Arsenic Lace

bourbon

Peppermint Old Fashioned

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Christmas is just around the corner and I have a few recipes coming to the site over the next two weeks, so stay tuned! I can’t believe how time is flying, before we know it, it will be the New Year. Does anyone have any big plans for the holiday or NYE? I have the perfect cocktail to get you in the mood to decorate the tree, listen to your Christmas vinyl, do some online shopping, and wrap those presents! My Peppermint Old Fashioned is great for your next holiday party or Christmas Eve and Day festivites. If you’re not familiar with a classic Old Fashioned it’s just Bourbon, sugar, Angostura Bitters and a twist of lemon and orange. Super simple! I didn’t want to over complicate such a simple drink, so I used the same template with just a few minor adjustments.

My main trick was infusing the Bourbon with Harney & Sons Peppermint Tea, which is devine if you haven’t had it. All of their tea is delicious and great for drinking on its own hot, iced, or using to infuse wine, vermouth and spirits. The tea is really fragrant so it didn’t sit very long with the Bourbon, I’d say 30 minutes maximum. Honestly, I only let mine sit for about 15 minutes and the flavor was already very strong. This will all depend on how minty you want your drinks to be, so I suggest straw testing as you go until you get your desired level of flavor. You can infuse a whole bottle or a few ounces depending on how many cocktails you want to make. You will need 2 ounces of Peppermint Tea Bourbon per drink. I would estimate 2 tea satchels for every 12 ounces of whiskey for the infusion.

Peppermint Old Fashioned

2 oz. Peppermint Tea infused Bourbon

1/2 oz. Honey Syrup (3:1 Honey & Water)

2 dashes Scrappys Cardamom Bitters

Build all ingredients in a single old fashioned glass, add ice, stir. Garnish with a candy cane.

Cranberry Harvest Punch

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Hello Everyone!

I bet you’re all getting ready for Thanksgiving this week. Ethan and I are both working the night before and we decided we’re staying home this holiday, which is exciting because we just gave the kitchen some updates and I love a good excuse to bake a pie (and make some cocktails). I wanted to post a cocktail for this week that was really festive and seasonal for everyone to make and enjoy with their loved ones. I’m so happy with this recipe because it’s so yummy and perfect for any Thanksgiving celebration. My Cranberry Harvest Punch can easily be made for a few or many, with some prep beforehand. Bourbon, lemon, apple cider, and mulled cranberry syrup. YEP! I said mulled cranberry syrup and it is so delicious I may just use it on everything! Pancakes? Ice Cream? Iced Tea? PIE? Who knows! What I do know is you’re all defintely going to enjoy sipping on a few of these.

First things first, you will need fresh cranberries, so if you’re making fresh cranberry sauce buy some extra for the syrup. I basically made a rich demerara sugar syrup (1:1) with fresh cranberries and brought it to high heat and then let it simmer with mulling spices. It’s super easy and didn’t take long at all and the rest of the ingredients are very easy. Make a batch in a pitcher or a punch bowl and all the work is done! You can also serve this drink warm. Just add all ingredients to a pot and heat until warm or you can keep it in a crockpot. Sip and enjoy.

This year was a hard year with the passing of my father, but it was also a very exciting year filled with promise and new opportunites. I consulted on The Archer, started the blog, got a studio space, had a lot of great press thrown my way and have gained many new clients. I am truly thankful for all the positive things and all the support anyone has given me. I’m looking forward to the holiday season and doing great things in the new year! Cheers to each and every one of you reading this and I hope you have a lovely Thanksgiving.

Cranberry Harvest Punch (for 1)

2 oz. Bourbon (I used Wild Turkey)

3/4 oz. Lemon Juice

2 oz. Apple Cider

3/4 oz. Mulled Cranberry Syrup

Add all ingredients to tin, shake on ice, serve up in your desired glassware, and garnish with cranberries and a sprig of rosemary.

Cranberry Harvest Punch (for 8-12 ppl)

1 Bottle of Bourbon (I used Wild Turkey)

9 oz. Lemon Juice

3 cups of Apple Cider

9 oz. Mulled Cranberry Syrup

Add ingredients to pitcher or punch bowl and serve cold or hot.

Mulled Cranberry Syrup

2 cups Cranberries

2 cups Water

2 cups Demerara Sugar (I use Florida Crystals)

1/4 tsp. Cloves

2 Allspice Berries

2 Cardamom Pods

1 Star Anise

1 Cinnamon Stick

4 Black Peppercorn

Long orange peel

Combine all ingredients to pot, simmer so that all sugar dissolves, bring to high heat until cranberries become soft (about 10 minutes). Let cool and strain into bottle or jar.