There’s no amateur hour around these parts.
Grab some whiskey and a blender and let’s celebrate!
Irish Coffee Jello Shots Two Ways
24 Karat Irish Coffee with Chila ‘Orchata
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Passion Fruit and Kerrygold Irish Cream Cocktail Jellies
This post was made in partnership with Kerrygold Irish Cream. Recipe and ideas are my own.
This past Christmas we were gifted several POUNDS of chocolates. And yes, you would be correct to assume that’s a lot of chocolate. These boxes lasted us well into the new year and now, a few days into February the crunch of salted almond bark and the heavy, chewy nougat still linger in my memory. And gosh, next week is Valentine’s Day already!
I told my husband that this year I would like flowers, and maybe some burgers, but please don’t buy me a box of chocolates. Still, Valentine’s Day doesn’t seem like a holiday without something sweet. So this year I’ve decided that something light, with a hint of chocolate, and a tart burst of fruit would suit my palate more. And hey, why not throw some booze in there too?
I’ve teamed up with Kerrygold Irish Cream to make my alternative to a box of chocolate bon bons this year: Passion Fruit and Kerrygold Irish Cream Cocktail Jellies. More petite than your average jello shot, with a refined taste similar to what you’d expect from a fancy sweets shop. These are pretty low on the ABV scale but still, adults only!
I love a fruit gelée and right now I’m on a passion fruit kick. That sweet-tart golden liquid is a wonderful contrast to the rich, creamy Kerrygold Irish Cream. With a hint of chocolate, real cream and a touch of Irish whiskey, you don’t need to add much to these jellies to make a delicious treat; you just need a little patience.
A few notes for this recipe:
- Flexible molds are excellent if you want to make these into shapes and have them free standing. Alternatively, you can also pour these into baking cups and peel the paper off once set.
- Passion fruit puree is best instead of juice flavor-wise. If you use pure or freshly made passion fruit juice then do not add water, use only juice.
- Setting times will vary depending on your mold. The smaller hemisphere molds take a shorter time to set than a large sheet pan of liquid. To test, give your pan or mold a little jiggle in the fridge. If it sloshes around it’s not set to layer yet. Wait until it jiggles but is not stiff.
- You can absolutely makes these even more ‘adult’ by mixing in vodka to the passion fruit puree. Start with a two tablespoons to the passion fruit liquid and adjust from there. Setting times may increase with more vodka.
- These are best served shortly after being removed from the refrigerator.
Passion Fruit and Kerrygold Irish Cream Cocktail Jellies
1/2 cup passion fruit puree
1/2 cup water
3 packets gelatine
2 cups Kerrygold Irish Cream, divided
pinch of salt
Make the passion fruit layer first: pour water into a small saucepan and bring to a boil. In a wide bowl, pour in passion fruit puree. Sprinkle one packet of gelatine over the top. Let sit a few minutes until bloomed (no granules should be visible). Once bloomed, pour the boiling water over the passion fruit and whisk until the gelatine is dissolved. Pour passion fruit mixture into the bottom of your molds and refrigerate one hour or until it starts to set (see note above).
Next, make the Kerrygold Irish Cream layer: pour 1 cup of the Kerrygold Irish Cream and pinch of salt into a small saucepan and bring to just under a boil. In a wide bowl, pour in the second cup of Kerrygold Irish Cream. Sprinkle one packet of gelatine over the top. Let sit a few minutes until bloomed (no granules should be visible). Once bloomed, pour the hot Kerrygold Irish Cream over the bloomed gelatine mixture. Whisk until combined and then slowly pour over the almost set passion fruit layer. Refrigerate. Allow to set completely 6 hours or overnight.
To serve the jellies: for round molds, carefully run a small spoon around the edge and slowly invert the mold to pop out. If using square or straight-sided molds, run a butter knife around the edge and slowly invert the mold to pop out the shot. For other shapes or non-flexible molds, dip the bottom of the mold in warm water for 15 seconds, invert mold onto a baking sheet, and gently tap the mold to release the jellies. Jellies can be refrigerated for up to 3 days in an airtight container.
Our Super Bowl Picks (for drinks and snacks)
Beer. Popcorn. Mezcal. We’ve rounded up a few favorite game day recipes.
Frozen Irish Coffee
This post was made in partnership with Kerrygold Irish Cream. Recipe and ideas are my own.
I know. You’re thinking to yourself… “FROZEN drinks? In winter?! Has she lost her mind?!” But here’s the thing, I L-O-V-E an iced coffee. I drink them year round. And no, it’s not because I live in Southern California. I understand a frozen drink in winter can be a hard sell, especially if you’re braving below zero temps. However, I’m not asking you to drink it outdoors; I’m not that crazy. If you can eat a bowl of ice cream while watching tv at night, you can enjoy a Frozen Irish Coffee this week.
Oh and guess what? It just happens to be National Irish Coffee day on Friday so there’s another excuse to pull out the blender and whip one up!
Any Irish Coffee starts with, well, coffee. For this frozen version I decided on using a cold brew for a slightly sweeter taste to the overall drink. The coffee flavor is also a bit stronger too than regular brewed coffee. But to give it a more fuller coffee taste, I’ve also added in a touch of coffee liqueur. The Irish whiskey gets added in twice here. Once in straight boozy form, and the second with our whiskey-cream-chocolate bomb Kerrygold Irish Cream. The grass-fed milk used in Kerrygold adds a lovely creamy consistency to the drink while the real chocolate gives just a hint of flavor to the final drink.
To round out the drink and give it some additional complexity, I’ve sweetened the coffee with a cinnamon and demerara syrup. A tiny bit of cinnamon gives some sweet and woody notes, while the rich, toasty demerara syrup heightens the coffee flavor (it’s a favorite of mine in coffee drinks).
If you’re already sipping on a hot Irish Coffee this week, then I would highly suggest that you put this recipe in your back pocket until March for that other Irish holiday that this would be totally appropriate for. You could even cover it in green sprinkles (you should definitely do that).
Lastly, you folks may or may not know this already, but in my younger years I used to spin records around Los Angeles (for fun, not as my sole career). So I was thrilled when Kerrygold asked if I could provide some listening soundtracks to the drinks I’ve partnered with them to make. Now, the records (and I mean actual 45s and LPs) that I spun were from my collection of late 1950’s to early 1970’s girl group and garage. These lists will cherrypick a few from there, but I’ll also pick from a wide selection of favorites from all kinds of genres (I also did a classic country stint for about a month too!). If you give it a listen, let me know what you think! You can find all the playlists here on their Spotify page!
Frozen Irish Coffee
Makes 2 drinks
12 ounces cold brew coffee
4 ounces Kerrygold Irish Cream
1 ounce coffee liqueur
2 ounces cinnamon-demerara syrup (recipe follows)
whipped cream and cinnamon, optional
- The night before, freeze the cold brew coffee in ice cube molds. You also could make the syrup now too.
- When ready to make the drink, in a drink or high speed blender (if using a regular blender, crack the cubes first so they don’t jam your blades!) combine the frozen coffee cubes, Kerrygold Irish Cream, coffee liqueur, and cinnamon-demerara syrup. Blend until a smooth consistency is reached.
- Divide the drinks between two glasses. Top with whipped cream and a sprinkle of cinnamon if using.
Cinnamon-Demerara Syrup
1 cup demerara sugar
1 cup water
3 pieces of cinnamon, 2″ in length
In a saucepan, combine the sugar and the water over medium-high heat. Stir to dissolve the sugar crystals and then add in the cinnamon. Bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer and simmer, uncovered, for 20 minutes. Remove from the heat and let cool to room temperature. Strain into an airtight container and store refrigerated for up to one month.
Gingerbread Winter Warm Up
This post was made in partnership with Kerrygold Irish Cream Liqueur. Recipe and ideas are my own.
Do you have a holiday cookie tradition? I think I may have perfected my gingerbread cookie recipe this year. I mean, I’m using Thomas Keller’s Bouchon recipe as the base, so you really can’t go wrong with that. But, it is the first year that I made a cookie like this that didn’t just separate and spread all over the cookie sheet pan. I’ve yet to find my perfect sugar cookie recipe though. That I can never get right and that always spreads and won’t hold its shape. So, we all have to go without any holiday cookies that are gingerbread; thankfully no one complains. Sorry Santa.
While making these cookies I thought about how great the baking spices would be in a cocktail. Sure, we see lots of dashes of cinnamon or nutmeg this time of year, but those in combination with an intense ginger flavor…well we’ve got a perfect pair for some whiskey and a hot cocktail. I refer to these heated cocktails during holiday time as winter warm ups. They’re a great companion to a fireplace and a pair of hands in need of warmth.
This month I’ve teamed up with Kerrygold Irish Cream to make my perfect fireside winter warm up with all the wonderful baking spices found in these gingerbread cookies. It packs a punch of ginger but also has lots of nice spice from the Irish whiskey, and that touch of chocolate and cream in the Kerrygold adds a superb richness to the drink that doesn’t get watered down. And that’s probably because they use real chocolate, and the cream used to make the liqueur comes from grass-fed cows and is a third creamier than what you usually find on the market. You can alter the hot water amount in here to your liking; I keep it around 3 ounces. If you’re feeling really ambitious, you might think about making your own whipped cream and adding some gingerbread syrup to the mix for a super dose of yummy gingerbread-ness (I did. It’s so worth it! Just a tablespoon is all you need to add to your canister.).
After making this cocktail I need to rethink my gingerbread recipe and add a little chocolate and whiskey and there too now. Then it will be perfect.
Let’s get warmed up!
Gingerbread Winter Warm Up (makes two drinks)
3 ounces Irish whiskey
1-1/2 ounces Kerrygold Irish Cream
1-1/2 ounces gingerbread syrup, see recipe below
3 dashes Angostura bitters
6-8 ounces hot water (just under boiling)
whipped cream, optional
In a mixing glass, add the Irish whiskey, Kerrygold Irish Cream, gingerbread syrup and bitters. Stir to combine everything and divide between two glasses. Pour in 3-4 ounces of hot water into each glass and stir gently to combine. Optionally top with whipped cream and a dusting of cinnamon.
Gingerbread Syrup
Adapted from Le Pain Quotidien
2 cups water
1-1/2 cups granulated sugar
1 tbsp ground ginger (or 3 slices, 1/4″ thick fresh ginger with skin on)
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground allspice
Put all ingredients in a medium saucepan over high heat and bring to a boil. Lower temperature and keep at a simmer for 20 minutes. Remove from heat, strain fresh ginger out if using, and let cool to room temperature. Once cool, place in an air-tight container. Refrigerate up to one month.
Blood Ritual mezcal - agave - chocolate bitters - angostura - grapefruit - $50
Whoa. Yeah, I know. It’s not Halloween anymore so what’s up with the “blood” in the title? Well, I’ll start the story at the beginning here by asking a simple question: Who Are You?
Years ago when I first started writing in the small space on the internet known as cocktail blogging, I feel like I had a pretty good grasp on who else was also writing in this space. And folks, this was pre-Instagram days, you had to sometimes do a little leg work to find the other folks. I also had a good grasp on who my readers were. Mainly because people talked a whole lot more on blogs than they do now. But this wasn’t my full time gig, I was creative directing for a living for a company here in Los Angeles and this site was just a fun hobby that I popped in and out of. What that meant was that I also wasn’t super consistent and would disappear for months at a time. Readers came and went and then social media got super crazy and this little space expanded SO much and SO rapidly that it no longer felt so intimate and cozy.
Lately then, when I do speak on here, it’s kinda just like yelling down a deep, dark well. And that’s no fun. I’m writing this for anyone who reads this site, and I’d like us to get to know each other just a little bit. So if you ever wanted to know a few tidbits about me, here you go:
- I have zero formal training as a bartender
- I have a fine arts background including photography
- I have a degree in Art History that concentrated on Mesoamerican Art History (which is how I know about blood rituals and chocolate and how they all tie in together and that’s how this particular mezcal Old Fashioned got its name)
- I have two kids that did not exist when I started writing about cocktails
- I get motion sickness scrolling on my phone sometimes
- I’m terrified of moths (and Ray Liotta and that’s still on my about me page which I should probably update)
- I used to DJ all vinyl 45s of girl group and girl garage bands based from the late 50s to the early 70s here in Los Angeles for years before taking a break in 2014
- I’m a morning person
- Heat Wave by NARS is my favorite lipstick
- I have ~75 bottles of bitters I will never use
- I wanted to be a race car driver when I was 8
- I had a blog in the early 2000’s about live music shows in Los Angeles. It’s still out there on the internet!
Ok, now you!!! I’ve got a super short survey for you all. You don’t even have to answer all the questions if you want! And to make it worth your while, everyone who responds and leaves an email will get the chance to win a $50 e-gift card to Cocktail Kingdom. I like my readers. And I know some of you like pretty cocktail accessories too.
Take the Stir and Strain Reader survey now!
Also! Old Fashioned Week is almost over so I thought I’d squeeze this recipe in before it’s too late. It’s rich and smoky and the chocolate comes through nicely. Don’t forget to express a little grapefruit oil with that garnish. It works best with that touch of bitter citrus.
Blood Ritual (A Chocolate Mezcal Old Fashioned)
2 ounces mezcal, use something more on the smokier side here
1/4 ounce agave syrup
3 drops chocolate bitters, Scrappy’s used here
1 drop Angostura bitters
grapefruit peel
In a mixing glass 2/3 with ice, stir together the mezcal, agave and both bitters. Strain into a rocks glass with fresh ice. Express the oil from the grapefruit peel over the drink and drop in the peel.
EDIT: giveaway is not affiliated with Cocktail Kingdom. Survey will close on November 26 and winner will be announced via email that week.
Dessert Cocktails with Kerrygold S'Mores, Whoopie Pies, and Cookies and Cream Oh My!
This post was made in partnership with Kerrygold Irish Cream. Recipe and ideas are my own.
We’ve been posting some decadent cocktails and boozy treats over on our Instagram these last few months and now we’re rounding them up here on the site so you all don’t have to go searching all over the place to find them. We did two cocktails: a S’Mores Campfire Cocktail and a frozen blended Cookies and Cream cocktail. And also created a boozy Cold Brew and Chocolate Whoopie Pie situation that we’re still craving.
Dessert cocktails have their place alongside their more serious cousins, and sometimes we just want a treat, right?! Each photo below will pop open the recipe in a separate window. Have a favorite? Let us know! You can always tag your creations on social with #stirandstraindrinks so we can check out what you made.
Cookies and Cream Frozen Blended Cocktails
Cold Brew and Kerrygold Buttercream Whoopie Pies
Love our serving pieces? Check out what’s happening in our Etsy shop for props, vintage pieces, tiki mugs & accessories, and assorted entertaining must haves!
Gift Guide: Father’s Day 2018
Dad does not want a tie this year…unless that tie is covered with tiki drinks.
What kind of boozy Dad do you have? I’m sure we’ll find a gift for him! Mail order of the month club Dad? Now with Rum! Athletic Dad? Beer bike! Swinger Dad? Sexy coasters! DIY Dad? Mix your own cocktail! Grilling Dad? Hot Dickel! Nerd Dad? Vader-Stein! Gourmet Dad? Beer chocolates! Getting Dad a bad gift is not an option this year.
1. Flaviar world of spirits members club 2. Whiskey Wood Engraving 3. Cocktail Crate Classic Old Fashioned Mixer 4. Darth Vader Stein 5. Sexy Legs Coasters 6. Tiki Cocktail Tie 7. Hot Dickel 8. Theo Beer Chocolates 9. Peroni Bike
Catch up on all the gift guides here!
Gift Guide: A Sweet, Boozy Valentine’s Day 2018
Give me all your whiskey filled chocolates and don’t ask me to share. That’s love.
What time is it? It’s time for champagne! Champagne cocktails, with a splash of hot red, bitter love. Mix it up for two in a few racy glasses and top off the evening stuffing your face with whiskey filled chocolates. Not into chocolate? How about a glass that doesn’t leave condensation rings all over your coffee table? Now that is SEXY.
1. Rosé Gummy Bear Cocktail Kit 2. Duo Glass 3. Champagne Watch 4. Stripper Glass Lady 5. Stripper Glass Man 6. Irish Whiskey Chocolate 7. Sweet Drink Stir Sticks 8. Perrier-Jouet Belle Epoque Rosé 9. Red Vintage Pitcher 10. Campari
The Holiday Elixr Cocktail tequila - chocolate - reishi - kombucha - lime - mexican vanilla
This post was made in partnership with Exotico Tequila. Recipe and ideas are my own.
We’re heading into full-on holiday mode today folks. You’ve given yourself permission to eat all of Santa’s cookies. You’ve said yes one too many times to the egg nog at your company’s holiday party. You may have already put the batteries in your kid’s toy car they’ve been asking for and took it for a spin around the basement.
It’s a bit hazy whether you’re on the naughty or nice list. You might be thinking that you’ve got at least a week or so before you need to start questioning your life choices. So, I’m here to offer you a cocktail that’s on both lists; it’s a little naughty and a little nice.
We’ve partnered with the award winning Exotico Tequila again this week to bring you this refreshing cocktail that will make you feel good for a number of reasons. Their reposado expression, made with 100% blue agave, is a fantastic base for: chocolate! Reishi mushrooms! Kombucha! What what what??? See, we’re balancing the good for you with gooooood for you.
Sound a little crazy? Well, putting all the health benefits aside (like aiding in digestion, a good source of probiotics, its detoxing benefits, etc…) I will tell you that Kombucha makes a great mixer. It’s my favorite addition to cocktails because it adds bubbles and a little sweetness to a drink. The reposado Exotico has a lot of warm, spicy flavors and Health Ade’s Reishi-Chocolate kombucha balances that out with some subtle hints of chocolate and some surprising umami as well (by its own it tastes like a Tootsie roll!). To bring out more of the vanilla in the Exotico I added a splash of Mexican vanilla extract in lieu of a syrup. The vanilla extract adds the extra punch without adding more liquid and sweetness to the drink while also introducing some floral aromas too. A good dose of freshly squeezed lime juice rounds out the drink with some needed acid. The taste is similar to a Margarita with hints of chocolate, spice and an herbal/grassy finish.
It’s not too late to slow it down and rethink your cocktail choices. You can enjoy a drink this holiday season that not only tastes good, but also has ingredients you can feel good about.
Happy Holidays everyone!
2 ounces Exotico Reposado Tequila
3/4 ounce freshly squeezed lime juice
1/4 teaspoon Mexican vanilla extract, Nielsen-Massey used here
3-4 ounces Health-Ade Reishi-Chocolate Kombucha
lime peel for garnish
Build the drink: in a rocks glass filled 2/3 with ice, pour in Exotico Reposado Tequila, lime juice, Mexican vanilla extract and Health-Ade Reishi-Chocolate Kombucha. Stir gently to combine. Express lime zest over drink and garnish.
For more information on Exotico Tequila, please visit them at exoticotequila.com.