This Cranberry Sorel Spritz is a festive holiday drink featuring Sorel Liqueur. Sorel brings tart hibiscus and the best baking spices of the season together in one delicious spirit. Paired with some bright grapefruit, tart cranberry and champagne it’s the perfect bubbly cocktail to sip and savor special moments during the the holidays as well as for catching up with friends over a long brunch. Sorel Liqueur When I say you need to have Sorel in your home bar, I mean go get some ASAP for happy tonight. It’s really really delicious. Sorel liqueur is a newer spirit (or rather back on the market f ..read more

A spooky chic bar cart for Halloween entertaining and happy hour complete with floating candles, vintage glassware and spirits. Bar Cart Recipe Recipe for the Halloween bar cart. Lots of elements that come together for a spooky season bar cart. The keys here is layers, vintage touches, and creepy art work. I tend to stay clear of overtly kitschy Halloween elements and opt for a more collected and vintage vibe that screams haunted manor vs. the Haunted Mansion. Books-Add height and layers with books. Having everything at the same height is not interesting visually Trays- vintage trays add a s ..read more

Creepy Crawler Martini This Creepy Crawler Martini will get under your skin! A varition on a dirty Martini, it features Aquavit and sherry making what could arguably be one of my favorite Martinis with a fennel “antennae” in a black olive creates a creepy crawly garnish I got to combine to of my favorite things- a good dirty Martini and a campy, creepy Halloween cocktail. What is Aquavit Aquavit is a Scandinavian spirit that is often compared to gin, but very much it’s own spirit. It is a neutral grain spirit made with botanicals, but where Aquavit differs is the base botanical is distilled wi ..read more

A Negroni Sbagliato is a beautiful thing. Essentially a Negroni Spritz, it’s a refreshing sip that’s bitter, bracing and bubbly. The gin in the classic Negroni is swapped with prosecco for a bubbly take on the three-ingredient cocktail. Sbgaliato (pronounced Spa-lee-ato ) means mistaken or broken in Italian and the Negroni Sbgaliato was just that, or so the story goes. at bar was mixing up a Negroni for a guest and meant to reach for the gin, but instead accidentally grabbed some sparkling wine. This accident was a hit and has became a modern classic. Even Rhaenyra Targaryen loves to sip a S ..read more

This Tuscan Giardino cocktail is a true garden in a glass. It’s savory, but bright and refreshing- perfect for sipping outside on a breezy summer day. It’s made with Uncle Val’s new Zested Gin which has zesty botanicals which go perfect in a savory drink. Do not skip on the Sauvignon Blanc syrup, it adds a lovely layer of flavor to the savory cocktail. Although if you are short on time and wine, just use simple syrup in its place. Print Tuscan Giardino garden cocktail Author: Ashley Rose Print Recipe Pin Recipe Description This is a true garden in a glass. It’s savory, but bright ..read more

This Aperol Piña Colada is insanely delicious! A mash up of some of summer sipping staples: Aperol and Piña Coladas. The combo was right in front of our nose this whole time And not only is it insanely delicious it gorgeous. Adding Aperol to coconut milk or cream creates beautiful, peachy pink drink (is it gauche to still call it Millennial pink? )Amaro in your Pina Colada Add Amaro to your Piña Coladas Add Amaro to your Piña Coladas! I add lime to my Pina Coladas to up the acidity and cut through the fatty coconut. Adding an amro like Aperol has a similar effect, it adds a bracing backbone t ..read more

original Tales of The Cocktail Survival Guide from 7/16/2018, updated 6/14/2022 TALES OF THE COCKTAIL Tales of the Cocktail is around the corner! For those of you who are going for the first time or who need a little refresher especially after 2 years of pausing for COVID, I compiled a survival guide to help you make it through the week. It’s a marathon, not a sprint after all. The following tips were put together based on my personal experience and those of long time veteran Tales attendees. Although a cocktail conference seems like all fun and games, there are strategies to get the most out ..read more

This strawberry Rose Syrup uses dried rose buds and fresh strawberries add a fruity and floral flavor to drinks. It’s great mixing in spring and summer cocktails and goes equally well paired with aged spirits like bourbon, rum and brandy as it does with as gin and vodka. Print Strawberry Rose Syrup Author: Ashley Rose Print Recipe Pin Recipe Description The strawberry Rose Syrup uses dried rose buds and fresh strawberries add a fruity and floral flavor to drinks. It’s great for using in spring and summer cocktails paired with aged spirits like bourbon, rum and brandy as well as g ..read more

Cherry blossoms always usher in spring in a flurry of fluffy pink and white blooms! These blooms are not only beautiful to look at, but also a great addition to your cocktail. This Cherry Blossom cocktail is made for spring sipping. It’s a sour that is bright and jammy with subtle floral notes and warming vanilla. It combines cherry jam, gin, lemon and vanilla infused vermouth & delicate cherry blossoms. I made a variation of this Cherry Blossom cocktail for Design*Sponge years ago. Since then the blog has shut down and I wanted to be sure the recipe lives on and featuring it here. I upda ..read more

Winter and the December holidays hold many cozy memories of traditions dishes and flavors. These can all look different depending on where you live. From cookies, to cranberry, to eggnog, to baking spices, to tropical fruit in warmer locations like Hawaii, Australia and Martinique. Coconut might not be what immediately comes to mind in the US as a holiday or winter flavor, but holds a place in the hearts of many this time of year. In the Caribbean and other warm weather tropical locations, coconut is the perfect local ingredient for the foundation for dishes, desserts and cocktails especially ..read more