3. Coupe glasses are perfect for your martinis or whiskey sours.
4. Copper mugs are essential for your Moscow Mules!
5. Highball/Collins glasses are great for your mojitos and other mixed drinks over ice.
6. These pyramid-shaped highball glasses are also really beautiful and unique!
7. These elegant pink highball glasses are super pretty, come in different colors, and are sure to make your drink taste even better.

1. This nugget ice cube maker is so awesome! It basically makes Sonic or Chick-Fil-A ice in your own kitchen!

2. Clear ice is something every home bartender covets. This Iceology system uses directional freezing to remove impurities and bubbles and make crystal-clear ice. They come in square and round.

3. These United States ice cubes would be a fun party gift!

4. This set of two silicone ice trays makes large, square cubes and ice spheres – which look so cool in your drinks!

Speaking of ice, everyone could use a good cooler! 

• The REYLEO Ice Chest is a 21 quart, bear-resistant cooler that comes with a built-in bottle opener, cup holders and a fish ruler – perfect for the outdoorsy person on your list.
• The GiNT Rolling Cooler has oversized wheels to save your back when your headed to your campsite, built in cup holders, a handle that doubles as a small table, and an interior tray to keep food items dry.
• For something on the smaller side, we love this Arctic Zone Titan Deep Freeze 30-Can Insulated Tote Bag. Chrissy rarely leaves home without hers!
• Arctic Zone also has different size coolers to accommodate your every need. The Titan Zipperless Hardbody 16-Can Cooler has high-performance insulation with a radiant heat barrier reflects heat rather than absorbing it, and it’s water- and stain-resistant.
• Never struggle to find your beer in the dark with Coghlan’s Inside Cooler Lid Light. This handy little thing mounts inside your cooler lid and will automatically turn on and off when the lid is raised and shut. Great for camping!

Straws and Garnish Picks

Presentation is a big part of making cocktails. These straws and garnish picks will help!

1. Spoon straws! These are fantastic for drinks that need to be stirred and are not strained, like the mojito. We are hoping to find these in our stockings this year.

2 & 3. These reusable gold straws or copper straws come in a 12-pack of both bent and straight, and in two different sizes to accommodate all your different glassware. And they look super elegant.

4. Glass straws are another pretty option. We love that you can see how clean they are!

5. For more whimsical drinks, try these colorful straws. These (and all the other straws we list here) come with a cleaner brush.

Great for adding olives, cherries, pineapple chunks, or any other garnish, there are lots of different picks to choose from.

1. Prodyne has a big selection of fun styles – we love the super cute tropical birds.
2. Every little boy’s favorite… the sword garnish picks.
3. This set of five martini picks caught our eye – octopus, owls and bears, oh my!
4. If your giftee loves the classic look, go for this stainless set garnish pick set.
5. Bamboo picks are great if you’re looking for something less expensive and need a lot.

Gifts of Alcohol, Mixers, Bitters, and Syrups

Cocktail syrups and mixers are used to give cocktails extra flavor and sweetness. And there are some really amazing and delicious options out there. For a great gift idea, put together a gift basket of syrups, bitters, and mixers with a bottle of their favorite alcohol.

Royal Rose Syrup is one of our favorite products. These all-purpose, natural syrups are gluten-free, corn syrup-free, and made with USDA-certified organic ingredients. They are perfect for cocktails (like our Hot Ginger Mule!) and mocktails, but also useful in cooking, baking, desserts, teas, coffees, and seltzer.

Bitters are like the salt and pepper of cocktails. They are used to add a wonderful hint of flavor to any spirit and balance out a cocktail. Agnostura Aromatic and Fee Brothers are two well-known brands, but we recently discovered (and LOVE) Scrappy’s Bitters Essential Gift Set, which includes Orange, Chocolate, Aromatic, and Firewater bitters! We also recommend their New Classics Set with Lavender, Cardamom, Black Lemon, and Orleans bitters. And like syrups, bitters can be used in your kitchen in many other ways – they can even be medicinal.

A few of our other favorite mixers and syrups include:

• ROOT Mixers: Made with natural, organic ingredients, ROOT Mixers come in several unique flavors such as hibiscus/elderflower, pear/lemon, grapefruit/cherry and more. Just add your favorite alcohol.
• PROOF Old Fashioned Syrup: This syrup is a great gift for Old Fashioned lovers. Made with organic cane sugar and bitters, it makes cocktail mixing effortless. Just add your favorite whiskey and BOOM – perfect Old Fashioned.
• Tait Farm Foods Shrubs: A shrub is a fruit-infused vinegar. These syrups add a unique tang that any mixologist will love to experiment with! We love the Ginger shrub!
• Q Mixers: A variety pack of Q Mixers will be appreciated by any cocktail enthusiast. We love ALL their products.

A bottle of their favorite alcohol always makes a great gift, but if you want to offer them something new to try, we recommend the following – along with some cocktail recipes you can print out and attach!

• NEFT Vodka: Made from water filtered for fifty years and four ancient grains of rye, this vodka comes in an awesome, unbreakable barrel that stays cold for hours. (3 Christmas Vodka Cocktails That Will Impress Your Guests)
• Ron Viejo de Caldas Rum: An aged, golden rum from Colombia. (Late September Mai Tai or Apple Basil Mojito)
• Espanita Tequila: Smooth and delicious. And packaged in a tall, gorgeous bottle! Makes an impressive-looking gift! (Cherry Chili Margarita)
• Sombra Mezcal Tequila: This “smoky” tequila is delicious and it’s a unique spirit your tequila-loving friend may not have ever tried. (Smoky Jalapeno Margarita)
• Empress 1908 Gin: A butterfly pea blossom-infused gin that changes color and is really fun to create cocktails with! (Red, White and Blue Gin & Tonic)
• Knob Creek Bourbon: This 100 proof bourbon whiskey is perfection to sip neat, and amazing in any cocktail. (New York Sour)
• Ocucaje Pisco: A clear to lightly yellow/amber brandy that is made exclusively in Peru from fermented grape juice of specific varieties. It’s a lovely, light, lower-proof spirit. (Pisco Sour) 
• Limoncello: A traditional Italian liqueur made from lemons. It’s tart and sweet, and almost everyone likes it! (Lemon Coco-Chata)

Unique Gifts for Home Bartenders Who Have Everything

So your home bartender friend has ALLLL the things? Here are some more unique gift ideas for the mixologist:

A smoker will liven up any bartender’s cocktail creating! It’s fun, it’s impressive, and smoking the glass adds a delicious twist to your drinks. Use it on its own or pair it with these Smoking Gun Cup Covers. Bonus – the smoker can also be used to smoke meats and cheeses!

For your friend who loves to create cocktails, the next logical step is creating their own flavor-infused alcohol (like we did with this cayenne pepper-infused tequila)! This Infusing Kit is the perfect gift.

You can’t go wrong with a personalized gift! Check out this variety of engraved glasses, decanters, flasks and more.

The entertainer will love this Party Ice Luge! It takes a little skill to freeze this mold on a perfectly flat surface, but once you get it, you’ll have hours of party fun!

For the beer lover, this stunning copper carbonated growler will keep your beer fresh for weeks … not that you’ll take that long to drink it! 😉

How about a book? These are some of our favorites on the craft of mixing drinks:

• Cocktail Codex: A comprehensive primer on the craft of mixing drinks.
• Camp Cocktails: Filled with recipes, bartender tips and tricks, and even a whole chapter on foraging and mixing with found ingredients.
• The Drunken Botanist Book: A fascinating tour of the biology, chemistry, history, etymology, and mixology of alcohol, with more than fifty drink recipes and growing tips for gardeners
• Tequila Mockingbird Book: 65 delicious drink recipes paired with wry commentary on history’s most beloved novels.  
• The Ultimate Bar Book: An indispensable guide to classic cocktails and new drink recipes. Loaded with essential-to-know topics such as barware, tools, and mixing tips.

Alcohol Gifts and Subscription Boxes

We love Cratejoy subscription boxes. Getting something special in the mail every month makes a gift last beyond the holiday season! But almost all boxes can be purchased as a one-time gift, so don’t let the phrase “subscription” scare you. Most gift boxes from Cratejoy are mom and pop shops – so you are also supporting small businesses.

• Shaker and Spoon – Craft Cocktails
• Saloon Box – Craft Cocktails
• American Cocktail Club – All-Natural Craft Cocktails
• One Part Company – Infusion Blends
• Raising the Bar – Mocktails
• The Standard – Wine Club
• WhiskyFlavour – Whisky Tasting
• The Intoxicated Intellectual – Classic books paired with classic cocktails

Home Decor and Bar Accessories

These items are great gifts to help the cocktail enthusiast decorate their home bar and show off their passion for cocktails and bartending.

This 3-Tier Rolling Bar Cart is beautiful, high quality, and perfect if you don’t have a lot of space! Shannon owns this and it has more than enough room for all her tools, glasses, and alcohol. But if you’re looking to splurge on something luxurious, this Rustic 80″ Home Bar from Pottery Barn is gorgeous!!

Looking to update your bar seating? We’re obsessed with these bar stools. With all the different color options they can go from modern to rustic to anywhere in between.

Wall art for the home bar can be hard to find! Shannon has spent hours hunting through the aisles of Home Goods and Hobby Lobby without a lot of luck. Here are some favorites we’ve found online.

• We love these bar signs from the The Paper Violet Shoppe on Etsy. Shannon has the three you see above.
• For the animal lovers, get this hand-painted bulldog holding a wine glass.
• Space fan? Get this astronaut with a beer on the moon.
• Cats and wine make you happy, but humans make your head hurt? This is the bar art for you!
• Or how about this funny, modern, frog on the toilet?
• These rustic light up BAR marquee letters are perfect for your home bar or the man cave.
• What’s a bar without a dartboard? This one comes in a few different versions so you can perfectly match your style.
• We’ve seen plenty of cork holders, tons of bottle cap catchers… but finally there’s one for all of us! This Wine Cork & Beer Cap Holder Shadow Box has a space for both.

This whiskey decanter globe set is beautiful and would make a wonderful gift for someone who loves to travel the world.

Let’s talk coasters. We can’t have drink rings ruining our counters and bars.

• Want to keep it simple? Go with this set of 16 cork coasters or these black silicone coasters. Both come with their own holder.
• Looking to add a little humor? Try these wine themed ceramic and cork coasters or these absorbent stone coasters.
• Have you heard of “Thirstystone” coasters? These are coasters made of sandstone that absorb the condensation from your glass – so the coaster isn’t covered in water! Brilliant!
• Or keep it classy with these leather or marble sets.

For the one-the-go cocktail lover (or when you want to hide your wine at your kids’ sporting events – not that we’ve ever done that!), an insulated tumbler is essential.

• YETI Rambler 10 oz. Lowball: Vacuum insulated, stainless steel, comes in tons of colors.
• BrüMate Hopsulator TRíO 3-in-1: Insulated can cooler that works with 12 or 16 oz cans and can be used as a pint glass.
• Stanley Insulated Growler: Keeps beer cold and carbonated.
• BrüMate Uncork’d 14oz Wine Glass Tumbler: Stainless steel wine glass tumbler with splash-proof lid that comes in so many pretty, glittery colors!

Clothing for Home Bartenders

And finally, no gift guide would be complete without some fun clothing!

• Bartender Apron – with pockets for all your tools and your phone!
• Chrissy loves this Santa Hat Wine Glass long-sleeve pullover.
• Brewdolph Ugly Christmas Sweatshirt for the beer lover.
• Aint No Laws When You’re Drinking With Claus Sweatshirt.
• Another “ugly” Christmas sweatshirt. Sing it with us: “Jingle Bells, Zinfandel, Pass The Cabernet!”
• Santa’s Favorite Bartender Men’s/Women’s T-shirt
• Whiskey Made Me Do It Men’s T-shirt.
• Sunshine and Whiskey Women’s T-shirt.
• Drinks Well With Others Women’s T-shirt.
• Beer Makes Me Hoppy Men’s T-shirt.

And that’s it – 99+ gifts for the home bartender on your list! Cheers and Happy Holidays to all!

For more recommendations, be sure to check out our other gift guides below:

• The Camping Cocktailer’s Survival Essentials
• 20 Outdoor Drinking Accessories to Perfect Your Summer Party
• 11 Boozy Gifts for Dads Who Like to Drink

The post 99+ Gifts for the Home Bartender appeared first on Spilling Tequila.

We’re all making a lot more cocktails at home these days. And while it’s fun to experiment with new and unique ingredients, I’ve found that having a few flavored mixers and syrups on hand allows me to be creative without having to constantly buy a ton of ingredients. Here are three different cocktails you can make with “The Lemongrass” ROOT cocktail mixer.

When you’re making cocktails at home, it’s not always easy to get the fresh, high-quality ingredients you might find in a good, artisanal bar drink. But that doesn’t mean you have to resign yourself to a “high fructose corn syrup cocktail.” There are some great products on the market that are made with natural, organic ingredients and ROOT Cocktail Mixers are one such product.

ROOT Mixers make it easy to mix cocktails, and they come in several unique flavors such as hibiscus/elderflower, pear/lemon, grapefruit/cherry and more. Making a cocktail with these mixers can be as simple as stirring together your spirit of choice with the mixer over ice. Or you can get a little fancy, like with our Lemongrass Pisco Sparkler.

Lemongrass Pisco Sparkler Recipe

This sparkling cocktail is light, easy, and refreshing. The Lemongrass mixer adds a perfectly unique taste, elevating this drink a bit higher than a typical mimosa or bellini. It’s perfect for brunch, or for Thanksgiving or Christmas morning. It would also make an excellent alternative to champagne for your New Year’s Eve celebration.

To make our Lemongrass Pisco Sparkler, you’ll need The Lemongrass ROOT cocktail Mixer, Pisco, and sparkling white wine or Prosecco. Stir together one and a half ounces of Pisco and two ounces of ROOT Mixer. Top with sparkling white wine, garnish with lemon, and you’re all set!

In addition to the Lemongrass Pisco Sparkler, I’ve also tried ROOT’s Lemongrass mixer a couple other ways. It’s fantastic when mixed with tequila – one part Espanita ReposadoTequila to two parts Root mixer.

You can also make a deeeelicious Lemon Rum & Coke with this mixer. I mixed one ounce of dark rum, 1/2 ounce Dr. McGillicuddy’s Raw Vanilla Liqueur and 1.5 ounces of ROOT Lemongrass mixer with ice. Then topped it off with coke. Easy, sweet, and just a little more exciting than your regular rum and coke.

Grab yourself a bottle of ROOT’s “The Lemongrass” mixer, or try one of their other flavors such as “The Hound” (grapefruit/tart cherry), “The Cuke” (cucumber/lime/elderflower), “The Granada” (pomegranate/lemongrass), and more. ROOT Mixers retail for $16 for a 16-ounce bottle or $24 for a 32-ounce bottle.

Lemongrass Pisco Sparkler

Yield: 1

Prep Time: 2 minutes

Total Time: 2 minutes

This Lemongrass Pisco Sparkler made with ROOT cocktail mixer has a unique taste that elevates it above a typical mimosa or bellini. It's perfect for brunch, or for Thanksgiving or Christmas morning.

Print

Ingredients

• 1.5 oz Pisco
• 2 oz "The Lemongrass" ROOT cocktail mixer
• Sparkling white wine, chilled
• Lemon for garnish

Instructions

1. Add Pisco and ROOT mixer in a glass and stir with a bar spoon.
2. Top with chilled sparkling white wine.
3. Please drink responsibly.

Nutrition Information:

Yield: 1 Serving Size: 1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 220Total Fat: 0gSaturated Fat: 0gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 0gCholesterol: 0mgSodium: 0mgCarbohydrates: 0gFiber: 0gSugar: 0gProtein: 0g

Nutrition information is estimated and should only be used as a general guideline.

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