Brockmans Spirited Leap

Time is our most precious resource, an arbitrary commodity that always leaves us wanting more. Fortunately, every four years, we are given a gift: an extra date added to our calendars, another night full of infinite possibilities just waiting to be discovered. Brockmans Gin’s newest cocktail, the Spirited Leap, is all that is needed to stop the clock and own the night, after all, time is willing to wait for those who are willing to use it.

The intriguing, elegant and smooth blend of botanicals and notes of blueberry and blackberry in Brockmans Gin stop time when mixed with fresh lemon juice, simple syrup, raspberries and blackberries, making it the perfect cocktail to indulge in an extra night like no other.

Brockmans Spirited Leap

• 2 parts Brockmans Gin
• 4 Raspberries
• 6 Blackberries
• 1 part lemon juice
• 1 part simple syrup

Add the raspberries, blackberries and the simple syrup to the shaker and then muddle the ingredients together. Add the Brockmans Gin and fill up the glass with ice and shake. To serve, fill a tumbler with crushed ice and single strain the mixture into the tumbler. Top the rest of the glass with more crushed ice and add blackberry, raspberry and a sprig of mint for garnish.

Holiday Cocktails For Everyone On Your Guest List

Planning a holiday party can be incredibly stressful, especially when it comes to selecting what drinks to serve to guests, each with varying taste. Here is a list of drinks that are perfect to please everyone on your guest list:

The Whiskey Connoisseur

Keep this one simple, serve a delicious whiskey neat and give guests the option of adding ice or water. The trick with this is to serve a high quality whiskey that people want to sip. I recommend Egan’s Irish Whiskey for its Amber like color, delicate aroma and malty and creamy taste, with complex hints of cereal and a smooth silkiness, Egan’s is guaranteed to please even your pickiest guest.

http://www.eganswhiskey.com/

 

The Classy Socialite

For those on your list that will keep the party going long into the night, serve them the Midnight Zest. The tantalizing, elegant and intriguing blend of botanicals and notes of blueberry and blackberry in Brockmans Gin shine when mixed with fresh lemon juice, simple syrup and topped with champagne, making it the perfect companion to turn your holiday party into a night like no other.

Midnight Zest

50ml Brockmans Gin

25ml Freshly squeezed lemon juice

15ml Sugar syrup (created by mixing equal parts sugar and water until completely dissolved. Speed the process with hot water and then cool the syrup

Top with Champagne, Prosecco or good quality English sparkling wine

Shake the gin, lemon juice and sugar syrup with cubed ice. Strain into a champagne flute and top with the sparkling wine. Garnish with a twist of lemon zest.

 

The Wino

It can be very tricky to please the wine lovers on your list. It is important to find the right balance between taste and price, luckily, Caldora offers the perfect solution with its Chardonnay Terre di Chieti from Abruzzo, Italy. This chardonnay is full-bodied and balanced with notes of tropical fruit making it easy to drink and approachable for everyone at your party.

http://www.caldoravini.it/eng.htm

 

The “Who wants a shot?!” Guy

Not everyone is interested in or can handle a straight shot of tequila, so purchase a few packs of LIQS Cocktail Shots, ready-made fusions of premium spirits, real fruit juice and natural flavors and everyone on your guest list will be able to join in. LIQS comes in four flavors, Lychee Grapefruit, Kamikaze, and Lemon Drop as well as a Cinnamon Orange Tequila, which means they offer a little something for everyone!

http://www.liqsshot.com/

Brockmans Hot Collins

It’s officially been fall for about a week. The days have slowly been getting colder and the nights increasingly longer and today is no exception. It would be so easy to let the chilly, gloomy day turn into a predictable, uneventful evening, but instead let’s heat things up with a seasonal cocktail unlike any other, the Brockmans Hot Collins. The dynamic blend of botanicals and notes of blueberry and blackberry in Brockmans Gin are key to developing the smooth, delicious flavor of the cocktail. Pair the gin with lemon juice, agave syrup and boiling water and you have the perfect drink to turn your night from ordinary to anything but with just a couple of sips!

Brockmans Hot Collins

2 parts Brockmans

1 part lemon juice

1/2 part agave syrup

4 parts boiling water

Mix all ingredients and pour into small mug or thick, heat-proof glass. Garnish with Grapefruit zest, a Cinnamon stick and Cloves.

**Note: This can also be served as a batch cocktail for a party by simply multiplying the quantities.

 

A little sip of summer

It’s officially summer, which means longer days, warmer weather, and of course outdoor imbibing at picnics and barbecues! Whether you’re laying by the pool or or sticking to the shade, these refreshing cocktails are the perfect choice to cool you down as you kick back and relax this season.

For the Whiskey lovers:

Jameson & Ginger

• 1 part Jameson Irish Whiskey
• 4 parts quality ginger ale
• 1 lime wedge

Fill a glass with ice. Pour Jameson over ice. Fill with ginger ale. Stir briefly. Squeeze lime wedge and drop into glass. 

For the Rum drinkers:

The Malibu Passion Breeze – perfect for summer!

Malibu Passion Breeze

• 1 part Malibu Rum
• 1 part cranberry juice
• 1 part pineapple juice
• 1 lime wedge

Add ice cubes to a chilled highball glass. Add Malibu, cranberry juice and pineapple juice. Garnish with lime wedge. 

 

For the Vodka Fans:

Absolut Mule  

• 2 parts Absolut Vodka
• 3 parts ginger beer
• 1 part lime juice
• 1 lime wedge

Fill a mule mug with ice cubes. Add all ingredients. Garnish with lime. 

Whiskey Buck

While the weather outside remains bitter and brutally cold for the foreseeable future, I will continue to spend my evenings bundled inside with blankets, space heaters, and of course, a cocktail. While some people are out scraping the icicles off of their roofs, you will find me inside dropping ice cubes into my Collins glass.

I love the way a nice whiskey drink warms me during the long cold stretches of winter, and tonight I’ll be making a Whiskey Buck using Jameson Black Barrel, lime juice, ginger syrup and Angostura bitters.

Whiskey Buck

• 2 parts Jameson Black Barrel
• .75 part fresh lime juice
• .75 part ginger syrup
• 2-3 dashes Angostura bitters

I hope you all enjoy and stay warm!

-KJ

Holiday Gift Guide for the Spirits Lover

‘Tis the season for running around looking for last minute gifts for loved ones and acquaintances alike. When you want to avoid the crowds of people at the mall and have run out of time to order online, the liquor store is by far the best option (although I may be just slightly biased on this one).

For the art aficionado – Absolut Vodka is offering a Limited Edition Andy Warhol bottle.  The distinct package is available as a bottle only option or within a decorated Warhol gift box and is available in 750ml and 1L sizes of ABSOLUT ORIGINAL 80. This unique and colorful bottle is sure to brighten up every home bar.

For the Scotch sipper – Chivas Regal is offering three stylish value-added packages, making it easy to share the smooth taste of Chivas® 12 or 18 Year Old with friends and family. Chivas gift packs include: a handsome Chivas 12 Year Old 750ml Made for Bremont Gift Tin, a Chivas 18 Year Old 750ml Gift Tin, and a Chivas 12 Year Old pack that includes a 750ml with two branded rocks glasses. 

For the Gin guy or gal – Beefeater is offering a British-themed gift pack including a 1.75L of Beefeater and a special pourer/stopper to help ease the pouring process and impress guests.

Happy Holidays and Happy Gifting (and remember that no one would judge if you happen to buy a couple for yourself 🙂 )

-KJ

Kahlua’s Classic White Russian

I can’t say for sure whether it was the subliminal messaging  from the slew of Halloween costumes of “The Dude” I encountered this Halloween, or the cold end of autumn weather outside that has me craving the coffee flavor of Kahlúa, but I am  counting down until I can head home from work and cozy up on the couch with a deliciously classic, White Russian.

Academy Award-winning actor, Jeff Bridges, has been in the mood for the Kahlúa classic as well with his recent role in a  Kahlúa Productions short film in which Bridges recounts an adventure-filled story with twists and turns for the characters, all while sipping on a classic White Russian cocktail. In a company release Bridges states, “The White Russian is one of the most popular classic cocktails and it’s seeing a massive revival right now, so to work with Kahlúa on this project is great timing.”  Bridges continued, “As a short film entirely inspired by a simple classic cocktail, this story is creative, enigmatic and beautifully shot.”

Check out the short film here: YouTube.com/KahluaVideo while you sip on a classic White Russian of your own:

Kahlúa White Russian

• 1 part Kahlúa
• 2 parts Absolut Vodka
• 1 part Cream

Fill a glass with ice. Add Kahlúa, Absolut Vodka and cream.

Apple of Ones Eyes

By now fall is in full swing and I’m sure everyone’s newsfeeds are filled with photos of pumpkin carving and apple picking, pumpkin lattes and apple cider. While these autumn activities are enjoyable, it’s time to spice up your cool weather concoctions with a spiked apple cocktail.

Apple of Ones Eyes

• 2 parts Martell Cognac
• .5 part Lime Juice
• 3 parts Apple Juice
• 1 part Ginger Beer/Ale

Shake and strain first three ingredients over ice. Top with ginger beer/ale.

Happy apple sipping!

-KJ

Martell Cherry Lemon Cooler

Looking ahead to this weekend, the forecast is predicting beautiful almost fall weather. The official last weekend of summer is upon us and the Martell Cherry Lemon Cooler is the perfect cocktail to help you say “farewell” to summer and welcome fall. The warming sips of Martell, combined with the sweet taste of cherries and lemon will make your final summer weekend a delicious one.

Martell Cherry Lemon Cooler

• 1.25 parts Martell VS Cognac
• 6 Maraschino Cherries
• 3 Lemon Squeezes
• 1 part Simple Syrup
• Top with Soda Water

Muddle cherries in mixing glass. Add Martell, lemon and simple syrup. Shake vigorously and double strain into glass with ice. Top with soda water.

Enjoy your last summer weekend!

-KJ

No end in sight this summer!

As Labor Day arrives it brings along with it summer’s last hurrah–the last long weekend of the season and the last chance to soak up the sunny and lazy afternoons that accompany summer BBQs. This year, make summer last forever with a delicious Chivas Regal Endless Summer cocktail. With refreshing muddled cucumber, lime and ginger beer, the Endless Summer is the perfect cocktail to pair with your end of summer celebrations.

 

Endless Summer

• 2 parts Chivas Regal 12
• Muddled Cucumber Slices
• .5 part Lime
• .5 part Simple Syrup
• Top with Ginger Beer

Shake and strain all ingredients except ginger beer over ice. Top with ginger beer.  

Enjoy and have a safe holiday weekend!

-KJ