We’ve said it before and we love saying it again: surrounding ourselves with creatively inspiring people is something we strive to always do! There’s a rush of excitement getting to brainstorm, collaborate and bounce ideas off fellow business owners and we’ve decided to spotlight these groovy individuals in our +1 Guest Blogs. We’re beyond excited to introduce our first contributor (and one of our absolute dearest friends), Rebecca from Cocktail Sundays! This lovely lady has all the tricks of the cocktail trade up her sleeve and we’ve brought her on to share a spring-inspired cocktail for two perfect for an outdoor picnic, a lazy Sunday, or your spring wedding cocktails. Scroll below for recipes!
Spring means longer days, bare legs and the arrival of some farmer’s market favorites. Scooping up a basket of artichokes from the market led me to thinking about fun ways to tie in spring produce without resorting to the obvious muddled strawberry. Cynar came to mind since it has a giant artichoke on its label; an unusual liqueur ingredient for sure. Most are wary until they try it, but once they do, they fall in love with its bitter complexity.
Cynar is an Italian liqueur, bitter and dark brown in color. Its distinct flavor is the product of 13 herbs and plants, making it a great digestif or aperitif. It’s surprisingly versatile and mixes well with everything from light sodas to hefty scotches.
I decided to spin Cynar two different ways: a lighter ‘Her’, perfect for a Sunday brunch, and a more spirit-forward ‘Him’, an ideal after-dinner nightcap. Giving an additional nod to spring, both these cocktails have grapefruit in common, another in-season gem.
Her
Serves 1
Squeeze the juice of two grapefruits, strain for pulp and sweeten with agave to taste. You should net out with around 3 oz. of juice. Pour into a flute, and pop a bottle of your favorite champagne. Add 1/2 oz. Cynar and fill the rest of the way with Champagne.
Him
Serves 1
In a cocktail mixing glass (here’s the one I use) or directly into your rocks glass, add 1 king cube. In goes 1 oz. each bourbon and blended scotch. I like Bulleit and Johnnie Walker Black, respectively. Next up is a 1/2 oz. each of Benedictine and Cynar. Stir until well chilled and strain into your rocks glass with a fresh king cube. For garnish, flame a wide grapefruit peel (great demo here, if you haven’t tried it before).
Enjoy with only the best of company.
-Rebecca Krantz, Cocktail Sundays