Sometimes, a wine blogger needs to mix it up a bit and enjoy a delicious cocktail. After attending the Craft Spirits Carnival, and having a blast at theRepublic of Jam after the Wine Bloggers Conference, I was inspired to get crafty with my growing bar and some of these amazing spirits.
My friends at Pithy Little Wine Company in Paso Robles have branched out in to the craft soda business, and generously gave me some of their yummy sodas to experiment with. These amazing, old fashioned sodas have bursts of natural flavors and are made with sugar and not that icky corn syrup, and you can really taste the difference. First up: Pithy Little Soda Works Black Cherry. This rich black cherry soda is made with real cane sugar, and the black cherry and red vine licorice aromas will fill your glass as flavors of cherry candies and vanilla sparkle across your palate. With this amazing black cherry flavor, I created a Chinese Cherry New Fashioned using the Bar Keep Chinese Bitters discovered at the Craft Spirits Carnival. This line of bitters is a whole new world, with flavors like Chinese, Lavender, and Swedish Herb. While bitters were originally crated as medicinal tinctures, but are now used more as digestifs or as flavor enhancements to cocktails. These Chinese bitters are a blend of clove, fennel, cinnamon, star anise and Schezuan peppercorn, which is a classic flavoring in Chinese dishes. Adding this to a cocktail gives it an amazing kick.
First, measure out 3-5 ounces of good bourbon over ice. I only had by stand by Knob Creek in the house, but the better the bourbon, the better the cocktail! How much depends on how strong you like your cocktail.
Then, fill your old fashioned glass with the Pithy Black Cherry soda.
Add two dashes of Chinese Bitters, and stir. Be careful not to use too much! These are strong suckers.
Garnish with Republic of Jam Brandied Cherries, Marachino Cherries, or an orange slice. In fact, next year when cherries are back in season I will make my own drunken cherries!
Voila! Delicious. Cheers!
Next week, I will be making a Rocketship to the Moon. Stay tuned!
First up: Pithy Little Soda Works Black Cherry. This rich black cherry soda is made with real cane sugar, and the black cherry and red vine licorice aromas will fill your glass as flavors of cherry candies and vanilla sparkle across your palate.