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Celebrate the Holidays with Chambord

December 22, 2020 by Natalie 8 Comments

Celebrate the holidays with Chambord! I’ve teamed up with my friends from Chambord to give you a last-minute gift idea plus two holiday cocktail recipes. I understand better than anyone what it’s like to procrastinate to the very last minute to buy gifts and to plan what you’re making for the holidays. It is me. Every. Single. Year.

Chambord makes the perfect gift for a hostess, last-minute gifting or stocking stuffer. The bottle is so unique and elegant and looks amazing on your home bar or entertaining area. Pretty and delicious? Sounds great to me!

Every drop of Chambord is produced at a chateau wholly dedicated to Chambord in Cour-Cheverny in the Loire Valley of France. It’s made with 100% natural ingredients and uses whole, fresh fruit in the production process and contains XO Cognac, which is aged longer than VS or VSOP. So you can feel great about using it in your cocktails.

A very easy cocktail you can whip up in no time for Christmas or even the New Year is The Chambord Royale by simply adding 1/4 oz. of Chambord to your favortie glass of Champagne or Prosecco and garnishing it with a raspberry, blackberry or both.

I’ve made my own little spin on this cocktail by turning it into a larger format punch for easy entertaining at-home or socially distanced. In addition to Chambord all you do is add lemon juice and your spirit of choice. Easy peasy lemon squeezy.

Chambord Royale Punch

1/2 cup of Chambord

1/2 cup of fresh lemon juice

1 cup of your spirit of choice (I recommend gin or Cognac)

Top off with a bottle of sparkling wine

lemon wheels, for garnish

raspberries, for garnish

blackberries, for garnish

Add lemon juice, Chambord and spirit to punch bowl. Then add ice and top with sparkling wine. Garnish with lemon wheels, raspberries and blackberries.

This Chambord Royale punch is decadent and wonderfully effervescent. It’s the ideal accompaniment to meats and cheeses for a cocktail hour or beside a rich holiday meal. Might I add that a sparkly punch is always wonderful and appropriate for NYE.

Whether you’re spending it with your closest family members or even apart from them, Chambord makes the perfect gift. If you’re spending it apart, gifting a bottle and then making the Chambord Royale cocktail or punch over Facetime/ Zoom might be a fun way to connect with your loved ones this season. Regardless have a Merry Christmas, a Happy New Year and please celebrate responsibly.

Order directly via Drizly and you can get $5 credit on your first order* using promotion code CHAMBORD. Also don’t forget to tag your Chambord cocktails with #makethemomentmagnifique over on Instagram.

This is a Drizly offer. 21+ subject to terms and conditions of Drizly. Void where prohibited. Offer Expires 3/30/21. Thanks for supporting the sponsored posts that make Arsenic-Lace happen.

Spicy Mexican Hot Chocolate

December 20, 2019 by Natalie 3 Comments

There’s nothing I love more than a hot chocolate on a cold night. In fact, that’s about all I love about cold nights because I hate the cold! I made this Spicy Mexican Hot Chocolate the other night when we had a snow squall. What’s a snow squall you might ask? I had to ask google the same thing. It is a very abrupt and short-lived snowstorm with blizzard and whiteout conditions. Thankfully I had my friends over at Exotico Tequila to help me through it and this Spicy Mexican Hot Chocolate to keep me warm.

Spicy Mexican Hot Chocolate, makes 2 cups

2 cups milk

4 oz. Exotico Tequila

2 tbsp. unsweetened cocoa powder

2 tbsp. demerara sugar

1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon

1/4 tsp. vanilla extract

1/8 tsp. chili powder

1/8 tsp. ground cayenne (you can omit this if you don’t want it too spicy)

bittersweet chocolate shavings, for garnish

marshmallows, for garnish

To make your Spicy Mexican Hot Chocolate whisk cocoa powder, sugar, cinnamon, chili and cayenne together until combined. Add your milk to a small saucepan and place on the stove over low heat. Add in your dry ingredients and stir until all ingredients are incorporated and the cocoa has melted into the milk, about 10 minutes. Stir in your vanilla extract.

Add 2 oz. of tequila to your serving vessel, I used enamel mugs, and then pour the hot chocolate. Garnish with mini marshmallows and chocolate shavings.

I love sweet and savory dishes and drinks and this Spicy Mexican Hot Chocolate checks all those boxes. It’s decadent and rich and warming from the chili and cayenne. I have a very high tolerance for spice and while I don’t find this overwhelmingly spicy, you can omit the cayenne if you think this recipe will be too spicy for your taste. Exotico Tequila is so perfect for this drink. Chocolate and spices complement the sweet earthy notes in tequila and other agave spirits.

This is not only a great drink to serve on Christmas Eve or for dessert on Christmas Day but you can also enjoy it all winter long. A hot cocoa bar is a great idea to set up for a party or gathering and I put together some ideas in this post. While I will be enjoying this Spicy Mexican Hot Chocolate for as long as the temperature dips below 45 degrees there’s nothing like sipping on a warm drink in front of the Christmas tree.

I hope you decide to make this drink and Happy Holidays from me and Exotico Tequila! xo

Dia de los Muertos

November 2, 2019 by Natalie 3 Comments

The Mexican holiday Dia de los Muertos, also known as Day of the Dead, is the first two days of November. It’s an ode to the afterlife and a reminder that death is nothing to be afraid of. I was so honored to team up with one of my favorite mezcals, Banhez, to make an offrenda to my father Alexander Jacob for Dia de los Muertos.

In most regions of Mexico, practices developed to honor dead children and infants on November 1, and to honor deceased adults on November 2. November 1 is generally referred to as Día de los Inocentes (“Day of the Innocents”) but also as Día de los Angelitos (“Day of the Little Angels”); November 2 is referred to as Día de los Muertos or Día de los Difuntos (“Day of the Dead”).

The ofrendas, as the altars are called, are carefully assembled using many traditional elements, but each of them is unique on its own. They can be personalized with the dead person’s favorite food, mementos from their lives and their favorite items. Some traditional elements would be food items like tamales, pumpkin, pan de muerto (bread of dead), and sugar skulls. Beverages would include tequila, mezcal, pulque, atole and hibiscus tea. My father was Italian and loved to eat so I made spaghetti with red sauce (gravy as we call it) and meatballs. I also included a side of bread and parmesan cheese which no Italian meal can be without!

My father also loved red wine and I really wanted to incorporate that element into a cocktail for the ofrenda with Bahnez. I put a simple twist on the New Your sour to come up with a drink that’s still authentic and also complements the ingredients of the food.

Oaxacan Sour, serves 1 cocktail

1 1/2 oz. Banhez Mezcal

3/4 oz. lemon juice

1/2 oz. cinnamon syrup

Float red wine

Freshly grated cinnamon for garnish

Add all your ingredients, besides wine, to a cocktail shaker. Shake with ice and strain into a rocks glass. Float red wine and garnish with freshly grated cinnamon.

Día de los Muertos is an opportunity to remember and celebrate the lives of departed loved ones. Above the ofrenda is my favorite photo of my father along with some flowers. The scent and bright colors of flowers, particularly marigolds, are meant to guide the spirits to their altars. Glasses of water are usually left out to quench the thirst of the dead after their long journey. I hope this will inspire you to honor someone that is important to you that is no longer with us. I also hope that this Oaxacan Sour will quench your thirst too. After a long journey, I like to drink mezcal. Remembering and missing my father today and every day. xo

Harvest Margarita

October 25, 2019 by Natalie 3 Comments

Margaritas never go out of season for me. There is something timeless about a 3 ingredient classic cocktail that spans all seasons. I’m always in the mood for something crisp, simple and refreshing. I also do love cold weather spices though. But that’s pretty much all I love about cold weather. I’ve always considered myself a summer girl even though I was born in February, possibly the coldest month of the year. I’ve dreamed up this Harvest Margarita with my friends over at Exotico Tequila to bring you a slightly more seasonally appropriate margarita. I promise it will keep your hands cold and your heart/liver warm.

Harvest Margarita, serves 1

2 oz. Exotico Tequila

3/4 oz. spiced agave syrup

3/4 oz. fresh lime juice

2 dashes Angostura bitters

equal parts salt and cinnamon, for rim

lime wheel and star anise, for garnish

Spiced Agave Syrup

1 cup agave

1/2 cup water

8 whole allspice berries

8 whole cloves

3 cinnamon sticks or cinnamon bark

3 star anise

To make the spiced agave syrup add agave, water and spices to a small saucepan and simmer over low heat for 10 minutes or until the syrup smells fragrant. Remove from heat, let completely cool and strain/discard the spices. Store in a container or jar in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.

Next, make your Harvest Margarita! Add tequila, spiced agave syrup, fresh lime juice and Angostura bitters to a cocktail shaker with ice. Shake and strain into a double rocks glass over ice. Finally, garnish with a lime wheel and star anise.

So in love with how such a simple tweak to a drink can change it entirely and make it perfect for a new season. I variated on one of my favorite margaritas, the Tommy’s Margarita, which is just tequila, agave and lime juice. It was created by Julio Bermejo at Tommy’s Mexican Restaurant in San Francisco, CA. It’s a sweeter margarita due to the agave and lack of triple sec. Infusing the agave with seasonal spices while adding aromatic bitters makes it such a wonderful and unforgettable cold-weather margarita option.

It’s certainly a pleasure to come up with recipes using one of my favorite spirits. I hope you’ll enjoy this recipe with Exotico Tequila even more than I do. Thank you guys for supporting sponsored posts that as a result, make Arsenic Lace possible. Please chime in on the comments below if you decide to make this recipe. I love hearing what you think! Cheers and happy weekend! xo

Watermelon Hibiscus Paloma

August 31, 2019 by Natalie Leave a Comment

Popping in here real quick to bring you the perfect cocktail for your holiday weekend! I’ve been juicing watermelon a lot and drinking it after my runs and making simple drinks with it in the evenings. Had to put a twist on one of my favorite cocktails and share this Watermelon Hibiscus Paloma with you. Can’t thank my friends over at Exotica Tequila enough for letting me come up with delicious things with one of my favorite spirits!

I can’t believe it’s Labor Day weekend already. Where has the time gone? I was just getting into the swing of summer and now POOF it’s gone. Just like that. There’s nothing more satisfying and refreshing than watermelon juice on a hot day. I’m sure going to miss seeing this fruits presence in the produce aisles. So I had to squeeze it into one lady recipe before I say goodbye to it for a few long, hard and cold months.

Watermelon Hibiscus Paloma, serves 1

2 oz. Exotico Tequila

1 oz. watermelon juice

1/2 oz. lime juice

1/2 oz. hibiscus syrup*

Grapefruit soda

Salt, for rim

*Hibiscus syrup

1 cup sugar

1 cup water

1/2 cup dried hibiscus flowers

Combine sugar, water and hibiscus flowers in a small saucepan. Simmer until all sugar has dissolved and the syrup is a very dark red/pink, about 10 minutes.

First, juice your limes and watermelon. I used my slow juicer to juice the watermelon but if you don’t have one, you can also blend is and strain the juice.

Then prepare your glass by rimming it with salt. Add all tequila, watermelon juice, lime juice and hibiscus syrup to a cocktail shaker. Shake with ice and strain into your salt rim glass. Top with your favorite grapefruit soda and lastly garnish with a slice of watermelon.

Couldn’t think of a better way to send summer off than with a Paloma. This Watermelon Hibiscus Paloma is refreshing, sweet and citrusy. Hibiscus adds so much depth and floral flavors with a hint of tartness. Salt adds a savory element that compliments the watermelon and hibiscus perfectly.

I can’t wait to make and enjoy a few more of these this weekend. I hope you decide to make this Watermelon Hibiscus Paloma as well. If you do please comment below and tell me how you’re enjoying your holiday weekend. Cheers to another summer! xo

Summer Sipping on the Titan Cocktail

August 29, 2019 by Natalie 197 Comments

Summer isn’t over yet! The temperatures are continuing to rise around here. It has been so humid that I am now convinced I live in South Florida because it randomly rains every day now. Even when it’s not in the forecast. Even when the sun is shining. So, what’s a girl to do when it’s too hot and humid to deal? Make a delicious and boozy crushed ice beverage. Very excited to be partnering with my friends over at THE HOUSE OF ANGOSTURA® to bring you a brand new recipe, The Titan Cocktail, to keep you cool until the end of summer.

THE HOUSE OF ANGOSTURA, THE HOUSE OF ANGOSTURA, based in Trinidad, has been blending bitters fornearly 200 years and producing fine rums for 130 years, mastering the art of ageing and blending. Using a secret recipe, closely guarded to this day, ANGOSTURA®aromatic bitters is recognized as the world’s first and best-selling cocktail bitters. It is an essential ingredient for contemporary cocktails as well as the classics. With just a few dashes, ANGOSTURA aromatic bitters transforms summery mixed drinks into beloved warm-weather cocktails, from spritzes to tiki inventions, to frozen cocktails and beyond.

The Titan Cocktail was inspired by one of my favorite tiki classics, The Saturn Cocktail. Most tikidrinks are rum based but what makes the Saturn special is that it is made with gin. This cocktail is rich and sweet just like most tiki concoctions, but the gin gives it the drinkability of a refreshing Tom Collins. I went a step further and, instead of gin, I used mezcal. I named it Titan after Saturn’s largest moon.

The Titan

1 1/2 oz. mezcal

1/2 oz. lime juice

1/2 oz. orange juice

1/2 oz. passion fruit syrup*

1/4 oz. orgeat*

1/4 oz. falernum

Float of ANGOSTURA aromatic bitters

lime twist and cherry, for garnish

*Passion Fruit Syrup

1 part 100% passion fruit puree, frozen and preferably Goya

1 part rich simple syrup (2:1 demerara sugar and water)

Make your rich simple syrup ahead of time. Combine the sugar and water in a small saucepan and stir over heat until the sugar has completely dissolved. Let cool. Let frozen passion fruit defrost and then add it to the rich simple syrup. Stir until combined and store in a resealable container.

*Orgeat – You can find my step by step process on how to make orgeat in this post on A Beautiful Mess.

To make the Titan cocktail, simply add mezcal, lime juice, orange juice, passionfruit syrup, orgeat and falernum to a cocktail shaker. Dry shake without ice and pour into a highball or swizzle glass. I used these pearl diver mugs from Cocktail Kingdom. Fill the glass with crushed ice and swizzle with a swizzle stick or bar spoon. You can do this by gently twirling the spoon or stick between the palms of your hands until a frost forms on the outside of the glass. Swizzling is a method of dilution the same way as shaking and stirring is, except it is done in a glass with crushed ice.

Next, float the ANGOSTURA aromatic bitters on top of the drink and top with more crushed ice. Garnish with a lime twist and a cherry. I like to roll the twist around the cherry and then use a cocktail pick to secure it.

I just made a few small tweaks to the Saturn cocktail and made it my own by substituting the gin for mezcal. The mezcal adds a slight smoke and earthiness to an otherwise sweet drink. The addition of the ANGOSTURA aromatic bitters is really what changes everything. ANGOSTURA aromatic bitters counteracts the sharp taste of acidic ingredients and subdues the pronounced flavors of spirits. That’s why it is the perfect ingredient to balance summer cocktails. Although ANGOSTURA aromatic bitters contain some ABV, using just a few dashes can transform your cocktails. So whether you’re sipping on a high-proof or low-abv beverage, ANGOSTURA bitters are the perfect flavor and enhancer and complement to any cocktail. I hope you will be mixing up a few Titans before summer is over. xo

Green Garden Cocktail

August 2, 2019 by Natalie Leave a Comment

Possibly one of my favorite things to do is to come up with margarita variations. The Green Garden cocktail isn’t quite just a margarita but was definitely my inspiration for creating this drink. I’m also very excited to be partnering up with my friends over at Exotico Tequila again. So expect a lot of delicious tequila drinks for the rest of 2019! I teamed up with Exotico last year for my Mango Kombucha Margarita + Bistec Mango Tacos post. Those recipes are well worth a revisit and are currently making my mouth water. If you missed that post and you aren’t familiar with Exotico Tequila it is handcrafted with tradition by the Destiladora Gonzalez Gonzalez.

The Destiladora Gonzalez Gonzalez is a family distillery spanning three generations and one of Mexico’s most respected makers of tequila. The tequila is made from 100% Blue Weber agave grown in the highlands of Jalisco. From my many travels to Jalisco I learned that the red clay soil there produces larger and much sweeter agaves which is why Exotico gets their agaves from this region. This type of agave, once distilled, gives Exotico its floral, well-rounded taste. I love the Exotico Blanco because it has notes of roasted agave with a peppery finish which makes it delightful to use in drinks or sip on its own.

I’ve been on a cucumber juice kick and thought it would make a wonderful summer ingredient in a tequila-based drink. I love spicy and savory elements in cocktails and decided to make a green bell pepper syrup to use as well. The results were amazing if I can say so myself. 😉

Green Garden, makes one serving

1 1/2 oz. Exotico Tequila

1/2 oz. Yellow Chartreuse

1 oz. fresh cucumber juice

1/2 oz. fresh lime juice

3/4 oz. green bell pepper syrup

handful of basil leaves

salt, paprika and chili flakes, for rim

Green Bell Pepper Syrup, makes 1 cup

1 cup sugar

1 cup water

1 green bell pepper

To make the syrup, cut a green bell pepper in half, remove seeds and rinse. Chop into small pieces. In a small saucepan add sugar, water and chopped green bell pepper. Let simmer on the stove until all sugar has dissolved then remove from heat and let completely cool. I left the green bell pepper in the syrup overnight and then strained to extract the most flavor.

Next, get your cocktail glasses ready! I did an equal part combination of course sea salt, paprika and red chili flakes. Run a lime around the rim of your glass and then roll the outside rim of your glass through the salt mixture. To make cucumber juice I ran a few cucumbers through a slow juicer. If you don’t have a slow juicer the other option is blending the cucumbers and straining the cucumber juice out through a fine strainer or cheesecloth. Combine tequila, Yellow Chartreuse, cucumber juice, lime juice, green bell pepper syrup and basil leaves in a cocktail shaker. Finally, add ice, shake and strain into your salt-rimmed glasses.

Not only does this cocktail taste magnificent but the color is very stunning. I called it the Green Garden for the use of all the green ingredients and of course the color. I love the green bell pepper syrup and I can’t wait to play around with it in other drinks. Perhaps even test out some other peppers in syrups as well. This cocktail is herbal, refreshing and savory—perfect for a hot day! But always and most importantly, perfect in the company of tacos. And chips. And guacamole. You get it. xo

Bar Convent Brooklyn 2019 with Angostura Bitters

July 11, 2019 by Natalie Leave a Comment

A few weeks ago, I was very lucky to get to go to Bar Convent Brooklyn 2019 with ANGOSTURA ^® bitters. Bar Convent started as a small industry meeting in Berlin, and has quickly become one of the most important international bar and beverage trade shows. This is the second year they expanded the show to Brooklyn, NY and I was so happy to join the conference again alongside a brand I truly love, ANGOSTURA®.

THE HOUSE OF ANGOSTURA^®, based on the islands of Trinidad and Tobago, has been blending bitters for more than 190 years. They have also been producing fine rums for 130 years, mastering the art of aging and blending. ANGOSTURA bitters are made with the same secret recipe that was developed in 1824 by Dr. Johann Siegert. As the essential ingredient in so many classic and contemporary cocktails, ANGOSTURA bitters is a crucial brand that truly changes everything within the beverage industry. ANGOSTURA bitters is recognized as the world’s first and best-selling cocktail bitters, making their presence at Bar Convent Brooklyn (BCB) truly exciting.

THE HOUSE OF ANGOSTURA greeted guests on Day 1 with a complimentary welcome cocktail to kick off BCB. This time, I was handed a delicious Low-ABV cocktail, served by Chief Mixologist Raymond Edwards: the Amaro Highball, featuring Amaro Di ANGOSTURA^® and the newly-launched soda, ANGOSTURA^® Lemon, Lime & Bitters. Low-ABV drinks have been on the rise over the last few years, and Low-ABV was definitely a noticeable trend at BCB this year. In fact, Raymond shared a seminar at the conference emphasizing the need for bars and other on-premise operators to incorporate No- and Low-ABV beverages into their concepts to appeal to consumer demands.

Amaro Di ANGOSTURA is the latest innovation from THE HOUSE OF ANGOSTURA. It is a deep amber color, offering aromas of cinnamon, dark chocolate and ANGOSTURA^® aromatic bitters. ANGOSTURA Lemon, Lime & Bitters is a skillfully blended non-alcoholic sparkling drink made with natural lemon and lime flavors, and a few dashes of ANGOSTURA aromatic bitters, of course. Although the bitters are 44.7-percent alcohol by volume, using just a few dashes results in a negligible alcohol content, making it the perfect addition to spirit-free and Low-ABV drinks. I love ANGOSTURA Lemon, Lime & Bitters enjoyed as a soda on its own, or as a balancing ingredient within a range of cocktails. I can’t wait to play around with it more!

At THE HOUSE OF ANGOSTURA booth, bartenders from around the country mixed up quite a few delicious drinks featuring the brand’s iconic bitters. The menu included a Trinidad Sour, which ANGOSTURA also served last year, along with an Orange Daiquiri and a Bitter Clipper. There was something for everyone’s palate on this menu.

The Trinidad Sour is a potent little libation containing an ounce of ANGOSTURA bitters, rye whiskey, lemon juice and orgeat. It’s strong, bitter and citrusy.

The Orange Daiquiri was citrusy, bright and tart. It contains ANGOSTURA^® 5 Year Old Rum, ANGOSTURA^® orange bitters, orange juice, lime juice and simple syrup.

The Bitter Clipper was citrusy, strong and refreshing. It was reminiscent of a tiki cocktail and reminded me of a Queen’s Park Swizzle, a drink native to Trinidad and Tobago (just like THE HOUSE OF ANGOSTURA), which features dashes of ANGOSTURA aromatic bitters as a prominent ingredient.

I really enjoyed my second year at Bar Convent Brooklyn, and I hope I can go again next year! It was nice to see so many premium brands and explore the newest trends and products. Not to mention network, share knowledge and learn! It’s been so nice to share a behind-the-scenes look at my BCB experience with ANGOSTURA. What is your favorite cocktail with ANGOSTURA^® aromatic or orange bitters? If you haven’t tried ANGOSTURA bitters, you can purchase at grocers and liquor retailers nationwide and learn more here.

Watermelon Habanero Hibiscus Mezcalito

May 5, 2019 by Natalie 3 Comments

It doesn’t have to be a special day for me to indulge in a good margarita and some al pastor tacos. In fact, that’s pretty much my daily life. I was still so excited to team up with my friends at Bai to bring you this Watermelon Habanero Hibiscus Mezcalito for Cinco de Mayo.

A mezcalito is a margarita made with mezcal and perhaps my favorite way to enjoy this spirit other than sipping on it neat. I’ve touched on mezcal on the blog before but just in case you’re reading about it for the first time it is a spirit distilled from agave. A lot of people like to refer to mezcal as the “sister of tequila” but the truth is tequila is a type of mezcal, much like scotch and bourbon are types of whiskey. Mezcal is made from more than 30 varieties of agave. The most commonly used are tobalá, tobaziche, tepeztate, arroqueño and espadin. It is produced in nine different areas of Mexico including Durango, Guanajuato, Guerrero, San Luis Potosi, Tamaulipas, Zacatecas, Michoacán, Puebla and Oaxaca.

Mezcal is made from the harvested core of the agave plant, otherwise known as the piña. It is cooked inside earthen pits that are lined with lava rocks and filled with wood and charcoal before being distilled in clay pots. This is the source of where mezcal gets its earthy and smoky flavor profile. The smokiness of mezcal seemed like a perfect match for the earthy nature of watermelon and using Bai Kula Watermelon made this mezcalito turn out delicious.

Frozen Watermelon Habanero Hibiscus Mezcalito, makes one serving

1 1/2 oz. Mezcal (I used Banhez Espadin)

1/2 oz. Cointreau or triple sec

1 oz. Bai Kula Watermelon

1/2 oz. fresh lime juice

3/4 oz. hibiscus habanero syrup

4 pieces fresh watermelon, cubed

watermelon slice, for garnish

smoked salt, for rimming

Hibiscus Habanero Syrup

1 cup sugar

1 cup water

1/2 cup dried hibiscus flowers

3 habanero peppers, cut lengthwise

First, make your syrup. Add sugar, water, dried hibiscus flowers, and habanero peppers to a saucepan and let simmer over low-medium heat for 10 minutes. Remove from heat and strain out the hibiscus flowers and peppers. Let completely cool and store in a bottle or jar in the refrigerator.

Next, rim your glassware with smoked salt by running a lime around the rim and then dipping it into the salt. To make your cocktail add Bai Kula Watermelon, fresh lime juice, hibiscus habanero syrup, Cointreau, mezcal, and cubed watermelon to your blender pitcher with 6-8 oz. of ice. Blend on high or smoothie setting if you have one, and then pour into your glassware. Garnish with a slice of watermelon. Drink umbrella optional but always encouraged. If you’re not in the mood for something frozen you can easily muddle the fresh watermelon and shake the drink and serve over ice instead.

If you’re thinking, these are a lot of flavors to combine, I promise it is not. I wanted to add a spicy element to this mezcalito but I also love watermelon and hibiscus together. Watermelon is earthy and sweet, while hibiscus is rich and floral, and habanero adds a delightful spice. The mezcal adds a hint of smoke and finishing the drink with salt adds a savory element.

I hope whatever you’re doing today that you’re celebrating Cinco de Mayo right. That is: with a margarita (or mezcalito) in hand accompanied by chips, guacamole, and your favorite taco. You know what I’ll be doing. Cheers to Cinco de Mayo! xo

Blood Orange Sour

February 11, 2019 by Natalie 2 Comments

I think I’ve said this before but I’m a sucker for Valentine’s Day. I know, it’s a silly made-up holiday, but I LOVE love and sweets and can we be honest here? Anything in pink and red is A-OK with me! I’ve teamed up with my friends at KINKY Beverages for this post to bring you a delicious Blood Orange Sour cocktail for Valentine’s Day.

It’s funny how some things never change. Whether I’ve been single or in a relationship for this holiday you can always catch me binge-watching Sleepless in Seattle or You’ve Got Mail. Anyone else a fan of Meg Ryan and Tom Hanks romantic comedies? If you can remember back in the Myspace days (holy shit – Myspace?) there was a who I’d like to meet section in your profile. Sixteen year old me had a photo of Meg Ryan and Tom Hanks when they meet in the garden at the end of You’ve Got Mail. To be perfectly honest with you, that’s still who I’d like to meet. Here I am still looking for my Tom Hanks almost 16 years later but that will not make me hate a holiday meant to celebrate love. What it will do though is make me drink about it. 😉

Blood Orange Sour, makes 1 serving

1 oz. Spirit of your choice

1 oz. KINKY Pink

1 oz. fresh blood orange juice

1/2 oz. fresh lemon juice

1/2 oz. simple syrup

1 egg white

In a cocktail shaker combine spirit, KINKY Pink, juices, syrup, and egg white. Dry shake without ice for about 10 seconds to emulsify the egg and then shake again with ice. Strain into a coupe glass and garnish with a slice of blood orange.

I’ve shared a recipe previously on the blog with KINKY Pink. It’s definitely my favorite KINKY expression because it’s bursting with fresh flavors of mango, blood orange, and passionfruit and it pairs with so many other ingredients and spirits. What is really fun about this recipe is that I’ve left the base spirit up to your preference. I personally love it with something traditional like gin but it’s also great with white rum. Additionally, tequila or even a whiskey like a bourbon would be amazing options as well. I want you and whoever you’re sharing a drink with to have fun and get creative. Maybe try a few to see which one you like more.

I couldn’t resist using fresh blood oranges one last time in a recipe before they disappear until next Winter. Using fresh blood orange juice in this Blood Orange Sour really makes the blood orange notes in the KINKY Pink stand out even more. This drink is fruity, juicy, bittersweet, and silky on the palette. I hope you’ll enjoy one with me this Valentine’s Day. Have you found your Tom Hanks or are you still looking like me? What’s your favorite romcom? I want to hear all about it in the comments below. Cheers everyone. x

Sponsored

Watermelon Hibiscus Paloma, serves 1

*Hibiscus syrup

The Titan

*Passion Fruit Syrup

Green Garden, makes one serving

Green Bell Pepper Syrup, makes 1 cup

Frozen Watermelon Habanero Hibiscus Mezcalito, makes one serving

Hibiscus Habanero Syrup

Blood Orange Sour, makes 1 serving

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