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Winter Pimm’s Cup

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Winter Pimm's Cup

I’ve been thinking about Summer a lot. Probably because it’s been so cold and I need to be reminded that there will be sunshine and warmth again someday. I’ve teamed up with Zevia to bring you a Winter Pimm’s Cup in honor of one of my favorite Summer classics. The first time I ever had a Pimm’s Cup was many years ago in the city of New Orleans. I think anything I’ve ever eaten or drunk in NOLA has become an instant favorite. It’s impossible not to fall in love with that city.

New Orleans has a way of taking things that you could find anywhere and re-engineering them so that they become so uniquely New Orleans, you’d be hard-pressed to find anything else that measures up. The Pimm’s Cup is one such example. While the classic drink was born in a London bar at the hands of a bartender named James Pimm, the Napoleon House in New Orleans has taken his creation, put a slight twist on it, and placed it down in one of the city’s most charming watering holes. If you ever get a chance to visit, going to the Napoleon House for a Pimm’s Cup and a muffaletta is a must!

Winter Pimm's Cup

I love to make my Pimm’s Cup like the Napoleon House does — Pimm’s, fresh lemonade, lemon/lime soda and a very elaborate cucumber garnish. For my Winter Pimm’s Cup, I’ve added Scotch for a cold weather spin on the classic. There’s no need to add the extra sugar of soda when you can make the perfect cocktail with Zevia Dry Lemon Lime.

Winter Pimm's Cup

Winter Pimm’s Cup

1 oz. Scotch

1 oz. Pimm’s 

3/4 oz. fresh lemon juice

3/4 oz. stevia simple syrup

1 can Zevia Dry Lemon Lime Mixer

cucumber, blackberries, raspberries, strawberries, and mint for muddling and garnish

Making stevia simple syrup is easy and a great way to make your cocktails a little healthier. Mix 2 tablespoons of powdered stevia with 1 cup of warm water and stir until completely dissolved. The consistency of this syrup will be much thinner than traditional simple syrup. Stevia simple syrup still works perfectly for adding sweetness and balancing out citrus in your drinks.

Winter Pimm's Cup

To make a Winter Pimm’s Cup add some berries, mint, cucumber, lemon juice, and stevia simple syrup to a tin. Give it a quick muddle and then add your Scotch and Pimm’s. Shake with ice and strain into a highball glass over ice and top with Zevia Dry Lemon Lime Mixer. Garnish elaborately with a bouquet of mint, berries, and cucumber slices.

Winter Pimm's Cup

Winter Pimm's Cup

Winter Pimm's Cup

This Winter Pimm’s Cup is a perfect variation on the classic — cool, light, tart, refreshing, and slightly smoky. The Zevia Dry Lemon Lime Mixer is a great substitute for regular sodas because it doesn’t add too much sweetness or sugar. A Pimm’s Cup is usually a low ABV cocktail but I like how the Scotch kicks it up a notch. I need some alcohol content to stay warm this winter. My favorite thing about this drink (besides drinking it) is the elaborate fruit garnish. It practically qualifies as a cocktail and a fruit salad snack which is A-OK with me! I hope you’ll be mixing up a few of these this Winter. xo

Winter Pimm's Cup

Holiday Pomegranate Mule

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It’s beginning to look a lot like cocktails (I mean Christmas) around here! The holidays can be a little hectic, so taking the stress out of entertaining is key. I put together this Holiday Pomegranate Mule that is perfect for your holiday celebrations. They’re easy to whip up in a larger batch but also simple if you just need to make a few. Maybe you need to kick up your feet up and relax with one. I promise this Holiday Pomegranate Mule will do the trick!

I’ve been using Zevia mixers a lot around here and I love, love, love their ginger beer. Their mixers are simple and the perfect compliment to any cocktail. This ginger beer is bold and spicy in flavor (which I love) with a hint of sweetness. Making smarter choices is important to me and I like using Zevia because there is no sugar, no calories, and no artificial sweeteners. That means they won’t overload cocktails with extra calories and they have a more sophisticated and drier flavor than most sodas on the market. I used Zevia ginger beer in my Holiday Pomegranate Mule and the results were amazing!

Holiday Pomegranate Mule, serves 1

2 oz. vodka

3/4 oz. lime juice

3/4 oz. pomegranate simple syrup

1 can Zevia Ginger Beer

I made a pomegranate simple syrup with stevia to further reduce the calories associated with drinking cocktails. I made it by reducing fresh pomegranate juice, lemon juice, and stevia. Place 2 cups pomegranate juice, 4 tbsp. of stevia and 1/2 tbsp. fresh lemon juice in a saucepan set over medium heat. Cook, stirring occasionally until the stevia has completely dissolved. Allow to cool completely and store in a glass jar or bottle.

Add your vodka, lime juice, and pomegranate simple syrup to a cocktail shaker with some ice and give it a quick shake. Pour into a copper mug filled with ice and top with Zevia Ginger Beer. Garnish with a slice of lime, a sprig of rosemary, and some pomegranate seeds. While I was scooping out the seeds from the pomegranate I produced a good amount of fresh pomegranate juice. If that’s the case for you as well, pour some of the juice into your cocktail. I love fresh pomegranate juice and it added so much flavor to the drink!

Pomegranates are tart, tangy, and rich but not sweet, with musky complexities similar to red wine. I love using this ingredient in cocktails because the flavors are so complex and mix well with so many spirits. I based this Holiday Pomegranate Mule off the classic Moscow Mule cocktail but feel free to use another spirit besides vodka. Rum, gin, tequila, or any type of whiskey would also be a great fit for this drink.

If you want to make this drink in a large batch multiply the recipe by how many drinks you’d like to make. Add all ingredients to a pitcher or punch bowl and stir. By making some slight adjustments like using a stevia sweetener instead of sugar and using Zevia, I made a healthy and low-calorie cocktail. It’s easy to pack on a few pounds during the holiday season so I’ll save my calories where I can. Does this mean I can have an extra cookie? I hope you will consider enjoying a few of these Holiday Pomegranate Mules with your loved ones at your upcoming holiday gatherings. May your days be merry and bright everyone! Cheers. xo

Rosemary Gin and Tonics with Infused Ice

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Hey there everyone! I’ve been working my little behind off and I’m getting ready to host my first Thanksgiving. Let’s talk about STRESSED. Luckily I’ve teamed up with Zevia to bring you some cocktail recipes with their non-alcoholic mixers. First up are these Rosemary Gin and Tonics with Infused Ice.

Zevia is a line of zero calorie, refreshing and delicious beverages. Zevia is sweetened with the plant-based sweetener stevia, which means no artificial sweeteners, and no sugar. It is also Non-GMO Project Verified, gluten-free, Kosher, vegan and free of caramel color. Zevias mixers are simple, delicious, and the perfect compliment to any cocktail. I wanted to make something that was no fuss because that equals no stress! These Rosemary Gin & Tonics with infused ice are the perfect answer to easy entertaining this Thanksgiving.

Rosemary Gin and Tonic

2 oz. rosemary infused gin

1 can of Zevia tonic water

rosemary and cranberry infused ice cubes

Infusing the gin is easy. Simply add your desired amount of gin to a container with a few sprigs of rosemary. Infuse for 1 hour or until the desired level of taste is achieved.

To make your ice cubes add cranberries and rosemary to a large ice cube tray and fill with filtered water. Freeze for 5-6 hours but overnight is always best.

To make your cocktail place your infused ice in a glass, pour the gin and then add Zevia tonic water.

I love using infused ice in drinks. It’s a really simple detail that will certainly wow your guests. The great part about infusing ice is that you can make a bunch ahead and simply pop them out of the freezer when needed. Same thing goes for infusing the gin. Infuse as much as you need in advance and you have a delicious 2 ingredient cocktail with the most beautiful garnish. Easy peasy. There’s so much to do when you’re entertaining so I hope these Rosemary Gin and Tonics with Infused Ice will take a little work out of making cocktails. Happy Thanksgiving everyone!

Thanksgiving Fall Tablescape Ideas

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Every year it always surprises me how quickly it goes from Halloween to Christmas. Even in retail stores, they seem to totally skip over Thanksgiving all together. It makes the time move too fast and I wish it would slow down so we could enjoy each holiday just a little bit longer. Thanks to Kate Aspen I’m showing you some Thanksgiving Fall Tablescape Ideas that are easy, beautiful and sure to impress your holiday guests.

Beautiful doesn’t even do this tablescape justice. I have thoroughly impressed myself! This is the first holiday that I live in a space big enough to entertain in so I’m super excited. For the table, I wanted it to have lots of colors but still be seasonally appropriate. I picked up some bundles of small pumpkins at my local grocery store and painted them with acrylic paint I already had. I wanted to do somewhat of an ombé look for the pumpkins so I did hot pink, light pink, coral, orange, and yellow. Then I accented them with these Kate Aspen gold glitter pumpkin votive holders. They’re so cute and sparkly and look perfect next to the painted pumpkins.

Since a lot of my table accessories were gold I wanted a pop of color for the place settings. I used white and gold-rimmed dinner plates with vintage green and gold-rimmed appetizer plates and white and gold bread plates. The green plates accent the greenery in the centerpiece as well very nicely. I picked up the foliage from a local flower shop and the bundle was only $5. Super affordable and really worthwhile to make a memorable tablescape. Underneath I layered two different table runners to add more color and texture. You can use a tablecloth and runner or even placemats.

I used white napkins with gold polka dots and these really cute Kate Aspen pumpkin napkin rings. Are you sensing a theme here? I also used these super cute gold pumpkin place card holders. Here is where I wish I excelled in cute penmanship. My handwriting has been epically bad my whole life. In college, my drafting professor used to give me special assignments where all I had to do was practice my block lettering inside these elaborate shapes. All that did was train me to only know how to write in architecture handwriting. Years later it’s just morphed into me writing messy in all caps. We can’t be good at everything, can we?

No holiday dinner is complete without some wine. Using something as simple as decorative bottle stoppers like these pumpkin ones make them fit in with your table decor. I always like to have a variety of wine available because everyone has different taste. I’m usually a white wine drinker but having another bottle of red on hand is always good. I absolutely adore these cheers stemless wine glasses. They’re perfect for any occasion.

I’m so happy that I got to share my Thanksgiving Fall Tablescape Ideas with you. It was really easy to put together and styling your table makes a huge impact for entertaining. All of the things included in my Thanksgiving Fall Tablescape Ideas are super affordable as well which is a huge plus! Decorating and hosting can get pricey during the holidays so it’s great to find ways to still get festive on a budget. If you’re still planning your Thanksgiving table make sure you head over to the Kate Aspen website and check out all their party favors and tabletop decor.

I had so much fun styling this table and I can’t wait to host my first Thanksgiving. I’d love to hear whats on your Thanksgiving table. Let me know is the comments below! If you need more inspiration I’ve pinned all of these items plus more inspiration on my Tablescape Board and Thanksgiving Ideas Board on Pinterest. Cheers everyone!

Smoky Cinnamon Apple Cider Margaritas

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After the week I had I definitely need a drink! I’m so happy to team up with Teroforma for this post to talk about one of their newest collections 1pt. 1pt is a collection of infusion blends and kits for alcohol and spirits. I’ve used the 1pt Master Kit to create these Smoky Cinnamon Apple Cider Margaritas and I’ll show you how easy it is to use and how wonderful the end result can be.

Whether you’re an experienced bartender or an at home enthusiast the 1pt Master Kit is a must-have. It comes with a beautiful high-durability lab glass infusion bottle that infuses 375 ml of liquid (half of a standard bottle of spirits). There’s a stainless steel infusion basket that holds the infusion blends which makes infusing so much easier. No mess and no fine straining! You also get a reusable, gold-finish, stainless steel tasting straw so that you can taste-test during the infusion process. The kit also includes a simple instruction guide, 7 blends variety pack and some cocktail suggestions to start you off in the right direction.

I knew I wanted to make apple cider margaritas this month and thought the cinnamon infusion would be a great addition to this cocktail. Using the infusion kit is super simple. The first step is putting your infusion blend into the infusion basket. It clips right back into the top of the bottle with a little push and then you pour your spirit directly into the bottle. Let the infusion sit for 6 hours or to taste. Of course with your fancy gold straw! 😉

Smoky Cinnamon Apple Cider Margarita, serves one

1 oz. cinnamon infused tequila

1 oz. mezcal

1 1/2 oz. apple cider

1/2 oz. lime juice

1/2 oz. agave nectar

First, rim your glassware with an equal part mixture of cinnamon, sugar, and salt. Add all of your ingredients to a cocktail shaker and shake with ice. Strain into a double rocks glass over ice and garnish with a slice of apple, lime wedge, rosemary sprig and a cinnamon stick.

These smoky cinnamon apple cider margaritas were even better than I imagined. Cinnamon goes so well with tequila and I really love the smokiness the mezcal provides the drink. If you want the drink the be less sweet than swap out the agave nectar for some Cointreau. The 1pt infusion kit was so simple to use and really streamlined the whole infusion process. I love that you only infuse a half a bottle of spirit and that I don’t have to fine strain. It makes the whole process more simple but most importantly delivers consistent results. If you want to try any of the Teroforma 1pt collection products you can use “arseniclace10″ when you checkout for 10% off orders over $20, valid through January 31, 2018 on Teroforma.com. Cheers and happy infusing! xo

Lemongrass Pina Colada with Bai

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If you’ve been following my blog over the past year, you know my favorite cocktail is a piña colada. That’s why I’m excited to announce that I’ve teamed up with Bai for National Piña Colada Day to bring you something delicious with their Molokai Coconut flavor. It turns out Bai is just as crazy about coconut as me!

What’s the great part about using their Cocofusion flavors in your drinks? They are super low in calories and sugar (only 5 calories & 1 gram of sugar per serving) and are filled with antioxidant goodness. We’re basically using this to add coconut flavor but taking out the guilt, which is A-OK with me! Any objections? I’ve paired this wonderful fruit juice with homemade lemongrass syrup, pineapple, and rum to bring you a fun and interesting variation on the much loved classic, the piña colada.


Lemongrass Pina Colada

1 1/2 oz. white rum

1 1/2 oz. Bai Molokai Coconut (any of their other cocofusions will work too)

3/4 oz. pineapple juice

3/4 oz. lemongrass syrup

For the lemongrass syrup, first remove the leaves on your lemongrass until you’re left with the white core (about 5 stalks). Chop it up and add it to a pot with 1 cup of sugar and 1 cup of water.

Bring to a slight bubble and then turn the heat down and let it simmer for about 10-15 minutes. Let cool on stove for a few hours and then strain out lemongrass.

Now to make the cocktail! Add all your ingredients to your blender pitcher, add ice, and blend on smoothie setting. It’s that easy! Pour into your serving vessel and garnish with a pineapple wedge, pineapple leaves, and a piece of cooked lemongrass.

I love how all the flavors compliment each other perfectly. The replacement of coconut cream for the Bai Molokai Coconut, makes the drink less creamy but doesn’t sacrifice flavor. The lemongrass is sweet and fragrant and blends together with the coconut to make a very crisp and refreshing drink. We couldn’t celebrate National Piña Colada Day without a giveaway, so head over to my Instagram for a chance to win 2 cases of Bai. All you have to do in order to be entered to win is make sure you’re following me @arseniclace, @drinkbai, and tag a friend in the comments you want to share a piña colada with! I will reach out to the winner on Instagram on 7/15. Cheers, good luck and thank you for reading this sponsored post here on Arsenic Lace.

High Plains Margarita of the Year

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Hello Everyone, it has been quite awhile because of the move, but now that I’m settling in, I am super excited to share that I have teamed up with Patrón to bring you a variation on one of the most popular cocktails — the margarita! To celebrate this classic cocktail Patrón has crafted 7 artisanal recipes that showcase how versatile this drink can really be and is asking everyone to vote for their favorite. These special margaritas are being made at several bars and restaurants all over the country, but we can also make them at home! I’ve whipped up the High Plains Margarita which is a herbaceous spin on the margarita, incorporating muddled sage, smoky charred pineapple, yuzu and a spicy chipotle salt rim. YUM!


High Plains Margarita

1.5 oz Patrón Silver

.5 oz Patrón Citrónge Orange

2 Slices charred pineapple

.5 oz Fresh lime juice

.25 oz Yuzu juice

.25 oz Simple syrup

6 Sage leaves, 2 for garnish

2 dashes Lime bitters

Chipotle salt rim

Char 2 pineapple slices and reserve 1 slice. To make the drink combine 2 pieces pineapple, 4 sage leaves and simple syrup in shaker and muddle. Add remaining liquid ingredients and shake vigorously with ice to chill. Double strain onto fresh ice in a chipotle salt-rimmed rocks glass. Garnish with a slice of charred pineapple and 2 sage leaves. To make the chipotle salt, simply mix a 1/2 cup of salt with 3/4 tsp of dried chipotle powder.

The margarita is by far one of my favorite cocktails and this variation is no exception. It is well balanced, fruity — but not sweet, herbaceous, savory, smoky and with a kick of spice. This drink sure did the trick after the crazy month I just had, and I will most certainly be making these again in the future. These are perfect for those warm summer days when we will be grilling in the backyard. I can’t wait!

If you try the High Plains Margarita or another, don’t forget to vote for your favorite here or by using the hashtag – #highplainsmargarita – on Instagram/Twitter. And remember the perfect way to enjoy Patrón is responsibly!

Giveaway with Shaker and Spoon

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Hello Everyone! Excited to announce that I’ve teamed up with Shaker and Spoon for a little giveaway. If you’re not familiar with them they do a monthly subscription cocktail club. All you have to do is pick up the bottle and they take care of the rest! That just sounds too easy, doesn’t it? It defintely takes the hassle out of making drinks at home. No running to the super market, fussing over making syrups, running around for those impossible to find bitters. I know we’ve all done it…I defintely have.

Fear no more, because with Shaker and Spoon you can confidently make drinks for your date, friends, or just for yourself, and the cocktails will always be perfect and stress free.

I recieved February’s After Party Box which included ingredients for three champagne inspired cocktails, because after the holidays everyone has bubbly laying around, am I right? Guilty! I made the Time After Thyme by my friend Pamela Wiznitzer.

This cocktail combines the herbaceous fusion of cucumber, celery, and thyme with the fresh citrus of grapefruit and the effervescence of sparking wine. The Time After Thyme was devine and completely refreshing and very easy to make. All I had to do was build my ingredient in the glass, add ice, stir, and top with champagne. I may have had two (or three). I can’t wait to try the others and I can’t wait for you to get your hands on one of these boxes!

All you have to do to enter is go to my Instagram, comment on the photo that I’ve tagged Shaker and Spoon in, tag three friends you want to share cocktails with and make sure you’re following me (@arseniclace) and Shaker and Spoon (@shakerandspoon). Winner will be chosen at random and the contest will go for 48 hours. Good luck everyone, and hurry up and enter!

Everything but the booze!

Cheers and Good Luck!

Everything’s Coming Up Rosé with Jord Wood Watches

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Looking for Valentine’s Day ideas already? I hate to admit it, but it’s one of my favorite holidays, even if it’s kind of made up! Anything that has to do with eating, drinking, chocolate, flowers and pink, I’m all about. Pink and red is one of my favorite color combos and this is the only time of year I can buy pretty much anything in that color scheme. You feel the same way, don’t you?

If you’re looking for a tasty cocktail and a gift for her or him, look no further! I’ve teamed up with Jord Wood Watches to shake you up a delicious treat this Valentine’s Day. Jord makes beautiful wood timepieces that are very modern, stunning and completely unique. They offer many beautiful wood finishes and color options, and make both women’s watches and men’s watches. Moments are bigger than minutes and your watch should tell more than time. This Valentine’s Day is the perfect opportunity to show your loved one that your time, is and will always belong to them. There’s a contest going on to win a $100 to use on the Jord site. All you have to do is go here, and fill out of entry form. Contest closes 2/12. Good luck everyone!

I have matched my drink to my watch with the Cora Zebrawood & Rosé. It has a beautiful light blush face that accents the wild and natural grain of the Zebrawood. I’m shaking up my Everything’s coming up Rosé cocktail that has Gin, Lillet Rosé, lemon, blood orange, and a hibiscus/passion fruit tea syrup. It’s sweet, floral, fruity, and slightly lower ABV, so you can have a few. Oh, and it’s this beautiful deep pink color. Perfect!

Like Lillet Blanc, which you may be more familiar with, Lillet Rose is a wine-based aperitif, made from the Grand Cru Bordeaux grapes used for Lillet’s white and red versions, and then combined with fruit liqueurs. As a result it’s bright and fruit-forward but not overly sweet — a pleasure to sip on its own, or in cocktails. Since this cocktail is slightly lower ABV, if you want to kick it up a notch top it with Champagne. This would be a good batched drink for a punch bowl at your Galentine’s Day party as well. I used TAZO Passion for the tea syrup, I love using it in cocktails and it’s very easy to find. It is a blend of hibiscus, orange peel, rose hips, and passion fruit. Very fruity, herbal and compliments the other flavors in this drink wonderfully.


Everything’s Coming Up Rosé

1 oz. Gin (I used Brooklyn)

1 oz. Lillet Rose

3/4 oz. Blood Orange Juice (if those aren’t available regular oranges work)

1/2 oz. Lemon Juice

3/4 oz. Hibiscus Tea Syrup

Combine all ingredients in tin, shake with ice, and strain into a coupe glass. If you want to dry this cocktail out a little and also add more ABV top with champagne. It will be delicious. For the tea syrup brew a cup of tea (8 oz.) and then add the same amount of sugar. If you’re making a larger batch you will have to add more tea bags.

Giveaway with American Juice Co.

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Hello Everyone! I hope you all enjoyed your weekend. I’ve teamed up with American Juice Company to bring you a fun giveaway to celebrate me hitting 4K on Instagram. To enter is simple, all you need to do is:

A winner will be chosen at random, contacted, and wins a subrscription cocktail box, just like the one I photographed here.

American Juice Company makes amazing, all natural cocktail mixers that are used in bars & restaurants all over the world and are perfect for the at home drink maker as well. They have a lot of really unique flavors like spicy pumpkin seed, mango, blueberry, peach, apple, lychee and ginger (which is what I used to make these delicious cocktails).

Sometimes ginger cocktails can be too spicy and a little aggressive. Thats why they made a delightful blend of fresh ginger, oranges, lemons, lemon verbena infusion and cane sugar. Super refreshing, with a little bit of bite, but not overpowering. They recommend making a Moscow Mule but I did a little twist with cranberry and fresh rosemary that paired perfectly with their Ginger Gershwin juice/syrup blend.


Cranberry Spice Mule

2 oz. Titos Vodka

1 oz. AJC Ginger Gershwin

1.5 oz. Cranberry Juice

1/2 oz. Lime Juice

Top with Perrier Sparkling Mineral Water

Fresh Rosemary

Cranberries

Add vodka, ginger, cranberry, and lime to a mule cup, add ice and stir. Top with sparkling water and add ginger candy, rosemary and cranberries as garnish.

Please go enter the contest and if you’d like to try any of American Juice Companies amazing all natural juices and syrups enjoy 15% off when you use the code “arseniclace15”. Cheers everyone and good luck!