Whiskey Cocktails

Boozy Mexican Mocha

September 29, 2018 by Natalie 4 Comments

Has anyone ever made Mexican hot chocolate in the Winter? This Boozy Mexican Mocha recipe is similar to hot chocolate but with the addition of coffee — which automatically makes it my favorite. I pretty much look for any excuse to sneak another cup of joe into my day. Totally 100% have a coffee addiction and that’s why we’re celebrating National Coffee Day on the blog today!

Mexican Mocha is a rich chocolatey drink with a kick of warm baking spices and a little bit of heat from cayenne pepper. I prefer to use espresso in this recipe but strong coffee will work as well. Once you whip up the mocha mix, building the drink is super easy. It’s officially Fall now, and this Boozy Mexican Mocha is the perfect cocktail to make for the cooler nights we’re having.

Boozy Mexican Mocha, serves 1

6 oz. strong coffee (or two shots of espresso)

2 oz. Kerrygold Irish Cream

2 tbsp. Mexican mocha mix*

splash of milk or cream (optional)

grated cinnamon, for garnish

*Mexican Mocha Mix

2 tbsp. powdered sugar

1 tbsp. unsweetened cocoa powder

1/4 tsp. cinnamon

1/4 tsp. nutmeg

1/8 tsp. cayenne pepper

First, make you Mexican Mocha Mix by combining all the dry ingredients together in a bowl. Stir until mixed. This will make about enough for 2 cocktails. I love making a larger batch of this and then just storing it in a jar. That way I have the mix ready for whenever I’m in the mood. You know, for those cold or rainy days.

Dare I even mention snow yet?

I don’t want to think about it.

To make a cup of Boozy Mexican Mocha. Brew coffee or espresso and add 6 oz. to a mug. Add 2 tbsp. of Mexican Mocha Mix and stir until completely dissolved. Then mix in 2 oz. of Kerrygold Irish Cream. Stir and garnish with a sprinkle of cinnamon on top. If you’re looking for something less boozy or you want to add a little more creaminess, add a splash of heavy cream, half & half, or the milk of your choice.

Kerrygold Irish Cream couldn’t be any more perfect for this Boozy Mexican Mocha recipe. I basically used it as a substitute for milk in this recipe and it adds just the right amount of booze without being overpowering. Not to mention the extra lovely chocolate flavors it adds. A great idea for the holiday season is gifting jars of homemade Mexican Mocha Mix with a cute instructional tag and a bottle of Kerrygold Irish Cream. Sipping on this Boozy Mexican Mocha makes my heart so happy and I know you will love it too! Happy National Coffee Day everyone! xo

Frozen Irish Coffee

March 14, 2018 by Natalie 1 Comment

I love St. Patrick’s Day because it strangely reminds me of my favorite city, New Orleans. Although
I’ve never spent St. Paddy’s there, my favorite Irish bar, The Erin Rose, serves my favorite incarnation of the Frozen Irish Coffee. I’ve shared quite a few recipes for it over the years, and I might not know the exact recipe (it’s a secret), but every time I play around I feel like I get one step closer. Let’s just say if you’re taking the approach of making a milkshake then you’re on the right track.

Frozen Irish Coffee, serves 1

1 1/2 oz. Irish whiskey (I used Jameson)

1 1/2 oz. Irish cream (I used Kerry Gold Irish Cream)

1 1/2 oz. cold brew coffee (I used Stumptown)

1 scoop of coffee ice cream

cinnamon whipped cream, grated cinnamon, and grated coffee, for garnish

My favorite spec for a Piña Colada is equal parts and I really feel like it works super well for this Frozen Irish Coffee as well. Add all your ingredients to a blender pitcher with 1/2 cup of ice and blend on high until smooth. If you want a less thick consistency you can add a bit more coffee or even milk to thin it out. I drink my coffee VERY strong and that is why I used cold brew in this recipe. Using cold brew also makes the coffee flavor stand out more in the drink. If you aren’t looking to be super caffeinated you can use regular coffee, just make sure it’s cold and not hot. Adding hot coffee to a blended drink will make it too diluted.

Pour your Frozen Irish Coffee into your desired serving vessel, in this case, I used highballs and garnish with cinnamon whipped cream, grated cinnamon, and grated coffee. To make your cinnamon whipped cream add 1/2 cup heavy cream, 1/4 tsp. vanilla extract, and 1/4 tsp. ground cinnamon in the bowl of a stand mixer. Whip on high speed with the whisk attachment until thick peaks form. Spoon over the top of your drink and finish with grated cinnamon and coffee.

This Frozen Irish Coffee is not just perfect for St. Patrick’s Day but absolutely perfect to enjoy all Summer long. St. Paddy’s Day is the finish line of Winter for me. We’re SO close to Spring, it’s staying light out longer, and I can feel the brisk air finally starting to subside. If we can hold out a little bit longer, I promise there are sunny skies and warm days up ahead. You can bet I’ll be drinking quite a few of these Frozen Irish Coffees until next Fall. Hell, maybe I’ll even catch a flight down to NOLA to enjoy one at The Erin Rose. Cheers, Happy St. Patrick’s Day, and Happy ALMOST Spring everyone!! xo

Celebrate St. Patrick’s Day with the Irish Colada

March 10, 2018 by Natalie 1 Comment

St. Patrick’s Day is hardly a celebration without a little imbibing. I wanted to come up with something green without being cheesy (no green beers please!) so I put together this Irish Colada, a spin on the classic Pina Colada but with Irish whiskey, matcha, and banana. This Irish Colada is perfect for celebrating the Emerald Isle and a cocktail I will be drinking long after St. Patrick’s Day comes and goes.

Irish Colada, serves 1

1 1/2 oz. Irish whiskey (I used Jameson)

1/2 oz. banana liqueur

1 1/2 oz. pineapple juice

1 1/2 oz. matcha coconut syrup

pineapple wedge, pineapple leaves, and toasted coconut, for garnish

First, make your matcha coconut syrup. I used equal parts (1 can each) of coconut cream and coconut milk. In a saucepan combine them with 2 teaspoons of matcha powder, whisking until combined over low-medium heat. I used a matcha whisk to help incorporate the matcha better. Let cool and store in a jar or bottle in the refrigerator for 1-2 weeks.

I decided to make this drink shaken instead of frozen to mimic more of an iced matcha latte feel. Additionally, shaking it also doesn’t sacrifice the gorgeous green hue of the drink. Add all ingredients to a cocktail shaker with ice, shake, and strain over cracked or crushed ice in a highball or serving vessel of your choice. These adorable flamingo glasses are from my friend Meg over at Love & Victory. Finally, garnish your drink with a pineapple wedge, pineapple leaves, and toasted coconut. I toasted some coconut flakes with my kitchen torch but you can also do it over the stove.

The thing I miss the most about working in a tiki bar is an elaborately garnished drink. Each drink that went out was like a little piece of art. We had dozens of different straws, stirrers, and even little pipe cleaner animals! These sparkly palm tree stirrers remind me of those days and are from the Palm Springs Style Shop. I picked them up at the store while I was in Palm Springs for Modernism Week but they are also available here online if you need some fun garnishes at home!

Overall I really love how this Irish Colada came together. Whiskey and coconut complement each other surprisingly well and it was fun incorporating Irish whiskey into a tropical cocktail. The banana liqueur adds a touch more fruitiness and it’s one of my favorite ingredients to use with coconut in cocktails. In addition to the vibrant color, using matcha also adds health benefits to this drink. It’s packed with antioxidants/vitamins and is known to boost metabolism, relax the mind, increase concentration, and enhance the mood among many other things! Sounds like the perfect ingredient to pair with mood enhancing alcohol, don’t you think 😉 ? Matcha also adds sweet, vegetal, grassy notes that complement the other ingredients in this Irish Colada perfectly.

Do you have any special St. Patrick’s Day traditions? My mother always used to make corned beef and cabbage. I think my new tradition will be enjoying a few of these Irish Coladas. They certainly make the perfect boozy dessert. If you decide to make them, be sure to chime in on the comments below and tag a pic on Instagram using #ALinmyglass so I can see. I’d love to hear about what you’re doing this St. Paddy’s Day. Cheers everyone! xo

Lemon Meringue Hot Toddy

February 20, 2018 by Natalie Leave a Comment

If you’re reading this I’m in sunny and beautiful Palm Springs, California by now. The night before we left, however, was a mere 32°F with mixed rain and heavy snow. It’s safe to say I was ready to hop on that plane! I teamed up Talbott Teas for this post to show you how I stayed warm this February with my delicious Lemon Meringue Hot Toddy using one of their teas!

Talbott Teas offers an exotic and extensive array of gourmet tea flavors to suit any mood or occasion. Characterized by their rich flavors, vivid colors, and soothing aromas, Talbott Teas’ premium tea blends provide a sophisticated playground for the senses. Masterfully blended and made with hand-selected, whole tea leaves, their specialty teas are full-bodied, suffused with subtle yet complex character. Their Luscious Lemon Meringue was the perfect addition to one of my favorite Winter beverages.

Lemon Meringue Hot Toddy, serves one

1 1/2 oz. bourbon

1/2 oz. Licor 43

1/2 oz. fresh lemon juice

1/4 oz. honey

top with Talbott Teas Lucious Lemon Meringue

garnish with a float of toasted Swiss meringue*

*Swiss Meringue Topping

2 egg whites, room temperature

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1 tsp. vanilla extract

First, make your meringue. In a saucepan, bring two inches of water to a low simmer. In a clean heat safe bowl, place the egg whites and sugar and mix them well with a whisk. Place the bowl on top of the saucepan with barely simmering water and mix continuously. This is important as the whisking prevents the egg whites from cooking.

Stir the egg whites and sugar with the whisk for about 2-3 minutes until the sugar has dissolved and the egg whites become creamy white in color. Remove the eggs from the double boiler and immediately start whisking the egg whites with your stand mixer, to make the meringue. Whisk on high for about four minutes until the egg whites have tripled in volume and have stiff peaks. Add vanilla and mix until incorporated. You can store this in an airtight container until ready to serve. You can also make this ahead of time as it will keep in the fridge for up to 24 hours.

Making your cocktail is the easy part because all you have to do is brew your tea and assemble. Add bourbon, Licor 43, lemon juice, and honey to a serving mug of your choice and top with tea.

Finally, top with meringue and toast it using a torch. This was really fun and was actually my first time making meringue or using a kitchen torch. I can’t wait to use it for other things!

This is probably my favorite Hot Toddy of all time as a matter of fact. Licor 43 adds a nice vanilla flavor which makes this drink a lot like having a piece of real lemon meringue pie. The lemon meringue tea from Talbott Teas adds fresh herbal notes of lemongrass which is bright, refreshing, and aromatic. Adding fresh lemon juice balances the sweetness in this drink and is a key ingredient to making a classic hot toddy in addition to honey.

The icing on top of the cake, or in this case the drink, is what really brings everything together, the Swiss meringue. It’s beautiful, delicious, and makes this Lemon Meringue Hot Toddy the perfect dessert drink to warm you up on those chilly February nights. I’m hosting a giveaway on Instagram so you can have a chance at winning some Talbott Teas of your own. You have to promise if you win that you will make this Lemon Meringue Hot Toddy though. Good luck everyone and I hope you’re keeping warm. Spring is just around the corner! xo

Boozy Hot Chocolate

November 28, 2017 by Natalie 1 Comment

The history of hot chocolate dates back to Aztecs and Mayans, but it was the Spanish who first experimented with adding sugar and milk, in addition to a host of modifiers, including cinnamon, orange peel, and even ambergris, to spice it up. Spirited variations on the hot chocolate can take many forms. My favorite things to mix in Boozy Hot Chocolate is whiskey, rum, tequila, cream liqueur, vanilla liqueur, creme de cacao, coffee liqueur, or even sherry.

I created this Boozy Hot Chocolate variation with Kerrygold Irish Cream Liqueur to promote their Holiday Contest where those who enter the contest will be up for a chance to win a trip to NYC for St. Patrick’s Day complete with a cash prize and tickets to an exclusive, VIP event with Kerrygold Irish Cream Liqueur. Contestant’s cocktails will be judged, based on visual aspects, creativity, and overall execution. This contest will run from mid-November through the end of December, with the winner being announced in January. For more details on the contest and to enter, visit: www.kerrygoldirishcream.com/NYC. Rules and restrictions apply. US entrants only. Must be 21 years or older to enter.

Boozy Hot Chocolate, serves 1

1 oz. Kerrygold Irish Cream Liqueur

1 oz. Irish Whiskey

2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder

1 to 2 tablespoons of sugar

pinch of salt

1 cup of milk

1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract

Whisk together the cocoa, sugar, salt, and about 2 tablespoons milk in a small saucepan over medium-low heat. Stir until all ingredients have dissolved and then whisk in the remainder of the milk. Heat over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until hot. Add the vanilla extract and whisk until completely incorporated.

Once the hot chocolate is prepared you can build your drink. Add the Kerrygold Irish Cream Liqueur and whiskey to your desired serving vessel. Pour the hot chocolate on top, stir, and garnish with marshmallows or whipped cream and a dusting of cocoa powder.

This recipe multiplies very easily in case you want to make a larger batch. Add the hot chocolate and your spirits to an enamel pot or pitcher so that it stays warm for serving. This Boozy Hot Chocolate is a breeze to make and is sure to keep you nice and toasty on a cold day. I hope you try this one at home or come up with your own recipe. If you do don’t forget to enter the contest. I’d love to see you in NYC for St. Patrick’s Day. Happy sipping and good luck! xo