There’s always time for a cocktail
With the summer heat picking up and social activities being revived, there is no better time to brush up on your cocktail-making skills. And luckily, we have compiled a list of cocktail recipes featuring drinks from Stranahan, Belvedere, Glenmorangie, and Volcán de Mi Tierra Tequila.
First up are three delicious cocktails featuring Stranahan’s Blue Peak expression that reimagines classic cocktails like the Manhattan, Negroni, and an Old Fashioned. And with Father’s Day coming around the corner, one of the best gifts you can give your father is a bottle of premium American Single Malt Whiskey like Stranahan Blue Peak. And to quote the head distiller at Stranahan Owen Martin, “The American single malt whiskey category is rapidly growing in popularity, and as the category leader, we continuously look for ways to grow admiration for ASMs through innovations. Our newest expression – Blue Peak – couples our signature distillation process and aging methods with a Solera finish, a time-honored maturation process typically used in wine. The result is a rich and mellow whiskey designed to elevate whiskey-forward cocktails.”
What’s more is that for the upcoming holiday, Stranahan is offering a special deal where you can make custom engraved bottles on their new and improved Stranahan’s Original expression or the new Stranahan’s Blue Peak expression.
1. The Peak Manhattan
Ingredients
2oz Blue Peak
1oz Sicilian Amaro
2 dashes black walnut bitters
2 dashes Angostura bitters
Method
Add all ingredients to a mixing glass, add ice, and stir to 20% dilution. Strain over the big cube with a cherry garnish
2. Boulevard Peak
Ingredients
1oz Blue Peak
1oz Campari
1oz Sweet vermouth
Method
Add all three ingredients to a mixing glass. Stir to 20% dilution. Strain in coupe with an orange peel garnish.
3. The Highlands
Ingredients
1.5oz Blue Peak
.25oz simple syrup
2 dashes black walnut bitters
1 grapefruit zest
Method
Add all ingredients to a mixing glass, add ice, and stir to 20% dilution. Strain over the big cube with grapefruit zest
Also featured in this round-up are three premium liquor brands, Belvedere Vodka, Glenmorangie Whiskey, and Volcán de Mi Tierra Tequila. Each brand has shared a cocktail recipe that is both delicious and easy to make.
Belvedere vodka, made from Polish rye, purified water, and distilled by fire, is a high-end vodka that can be enjoyed with any type of drink. Even better is that Belvedere vodka contains zero additives and is certified kosher and gluten-free. And with this premium vodka, Belvedere has created a tasty cocktail that also features Kombucha for those that love the drink but wish it had even more of a kick.
4. Belvedere Super Cocktail – Kombucha
Ingredients
1.5 oz Belvedere Vodka
5 oz Honey
.75 oz Fresh Lime Juice
2 oz Kombucha
1 dash Angostura Bitters
Lime Wheel
Method
Place all ingredients in a shaker except Kombucha and shake with ice. Strain into a Coupe and top off with ice-cold Kombucha. Garnish with a lime wheel.
Next up is Glenmorangie Whiskey, which is made from five simple ingredients – wood, water, barley, yeast, and time. Glenmorangie is one of the tastiest whiskey brands we have tried and we were so happy to try the latest cocktail recipe, The Orange Highball, that gives a refreshing twist to whiskey cocktails.
5. Orange Highball
Ingredients
50ml (2oz) Glenmorangie Original
1/2 an Orange
50ml (2oz) Tonic Water
50ml (2oz) Soda Water
Method
Juice half an orange. Then fill a highball glass with ice cubes and thick wedges of orange. Finally, pour all your ingredients over the top, and enjoy.
Then, we have Volcán de Mi Tierra Tequila. This tequila was born from an alliance between LVMH and the Gallardo family in an effort to create a tequila that is both complex and extraordinary. This tequila goes down so smooth, and with enhanced notes of classic agave, is one of the top-tier tequila brands out there – perfect for any type of tequila cocktail you would like to make. With that, Volcán de Mi Tierra Tequila has shared a tasty cocktail recipe called La Valoma Cocktail, that is fruit-forward and is a perfect signature cocktail to make for any summer gathering you might have.
6. La Valoma Cocktail
Ingredients
2 oz Volcan Blanco Tequila
¾ oz Fresh Lime Juice
1.5 oz Fresh Grapefruit Juice
¾ Oz Agave Syrup
A pinch of salt
Method
Combine Volcan Blanco, fresh lime, and grapefruit juice, salt, and agave syrup in a shaker filled with ice. Shake vigorously and strain over ice in a highball glass. Top with soda water and garnish with a grapefruit wedge.
Next up, if you are in the mood for a cocktail with some freshness that will brighten your day, we definitely recommend The T-Dot cocktail. And because it is made Double Cross Vodka, it goes down smooth and doesn’t have that intense vodka kick to it that you would get with other vodka drinks. Plus, the addition of some maple syrup to the drink adds this great sweetness that is balanced out with the brightness of the grapefruit and lemon juice making for the perfect balanced cocktail.
7. The T-Dot
Ingredients
2 oz Double Cross Vodka
.75 oz Grapefruit Juice
.5 oz Lemon Juice
.5 oz Maple Syrup
2 Dashes Lavender Bitters
Method
Combine all ingredients and shake with ice. Strain into a coupe glass. Then garnish with lavender.
We also have the Gold Rush made with Maker’s Mark Bourbon. Maker’s Mark has been one of the leading bourbon brands out there and is one of our favorites. The taste of this bourbon is unlike most others and is good for one the rocks as well as making it into this delicious cocktail. The Gold Rush is a simple drink but really accentuates the classic taste of Maker’s Mark.
8. Gold Rush
Ingredients
2 parts Maker’s Mark Bourbon
¾ part honey syrup
¾ part fresh squeezed lemon juice
Lemon wedge for garnish
Method
Add Maker’s Mark Bourbon, lemon juice and honey syrup to an ice-filled shaker. Give it a good shake. Strain over ice into rocks glass. Garnish with lemon wedge
9. Sonoma-Cutrer 40th Anniversary Chardonnay
Lastly, we have an outstanding wine created by California’s only Sonoma-Cutrer. To celebrate their 40th Anniversary, they have released an exclusive and limited edition 40th Anniversary Chardonnay. Having notes of pear, citrus, and apple, stone fruit, and an oakiness, this extraordinary Chardonnay is perfect for any occasion and will be sure to be a hit. While taking your first sip of this Chardonnay, you immediately notice how crisp and refreshing it is. Afterwards, a nice richness from this wine hits your palette, eventually transforming into the mellow sweetness that comes from the fruit, finished off with the nice oakiness, all while having that hit of acidity that is true for all Chardonnay.
And when it comes to packaging, this is definitely one of the cleanest and fanciest packaging for a wine that we have seen yet.
To quote the director of winemaking at Sonoma-Cutrer, “The 40th Anniversary Winemaker’s Release showcases Sonoma-Cutrer’s Chardonnay style of crisp acidity balanced by ripe fruit and oak complexity,” said Morrison. “Collaborating so closely with Bill, Terry, and Mick was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. It is a privilege to dedicate this beautiful wine to our visionary founding winemaker Bill Bonetti who passed away peacefully just a few months after blending, and to continue to carry on his vision.”
Sonoma-Cutrer’s Winemaker’s Release 40th Anniversary Chardonnay (13.9% ABV) will be available at an SRP of $69.99 at some select retail locations as well as direct from the winery at www.sonomacutrer.com
