The Shared Sip

Christmas Everyday

12.17.18

Holiday cocktails are here! I love creating drinks that have some element of the season - from cranberries to cinnamon to rosemary, the possibilities are endless. I’m looking forward to sharing a few favorites with you this year that you can bring to your holiday parties, New Year’s festivities, or just a cozy night in to accompany a Christmas-movie-watching binge!

I had this cocktail at You & Yours Distillery when I was in San Diego this summer, and was instantly smitten with it. They call it Christmas in July but I think it’s a winner every day of the year! I only slightly adapted it to make it a touch less sweet. I love, love, love the chai syrup here and can’t wait to add it to some whiskey or even just a cup of chai tea to bump up the flavor a few notches and add a little sweetness.

Let me know if you try this one!

Christmas Everyday

1.5 oz gin
1 oz lime juice
.25 oz orange cordial (recipe follows)
1 oz chai syrup (recipe follows)

Assembly

Combine all ingredients in a shaker with ice. Shake until very cold. Strain into a rocks glass filled with fresh ice. Garnish with a mint sprig, pink peppercorns and dusting of powdered sugar.

Orange Cordial

Combine 1/2 cup fresh-squeezed strained orange juice (to get the pulp out!) and 1/2 cup sugar in a saucepan over medium heat. Let simmer for 15 minutes. Remove from heat and cool. Store in the fridge.

Chai Syrup

Combine 1/2 cup demerara sugar (you can find this at Whole Foods - sugar in the raw works too) and 1/2 cup water over medium heat until sugar is dissolved. Add 1 chai tea bag and simmer for 10 minutes. Remove tea bag, take off heat and let cool. Store in the fridge.

Want more holiday cocktail ideas? No problem!

Cranberry Mules

Cranberry Sparkler

Cider House Rules

Wine

Holidays with Beaujolais

11.21.18

It should come as no surprise that the sips that accompany my holiday meals are just as (if not more!) important as the food itself. From cocktails to sparkling cider to a great bottle of wine, the beverages complete the dinnertime story.

After starting with a great festive cocktail (think apples, cranberries and all things bubbly), I move towards opening up special bottles of wine to accompany the food—and not just the main course. I love to pair a great cheese plate with vino that shines—whites, reds and sometimes even a stellar rosé (don’t just reserve those for the summer months!).

This year, I’m pairing my pre-dinner snacks with a bold Beaujolais Chiroubles—a versatile varietal that works exceptionally well with food. The other great thing about Beaujolais is that you don’t have to refinance your home to afford a great bottle. You can surely skip the $150 selection and opt instead for a tasty one in the $20-$30 range.

Here, I kept the food light: a seasonal cranberry stilton, a few Spanish cheeses, red grapes, salty olives, raw almonds and loads of pomegranates scattering the table. It feels like Thanksgiving without having to litter the tablescape with pumpkins and gourds! To accompany the eats, I chose a red Beaujolais (did you know Beaujolais also comes in white and rosé?! So cool), but I think it could be really fun to have a selection of all three. Guests love options—it makes them feeling instantly more at home.

The result is a appetizer pairing that feels fresh, not fussy; festive but not full of fanfare. Beaujolais was a great way for me to complete my vision of a Thanksgiving celebration; I hope you’ll consider picking up a bottle when planning your own holiday gathering! Cheers, friends.

For more ideas about wine pairings and to learn more about the Beaujolais variety, be sure to check out Discover Beaujolais.

Note: Though this post is sponsored, all opinions are my own. I only share brands that I believe in and that I think my readers will love, too!

Bourbon / Brunch Cocktails / Whiskey

Cozy Holiday Cocktails + Jackson Morgan Southern Cream

11.16.18

Blog life + social media start to feel really overwhelming to me this time of year. Part of me is super inspired by all of the delicious food and drinks in my feed, but the other part of me feels exhausted by the endless recipes, tablescapes, possibilities. How to I keep up?

Instead of running the Instagram race, I’m trying to remember why I look forward to Thanksgiving—truly, at its core. It’s my mom’s stuffing, the same one I’ve eaten my whole life. It’s rewatching the video of my littlest niece when she was 3, proclaiming herself The Turkey Boss. It’s a nap on the couch with the people I love. It’s FaceTiming with the people we miss and can’t be with. It’s not a perfect menu or a picturesque place setting, that I can tell you.

What I do love is creating a fun new cocktail we can sip together while we cook in my sister’s kitchen—but I’m keeping it low-key this year with some help from my buddies at Jackson Morgan. They make delicious creamy liqueurs that couldn’t be more perfect for this time of year.

These cocktails are so easy! They’re just a few ingredients each so you don’t have to stress about getting everything together or making things perfect. Which means: more time for the good stuff.

Salty Buzz // A cocktail with salted cream, irish whiskey and cold brew coffee // The Shared Sip

Salty Buzz
makes 2 cocktails

3 oz Jackson Morgan Southern Cream in Salted Caramel
2 oz Irish whiskey
2 oz cold brew (or cooled espresso)

Assembly
Mix all in a shaker filled with ice. Serve in a rocks glass, garnished with a cinnamon stick and cinnamon!

Monkey Business // A cocktail with cream liqueur, bourbon, and a cinnamon-banana simple syrup // The Shared Sip

Monkey Business
makes 2 cocktails

3 oz Jackson Morgan Southern Cream in Bread Pudding
2 oz bourbon
1.5 oz cinnamon-banana syrup (recipe follows)

Assembly
Combine all ingredients in a shaker with ice. Shake until very cold, about 20 seconds. Strain into a coupe or martini glass. Garnish with bruleed banana.

For the cinnamon-banana syrup, combine ½ c. demerara sugar (or brown sugar), ½ c. water, 1 ripe banana (lightly mashed), and ½ a cinnamon stick (broken into shards) over medium heat until sugar is dissolved. Turn heat to low and simmer for 10-15 minutes. Remove from heat and let steep for 1 hour. Strain into a glass jar, pressing bananas to release the syrup. Use immediately or store the in fridge for up to 2 weeks.

This post is sponsored, but I only promote products I really believe in and would purchase independently. This is super important to me. ✨

Holiday Cocktails / Tequila

Cider House Rules

11.06.18

I love, love, love fall cocktails but sometimes—I’ll admit—they can be a little predictable. Most include bourbon or dark rum, and almost always some warming spices. I wanted to make a cocktail that felt a little different for the season, including an unexpected spirit. This drink was adapted slightly from one of my favorite cocktail resources, Imbibe. It’s quickly been added to my fall favorites list, and since it works equally as well with fresh apple juice in place of the apple cider, it can totally be sipped year-round. Happy sipping!

Cider House Rules
makes 2 cocktails

4 oz apple cider (fresh/unfiltered apple juice works too)
3 oz blanco tequila
1 oz honey syrup (1:1) or 1 oz cinnamon bark syrup
1 oz fresh lime juice

Assembly
Combine all ingredients in a shaker filled with ice. Shake until very cold, about 20 seconds. Strain into a coupe glass. Garnish with a lime wedge, fresh rosemary, a fennel frond, or a cinnamon stick!

Bourbon / Brunch Cocktails / Coffee Liqueur

Spiked Pumpkin Spice Latte

10.09.18

It’s that time of year when we start craving coziness, aching for cuddles on the couch, warm blankets and hot cocktails. The nesting begins and soon our homes are filled with dried fall leaves, pumpkins of all shapes and sizes, and with any luck, a big bag of Halloween candy stocked in the pantry.

Like the first of the year, it feels like an era of fresh starts and new possibilities. Isn’t it funny how, as the flowers begin to fade, trees lose their foliage and animals begin to hide away for the winter, we feel a sense of renewal? I suppose every change of season brings about similar sentiments: as our environment is altered, so too is our way of seeing the world.

Of course, the biggest indicator of autumn’s arrival may in fact be the ushering in of the notorious PSL on every cafe menu around town. It’s become a staple and a treat so many look forward to come fall.

Here, I’ve adapted the latte to a version you can make at home, and most importantly spike with your favorite seasonal liqueur. Here, I’ve recommended the addition of coffee liqueur, but you could also play with bourbon or even some apple jack! I sipped mine alongside a loaf of pumpkin banana bread, a version from The Pioneer Woman that is so tasty and makes the perfect pairing with the latte. Here tou can find the Pumpkin Banana Bread — note I subbed in Ghirardelli’s 60% cacao chips for the nuts, which I felt was the best decision! 😉

Happy fall, dear friends!

Spiked Pumpkin Spice Latte
makes 2 cocktails

1 cup milk
2 tbsp pumpkin puree
2 tsp turbinado sugar (more if you like it sweet)
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 tsp pumpkin pie spice
1 cup very strong coffee or 4 shots espresso
3 oz coffee liqueur
warm milk or half & half for frothing (use your espresso machine’s frother, or I love this cheap handheld frother!)

Assembly
Combine first 5 ingredients in a saucepan over medium heat for about 5 minutes to heat through and allow flavors to meld. Pour equally into two glasses. Add 1/2 cup and 1.5 oz coffee liqueur to each cup. Top each cup with frothed milk and a sprinkle of pumpkin pie spice.

barware

Anthropologie Labor Day Sale

08.30.18

One of my favorite places to source barwares (and home good in general) is Anthropologie—and they are have a 40% off sale for Labor Day! I rounded up a few of my favorites. All of these are already such great deals, and then they are an additional 40% off! They’ll go quick though so be sure to grab what you want as soon as you see it!

Bamboo Shell Forks // $19.95 PLUS an additional 40% off
Galaxy Side Plate // $12.95 PLUS an additional 40% off
Carlisle Coaster // $4.95 PLUS an additional 40% off
Marbled Monogram Cheeseboard // $24.95 PLUS an additional 40% off
Catina Dishcloths // $14.95 PLUS an additional 40% off
Modern Alchemy Platter // $29.95 PLUS an additional 40% off
Tari Decanter // $29.95 PLUS an additional 40% off
Paint & Petals Juice Glass // $6.95 PLUS an additional 40% off
Babou Table Runner // $54.95 PLUS an additional 40% off

mezcal / Tequila

Hibiscus Tequila Sunset

08.30.18

I have a soft spot in my heart for a Tequila Sunrise. Most probably consider it a lowbrow cocktail, bffs with the jack + coke or a vodka redbull. My dad used to drink these when I was growing up—often in place of a bloody mary but sometimes even brought out during cocktail hour—so my tequila sunrises come with a side of nostalgia. Read More

Bar Snacks / Bourbon / mezcal / Tequila

Bar Bites: 90s Snack Mix!

08.29.18

Don’t get me wrong—I love a charcuterie board as much as the next lady. But there’s something about snacking on a salty, carb-y snack mix while sipping a cocktail that just feels good. The crunch, the sweet nibbles of chocolate, grabbing a handful and then another until the whole bowl is somehow empty.

Another major win when it comes to snack mixes: you honestly cannot mess them up. You can use the basic Chex mix “sauce” and then add your own favorite ingredients. Love cheez-its? Throw ’em in. Got a hankering for Doritos? Go for it! The only thing I recommend is including some sweet element (one or two is ideal to balance the saltiness). Think: dried fruit, sugary cereal, broken up cookies, candy—the possibilities are endless. You really can’t mess this up, I promise. Read More

Vodka

Summer Salad Cocktail // Sip + Skim

08.05.18

At the end of June, I took a short weekend trip down to San Diego, one of my favorite cities, to visit one of my best friends. Of course we ate and drank all the things (obviously), but the highlight was finally making it into You & Yours Distilling Co., located in the East Village of SD. Y&Y was started by Laura Johnson (female founders ftw!) and her story is a good one. I sipped on a cocktail called Christmas in July (which I plan to make when the temps start to cool), but their menu was chock full of other delicious-sounding drinks I couldn’t wait to recreate, like this one: the Summer Salad.

There is definitely a little bit of an art to incorporating savory ingredients into a cocktail, and Y&Y did it perfectly here. I subbed in lime juice for the lemon juice and it is SO TASTY. I highly recommend making this warm-weather sip while the strawberries are still ripe for the taking!

Summer Salad Cocktail
makes 2 cocktails

2 1-inch strips of red bell pepper
4 strawberries, stems removed and quartered
1 oz simple syrup
3 oz vodka
2 oz lime
flaky sea salt
herbal olive oil (plain will do the trick too!)

Assembly
Muddle the peppers and strawberries with the simple syrup; the bell peppers will take a little muscle to break down, so get in there with that muddler! Add the vodka, lime juice and ice and shake until very cold, about 20 seconds. Double strain into a rocks glass with fresh ice. Sprinkle with a pinch of sea salt and a drizzle of olive oil.

Sip + Skim
my favorite finds this week, boozy and otherwise

Since I’ve gotten back into my running groove over the last year, my sneaks have completely fallen apart. I’m eyeing these and these—both by Nike—and having some decision fatigue over this commitment.
Erin Loechner of Design for Mankind has always entranced me with her beautiful blog and continues to do so; for my daily dose of thoughtfulness I never scroll past her Instagram posts, which always make my insides turn to goo (in the best way possible).
Just finished Hillbilly Elegy and was really captivated by JD Vance’s storytelling. His honesty and self-awareness was really lovely, and reminded me how important vulnerability is. Now I’m onto a book in the “cozy mystery” genre (it’s a thing), A Lesson In Secrets by Jacqueline Winspear, which is part of her long-standing (and highly rated) Maisie Dobbs series.
Spiraling out of control over the Sharp Objects miniseries on HBO. It’s reminiscent of two other miniseries, Big LIttle Lies and The Sinner, both of which I loved, and I look forward to this new obsession each Sunday with the glee of a 5-year-old on Christmas Eve.
For the ladies: the Girls Night In newsletter is one of my favorites; it only comes once a week so it won’t clog up your inbox, and it feels like your BFF sharing her favorite things each Friday, from books and articles to face masks and home goods.
Podcast favorite this week: GOOP’s interview with the adorable SJP—she gets more and more charming every time I hear her speak (have you seen her Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee episode? The best.)
Tsundoku: the art of buying books and never reading them (guilty).
On my to-read list: this article about the science of sleep.
I want basically anything from Kimura Glass but these crumpled old-fashioned glasses are especially beautiful.
Gonna stir up this amazing creation from Barrel Aged Dad, a cocktail with orange whiskey, cold brew, amaro, and pineapple syrup. Yes, please.

mezcal / Shrub

What’s Shrub Got To Do With It?

08.02.18

Guys. This is for sure one of my all time favorite cocktails I’ve created (which is saying a lot because each one feels like a child and I love them all equally!). I came up with the recipe for a friend in NYC who was throwing a part for another friend of ours. Her requests were: 1) make it spicy and 2) include a shrub. I love how it turned out—it’s tangy and tart and fiery and is perfect for summer or really anytime, IMO. Plus you can totally bring down the heat by infusing the mezcal for a shorter period of time. Easy!

I hope you make this one, and if you do be sure to share it with me on Instagram!

Jalapeno-Infused Mezcal + Blood Orange Shrub Cocktail

2 oz jalapeno-infused mezcal (recipe follows)
1.5 oz blood orange shrub (recipe follows)
1 oz fresh grapefruit juice
.5 oz fresh lime juice
.5 oz simple syrup

Assembly
Combine all ingredients in a shaker with ice. Shake until very cold, about 20 seconds. Double strain into a highball filled with fresh ice. Garnish with mint, a grapefruit wedge or whatever your heart desires!

Batch (makes 6)

12 oz jalapeno-infused mezcal (recipe follows)
9 oz blood orange shrub (recipe follows)
6 oz fresh grapefruit juice
3 oz fresh lime juice
3 oz simple syrup (recipe follows)

Jalapeno-infused Mezcal

2 large jalapenos
2 cups mezcal

Remove stems of jalapeños. Cut each in quarters, leaving seeds in the pepper. Add peppers to 2 cups of mezcal. Allow to steep 8+ hours. Taste it at 8 hours and see if its to your spiciness liking. I let mine steep about 10 hours and thought it was pretty spicy.

Blood Orange Shrub

5-6 blood oranges (navel or similar will also work!)
1 cup turbinado sugar (sugar in the raw)
1 cup Trader Joe’s orange muscat champagne vinegar (very important!)

Juice oranges until you have 1 cup of juice. Set aside in fridge. Add the peels to a large glass bowl with the sugar. Use a muddler or wooden spoon to grind up the peels a bit. Don’t go crazy but spend a few minutes breaking them down. Set the bowl aside for at least 12 hours, overnight if possible. Add blood orange juice and stir until sugar dissolves. If you let it sit for an hour the sugar should dissolve itself. Strain this sweet juice from the peels and pulp. Add an equal amount of vinegar to the sweet juice (should be around 1 cup). Let sit in the fridge until ready for use!

Want other rad mezcal cocktails? Check it!