Homemade Cognac Berry Liqueur

Liqueur plays a big role in many great cocktails. So why not make your own using fresh fruit? Without commercial equipment, you can make a mixture that closely approximates liqueur. It’s not officially liqueur but it comes damn close and tastes fantastic. Inspired by roadside berry stands, we combined several berries with cognac to create this delicious treat.

Ingredients

½ cup water
½ cup sugar
1 ½ cups mixed berries (blackberries, raspberries, blueberries and strawberries)… Read more

How to Make Cherry Bitters

If you love a good Manhattan like we do, make your next one with your own homemade bitters.

With only a dash or two, bitters add complexity and balance to your cocktail.

This simple recipe is made with everyday ingredients you can find at the grocery store. Just a pinch of each ingredient goes a long way, so you can make larger batches and bottle them as gifts.

Ingredients

1 vanilla bean, split lengthwise
¼ … Read more

Rothman & Winter Creme de Violette Review

Crème de violette was a part of pre-Prohibition American cocktails like the Aviation and Blue Moon. Until a couple years ago, it was no longer available in the U.S. Rothman & Winter is now ensuring we get our pretty purple cocktails, and its crème de violette is widely available for under $25.

Made with violets, it has a light floral aroma and a pleasing sweet taste. If you like old-fashioned violet candies, you’ll love crème … Read more

Voyant Chai Cream Liqueur Review

Voyant Chai Cream Liqueur tastes like a cold chai latte with a little liquor thrown in. Made with rum, cream, black tea and other spirits and spices, this creamy liqueur has a little bit of sweetness balanced with a gingerbread-cookie spice flavor that is smooth and pleasing.

Tea liquors and liqueurs–and, in fact, tea in general–is hot in mixology right now. I’ve yet to see a cream product with this flavor on the scene, and … Read more

Spanish Albondigas

This recipe for Spanish-style meatballs packs a lot of flavor into a very small package. They’re perfect for cocktail parties. Tapas, small plates, hors d’oeuvres… whatever you want to call them, appetizers are my favorite kind of food! You can use the ground meat of your choice, but I recommend mixing lamb and beef for a rich, exotic flavor.

Ingredients

¼ lb ground lamb
½ lb ground beef
¾ cup dry bread crumbs
1 egg

… Read more

How to Chill a Glass

Cold cocktails should be served in cold glasses. But there are different to chill a glass. Don’t worry; they all work well! It’s just a matter of choosing the method that works best for your situation.

Here are the ways you can chill your cocktail glasses:

Keep glasses in the fridge or freezer. This is the easiest method but only if you have the room to do it. Works great for a small gathering or

… Read more

Vietnamese-Style Spring Rolls with Dipping Sauce

Vietnamese-style spring rolls are like a delicious shrimp salad wrapped up into the perfect warm-weather finger food! Sometimes called summer rolls, this appetizer tastes fresh and light.

While there are a lot of ingredients, most of the work is just chopping and assembling. So don’t let the long recipe fool you into thinking these are difficult to make!

I’ve chosen my favorite fillings, but feel free to substitute. Cilantro is a great addition, as are … Read more

How to Make an Ice Ring to Chill Punch

Keeping a big bowl of punch chilled can be tricky. You don’t want to use standard ice cubes, because they will melt fairly quickly and water down your punch.

The best way to keep your punch cold is with a large block of ice. A pretty way to do this is to make an ice ring filled with fruit or other garnishes. Here’s how:

Find a large bundt cake pan or other large, metal form

… Read more

Champagne-Mushroom Crostini with Chèvre

This appetizer will lend an air of sophistication to your cocktail party, even though it is super easy to make. Anything with this many foreign words in it has to be good, right?

I was inspired to create this recipe because I had a little bit of leftover champagne that was about to go flat. But you could easily use a dry white wine instead if you didn’t have any bubbly on hand.

For mushrooms, … Read more

Champagne Opener

When it’s time to break out the bubbly, make sure you open the bottle the right way!

This Champagne Key at Gent Supply Co. eliminates foaming and spilling. It also makes opening champagne so simple that you won’t worry for a second that you’ll put someone’s eye out.

How to Open a Bottle of Champagne 
Champagne Cocktail Recipes… Read more