demerara sugar

Make or Buy: Cold Brew Coffee Liqueur

March 30, 2019 by elana 1 Comment

Make or Buy: Coffee Liqueur // stirandstrain.com Squeeeezing in here at the end of the month (and what a month…. so glad it’s over), this might just be our easiest DIY of the bunch so far. If you can boil some water, you can make… Coffee Liqueur.

Make or Buy: Coffee Liqueur // stirandstrain.com For today’s post, we’ll be comparing coffee liqueur made with cold brew coffee. I have seen some infusions with coffee beans, and while we’ve done something similar for cocktails around here before, since the coffee liqueur that can be bought is made with cold brew, it made sense to match apples to apples. Also, since many of these posts have some content that is repeated in the pros and cons, I’ve decided to bullet point each to make it a bit easier to read and streamlined. Let me know what you think in the comments or through social; I’m here for you.

Make or Buy: Coffee Liqueur // stirandstrain.com To Buy: Mr. Black Cold Brew Coffee LiqueurÂ (vodka base)

Pros:
- Available to purchase at a liquor store near you
- Strong coffee taste
- Minimal ingredient list
Cons:
- Only available to buy in CA, NY, the UK, and Australia
- Flavor is singular in that you’re only getting a coffee flavor and nothing else
- Cannot adjust sweetness level

To Make: Homemade Cold Brew Coffee Liqueur (aged rum base)

Pros:
- Very few ingredients
- Super easy to make for a DIY project, just make a rich simple syrup and get some cold brew coffee
- You can adjust the flavor to your liking
- You can adjust the sweetness level
- Scales up or down depending on how much liqueur you’d like
Cons:
- It takes a minimum of 3 days to make, plus more if you brew your own cold brew
- Flavor may not be consistent from batch to batch
- You have to make it

Make or Buy: Coffee Liqueur // stirandstrain.com

And how do they compare in a cocktail? When I think coffee in cocktails I immediately think of a White Russian, so that’s what I compared both in today. Mr. Black stands out with a bold coffee taste and a rich flavor profile. My home brew coffee is lighter not only in color, but also in flavor. I wanted a coffee liqueur that had layers of other flavors in it like vanilla and spice, so the base is an aged rum. This also means that the coffee is more subdued.

Notes: If you want a stronger coffee taste I would suggest using a cold brew concentrate and playing around with the flavor until it suits your preference. Also, you could switch to a vodka base and cut the vodka back to 1-1/4 cups.

So there you are, two choices when it comes to a coffee liqueur. Will you make it or buy it? Let us know!

Cold Brew Coffee Liqueur

1-1/2 cups cold brew coffee (brew your own or buy your favorite unsweetened brand)
1 cup demerara sugar
1/2 cup water
1-1/2 cups aged rum

If brewing your own cold brew, do that at least 24 hours before starting to make the liqueur. Next, in a small saucepan, combine demerara sugar and water. Bring to a boil, whisking to combine. Turn the heat down to a simmer and continue to whisk until all the sugar has dissolved. Remove from the heat and let cool to room temperature. In a liter jar, combine cold brew coffee, syrup and rum. Seal and shake gently to combine. Let the liqueur sit for three days in a cool, dark place, agitating it every day. After three days, liqueur will be ready to consume.

Frozen Irish Coffee

January 23, 2019 by elana 2 Comments

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.

The Tequila Mint Julep tequila - mint - bitters

May 4, 2018 by elana Leave a Comment

ThisÂ post is brought to you byÂ El Mayor Tequila. Recipe and ideas are my own.

This weekend we’ve got a double dose of reasons to celebrate. Saturday marks the 144th Kentucky Derby and Cinco de Mayo, both happening on the same day. No need for a sad case of FOMO, we’ve got a drink that celebrates both: the Tequila Mint Julep.

The Tequila Mint Julep with El Mayor Tequila // stirandstrain.com Not long ago a Mint Julep was a Mint Julep: bourbon, mint, sugar, silver cup. Bam. But as bartenders and cocktail enthusiasts have brought an inquisitive eye to old recipes, here today we’re riffing on this classic with our partner, El Mayor Tequila.

The Tequila Mint Julep with El Mayor Tequila // stirandstrain.com El Mayor AÃ±ejo Tequila is fantastic sipped on its own, but the tequila also mixes quite well in cocktails. Especially when the spirit needs to be strong and shine through a whole lot of crushed ice! The 100% blue agave aÃ±ejo is aged in white oak barrels for 18 to 36 months, giving it the distinctive oak-y nose, golden color and slightly sweet and spicy flavor profile. If you’re going to use a tequila in a julep recipe, this is the one.

The Tequila Mint Julep with El Mayor Tequila // stirandstrain.com For this recipe I forgo the muddled mint (*gasp*) and instead opt for a creme de menthe liqueur to add the minty flavor and a touch of sweet. I like the bracingly cool mint liqueur up against the tequila. Also, if you’re serving this up at your party it’s going to save you some time since you won’t have to muddle all those mint leaves. To round out the drink, I’ve added in a few dashes of aromatic bitters and a touch more sweetness with some demerara syrup. The drink needs that last touch of sugar to balance it out along with the bitters.

The Tequila Mint Julep with El Mayor Tequila // stirandstrain.com Lastly, I gave this julep a crown of mint (I couldn’t leave the fresh mint out completely), like its own little laurel wreath. And you don’t have to make it rain powdered sugar on your julep for a garnish, but it sure does look pretty.

The Tequila Mint Julep with El Mayor Tequila // stirandstrain.com So, let’s jump start this Cinco de Derby party and mix up a batch of Tequila Juleps. It’s a sure bet!

The Tequila Mint Julep

2 ouncesÂ El Mayor AÃ±ejo Tequila
1/2 ounce creme de menthe
1/4 ounce demerara syrup (see notes below)
3 dashes aromatic bitters
mint and powdered sugar

In a silver julep cup, or double rocks glasses, pour inÂ El Mayor AÃ±ejo Tequila, creme de menthe,Â demerara syrup, and bitters. Fill glass halfway with crushed ice and swizzle until glass is frosty, about 20-30 seconds. Fill with more crushed ice. Garnish with fresh mint and powdered sugar. Add a short straw if you’d like!

Notes:

To makeÂ demerara syrup, combine 1 cup water with 1 cupÂ demerara sugar in a medium sauce pan over medium high heat. Bring to just under a boil, stirring to dissolve sugar. When all the sugar has dissolved, remove from heat and let cool. Store in an air tight container, refrigerated, for up to one month.
Julep cups come in all different sizes but choose one around 12 ounces for this cocktail. A double rocks glass will make an acceptable substitute.

The Tequila Mint Julep with El Mayor Tequila // stirandstrain.com

For more information on El Mayor Tequila and their entire product line, please visit them atÂ elmayor.com!

The Bitter Irishman

March 17, 2015 by elana 3 Comments

Youâ€™ve heard it said, â€œEveryoneâ€™s Irish on St. Patrickâ€™s Day.â€ Well, Iâ€™m either one quarter or one eighth Irish, depending on which relative I consult, and I can tell you that, sadly, I donâ€™t qualify as truly Irish on St. Patrickâ€™s or any other day of the year. Iâ€™m not proud to say so, but itâ€™s true. Itâ€™s not for lack of trying.

I went to an Irish Catholic school where several of the nuns were direct from Ireland, replete with charming accents– though the nuns themselves were rather sour. One of the nuns walked into my third grade classroom, declared that it was filthy, gave two boys a toothbrush, spat on the floor, and told the boys to start scrubbing. I sometimes think I might have known more Irish nuns than Irish families. The Irish families I did know lived in houses filled with crucifixes. Iâ€™m sure they must have had other decorative knick-knacks, but I only remember crucifixes. For me, everything Irish was a bit severe and austere– from the dour nuns to the simple cabbage and beef we ate on St. Patrickâ€™s Day.

Then one Halloween, the Irish Catholic school burned down under suspicious circumstances, and I was relocated to the Italian Catholic school. The Italian school was completely different. Holidays were more cheerful. The clergy enjoyed themselves (and their wine) a good deal more than the nuns ever had. The food at church events tasted better. Cannoli, ravioli, stromboli. And suddenly, St. Patrick was eclipsed by St. Joseph. St. Josephâ€™s Day is two days after St. Patrickâ€™s Day, and the Italians loved it. Everyone ate zeppole (a little like cannoli, but better, so, so good), and wore red and white, and went to the Knights of Columbus parade. There were flowers and candles, an explosion of color.

Mind you, Iâ€™m not trying to pick favorites. Iâ€™m just telling you what I experienced.

For this St. Patrickâ€™s Day, I plan to forgo the green beer– in fact, Iâ€™ll probably pass up the beer altogether. Instead, Iâ€™m mixing up a cocktail with a bit of a mixed heritage: half Irish whiskey, and half Italian amaro.

1 ounce Irish Whiskey, Bushmills 10 used here
1 ounce amaro, Averna used here
3/4 ounce freshly squeezed lemon juice from 1/2 lemon
1/4 ounce demerara syrup
luxardo cherry garnish

Combine whiskey, amaro, lemon juice and syrup together in a shaker filled 2/3 with ice. Shake and strain into a chilled cocktail glass. Garnish with the cherry.

Thereâ€™s a nice contrast between the light, floral whiskey and the spicy, rich amaro. It starts with a punch of sour flavor that immediately moves into sweetness, and the bite of the whiskey and the lasting bitterness of the amaro stay with you until the next sip. Itâ€™s a cocktail with a lot of character. Like those Irish nuns. And those Italian priests.

***This recipe was originally created for Serious Eats and appeared on the site this past week.

Smoky Citrus Rum Old Fashioned

January 25, 2015 by elana 3 Comments

I know. That’s a mouthful of a title. But in actuality it’s an incredibly easy drink to make so don’t go running off just yet.

Right now I’m on a kick of making life EASIER for myself. I’m hustling in other areas so that means the drinks need to get whipped up with ease. Are you hustlingÂ in life? This one’s for you then.

I’ve come into possession of a number of rums as of late. In part, I’m tasting them for potential candidates to star in The Coconut Club drinks. Not all our drinks are rums, but we ARE a Tiki supper club, so we NEED some rums. And the other reason is that, after many years, I’ve come to like and appreciate rums. If you’ve been a long time reader on here, you may remember in the early years of this site that I was frequently confused by rum. I blame my mother’s rum and cokes that I would sneak sips of during bedtime story readings, and would cringe with disgust (I still don’t like them), as to why I had such distaste for the liquor. It turns out I was just drinking the wrong kind of rum.

So fast forward to now. As I said, I’ve been filling my days with a lot of other work that sometimes makes tinkering all day with drinks hard, if not impossible. When that happens there will suddenly be a lot of Manhattans or Negroni cocktails around the house. In doing so I finished all the Campari. And then I was out of rye. And then I decidedÂ what the hell am I doing?! Make something just a tad more creative lady!!

In stepped a bottle of rum and my copy of The Bar Book.

Still looking for a straightforward cocktail I looked to Morgenthaler’s Rum Old Fashioned. If the rum is good, like the bottle I had on hand, then you just want a few elements to highlight that rum; an Old Fashioned is perfect for that. I made the first round exactly as it was laid out in the book: the result was good but then my eye drifted over to the (vast) array of bitters taking up more space every day on the bar shelf. Smoked orange bitters! Yes!

The next round I changed it up, taking the lime peel out, adding in some smoked orange bitters, a spritz of orange oil; it changed the whole drink. Just as tasty as the first, but all new flavors that still highlighted the base rum, just in different ways. The recipe below is for the latter (go buy the book for his recipe and learn some more drinks!).

Inspired byÂ The Bar Book

2 ounces Ron Zacapa Centenario 23 Rum*
2 dashes Cocktail Punk Smoked Orange Bitters
5-10 ml demerara syrup (1:1 ratio)
orange peel for garnish

In a double old fashioned glass, add a large cube of ice. Build the drink by pouring in rum, syrup and the bitters. Gently stir 15 seconds. Squeeze the orange peel over the drink to release the oil and add the peel to the drink.

Mostly burnt caramel and grassy notes from the rum with just a hint of citrus. The bitters addÂ a subtle layer of smoke that works really well with the rum. Makes me want to try some rum and mezcal drinks…

*This bottle was generously given gratis and appears here because I like drinking it. For more info on sponsored products, affiliate links, and gifted booze, please visit theÂ About page.

Mixology Monday: 5 Spice Ti’ Punch

February 16, 2014 by elana 3 Comments

Apologies for the hasty nature of this post. I’m heading out the door on my way to Palm Springs Modernism Week to bask in even hotter temps than Los Angeles and to have my eyes filled to the brim with mid-century architecture. I almost didn’t make this month’s Mixology Monday, “Sours” hosted by the Ginhound blog, but remembered that I have a cocktail for a supperclubÂ dinner coming up next week that would fit the bill.

Ti’ Punch is in that sour category alongside daiquiris, margaritas, etc… A liquor at the base with a sour component and a sweet. To fit the theme of the dinner, I created a 5 Spice Ti’ Punch, infusing the whole spices usually found in that blend into a demerara syrup. The result was a honey rich syrup that almost had a “chai” like aroma to it. Not too overbearing on the palate but enough of a kick to give the drink an unexpected new flavor profile.

In keeping with tradition of the Ti’ Punch being an aperitif (served before a meal), this strong tipple will be served to guests arriving. Hopefully it will loosen the tongue just enough to make this a lively dinner. This will be served punch style, however for this recipe, I’ve scaled it down to a punch for one.

First, let’s make the syrup!

5 Spice Syrup

1 cup demerara sugar
1 cup water
1 star anise
1 4″ cinnamon stick, broken in two
1 tbsp whole black peppercorns
1 tsp whole fennel seeds
5 whole cloves

Combine sugar and water over medium high heat in a small sauce pan. Stir to dissolve the sugar and then add spices to the pan. Bring to just a boil and then remove from heat. Cover and let sit for 30 minutes. Uncover and let come to room temperature. Strain into an airtight container.

For the cocktail

2 oz. Rhum J.M. Gold Agricole
1/2 oz. freshly squeezed lime juice from 1/2 a lime
1/2 oz. 5 spice syrup

In a mixing glass 2/3 filled with ice, add rhum, lime juice and syrup. Stir 30 seconds to chill and then strain into an iced filled rocks glass.

This is one boozy sour. That grassy cinnamon agricole rhum comes in at 100 proof, so you’ll probably only need just the one punch. But by all means have two if you want. The 5 spice compliments the rhum more than overpowers it in that hey-look-at-me way that 5 spice sometimes can. Infusing the spices in a demerara sugar created a viscous, honey like syrup that had a deeper color and flavor than regular cane syrup. Also, I thought it would have a better mouthfeel in a drink served over ice. The syrup really does taste more like a chai than what I associate with this Chinese spice blend too. Overall a satisfying cocktail with some bite.

Note, I did use black peppercorns rather than Sichuan ones, but only because the black were readily available and I was short on time. Had I been able to use the Sichuan, the flavor profile could have turned out a different way. If you get your hands on some and make this, I’d love to hear about how yours turned out.

Thanks to Andrea for hosting this month’s Mixology Monday! Please visit her site and check out everyone’s entries.