Cocktails

These Cara Cara Orange Margaritas are sweet, just a little tart, and pleasantly boozy. You will not regret shaking up one (or two!) of these drinks.

I am obsessed with Cara Cara oranges. There, I said it. It’s always really exciting when they start showing up in grocery stores. Fortunately, Costco often carries them during the Winter months. I picked up a big bag during our last shopping trip.

Cara Caras are sweet, not very tart, and have really pretty pink-orange flesh. I like to peel and slice them up to have for breakfast with some avocado and a little kosher salt. They’re also good in a salad. And now, I know that they’re great in a cocktail.

If you can’t get your hands on Cara Cara oranges, you can sub navel or even blood oranges. But please use freshly juiced fruit. It makes all the difference.

It can be as simple as cutting an orange in half and squeezing it over a strainer. I put my Le Creuset citrus juicer to work when making these drinks (not sponsored–boy do I wish–I just really like it).

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Cara Cara Orange Margaritas

Prep Time

5 mins

 

Course: Beverage, Cocktail

Cuisine: Mexican

Servings: 1 cocktail

Author: Lauren Pacek

Ingredients

• lime wedge, for rimming glass
• kosher salt, for rimming glass
• 2 oz Cara Cara orange juice, freshly squeezed
• 1 1/2 oz blanco or silver tequila
• 3/4 oz triple sec
• 1/2 lime, juiced
• lime and Cara Cara orange wedges, for garnish

Instructions

1. Rim a rocks or margarita glass with lime juice and kosher salt. See the notes for detailed instructions on how to do this. Add ice to the glass and set aside.

2. Over ice, add the orange juice, tequila, triple sec, and lime juice to a cocktail shaker. Shake until very cold.

3. Strain the drink into the prepared glass.

4. Garnish with lime and Cara Cara orange wedges.

Recipe Notes

Notes:

How to rim a glass with salt (or sugar)

If you want to check out a couple other delicious margarita recipes, look no further than myPomegranate Margaritas and Apple Cider Margaritas.

Or if you want other cocktails that use orange juice, take a look at my Orange Creamsicle Crush recipe or these Blood Orange Bourbon Sours.

The Cranberry Rosemary French 75 is a riff on the classic French 75. Cranberry juice and rosemary infused vodka (plus fresh rosemary and cranberries for garnish!) make this drink especially festive.

A classic French 75 is made with gin (though vodka can be used, too), lemon juice, simple syrup, and champagne. It’s a very pretty, classy looking cocktail. With New Year’s Eve being right around the corner, I thought that a variation on that classic drink would be really good.

A while back, I made a batch of Rosemary Infused Vodka (mostly so that I could whip up the really delicious Palace Cafe Cocktail) and I’ve been looking to use it again ever since. Since vodka is often used in a French 75, and rosemary and cranberry are great together, I decided to combine all of these flavors in one drink.

These cocktails look pretty impressive (and very festive). Only you have to know how easy it was to put them together.

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Cranberry Rosemary French 75

Prep Time

2 mins

 

Course: Beverage, Cocktail

Cuisine: American, French

Servings: 1 cocktail

Author: Lauren Pacek

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 oz rosemary infused vodka, see notes for recipe
• 2 oz cranberry juice
• 3/4 oz lemon juice, fresh
• 2 oz champagne/prosecco
• fresh rosemary and cranberries, for garnish

Instructions

1. Add the rosemary infused vodka, cranberry juice, and lemon juice to a champagne flute.

2. Top with champagne/prosecco/your bubbly of choice.

3. Garnish with a sprig of fresh rosemary and a few fresh cranberries.

Recipe Notes

Notes: The recipe for Rosemary Infused Vodka can be found here

If you’re looking for more bubbly cocktails to help ring in the New Year, lemme make a few suggestions. Blackberry Champagne Floats couldn’t be easier (and you can use whatever flavor of sorbet you’d like). A Chambord Kir Royale looks and sounds very fancy, but is actually super easy to throw together. And let’s not forget about Pomegranate Champagne Moscow Mules, which are as pretty as they are tasty.

This Holiday Gin Moscow Mule is festive AF and is a really delicious variation on the Moscow Mule. While the flavors themselves are plenty festive enough, dressing this cocktail up with fresh rosemary and cranberries really takes it over the top!

These cocktails, while delicious any time of the year, are particularly good for the holiday season. I mean, look at them! Red, green, full of booze…

Speaking of which… The holiday season can be pretty stressful, amirite? Mix up some Holiday Gin Moscow Mules, sit back, and relax. You deserve it. Might I suggest doing so in front of a roaring fire? That’s certainly my plan for this holiday season.

Love gin and want more? Check out this equally festive Cranberry Gin and Tonic!

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Holiday Gin Moscow Mule

Prep Time

2 mins

 

Course: Beverage, Cocktail

Cuisine: American

Servings: 1 cocktail

Author: Lauren Pacek

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 oz gin, see notes
• 3 oz cranberry juice
• 3/4 oz rosemary simple syrup, see notes
• 1/2 lime, juiced
• 3 oz ginger beer
• fresh cranberries, sprig of rosemary, and lime wedge, for garnish

Instructions

1. In a copper mug over ice, combine the gin, cranberry juice, rosemary simple syrup, and lime juice. 

2. Top with ginger beer.

3. Garnish with fresh cranberries, a sprig of rosemary, and a lime wedge.

Recipe Notes

Notes: I used Conniption American Dry Gin.

You all know I have a serious thing for Moscow Mules. Is my love for this cocktail over the top? Maybe. But if you’re looking for other Mules, I’ve got you covered. What kind of spirits do you fancy?

Bourbon? There’s always the classic Bourbon Moscow Mule OR Maple Bourbon Moscow Mule. And let us not forget the Old Kentucky Mule.

Is vodka more your thing? Take a gander at the Caramel Apple Moscow Mule or very festive Cranberry Vanilla Moscow Mule. The Pomegranate Champagne Moscow Mule has vodka AND champagne!

Last, but certainly not least, if you’re a fan of tequila, the Mexican Moscow Mule may be for you.

Treat yourself to a festive Cranberry Gin and Tonic (or two, or three) this holiday season! You know that you deserve it.

Here we have taken a standard (and perfectly tasty) G&T recipe and made it even more delicious and festive with the addition of cranberry juice and fresh cranberries.

To be honest, I’ve always thought that (some) gin and tonics sometimes taste like a Christmas tree. Or at least taste the way that a Christmas tree smells. Know what I mean? Maybe? No?

Either way, the red from the cranberry juice and cranberries plus the green from the limes means that these drinks are all dressed up for the holidays.

If this Cranberry Gin and Tonic isn’t cutting it, or if you’re looking for more cranberry cocktails, check out my Cranberry Vanilla Moscow Mule recipe!

5 from 4 votes

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Cranberry Gin and Tonic

Prep Time

2 mins

 

Course: Beverage, Cocktail

Cuisine: American

Servings: 1 cocktail

Author: Lauren Pacek

Ingredients

• 1.5 oz gin, see notes
• 2 oz cranberry juice
• 1/2 lime, juiced
• 2 oz tonic water
• lime wedge and fresh cranberries, for garnish

Instructions

1. Over ice, combine the gin, cranberry juice, and lime juice in an old fashioned glass.

2. Top with the tonic water and garnish with a lime wedge and cranberries.

Recipe Notes

Notes: I like Conniption American Dry Gin.

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 7 votes

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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

1. 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.

2. Add ice to the glass.

3. Pour bourbon over ice and stir.

4. 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!).

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

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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

1. Place the basil leaves in a whatever container you want to use to make the infused vodka (see notes).

2. Pour the vodka over the basil until the container is full. 

3. 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