Advent Calendar - Balls

Well, tonight we were busy.  Joel and I both had separate holiday gatherings we had to attend and when we got home, no one had the energy to make a drink. But we had balls!  Rum and Bourbon balls.  These are the same balls everyone makes, and delicious!

I weigh out 12 oz of vanilla wafers because the recipe calls for 12 but the box only has 11 (which is annoying), and crush them in a food processor.  The recipe also calls for a cup and a half of chopped nuts, so vague.  I used 2 cups of walnuts and further chop them in the food processor.  Then mix this with 3/4 cup powdered sugar, 1/4 cup cocoa, 3 tablespoons corn syrup, 1/2 booze.  I did a batch with Captain Morgan and one with Bulleit Bourbon.  

Mix this all together and form into balls.  Roll the balls in powdered sugar and let them rest in the refrigerator for a few days.  Before serving roll them in powdered sugar again.  These cookies will not get you drunk, but they taste like they will!

Advent Calendar - A Manhattan Wassail

I love a manhattan.  And I love the remade wassail at Trader Joe's.  To make Sunday's night's drink I mixed 1-1/2 oz Bulliet Bourbon, 3/4 oz Maurin Sweet Vermouth, and 1 oz wassail. Served over ice, garnished with a cinnamon stick, perfection!  

No really, it's good!  The fruit and spice pair really well with the bourbon and vermouth.  A little on the sweet side but I would serve this to guests.

Advent Calendar - Pickle Shots

On a recent vacation we were introduced to pickle shots.  Basically, a shot of bourbon followed by a shot of pickle juice or a chunk of boozy pickle.  Tonight I went to see the Santaland Diaries with some friends, proceeded by dinner at a Russian creperie, and followed by drinks at my favorite dive bar.  Meanwhile, Joel was at work late and I thought, pickles.  Let's do pickles.

This is simple.   The santas in front are room temp Bulliet bourbon, the back santas are the juice from Claussen dill pickle spears.  Shoot the bourbon, then the pickle juice.  Boom.  Done.

Its weird because I like bourbon and don't want to drown out the flavor, but this actually tastes really good together.  These santas are my inheritance from a friend who passed away last year.  Connie was  an amazing woman and I know she would get a kick out of the way I'm using her little santas.

Advent Calendar - Breckinridge Manhattan

There is so much going on in this photo.  First, the Magi.  Anyone familiar with the story of Jesus knows that the Magi don't arrive until Epiphany, so until then they travel about my house, sipping drinks and chatting up the locals.  Then we have a collection of Christmas themed books, some of them of the novelty sort, some classics.  And finally, the Manhattan.

We are a Manhattan family.  They are the go-to drink in this house, though usually I like mine with sweet vermouth and rye.

We had a bottle of Breckenridge Bitters (Joel loves bitters) so I googled recipes that used it.  I found a Breckenridge Manhattan made with the bitters, and Breckenridge Bourbon.  We didn't have that so Bulliet sufficed.

The drink was 2 oz Bourbon, 1 oz Breckenridge Bitters, and 2 shakes of Whiskey Barrel Bitters in a shaker with ice.  In a rocks glass I placed 1 large square ice cube and an amarena cherry.  After shaking the heck out of the drink it was super cold and the subtle bitterness paired nicely with the sweet bourbon.

Advent Calendar - Old Fashioned Christmas

Today, I mailed out my first batch of Christmas cards.  Mixed and froze my first two batches of cookie dough.  And found time to invent this variation on an Old Fashioned.

Last night I candied a bunch of cranberries and rosemary for inclusion in advent cocktails.  It's pretty simple - heat up some simple syrup (not boil) coat the berries and rosemary in warm simple syrup, then a layer of cane sugar, and let them dry out on a cookie rack.  I found several recipes on the internet and didn't follow a single one,  but sort of followed all of them. So if you want specifics get to googling!

Anyway, they look really pretty and taste good!

Ok, the old fashioned:

I took a clementine orange and cut two thick slices from the edge, placed  each in the bottom of a rocks glass with 3 candied cranberries and about 2 dashes aromatic bitters.   Muddle* the heck out of that. Then I added a big, square ice cube, about 2 oz Bourbon, and a splash of lime seltzer (it's what I had).  I made pretty skewers out of two of the  candied rosemary and a couple more candied cranberries.  

I did not add any extra sugar, assuming that the sugar from the cranberries and rosemary, in addition to the juice from the orange would be enough.  I was right.  

* an actual bar muddle is a great thing, but when in need, improvise.  

A wooden spoon does a nice job.