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Tequila Cazadores: Cristalino Launch

February 27, 2020 by elana Leave a Comment

Tequila Cazadores Cristalino Launch // stirandstrain.comThis post was made in partnership with Tequila Cazadores. Ideas are my own.

This past year I’ve been really lucky to work with a brand that I have loved, and drank, for years: Tequila Cazadores. When starting this partnership I found out that I was going to have a really exciting task, introduce a brand new type of tequila to the market! I mean, it’s not everyday that a totally new category comes across your desk. 15 flavored vodkas, yes. An amazing crystal clear tequila that is actually aged 2 years and then using activated charcoal to absorb all its color… nope!

I’m honored, flattered really, to have been chosen to let you all know about this new product from Tequila Cazadores. So, let’s talk about Cristalino!

Tequila Cazadores Cristalino Launch // stirandstrain.comEven though Cristalino is clear, like their Blanco expression, it’s not for mixing. In fact, the suggested serving vessel is a wine glass, like how you see here. A wine glass also signifies you’re not shooting the stuff and chasing it with a lime. Just don’t do that. It’s meant to be sipped.

The reason that this aged tequila is crystal clear is due to the filtration process that is Cazadores uses. Activated charcoal is added to the liquid and all that caramel color you usually associate with an aged tequila is gone. Next, that mixture is sent through a press filter which captures all the charcoal and tannins from the barrel aging and filtration process. When it’s done, if you close your eyes, take a whiff and then a sip, you’d swear you were drinking an añejo tequila.

Tequila Cazadores Cristalino Launch // stirandstrain.comYou’re still getting aged wood, vanilla, caramel, and apples, but there’s also this soft, floral nose to it as well. It’s just so delicious and I loved each sip.

And now YOU, and everyone else in the US, can experience this new kind of tequila as Tequila Cazadores Cristalino is now available in the United States.

Tequila Cazadores Cristalino Launch // stirandstrain.com

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Filed Under: Reviews, Tips Tagged With: Cristalino, reviews, tasting notes, tequila, Tequila Cazadores, tips

Valentine’s Day Round Up All the red, white, pink, and purple drinks!

February 9, 2020 by elana 3 Comments

Drink up all the colors of love…

Simple Bottled Negroni // stirandstrain.com

A Simple Bottled Negroni… for two… or more

Make or Buy: Grenadine // stirandstrain.com

Make a Shirley Temple with a bottle of homemade grenadine

Negroni Week Cocktails: Past, Present and Future // stirandstrain.com
A sexy, smoky Negroni

Aquafaba: what is it and how to make cocktails with it! Like a Vegan Sloe Gin Fizz // stirandstrain.com

Vegan Sloe Gin Fizz

Frozen Blood and Sand Cocktail // stirandstrain.com

Frozen Blood and Sand

Raspberry Pisco Sour with Truvia // stirandstrain.com

Raspberry Pisco Sour

The Purple Halo Cocktail with Exotico Tequila Blanco and Mountain Valley Sparkling Essence Blackberry and Pomegranate. It's a color changing cocktail! // stirandstrain.com

Purple Halo

The Water Lily Cocktail // stirandstrain.com

The Water Lily Cocktail

Blueberry Basil Smash

Ruby Fizz // stirandstrain.com

Ruby Fizz

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Filed Under: Recipes Tagged With: campari, gin, orange, raspberry, sparkling wine, tequila

Rey’s Rations a cocktail inspired by The Rise of Skywalker

December 20, 2019 by elana Leave a Comment

Star Wars Cocktail: Rey's Rations // stirandstrain.comStar Wars Cocktail: Rey's Rations // stirandstrain.comI 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).

Star Wars Cocktail: Rey's Rations // stirandstrain.comAnyways, a few things to note about this drink and why I have it on my site.

  1. No, Lucasfilm is in no way endorsing this or even knows who I am.
  2. I was inspired by Tequila Cazadores, who I am working with this year as an ambassador, but this is not a sponsored post.
  3. Instant horchata mix is YOUR FRIEND! And so you can make a single drink, or a whole bunch of them with this magic powder!
  4. 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.
Star Wars Cocktail: Rey's Rations // stirandstrain.com

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.

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Filed Under: Recipes Tagged With: Cazadores Blanco, horchata, lime, star wars, tequila, Tequila Cazadores

Cocktail Pantry Twists: Hot Pepper Cranberry Jelly Margarita

December 4, 2019 by elana Leave a Comment

Hot Pepper Cranberry Margarita // stirandstrain.comThe 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.

Hot Pepper Cranberry Margarita // stirandstrain.comI’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.

Hot Pepper Cranberry Margarita // stirandstrain.comNow, 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.

Hot Pepper Cranberry Margarita // stirandstrain.com

No limes? Try these alternatives:

  • Meyer Lemons
  • Orange Juice
  • Organic, all natural bottled lime juice
  • Lemonade

Hot Pepper Cranberry Margarita // stirandstrain.comHot 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!

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Filed Under: Recipes Tagged With: blanco tequila, Cocktail Pantry Twists, cranberry, Fall, jalapeno peppers, lime, margarita, Stonewall Kitchen, tequila, winter

Halloween Time Cocktails!

October 25, 2019 by elana 1 Comment

Candy in cocktails? Sure, we’re all adults here…

Candy Inspired Cocktails with Master of Mixes // stirandstrain.com

Candy Inspired Cocktails

The Purple Halo Cocktail with Exotico Tequila Blanco and Mountain Valley Sparkling Essence Blackberry and Pomegranate. It's a color changing cocktail! // stirandstrain.com

A color changing cocktail: The Purple Halo

Make It: Black Licorice and Amaro Bat Jellies for Halloween // stirandstrain.com
Black Licorice and Amaro Bat Jellies

The Royal Affliction // stirandstrain.com

The Royal Affliction

Black Honey Cocktail: the anti-Valentine // stirandstrain.com

Black Honey Cocktail

Spiced Pumpkin Bourbon // stirandstrain.com

Spiced Pumpkin Bourbon

Low Rent Cocktail of the Month: Fanta of the Opera & Fanta of the Paradise // stirandstrain.com

Spooky FANTA of the Paradise/Opera Cocktails

 

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Filed Under: Recipes Tagged With: amaro, Fall, gin, halloween, holiday, rum, tequila, vodka, whiskey

Spicy Watermelon Margaritas for Two and a homemade citrus salt recipe

July 24, 2019 by elana 1 Comment

Spicy Watermelon Margarita for Two // stirandstrain.comThis 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.

Spicy Watermelon Margarita for Two // stirandstrain.comWe’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.

Spicy Watermelon Margarita for Two // stirandstrain.comYou 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.

Spicy Watermelon Margarita for Two // stirandstrain.comAnd 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.

Spicy Watermelon Margarita for Two // stirandstrain.comOk! 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!

Spicy Watermelon Margarita for Two // stirandstrain.comCitrus 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.

Spicy Watermelon Margarita for Two // stirandstrain.com*If you’d like to see how to make dehydrated citrus wheels, check out our DIY Story on our Instagram page!

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Filed Under: Recipes Tagged With: Cazadores Blanco, jalapeno peppers, margarita, tequila, watermelon

Cinco de Derby Cocktail Round Up!

May 3, 2019 by elana Leave a Comment

It’s that magical time of the year where you have a weekend full of reasons to make bad decisions. Place your bets! And let’s make some drinks!

Tropical Toasted Coconut Mint Julep with Truvia // stirandstrain.com

Tropical Toasted Coconut Mint Julep

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

Minty Mint Julep // stirandstrain.com

Minty Mint Julep

Cazadores Jalapeño Margarita // stirandstrain.com

Cazadores Jalapeño Margarita

Harissa Explains It All: a sweet and spicy Margarita with Patrón Tequila // stirandstrain.com

Harissa Explains It All: Spicy Mango Margarita

Cranberry Sauce Margaritas with Rosemary Sugar: A Holiday Party with Stages // stirandstrain.com
Cranberry Sauce Margaritas with Rosemary Sugar

Bar Keeper Margarita // stirandstrain.com

Bar Keeper Margarita

Kerrygold Chocolate Margarita // stirandstrain.comkerrygold-chocolate-margarita-sm12

Chocolate Mezcal Margarita

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Filed Under: Recipes Tagged With: Kentucky Derby, margarita, mezcal, tequila

Jalapeño Margarita

February 22, 2019 by elana 1 Comment

Cazadores Jalapeño Margarita // stirandstrain.comThis post is brought to you by Tequila Cazadores.

Grab your cocktail shakers! It’s National Margarita Day folks!

Cazadores Jalapeño Margarita // stirandstrain.comOut of all the drink holidays out there, this is probably one of my favorites. Why? Well, who can say no to a Margarita?! Well made and they’re a perfect blend of sweet and sour, and as I mentioned earlier in the week… SO riffable. To help celebrate, I’ve teamed up with Cazadores Tequila, a recognized premium tequila since 1922, to bring you all one of my FAV variations, the Jalapeño Margarita.

Cazadores Jalapeño Margarita // stirandstrain.comCazadores has been one of my go-to tequilas for quite some time. It’s super reasonably priced but it’s also 100% blue agave—not mixed! Cazadores has five types of tequila in their portfolio: Blanco, Reposado, Añejo, Extra Añejo, and Cristalino; for today’s recipe we’ll be using the Blanco (you’ll recognize the bottle by its hint of blue and the stag gracing the front). Because we’re making a mixed drink, the Blanco expression is the perfect product. It’s light, clean taste has a slightly sweet finish that highlights the agave. It also makes for a balanced cocktail so you taste all the components.

Cazadores Jalapeño Margarita // stirandstrain.comNow, I can take a bit of heat and I love the play of spicy and sweet here. That said, you can totally adjust this to your spiciness level. Want more spicy? Keep the seeds in the jalapeño slice and add two if you’d like. Just want a hint of spice? Take out the seeds and don’t garnish with a second jalapeño slice (the longer the garnish sits in your glass, the more spice it imparts to your drink! Remember that!).

Ok! Let’s shake up some cocktails! And remember, if you celebrate with one of these for #NationalMargaritaDay, remember to tag us so we can peep your creation!

Cazadores Jalapeño Margarita // stirandstrain.com

Jalapeño Margarita

Recipe Courtesy of Manny Hinojosa, Global Brand Ambassador

1-1/2 part Cazadores Tequila Blanco
1/2 part premium Triple Sec
1/2 part agave nectar
1 ounce fresh lime juice
1 slice of jalapeño

Method: In a cocktail shaker with ice combine  all the ingredients, shake, and serve over the rocks in glass.

Garnish: with lime, jalapeño slice and salt optional.

Cazadores Jalapeño Margarita // stirandstrain.com

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Filed Under: Recipes Tagged With: agave, Cazadores Blanco, drink holiday, jalapeno peppers, lime, margarita, NationalMargaritaDay, shaken, tequila, triple sec, winter

Our Super Bowl Picks (for drinks and snacks)

January 31, 2019 by elana Leave a Comment

Beer. Popcorn. Mezcal. We’ve rounded up a few favorite game day recipes.

Blood Ritual: Mezcal Chocolate Old Fashioned // stirandstrain.com
Blood Ritual: Mezcal Chocolate Old Fashioned
Angostura Dusted Popcorn // stirandstrain.com
Angostura Dusted Popcorn
Brûléed Grapefruit and Mixed Citrus Punch with Vanilla and Piloncillo Reduction // stirandstrain.com
Brûléed Grapefruit and Mixed Citrus Punch with Vanilla and Piloncillo Reduction
Sweet and Spicy Angostura Sauce for Ribs // stirandstrain.com
Sweet and Spicy Angostura Sauce for Ribs
Hot Ward Eight Cocktails // stirandstrain.com
Hot Ward Eight Cocktails
Smoky Beer Sangrita Cocktail // stirandstrain.com
Smoky Beer Sangrita Cocktail
Steak Island Cocktails // stirandstrain.com
Steak Island Cocktails
Texas Tea Beer Cocktail // stirandstrain.com
Texas Tea Beer Cocktail

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Filed Under: Recipes Tagged With: angostura, beer, mezcal, rye, super bowl, tequila, winter

Cranberry Sauce Margaritas with Rosemary Sugar Rims

December 11, 2018 by elana 1 Comment

Cranberry Sauce Margaritas with Rosemary Sugar: A Holiday Party with Stages // stirandstrain.comThis post is brought to you by Specialty Retailers, Inc. Recipes and ideas are my own.

Did you know that Margaritas are the most popular cocktail in the U.S.? Probably not surprising when you think of the amount of frozen, neon colored drinks you encounter walking down the main strip in Las Vegas. I’m sure those are being counted in this statistic. And that bottled drink mix with the svelte lady on the front; that’s probably being counted too. But here in my home bar, a Margarita is a solid, easy to mix drink with endless variations. And today we’ll be making them holiday ready for a little online party!

Cranberry Sauce Margaritas with Rosemary Sugar: A Holiday Party with Stages // stirandstrain.comToday I’m taking part in Stage’s virtual holiday party and sharing my Cranberry Sauce Margaritas to help celebrate and #SetYourHolidayStage! I’m making them extra festive with an easy DIY rosemary sugar rim you can whip up in minutes and use all holiday season long. As my older readers know, I have an entire front yard full of rosemary. So when the Fall and Winter seasons are upon us, I’m sticking it in everything. Food, of course, but also in lots of cocktails. If you’re finding us through the Stages Holiday Party, a quick search through the archives will introduce you to a whole new world of using rosemary in cocktails; take a look!

Cranberry Sauce Margaritas with Rosemary Sugar: A Holiday Party with Stages // stirandstrain.com

Cranberry Sauce Margaritas with Rosemary Sugar: A Holiday Party with Stages // stirandstrain.comWe still have two whole weeks until Christmas and who knows how many parties we’ll be going to or hosting up to then. If you’re in charge of drinks, Stages has all the accessories you need to make prepping and decorating easy! We did a quick shopping trip online to get all our gear for our virtual party including glasses, those cute gold foil holiday napkins, a caddy to hold the napkins and straws, a chalkboard sign to write out the name of our Signature Cocktail, the containers to store the rosemary sugar, a dipping tray for all the ingredients for the Cranberry Sauce Margaritas, as well as some festive decorations like this teeny tiny lights and the nutcracker. Even my holiday sweater came from there! SO MANY GREAT ENTERTAINING OPTIONS.

Cranberry Sauce Margaritas with Rosemary Sugar: A Holiday Party with Stages // stirandstrain.com

Cranberry Sauce Margaritas with Rosemary Sugar: A Holiday Party with Stages // stirandstrain.com

Ok, so you set your holiday stage and are ready for guests. Let them feel in charge with a little DIY bar set up. This 3 cup dipping tray could hold snacks any other time of the year, but today it will hold all the components for the Cranberry Sauce Margaritas: cranberry sauce, lime wedges and the rosemary sugar. Put out some little spoons for the dishes and some shot glasses for the booze components. Holiday parties should be about coming together with friends and family, and having this little DIY bar lets guests mingle about with one another.

Cranberry Sauce Margaritas with Rosemary Sugar: A Holiday Party with Stages // stirandstrain.comThe recipe for the Cranberry Sauce Margaritas has just a touch of sweetness in it from the cranberry sauce and the Grand Marnier. You can adjust going up or down with either to your liking. I also think adding just a touch of the rosemary sugar into the drink doesn’t hurt either, just remember to shake it really well to combine it all! TIP: use the spent lime wedges from the cocktail recipe to help rim the glasses. Then you won’t need to waste additional lime wedges just for rimming. Also, when rimming your glass, use a shallow bowl or rimmed plate and push the sugar out towards the edges so that the sugar will evenly coat around the glass.

Let’s make some drinks!

Cranberry Sauce Margaritas with Rosemary Sugar: A Holiday Party with Stages // stirandstrain.comCranberry Sauce Margaritas

1-1/2 ounces blanco tequila
1 ounce freshly squeezed lime juice
1/2 ounce Grand Marnier
1 tablespoon cranberry sauce
rosemary sugar (see recipe below)
rosemary sprig

First, rim a rocks glass with the rosemary sugar. Set aside. Combine all ingredients into a cocktail shaker filled 2/3 with ice. Shake well to combine, about 30 seconds. Strain over fresh ice into the prepared rocks glass. Add additional cranberry sauce if desired. Optionally garnish with a rosemary sprig.

Cranberry Sauce Margaritas with Rosemary Sugar: A Holiday Party with Stages // stirandstrain.comRosemary Sugar

2 cups granulated sugar
5 sprigs of fresh rosemary, about 3 to 5 inches long, divided

Take one sprig of rosemary and remove all the needles. Finely chop them. Combine the chopped needles and the sugar in an airtight container. Mix well to evenly distribute the rosemary. Add a few extra sprigs to the jar, shake, and let sit overnight or up to a few days. Sugar may look clumpy but it will dry out and break down. Remove the sprigs, seal the jar, and keep in a cool, dry place up to three months.

Cranberry Sauce Margaritas with Rosemary Sugar: A Holiday Party with Stages // stirandstrain.com

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Filed Under: Everyday Parties, Make It, Recipes, Tips Tagged With: blanco tequila, cranberry, Everyday Parties, grand marnier, holiday, lime, make it, rosemary, tequila

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