Writing about food and drink certainly has its set of perks, and one of those is undoubtedly the collection of booze I have amassed.
Thing is, I rarely drink booze at home (opening beer and wine is so much simpler!), and when I do, it’s whiskey on the rocks or maybe gin/vodka and seltzer. Not incredibly creative.
Instead, I called on my ragtag group of friends (which includes a former bartender, Sam; beer cocktail maven, Tierney; and Made From PA blogger (and bonafide foodie/cocktailist extraordinaire), Lissa; plus fellow imbibers) for a night of informal mixology.
I asked everyone to bring a small snack to share, and I ordered a pizza and served pre-libation waters to prep us.
We had quite the spread of liquors. Some of the featured booze included:
Clyde May’s Alabama Whiskey
#RealTalk: I got a cough a couple weeks before our Boozapalooza, and I opened up this cutie and poured it over rocks to sip on. I liked it a lot. A lot. So much that I hid the tiny bit that remained in the bottle for this party. Sorry friends. But hey, add this to your wishlist, or snag a bottle for a friend this holiday season. Just $35 $33.99 (already bought one) for a 750 ml bottle. Soft, vanilla notes. I guess you could mix it with stuff, but I like it on its own.
Bonus: Look for the limited edition, 110-proof Clyde May’s Special Reserve coming this season.
Find it
Click through for more about some of the great cocktails we created. And by we, I definitely mean my friends. I was merely a record-taker.
1800 Silver Tequila
Manhattan Moonshine
Monkey Coconut Rum
BACARDI Gran Reserva Ocho Años
Caorunn Scottish Gin
We also sampled and experimented with some of the following:
FRUITLAB Jasmine Organic Liqueur
Jasmine has that intoxicating candy aroma, and this is well represented here without becoming cloying. Citrus adds a hint of spice and green and black tea round it out. Less versatile than the Hibiscus, in my opinion, but a skilled mixologist could find plenty of uses for this.
TRU Organic Gin
Easily our group’s favorite gin, this one surprises you with its light amber color (we’re used to clear gin!) with 14 whole botanicals, like coriander, fennel, allspice, chamomile, star anise, fresh lavendar, vanilla beans and more. Mix this with Cucumber Dry Soda or just sip it over ice.
Marlee’s Green Tea Whiskey
Marlee’s keeps it simple, using only a handful of ingredients: American Rye Whiskey, Gunpowder Green Tea and Organic Mexican Blue Agave. More tea than whiskey and very low in alcohol, we decided this would make a mean Ice Pick, simply over ice with a big lemon slice and a straw.
Or try the Big Apple Cocktail:
- 4 oz Marlee’s Green Tea Whiskey
- 1 oz Apple Juice
- Top with Ginger Beer
Stay tuned for more cocktail recipes, including some local and regional liquors — PLUS, look for my Holiday Booze Guide later this month.
