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la Manzana Astuta

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Our goal here was to combine a variety of flavors and ingredients working together to create a drink both delicious and visually appealing. The combination of apple and pomegranate juices, Earl Grey tea, lemon juice, and honey syrup provides a balance of sweetness, tartness, and depth, while the spices add warmth and comfort. The sparkling water adds a touch of lightness and refreshment, making it the perfect drink for any occasion. We hope you enjoy it!

Ingredients:

  • 2 oz freshly squeezed apple juice
  • 1 oz pomegranate juice
  • 1 oz sparkling water
  • 1 oz Earl Grey tea, cooled
  • 1/2 oz lemon juice
  • 1/2 oz honey syrup (recipe below)
  • Dash of cinnamon
  • Dash of ground nutmeg
  • Dash of ground clove
  • Apple slice or lemon wedge, for garnish

Instructions:

Fill a tall glass with ice. Pour in the apple juice, pomegranate juice, sparkling water, Earl Grey tea, lemon juice, and honey syrup. Add dashes of cinnamon, nutmeg, and clove. Stir well. Taste and adjust the sweetness and spices as needed. Stir again, garnish with an apple slice or lemon wedge, and serve immediately.

The apple and pomegranate juices provide sweetness and tartness, while the Earl Grey tea and lemon juice add depth and complexity. The honey syrup balances out the flavors and the spices give it a warm and comforting taste. The sparkling water gives it a light and refreshing touch.

Placeholder…photos coming soon.

the Kisses of Gnomes

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For these shots, we were inspired by the traditional flavors of chai tea. We wanted to create a shot that was both somewhat familiar and exciting, with a well-balanced flavor profile that would appeal to a wide range of tastes. Finally, the different layers of flavor and texture in the shot make it both visually appealing and delicious to drink, making it a great choice for your celebrations.

Ingredients:

  • 1 oz. chai tea concentrate
  • 1 oz. pomegranate juice
  • 1 oz. vanilla syrup (recipe below)
  • 1 oz. almond milk
  • Cinnamon powder
  • Star anise

Instructions:

Fill two shot glasses with equal portions of the chai tea concentrate and pomegranate juice, creating two separate layers. Carefully pour the vanilla syrup on top of the pomegranate juice, being careful not to disturb the other layers. Slowly pour the almond milk on top of the vanilla syrup, creating a swirl effect. Sprinkle a generous amount of cinnamon powder on top of each shot. Place a star anise on top of each shot for added color and aroma (for looks and scent–do not eat star anise whole).

This shot combines the warm and spicy flavor of chai tea with the tart and sweet flavor of pomegranate juice. The vanilla syrup adds a touch of sweetness and creaminess, while the almond milk provides a smooth and nutty flavor that balances the spiciness of the chai tea. The cinnamon powder adds a touch of warmth and depth to the shot, while the star anise adds a touch of flare and aroma that complements the other flavors.

Placeholder…photos coming soon.

Cranberry Kicker

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This is a refreshing play on a ginger mule.

Ingredients:

  • 2 oz cranberry juice
  • 2 oz ginger beer (preferably Fever Tree)
  • 1 oz fresh lime juice
  • 1 oz simple syrup (recipe below)
  • A pinch of cayenne pepper
  • Ice cubes

Instructions:

Fill a shaker with ice. Add the cranberry juice, lime juice, simple syrup, and cayenne pepper to the shaker. Shake well to mix. Strain the mixture into your highball glass filled with ice, and top with ginger beer. Stir gently and serve.

This cocktail has a sweet, tangy, and spicy flavor, with a touch of heat from the cayenne pepper. The cranberry juice provides a sweet, tart flavor, the ginger beer contributes a spicy kick, the lime juice provides tartness, and the simple syrup adds sweetness. The cayenne pepper will provide a warming sensation that mimics the heat of alcohol. Give it a try!

Placeholder, photos coming soon.

the Audacious Bunny

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A riff of the Peter Piper we present below–we were struggling to find any sort of passionfruit locally, so we had to improvise (shocker: it’s difficult to find tropical fruit in Colorado in February). The result is refreshing and complex, and it has a kick from the black pepper syrup.

Ingredients:

  • 2 lime wedges, plus lime juice as needed
  • 10 dashes Lucini White Balsamic Vinegar
  • 3/4 oz Tellicherry Black Pepper Syrup (recipe below)
  • 3/4 oz pineapple juice
  • 1 oz tonic water
  • 1 oz ginger beer
  • Pineapple fronds and/or pineapple slice, for garnish

Instructions:

Squeeze the lime wedges into a jigger and then fill the jigger with lime juice until you reach 1/2 oz. In a cocktail shaker, combine the lime juice, lime rinds, and remaining ingredients except the garnish. Fill a highball glass with crushed ice. Add a few ice cubes to the shaker, cover, and shake vigorously, essentially whipping the ingredients. Strain the mixture into the glass and garnish. Add a splash of ginger beer and tonic water, and stir gently to combine. Serve immediately and enjoy!

This soft cocktail has a complex and somewhat bold flavor profile with a balance of sweet, sour, and spicy notes. The lime juice and vinegar provide the sour element, while the Tellicherry black pepper syrup adds a spicy kick. The ginger beer adds a touch of sweetness and spice, the tonic water adds a gentle bitter undertone, and the pineapple juice provides a fruity sweetness.

Placeholder, photos coming soon.

Old Fashioned

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This is a new twist on an old fashioned–a cocktail that typically consists of bourbon, orange peel, bitters, and cherry.

Ingredients:

  • 2 oz brewed black tea
  • 3/4 oz unsweetened cranberry juice
  • 1/2 oz freshly squeezed orange juice
  • 1 oz pure maple syrup (or agave syrup)
  • 2-4 dashes of aromatic bitters (Fee Brothers or similar)
  • Orange peel & Luxardo maraschino cherry, for garnish

Instructions:

Brew the black tea ahead of time, letting it chill until it’s time to make your drinks.

In a double old fashioned glass filled with ice cubes (or one large cube) and add the tea. In a shaker, add the cranberry juice, orange juice, syrup, and bitters. Gently shake to mix. Strain the mixture into your glass with tea. Express the orange peel over the drink to release its essential oils, then use it to garnish the drink. Add cherries as desired. Serve immediately and enjoy.

Ideas to Modify:

To enhance the flavor and complexity of the mocktail, you could try infusing the black tea with some herbs or spices, such as cinnamon, cloves, or cardamom, before mixing it with the other ingredients. Or, consider using a different type of juice, such as pomegranate or grapefruit juice, to replace the cranberry juice, which can add a unique flavor to the drink. Instead of using maple syrup, you could try using honey or a honey syrup, which can add a floral note to the mocktail. To give the drink a smoky flavor that’s reminiscent of a traditional Old Fashioned, you could try using lapsang souchong tea instead of black tea, which has a smoky flavor due to its drying process over pine wood fires.

This non-alcoholic Old Fashioned has a fruity, sweet-tart flavor with a slightly bitter finish. The black tea is used instead of bourbon, giving the cocktail a rich taste in lieu of the alcohol. The unsweetened cranberry juice provides a tart fruity flavor, the orange juice provides a citrus flavor, and the maple syrup balances the flavors with sweetness and dark sugar notes. The bitters provide an aromatic quality that is typical of an Old Fashioned.