Beverages

Maple Bourbon Moscow Mule

October 30, 2018 by laurenpacek 1 Comment

Real maple syrup, bourbon, and apple cider come together to make a 10/10 Fall cocktail: the Maple Bourbon Moscow Mule.

I think that bourbon is wonderful year round. Classic Old Fashioneds, anyone?

But it’s especially good once the weather starts to cool down a bit. Bourbon is smooth and warming, and really complements classic Fall ingredients like apple cider and maple.

Fortunately for me (and you!), I was recently gifted a bottle of smoked maple bourbon. Its sweet maple flavor inspired these Maple Bourbon Moscow Mules.

Looking for more Moscow Mule recipes? I gotchu.

Maple Bourbon Moscow Mule

Prep Time

2 mins

Course: Beverage, Cocktail

Cuisine: American

Servings: 1 cocktail

Author: Lauren Pacek

Ingredients

1.5 oz smoked maple bourbon, see notes
.75 oz real maple syrup
3 oz apple cider
3 oz ginger beer
1/2 lime, juiced

Instructions

Combine all ingredients in a copper mug over ice.

Recipe Notes

Notes: I used Knob Creek Smoked Maple Bourbon Whiskey. You can use another (non-maple) bourbon if that's all you have on hand. The maple flavor just won't be quite as pronounced.

Homemade Cold Brew Coffee

August 21, 2018 by laurenpacek 8 Comments

Homemade cold brew coffee is amazing. For the vast majority of you out there, this will not be new information. But I only recently discovered this.

I’ve never been a coffee drinker. Like not at all. I realize that this is pretty unusual. In the past, I’ve even made efforts to like it. I was obviously doing something wrong.

Enter: cold brew.

Don’t get me wrong, I still love my Iced Chai Lattes. They’re delicious. But they can’t come close to the cracky goodness that cold brew provides.

Pour some over (lots of) ice, add a splash of half and half and a bit of sugar free syrup (salted caramel, please) and I’ll be in caffeinated heaven.

Making a batch of cold brew requires you to think ahead just a little bit. You’ll want to let it sit for 12 hours at room temperature before straining and drinking.

This cold brew will keep in the fridge for about 2 weeks. But let’s be honest, you’ll be making a new batch sooner than that.

5 from 4 votes

Homemade Cold Brew Coffee

Prep Time

5 mins

Cold brewing time

12 hrs

Total Time

12 hrs 5 mins

Course: Beverage

Cuisine: American

Servings: 8 cups

Author: Lauren Pacek

Ingredients

1 cup coffee, coarsey gorund
8 cups filtered water

Instructions

To make the cold brew

Combine the ground coffee and filtered water in a large container with a lid. I use a plastic pitcher.
Let the coffee sit for 12 hours (or longer, if you'd like stronger cold brew) at room temperature.
Strain the cold brew (see notes) into whatever container you plan to store it in. Refrigerate it until you're ready to use it.

When you're ready to drink your cold brew

Pour the desired amount of cold brew over ice.
Add your desired amount of milk/creamer/half and half/etc. and/or sweetener.

Recipe Notes

Notes:

I like to strain the cold brew through a fine mesh sieve lined with a coffee filter.
My current favorite way to drink my cold brew is with a splash of half and half and little bit of sugar free salted caramel syrup.

Classic Old Fashioned Cocktail

August 15, 2018 by laurenpacek 5 Comments

In my humble opinion, when it comes to cocktails, it doesn’t get much better than an Old Fashioned.

This is a drink of which Ron Swanson would approve. After all, he did utter these wise words:

It’s a classic cocktail that’s deceptive in its complexity. I say “deceptive” because it really only involves a handful of ingredients, many of which you may have in your home bar already. It doesn’t even involve shaking or much stirring!

When it comes to garnishes, you’ll definitely want to use an orange peel (or wedge) for that fresh orange flavor and aroma. And though a regular old maraschino cherry from a jar is fine (or no cherry at all, depending on your tastes) you can definitely kick up the fanciness a notch by garnishing your Old Fashioned with a homemade Luxardo Cherry. They couldn’t be easier to make and really add something to this drink.

And, yes. That is a bottle of rye in the picture. I had just finished off the last of my bourbon when making the pictured cocktail and I wanted to include a relatively full bottle of brown liquor in the photo. While we’re on the subject, it is worth noting that you can change things up and make an Old Fashioned with rye, too, if you’re so inclined.

5 from 2 votes

Old Fashioned Cocktail

Prep Time

5 mins

Course: Beverage, Cocktail

Cuisine: American

Servings: 1 cocktail

Author: Lauren Pacek

Ingredients

1 sugar cube
2-3 dashes Angostura bitters, see notes
small splash water
ice
2 oz bourbon
1 orange peel or wedge, for garnish
1 Maraschino or Luxardo cherry, for garnish (see notes)

Instructions

Add the sugar cube to the bottom of a rocks glass. Douse with bitters and a a small splash of water. Use a bar spoon to stir until the sugar has dissolved.
Add ice to the glass.
Pour bourbon over ice and stir.
Add orange peel and cherry for garnish.

Recipe Notes

Notes:

Angostura bitters are preferred, but orange-flavored bitters would work well, too.
The recipe for Homemade Luxardo Cherries can be found here!

I only ask that you imbibe with some amount of caution, as Old Fashioned cocktails are basically all booze.

In need of more bourbon-based cocktails? Girl, I’ve got you. Check out my Bourbon Moscow Mules, Blood Orange Bourbon Sours, Mint Juleps, and Bourbon Pumpkin Shrub Cocktails (Fall is around the corner, after all!).

Homemade Luxardo Cherries

August 9, 2018 by laurenpacek 8 Comments

Have you ever ordered a cocktail and it had a really delicious cherry in it as garnish? Odds are, it was a brandied cherry or a Luxardo cherry.

Luxardo cherries get their distinctive and delicious flavor from Luxardo Maraschino liqueur, plus some sugar and spices.

These Homemade Luxardo Cherries are the perfect addition to your home bar and to a cocktail. They are particularly good in an Old Fashioned (which I’ll share with you soon!).

This recipe was adapted every so slightly from the one found at Love & Victory.

4.75 from 4 votes

Homemade Luxardo Cherries

Prep Time

15 mins

Cook Time

15 mins

Total Time

30 mins

Course: Cocktail

Cuisine: American, Italian

Servings: 1 lb cherries

Ingredients

1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup water
1 cinnamon stick
1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
1 pinch kosher salt
1 cup Luxardo Maraschino Liqueur
1 lb cherries, pitted and stemmed

Instructions

Combine water, sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt in a saucepan, and bring it to a simmer. Stir occasionally as the sugar dissolves.
Add the Luxardo Maraschino Liqueur and cherries. Stir to coat all of the cherries in the syrup. Cook for 5 minutes to soften the cherries slightly.
Turn off the heat and allow the cherries to cool. Once cooled, store in the fridge in a tightly sealed jar.

Drop one or two of these cherries into a Classic Old Fashioned cocktail!

Basil Vodka Gimlet

June 25, 2018 by laurenpacek 2 Comments

This Basil Vodka Gimlet takes a classic cocktail (usually made with gin) and turns it on its head. Basil vodka is flavorful and refreshing, and makes this drink perfect for summertime sipping.

Remember the Basil Infused Vodka that I shared with you not that long ago? This cocktail makes excellent use of it!

Simply combine some of that vodka, a bit of simple syrup (preferably homemade–it’s so easy!), and fresh lime juice in a cocktail shaker with ice, shake until very cold, and strain into a rocks glass with ice. Make sure to garnish with some more fresh basil, too! Not only does it look pretty, but the extra basil aroma when you take a sip is really nice.

Make sure to take advantage of the abundance of fresh herbs during the warmer months by making one of these gimlets. These drinks will keep you satisfied (and a little tipsy) all summer long!

5 from 1 vote

Basil Vodka Gimlet

Prep Time

5 mins

Course: Beverage, Cocktail

Cuisine: American

Servings: 1 cocktail

Author: Lauren Pacek

Ingredients

2 oz basil-infused vodka, see notes
1 oz simple syrup, see notes
3/4 oz fresh lime juice
fresh basil leaves, for garnish

Instructions

Add the basil-infused vodka, simple syrup, and fresh lime juice to a cocktail shaker filled halfway with ice.
Shake until very cold and strain into a rocks glass with ice.
Garnish with fresh basil.

Recipe Notes

Notes:

The recipe for Basil-Infused Vodka can be found here
The recipe for simple syrup can be found here

Basil Infused Vodka

June 14, 2018 by laurenpacek 12 Comments

This Basil Infused Vodka is extremely easy to make and tastes and smells great. Plus, it makes an excellent addition to summery cocktails.

Basil, to me, represents summertime. I can’t taste or smell basil without thinking about summer.

Every year, I always make sure to grow lots of it. Even when I only had a 4×4 foot front stoop to work with, I made sure to have 3 plants growing in a container. This (over)abundance of basil is great, because I do a lot with it. I put it in my salads (if you haven’t tried herbs mixed in with your salad greens, you’re missing out!), eat it on top of grilled margarita pizza, and toss it into rustic, fresh tomato sauces.

And now I’m even incorporating it into my cocktails.

The process for making an infused vodka couldn’t be simpler. Grab a large bunch of fresh basil, stick the leaves in a mason jar (or other seal-able container), fill with plain vodka, seal the container, and walk away. You’ll want to let the container sit in a cool, dark place for up to 3 days. Feel free to taste it along the way to see if it’s where you want it to be, flavor-wise.

I’ll be experimenting with cocktails that use this Basil Infused Vodka and will have something delicious to share with you soon!

Make sure to also check out my Rosemary Infused Vodka! It’s great in mixed drinks, too, and the rosemary flavor makes it seasonally appropriate pretty much year-round.

5 from 2 votes

Basil-Infused Vodka

Prep Time

3 d

Total Time

3 d

Course: Cocktail

Cuisine: American

Servings: 3 cups

Author: Lauren Pacek

Ingredients

1 bunch basil, fresh (see notes)
3.5 cups plain vodka

Instructions

Place the basil leaves in a whatever container you want to use to make the infused vodka (see notes).
Pour the vodka over the basil until the container is full.
Seal the container and place it in a cool, dark location for up to 3 days. Strain the vodka through a sieve, discarding the basil. Pour the infused vodka back into the container in which it was infused (or the container of your choice).

Recipe Notes

Notes:

You want to use a large bunch of basil
A quart mason jar holds 3.5 cups of liquid

Iced Chai Lattes

May 21, 2018 by laurenpacek 6 Comments

Since the weather is warming up, I’ve had to trade my morning mug of hot tea for homemade iced chai lattes. I usually consume my morning caffeine at my desk at work, right after I get there. However, it’s just not that relaxing to come in from the hot hot outdoors and drink a hot beverage.

Fortunately, these Iced Chai Lattes are delicious, caffeinated, and cold.

I used to get iced chai lattes from Starbucks, loved them, and assumed that they were really complicated to make. But, as it turns out, they’re just… get this… spiced black tea and milk.

So simple!

It’s also pretty cool that you can use whatever spices in whatever proportions that you like. I use a pretty traditional chai blend, but do go a little heavy on the cardamom (I love it!). You can also make them as sweet (or not) as you like using your preferred sweetener.

Looking for other caffeinated goodness? Check out my Homemade Cold Brew Coffee!

5 from 2 votes

Iced Chai Lattes

Prep Time

5 mins

Cook Time

35 mins

Total Time

40 mins

Course: Beverage

Cuisine: American

Author: Lauren Pacek

Ingredients

6 cups water
1/2 cup sugar, see notes
2 3-inch cinnamon sticks
4 star anise
2 inches fresh ginger, peeled
1 tsp black peppercorns
1 tsp coriander seeds
10 whole cloves
2 tsp cardamon seeds
8 teabags black tea
milk, see notes

Instructions

Combine the water, sugar, and spices in a medium-sized saucepan over medium heat.
Bring to a boil, and allow the mixture to simmer for 10 minutes.
Turn the heat off and add the teabags to the saucepan. Allow the tea to steep for 20 minutes. Remove the tea bags and allow the tea to cool completely.
In whatever proportions you desire, pour the cooled tea over ice and top with milk.

Recipe Notes

Notes:

You can increase or decrease the amount of sugar to suit your tastes. I've used both brown and white granulated sugar with success.
I have used cows milk and almond milk. I can't speak to how these iced lattes turn out when using another kind.

Looking for more treats that feature chai flavors? Check out these Chai Spice Chocolate Chunk Muffins!

Pomegranate Margaritas

May 3, 2018 by laurenpacek Leave a Comment

These Pomegranate Margaritas are tart, not too sweet, and would be perfect for sipping on Cinco de Mayo. Although, now that I’m looking at these photos again, I think they’d make a pretty fantastic Christmas-time cocktail, too, given the color palette and all.

Okay, let’s be real, they’d be great no matter what time of year it is.

I’d highly recommend serving these alongside some Pressure Cooker Carnitas or Slow Cooker Taco Chicken. Serve them up taco-style, in a burrito or quesadilla, or just on their own. Maybe alongside some Cilantro Lime Rice?

Pomegranate Margaritas

Course: Beverage, Cocktail

Cuisine: American, Mexican

Servings: 1 cocktail

Author: Lauren Pacek

Ingredients

lime wedge for rimming the glass, optional
coarse salt or sugar for rimming the glass, optional
2 1/2 oz pomegranate juice
2 oz tequila
1 oz triple sec
1/2 oz simple syrup, see notes
1/2 lime, juiced
pomegranate arils, for garnish
lime wedge, for garnish

Instructions

Rub a wedge of lime around the rim of a margarita or rocks glass. Turn the glass upside down and press the rim into the coarse salt or sugar. Add ice to the glass. Set aside.
In a cocktail shaker with ice, combine the pomegranate juice, tequila, triple sec, simple syrup, and lime juice. Shake until very cold and strain into the prepared glass.
Garnish with pomegranate arils and a lime wedge.

Recipe Notes

Note:simple syrup can be found here The recipe for .

Looking for more tequila-based cocktails? Try these Apple Cider Margaritas, Mexican Moscow Mules, or a Pomegranate Palermo! In keeping with the pomegranate them, these Pomegranate Champagne Moscow Mules ain’t bad, either!

Mint Juleps

April 23, 2018 by laurenpacek 3 Comments

These Mint Juleps are perfect for Derby Day. Or any other hot day, for that matter.

Mint Juleps are super easy to make, too. Just muddle some mint leaves with simple syrup, pour in some bourbon, and top with lots of crushed ice. Garnish with another sprig of mint for the minty aroma and because it makes the drink look classy AF. I used chocolate mint because that’s what I have growing on my back deck.

According to the Kentucky Derby’s website, nearly 120,000 mint juleps are served during the course of the 2 day celebration. And it’s easy to see why. They’re delicious, sweet, and very refreshing.

But brace yourselves: they’re basically all bourbon. (not that I’m complaining)

I really like this recipe, but it’s worth acknowledging that there is no single accepted Mint Julep recipe. Many variations exist.

One thing that is agreed upon, though, is that they should be served in Julep Cups. The ones that I used in these pictures are not exactly traditional, but I think they qualify.

Mint Juleps

Prep Time

2 mins

Course: Beverage, Cocktail

Cuisine: American

Servings: 1 cocktail

Author: laurenpacek

Ingredients

1/4 oz simple syrup, see notes
8 mint leaves
2 oz bourbon
sprig of mint, for garnish

Instructions

Gently muddle the simple syrup and mint leaves in the bottom of a julep cup (or rocks glass)
Add the bourbon and stir
Top with lots of crushed ice, mounding it over on the top
Add the spring of mint for garnish

Recipe Notes

Note: The recipe for simple syrup can be found here.

Looking for more bourbon drinks? Try these Bourbon Moscow Mules, Maple Bourbon Moscow Mules, Bourbon Pumpkin Shrub Cocktails, and Blood Orange Bourbon Sours.

Mexican Moscow Mule

April 5, 2018 by laurenpacek 11 Comments

This Mexican Moscow Mule is a fun variation on the traditional Moscow Mule. All you have to do is swap in tequila for the usual vodka and you’re in business!

It’s not really a secret at this point that I’m pretty enamored with Moscow Mule cocktails. Seriously, just search this blog. You’ll find more than a handful of really delicious variations on the classic vodka + lime juice + ginger beer cocktail.

Last weekend, when in need of an adult beverage, I took stock of my pantry.

Ginger beer? Check. Limes? Check.

I was well on my way to enjoying a refreshing Moscow Mule. When it came time to select the liquor for this drink, I got to thinking… why not tequila instead of vodka?

We all know that tequila and lime play very well together (hello, margaritas). But tequila and ginger beer? Only one way to find out!

And you know what? As it turns out, they’re great together!

These Mexican Moscow Mules are super refreshing, making them perfect for the upcoming warmer weather. If Winter ever ends, that is ;). They’d also be great alongside any Mexican food that you love to eat.

Interested in more Moscow Mule recipes? Check out these Moscow Mule variations: Bourbon Moscow Mules, Cranberry Vanilla, Caramel Apple, Pomegranate Champagne, Old Kentucky Mules (bourbon + apple cider), and original Moscow Mules (with a slight twist)!

5 from 2 votes

Mexican Moscow Mule

Prep Time

2 mins

Total Time

2 mins

Course: Beverage, Cocktail

Cuisine: American

Servings: 1 cocktail

Author: laurenpacek

Ingredients

1.5 oz tequila
1/2 lime, juiced
ginger beer, to fill glass
lime wedge, for garnish

Instructions

Pour the tequila into a copper mug filled with ice
Squeeze the half lime into the mug
Top with ginger beer

Recipe Notes

Note: I like reposado or añejo tequilas, but use whatever you like!