Drink up all the colors of love…
A Simple Bottled Negroni… for two… or more
Make a Shirley Temple with a bottle of homemade grenadine
Search Results for: tequila
Rey’s Rations a cocktail inspired by The Rise of Skywalker
I have walked through Star Wars land here in Southern California many, many times now and still, when I change lands from Disney to Batuu I still cannot get over the total transformation that happens. I honestly did not think I would care one bit about it, but I do find myself, while at Disneyland, making a point to stop through that land just to take in the sights and sounds. Oh! And they have booze there too!
This is not the first movie themed cocktail on this site, although it might be the first time I ever mentioned Star Wars on here. And so today, with the opening of The Rise of Skywalker, I bring you a transformative cocktail, with that fun parlor trick of color changing drinks, to channel a little bit of Rey on here. Will the cocktail stay blue? Will it go red? Somewhere in-between with purple? Do you even know what I’m talking about? Use the force.
If you don’t, it doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy this sweet and spicy concoction. Enjoy this cocktail you will (STOP IT ELANA YOU ARE EMBARRASSING YOURSELF).
Anyways, a few things to note about this drink and why I have it on my site.
- No, Lucasfilm is in no way endorsing this or even knows who I am.
- I was inspired by Tequila Cazadores, who I am working with this year as an ambassador, but this is not a sponsored post.
- Instant horchata mix is YOUR FRIEND! And so you can make a single drink, or a whole bunch of them with this magic powder!
- If you don’t care so much about the color changing and just want to drink your drink, go ahead and shake the whole thing together and then strain. But don’t forget the cinnamon!
Creamy, with fresh vegetal notes from the tequila and peppers, it has a spicy kick with a sweet finish.
Rey’s Rations
1 ounce Spicy Blue Syrup (recipe follows)
1-1/2 ounces Tequila Cazadores Reposado
3/4 ounce freshly squeezed lime juice
4 ounces horchata
freshly grated cinnamon
In a highball glass, filled with crushed ice and pour in the Spicy Blue Syrup. Set aside. In a shaker filled 2/3 with ice, shake together the Tequila Cazadores Reposado, lime juice, and horchata. Strain over the ice. Sprinkle some freshly grated cinnamon over the top. Gently stir to combine and watch the force awaken.
Spicy Blue Syrup
1-2 cup sugar
1/2 cup water
1 chile pepper, de-stemmed, seeded, and roughly chopped (Anaheim if you want less spice, Jalapeño if you want more spice)
2 bags of butterfly pea flower tea
In a small saucepan, combine the sugar, water, and chopped chile pepper. Bring to a boil and lower to a simmer. Simmer for 10 minutes. Remove from heat and add the tea bags. Let sit for 8 minutes and then fine strain tea bags and chile pepper pieces. Use immediately or keep refrigerated in an airtight container for up to two weeks.
Cocktail Pantry Twists: Hot Pepper Cranberry Jelly Margarita
The Cocktail Pantry Twists Series is made in partnership with Stonewall Kitchen. Recipe and ideas are my own.
Hello and welcome to my pantry. Yes, my actual pantry.
In these cold weather months, sometimes it’s hard to come across some fresh ingredients to make drinks with. Or the ones we find at the store are flying here from thousands of miles away and, well, come with a hefty price tag too. So to beat those winter blues, we’ve teamed up with Stonewall Kitchen, who have been gracing my shelves for years (Like almost two decades now. I. AM. OLD.), to add some great flavors to our drinks with their assortment of jams and condiments.
I’ll be taking over their Instagram Stories on Friday the 6th to share some how-to videos and be a talking head, but you all get the recipes here first! And there’s three this week! Also, I’ll be having a giveaway Friday as well on my IG page and you’ll have a chance to win ALL the products to make the recipes with. It’s like getting a holiday basket delivered to your door except better because you’ll be able to make cocktails with everything inside.
First up in the series of cocktail pantry twists is a Hot Pepper Cranberry Jelly Margarita made with Stonewall Kitchen’s Hot Pepper Cranberry Jelly. It’s holiday time and I love the sweet-tart cranberries that are a ubiquitous part of the season. And I love a Spicy Marg too. This cocktail mixes up blanco tequila with a sweet, spicy, and sour flavor profile. It’s bursting with delicious ingredients and I think it’s just the drink to kick up our taste buds when we are craving those juicy fruit flavors.
Now, since your grocery store may or may not have citrus (even though winter is when citrus is in season!), and we’re all hanging out together in my pantry, I’ve got a few substitutions for fresh lime juice below. Now some might seem a bit out there, but this is also keeping in mind that you’re using cranberries in this Margarita and they have their own sourness, so you can mellow the citrus out a bit and use something like orange juice.
No limes? Try these alternatives:
- Meyer Lemons
- Orange Juice
- Organic, all natural bottled lime juice
- Lemonade
Hot Pepper Cranberry Jelly Margarita
- 1-1/2 ounces blanco tequila
- 1 tablespoon Stonewall Kitchen Hot Pepper Cranberry Jelly
- 3/4 ounce orange liqueur
- 1/2 freshly squeezed lime juice (or a substitution from the list above)
- kosher salt for rim
First, take a lime wedge and wet the edge of a rocks glass, and then roll the outer edge of the glass in the salt. Set aside. In a shaker 2/3 filled with ice, pour in the tequila, the Hot Pepper Cranberry Jelly, orange liqueur, and the lime juice. Shake hard 20 seconds and then strain into the rocks glass. Garnish with a small spoon topped with additional Hot Pepper Cranberry Jelly. Enjoy!
See you tomorrow for the next recipe in our series!
Monday Booze News Booze festivals, get to know Sherry, and that one cocktail video we're still talking about
- We celebrated DÃa de los Muertos this past weekend. There was tequila.
- Time to get cozy with Sherry.
- The no nonsense cocktail book you need on your shelf.
- What’s new in the world of Prosecco for 2020!
- Stopping by San Antonio? Here is every brewery you should visit.
- And while you’re in town, tickets are now on sale for the cocktail conference!
- Wine terminology can be confusing. Learn what a cru is and be, well, less confused.
- Are you drinking pox? You should be.
- San Diego Beer Week is happening NOW! Who’s going??
- And finally, the true story about the internet’s most viral cocktail videos.
Día de los Muertos Celebrations with Tequila Cazadores
This post was made in partnership with Tequila Cazadores. Recipes and ideas are my own.
Not all skulls are spooky. At this time of year, death in many forms takes center stage as many of us celebrate Halloween, and for those practicing Catholicism, there is also All Saints’ Day and All Souls’ Day. In Mexico at this time of year Día de los Muertos is a national celebration where one can’t help but see skulls everywhere. But these skulls are not our spooky Halloween skulls, these are in celebration, as a time of remembering those who have died. And why are we talking about this here today?
Well, for one, we’re right in the middle of Day of the Dead celebrations, which go from October 31st to November 2nd. And secondly, Tequila Cazadores has released a special bottle to commemorate the holiday designed by the Mexican artist Victoria Villasana. She “was inspired by the Cazadores Stag and its meaning in indigenous cultures in Mexico. The stag is a messenger, a powerful animal that represents sensitivity and intuition. Just like Día de los Muertos, it represents a connection with our ancestors and the bridge between life and death.”
Day of the Dead celebrations are vibrant, colorful affairs and Villasana has translated that onto the bottle through her use of painting with yarn. She is an amazing artist whose aesthetic blends perfectly with the celebrations.
This year marks the first year that I am making an altar with ofrendas, or offerings, at home. I was introduced to the holiday through my Mesoamerican Art History studies in college years ago, but this year my oldest has started asking some big questions about life and death lately. I feel like this is the perfect way to not only honor our deceased relatives, but to give an honest answer about the cycle of life in a way that is not scary, but rather joyous and celebratory.
If you are thinking about celebrating Día de los Muertos in your home this year for the first time. Here’s a primer on a few of the symbols that would be found on the altar and in the home.
- Alcohol: Any alcohol favored by the dead is used to toast the arrival of their spirit.
- Pan de Muerto: This is a semisweet bread that is eaten on the second day of the holiday. It is baked in the shape of bones and dusted with sugar; it also represents the soil.
- Marigold flowers: Marigolds held guide loved ones’ souls back to the world of the living.
- Sugar skulls: Sugar skulls, or calaveras, are made from pure sugar and given to friends as gifts. They are elaborately decorated, and their colorful designs represent the vitality of life and individual personality.
- Candles: Candles represent fire and serve as a light guiding the spirits back to visit the land of the living.
- Monarch butterflies: These butterflies⸺which migrate to Mexico each fall⸺are believed to be the spirits of the dead coming to visit.
- Candy: Altars built for deceased children include a candy offering.
- Salt: In Latin culture, salt is considered the spice of life.
Halloween Time Cocktails!
Candy in cocktails? Sure, we’re all adults here…
A color changing cocktail: The Purple Halo
Black Licorice and Amaro Bat Jellies
Spooky FANTA of the Paradise/Opera Cocktails
Monday Booze News Salt beyond the Margarita rim, Michael Jordan has a booze label now, and is White Claw disappearing?
- First, we’ve got a round up of our fav boozy books that have been released in the last few months and some soon-to-be released ones you should get!
- Here’s five reasons you should keep drinking pink wine through the fall.
- Is there a perfect vessel for making wine? A look at ways of ageing and fermenting wine beyond (but including) the oak barrel.
- What is salt and how can it be used when it’s not on the rim of a Margarita?
- Hey Boston, you have some sweet looking frozen cocktails I’d like to drink!
- Need a cheap wine that doesn’t suck? Check these out.
- Expensive new celebrity tequila from… Michael Jordan?
- What say you? For or against the draft cocktail movement?
- I’m going to pull one point from this article on politics and bars and say that we should be talking politics more in these establishments.
- And finally, better stock up on White Claw before it runs out. Or not. Your choice.
Monday Booze News Don't drink the jet fuel booze, drinking from watermelons, and finally shirts to hold your beer in
- First, now is the time of year to be drinking tequila out of hollowed out watermelons… so get on that.
- Second, nominations for Saveur’s best blogs (and Instagram now cause blogs are harder to come by) has begun. If you’re enjoying what we do, please consider a nomination for us! Best special interest, or drinks IG, or, I dunno, photography are all perfectly fine categories.
- Rosé all day… but without the booze?!
- This summer I swore I’d bring you all more boozy popsicles and… well, here’s some Frosémonade. It sounds dumb to say but I bet it tastes good.
- During the summer I dream about getting a cocktail down at a bar in Antarctica.
- Those Nick & Nora glasses on your shelf come from this on-screen couple.
- Who first appeared in this book.
- Counterfeit booze: if it smells like jet fuel, don’t drink it!
- Hey guys! Do you need a Hawaiian shirt that also nicely holds your beer? Yes, yes you do.
- And finally, an updated list all the places to buy specialty ice for you and/or your bar.
Spicy Watermelon Margaritas for Two and a homemade citrus salt recipe
This post was made in partnership with Tequila Cazadores. Recipes and ideas are my own.
If berries are my favorite summer fruit, watermelons are a close second. If only they weren’t such a pain to break down! And all those seeds, ugh! But I think today I’ve found a much better work around, and it includes Margaritas… so of course I’m excited.
We’ve all seen those wacky watermelon kegs (ahem, I may have even enticed you to buy one on this site before too), but what if you want the watermelon experience and there’s only two of you? Get yourself a mini seedless watermelon and hollow half of it. Boom! It’s like a very convenient and way less expensive tiki bowl. Then you can use the insides of the watermelon flesh to make Spicy Watermelon Margaritas… for two of you. You don’t need to remove any seeds or even cut it into pieces. And that very recipe we have down below.
You know what’s also exciting? It’s National Tequila Day! Today, and maybe National Margarita Day, might be some of my very favorite drink holidays. I mean, I’m not waiting to have a Spicy Marg on just these occasions, but the reminder sure doesn’t hurt. I’ll be celebrating today with Tequila Cazadores Blanco whose 100% blue agave with its clean, smooth taste ensures that I will have the most delicious drink.
And to ensure my friends also will have something delicious to drink today, I’m sending out a few tequila bags via special delivery…which would be me in my car. If you head on over to my Instagram page today you can see those bags in action, literally (go see what I mean!). In the bags I’m including some handmade citrus salt that would be so perfect with this drink if you don’t decide to use a watermelon as a drinking vessel, although I highly encourage it.
Ok! Let’s go break open some watermelons!
Spicy Watermelon Margaritas for Two
1/2 mini seedless watermelon, flesh removed and set aside
4 ounces Tequila Cazadores Blanco
2 ounces freshly pressed watermelon juice
4 chunks watermelon
1-1/2 ounces orange liqueur
1-1/2 ounces freshly squeezed lime juice
pinch of salt
3-4 slices of jalapeño
mint and lime slices for garnish
In a shaker filled with crushed ice, pour in Tequila Cazadores Blanco, watermelon juice, watermelon chunks, orange liqueur, lime juice, salt, and jalapeño slices. Shake hard 30 seconds and pour unstrained into the hollowed out watermelon. Add more crushed ice if necessary. Garnish with mint and lime slices. Any maybe a few tiny umbrellas. Enjoy National Tequila Day!
Citrus Salt
3-4 dried citrus wheels*
3 tablespoons kosher salt
Grind the citrus wheels in a spice or coffee grinder until fine. Run through a coarse mesh strainer to remove any larger white pith parts. Combine salt and ground citrus in an airtight container. Store in a cool, dry place.
*If you’d like to see how to make dehydrated citrus wheels, check out our DIY Story on our Instagram page!
Monday Booze News Boozy doughnuts, drinking with dogs, and pro tips for surviving Tales
- First, did you catch our post for Bastille Day? French wine and macaron towers can be enjoyed any day BTW.
- I don’t know if the French are better drinkers than us, but I do know that 3 tequilas equals floor.
- And since we have some bottles of wine open, here’s all the BBQ foods and their perfect wine pairings.
- Ice… has a history. Read all about it here.
- If you’re in LA soon, with your pup, here’s where you can drink!
- Boozy doughnuts for your breakfast!
- How the Cognac industry is combating climate change.
- Tales of the Cocktail starts tomorrow and Thirsty has some tips if you’re new to this event.
- Beer contracts allow you to sue flaky friends… and this isn’t even in the US!!
- And finally, here’s a great read on the science of sweetness in cocktails.