Cuban Cocktails You Should Try This Spring

I love making cocktails. They are an art form that carries fascinating cultural histories. There’s something so simple about them, yet there are about a million different possible flavor combinations. I became obsessed with cocktails and mixology after I read about Cuba’s rich cocktail history. I later worked for Court theatre as a bartender, where I experienced firsthand the enchanting power of cocktails. Something as simple as whipped cream topping a coffee mixture brought joy and wonderment into the eyes of my customers. What started as a way to feel more connected to my heritage became a treasured hobby.

Now that the weather is getting warmer here are three Cuban cocktails to try:

Cuba Libre or the Mentirita

Mentiritas, or more commonly known as a Cuba Libre, is one of the simplest ways to elevate a boring rum and coke. Add lime. It’s insanely simple, yet the addition of the citrus fruit will make you wonder where this recipe has been all of your life. The name ‘mentirita’ directly translates to a little lie and is a pun and a political statement based on the official name Cuba libre (which translates into freedom).

Recipe:

·       2 ounces of white rum

·       4 ounces of Coca-Cola

·       1 lime wedge

Add ice to your glass. Pour the rum over it and top off with Coca-Cola. Squeeze fresh lime over the drink and stir gently.

Frozen Daiquiri

The legend, according to Bacardi, is that Jennings Cox, an American living in Cuba, ran out of gin at a party and ran out into the streets to find ingredients that were widely available in Cuba: rum, sugar, limes. Inspired by the Cuban 19th-century cocktail canchanchara, Cox combined the ingredients into the first Daiquiri, which Cuban mixologists eventually developed into the frozen Daiquiri that we know today.

Recipe:

·      2 ounces of white rum

·      1 ½ tablespoons of sugar

·      1 ounce of lime juice

·      1 teaspoon of Maraschino liqueur

·      2 cups of ice

·      Optional: strawberries

Blend ingredients together until its frothy. My favorite adjustment to the classic recipe is replacing the ice with frozen fruit. This hack ensures that your cocktail won’t be watered down by the ice.

Mojito

I fondly remember the first time I saw someone make a mojito. My mom and I were picking up takeout from a Cuban restaurant, and while we waited, one of the bartenders began making them. I was transfixed with the process of muddling the ingredients. This cocktail is my personal favorite.

Recipe:

·      12 mint sprigs

·      1 ounce of lime juice

·      1 ½ tablespoons sugar

·      2 ounces of white rum

·      3 ounces of club soda

Muddle the mint, lime juice, and sugar in the glass you will be serving the drink in. Add rum and gently stir. Add ice, then top off with club soda.

Optional adjustment: to make raspberry mojitos add a handful of raspberries and muddle them with the mint, lime juice, and sugar, then follow the recipe as directed above.

Source: https://www.thespruceeats.com/mojito-cockt...

Seven Boozy Drink Recipes to Warm Your Soul

Gif via.

Gif via.

I hope you have successfully fended off the cold that the steep drop in temperature brought upon many of us.

I hope you have watched A Star is Born.

I hope you are faring well in your first HUM/SOSC papers, Econ PSETs, and midterms.

On top of it all, I hope you are finding the time to hang out with friends.

If any of the above sounds remotely foreign, read on and make one (or all) of the boozy drinks to warm your soul and body when it gets colder outside!

Cider, Next Level

1.jpg

Apple Cider Mimosa

Put a spin on your basic mimosa for brunch by substituting orange juice with cider. Who said you can’t compare apples to oranges? You sure can when they are mixed with some bubbly.

Read the original recipe post by Becky Hardin on the Cookie Rookie here.

1. [Optional] Dip your glass (champagne preferably, but who’s judging?) into a bowl of cider first and then coat the rim with glittering sprinkles;

2. Fill the glass with cider to ½ or ¾ full;

3. Pour in the champagne.

2.jpeg

Spiked Cider

Pump up your cider game in 10 minutes. This spiked apple cider cocktail asks for simple ingredients, little time and is perfect for a party, study break or any other group drinking occasions.

Read the full post by Aaron Mccargo Jr. on Food Network here.

1. Pour cider, rum, and schnapps in the ratio of 1:2:2 into a large pitcher;

2. Toss diced apples in lemon juice and thread them onto skewers

3. Fill individual glasses with ice and pour in the mix; decorate with skewers!

3.jpg

Salty Maple Buttered Rum

Into rum but feeling more adventurous than a classic buttery rum?

Using hot cider in place of hot water might be a good place to start. Read the original post on Serious Eats here.

  1. Rim the mug/glass with lemon and coat in salt;

  2. In a bowl, combine 1 tbsp of softened butter, 2 tbsps of maple syrup and ½ vanilla bean pod (slit open and scrape out the seeds);

  3. Simmer 4 oz of rum and 8 oz of cider over medium-high heat;

  4. Pour the liquid into prepared containers and top with the butter mix.

Wine, fortified

4.jpg

2-step Sangaree:

For the classy wine lovers, the port wine from Portugal is a great choice for the season. It’s nutty, flavorful and sweet. Reminisce about the sangria in summer with this Sangaree recipe!

Read the full post on Serious Eats here.

  1. In a cocktail shaker filled with ice, add 60ml of Madeira (Blandy's 10 Year Malmsey or H. M. Borges Old Reserve Malmsey 10 Year, for instance), 15ml simple syrup, and 15ml fresh lemon juice;

  2. Shake for 12 seconds, pour over a strainer into a chilled coupe glass (if you feel swanky), and finish by sprinkling freshly grated or ground nutmeg on top.

Hot Chocolate, spiked

5.jpg

Minty Tequila Hot Chocolate

The peppermint wakes you up and the chocolate cures the hangover. And it’s super easy to make!

If you have a half-emptied bottle of Tequila left over from the party last night, you probably want to try this tequila minty hot chocolate. Read the original recipe here.

  1. Add ¼ cup of cocoa powder, 1 tbsp of sugar and  a pinch of salt to a decently sized pan;

  2. Over medium-high heat, stir in 3 cups of milk, 4 oz of milk chocolate chips, 4 oz of bittersweet chocolate chips; gently whisk everything into a smooth mixture;

  3. Add 4 oz of tequila and 2 oz of Peppermint Schnapps; resist the temptation to drink out of the saucepan, divide into individual servings;

  4. [optional] Top each serving with whipped cream and mint leaves

Eggnog, the holiday season previewed

Peppermint-Punch.V.jpg

Peppermint Schnapps + Eggnog

Common sense dictates balancing the sweet and rich flavors of eggnog with high-proof spirits such as rum, bourbon, or whiskey. Corinne Caputo from Bustle has tested them all, including some unconventional options. And the winner is…... Peppermint Schnapps!

Not your Starbuck’s Pumpkin Spice Latte

7.jpg

Drunken Pumpkin

This recipe calls for a little more work than just mixing everything together, but it’s worth the effort. Plus, are you really serving straight up vodka shots to your guests in the holiday season?

Read the original recipe in full by Kris and Wesley on How to Feed a Loon here.

Step 1: Infuse vodka

  1. In a lidded container, mix 1-cup pumpkin puree, 2-tsp pumpkin spice, and 750ml of vodka;

  2. Shake vigorously, store in the fridge, and shake vigorously once a day for about 3 days (tasting is key);

  3. Get the infused vodka with a fine-mesh strainer or cheesecloth; discard the solids.

Step 2: For brown sugar simple syrup

  1. Combine 1-cup water and 2-cup brown sugar in a pan;

  2. Over medium heat, stir and mix for 3-5 minutes;

  3. Let it cool and store in the fridge

Step 3: Assemble

  1. Add 1oz infused vodka, 1oz dark rum, ½ oz coffee liqueur, 2tbsp simple syrup in a mixing glass filled with ice;

  2. Strain and pour the liquid into individual glasses (optional ice);

  3. Top with half and half and serve!

Drink responsibly, stay warm and healthy!

Feature image via

5 Easy, Breezy Summer Cocktails

gif via

gif via

This is by far the most difficult post that I have worked on for the Blog and not just because I am a little tipsy after testing a couple of cocktails recipes. In fact, the hardest aspect of this piece was choosing just one cocktail to encapsulate the summer season! It's the time of the year when we dine outdoors, drink with friends at picnics on the Point, and enjoy our well-deserved break–so what's the perfect beverage to accompany these serene summer days?

In the spirit of making my life easier, I have made a collection of five recipes that you can pick your favorite drink(s) of the season from.

All of the recipes are from Serious Eats and NYT Cooking. There are many more refreshing cocktails on their websites waiting for you to explore. Enjoy the weather and drink on!

Image via

Image via

Moscow-Mule

I might be biased, but vodka is probably the most common spirit in a college dorm or apartment. If you don't already have a lonely, half-empty bottle sitting in your "home bar," stop by Kimbark on your way to Hyde Park Produce for the following concoction.

This is a great option for those of who are not typically keen on vodka but would love to finish up that bottle. Squeeze 1/2 lime to the serving glass, add ice and 2 ounces vodka, pour 4 to 6 ounces chilled ginger beer over to your taste. 3 ingredients, 1 minute, there you have it.

 

Image via

Image via

Strawberry-Mint Sparkler

Start off your day with the combination of strawberry, mint leaves, and lime. It's a little bit more complicated to make but absolutely worth the effort.

Ingredients:

  1. about 5 medium-sized strawberries
  2. 1/2 oz. simple syrup: 1 cup water and 1 cup sugar cooked over medium heat until the sugar is dissolved; cool before using
  3. the juice of 1 lime
  4. 10 mint leaves
  5. 2 oz vodka
  6. 2.5 oz club soda
  7. lime/strawberry/mint leaves for garnish (optional)

Method: 

  1. Muddle the strawberries, simple syrup, and lime juice in a shaker. When the berries are dissolved, add 5 mint leaves and gently combine everything.
  2. Add vodka and fill 2/3 of the shaker with ice. Shake for about 15 seconds.
  3. Fill the serving glass with club soda and ice; pour the cocktail (strain the ingredients in it) in the glass.
Image via

Image via

In-Sandiary

If you are feeling fancy and want to put in more effort, this simple, refreshing watermelon cocktail developed by the American Bartender of the Year in 2012 Joaquin Simo is for you.

  1. To rim the glass: first, dip it in 1 oz fresh lime juice; then dip it into the mixture of 1 teaspoon kosher salt, 1 teaspoon sugar and 1 teaspoon ancho chili powder
  2. Juice 1 cup of cubed watermelon or muddle it in the shaker; strain the solids
  3. Fill the shaker with ice, add 2 oz watermelon juice, 2oz tequila, 1/2 oz lime juice, and 1/4 oz simple syrup. Shake vigorously.
  4. Fill the serving glass with ice and pour the cocktail over. Serve, no, DRINK immediately. 
Image via

Image via

Traditional Sangria

Dear wine lovers, I know you might find the idea of dumping fruits into red wine unappealing, but who said cocktail is spirit-only? Taming the dry Spanish red with some rosé and orange soda, refrigerating it overnight (preferably), and serving with fresh cut apples and oranges–there you have a Sangria that not only preserves, but also showcases the complexity of the wine. Sangria is also perfect to make in large quantity.

  1. Find a big container. Combine 1 bottle dry red wine, 1/2 bottle dry rosado (Spanish rosé), 6 ounces orange soda (preferably not too sweet), 1/2 ounce Torres orange liqueur or Triple Sec, 1 ounces Romate or other Spanish brandy. 
  2. Stir with a wooden spoon; let it sit for 5 minutes. Then add sugar to taste. 
  3. Refrigerate for at least 4 hours, ideally overnight. 
  4. Serve in glasses filled with ice and fresh cut apples and oranges.
Image via

Image via

Paloma

I highly suspect you'd also have a bottle of Tequila if you've made it this far. Find a tall glass, (optional: rim the glass with salt), add ice, 2.5 oz tequila, lime juice and top with grapefruit soda. Give everything a gentle stir and serve with a lime wedge.

Feature gif via