May Recipe of the Month: Pea Blossom Gin and Tonic
April Recipe of the Month: Rhubarb Rickey
April marks a time of rebirth and fresh beginnings. Our recipe of the month is a fresh, sparkling celebration of spring and the beginning of rhubarb season. This Rhubarb Rickey balances the unique tart flavor of rhubarb with warm notes of vanilla bean and a complement of fresh lime juice. Trust us, it tastes as fun and refreshing as it looks!
Directions (Serves 1)
In a rocks glass filled with ice, add:
1.5 oz. gin (vodka works great, too)
1 oz. rhubarb-vanilla bean syrup
1 oz. fresh lime juice
Top with sparkling water
For the syrup, you will need:
4-6 fresh rhubarb stalks, chopped (the deepest red stalks make the most vibrant colored syrup!)
2 cups water
1.5 cups sugar
1-2 vanilla beans, split lengthwise
Add rhubarb and water to a saucepan and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer until the rhubarb is soft.
Strain out the cooked fruit, add sugar and vanilla beans to the infused water, and simmer for around 10 minutes.
Cool the syrup and remove the vanilla bean pods before using in your cocktail.
Pro Tips:
A variation on Rhubarb Rickey that’s been very popular with our clients is to add fresh strawberries or raspberries. Just muddle four raspberries (or one sliced strawberry) in the bottom of the glass. Then add the ice and other ingredients, stirring lightly to incorporate the berries into the cocktail and add a vivid red color. You can also garnish the drink with a mint sprig or with a couple of raspberries on top.
There’s no need to use the highest quality of vanilla beans in this recipe because the heat extraction will get great flavor even out of Class B beans. Also, you can use your beans to make vanilla extract before reusing them for this simple syrup.
If you want to add a spectacular visual flair, garnish with thin, curled strips of candied rhubarb ribbons. You can find a good recipe for those here:
(https://unpeeledjournal.com/sweet-candied-rhubarb-ribbons/)
Saint Patrick's Day Beer Tasting
If you’re planning to celebrate St. Paddy’s Day this year by knocking back a few Bud Lights with your friends, more power to you! We won’t judge. But if you’re looking for something a little more adventurous and memorable (minus all the green food coloring), may we suggest a beer tasting flight?
In case you haven’t done one before, a “flight” is a lineup of small, sample-sized pours of several different types of beers. For new beer drinkers, enjoying a tasting flight with friends is the perfect way to find out what they’ve been missing. Even if you’re a regular beer drinker who already knows what you like, a flight is a fantastic way to venture outside your routine and sample styles and flavors you wouldn’t normally try. And believe us, there’s a lot you haven’t tried!
Utah’s brewing industry has exploded in the past few years. Just stroll down your grocer’s beer aisle and you’ll get an idea of the enormous variety of innovative brews coming from our local beer-makers. From pilsners to lagers to porters to stouts, Utah brewers have something for every taste, but you’ll never find the hidden gems unless you give them a try.
Here are five tips for how to host a tasting:
1. We recommend picking out four or five different beer selections that catch your eye. Have fun with your choices and be adventurous. Pick a few you normally would never taste. Best case scenario: you stumble onto a new favorite flavor. Worst case: you take a taste, make your bad-beer face, and move on to the next.
2. Don’t buy a full 6- or 12-pack of a beer you’re not sure you’ll like. For your flight, each pour should only be around 4 ounces, so a couple of cans or bottles will be enough to give six of you a taste. You can buy in singles at the Utah DABC or at local breweries that have in-house stores. Even some local grocery stores encourage you to build your own 6-pack.
3. When it comes to the tasting, start with lighter beers first and work your way up to the more overpowering varieties. Although the choices are almost limitless, here are a few fun and delicious Utah beers we’ve enjoyed:
o For a light option, try Salt Flats P1 Pilsner, Uinta Was Angeles, or Level Crossing Jazz Loon Lager.
o Work in a refreshing, fruity selection like UTOG Mandarina Kolsch, RoHa Bumpy Pucker Raspberry Sour, or Wasatch Blueberry Hefeweizen.
o Including an IPA is essential, as those hoppy favorites are super popular and there are so many great IPA styles to choose from. Our recent favorites include Roosters High Desert Hazy, Proper Yacht Rock Juice Box, and Squatter’s 147 West Broadway Hop.
o Finish up your session with the darkest beer for a satisfying, full-bodied ending. Consider Shades Milk Stout, Epic Son of a Baptist Coffee Stout, or Kiitos Coconut Stout.
4. If your friends are a talkative bunch, you can add to the fun by discussing the beers’ unique flavors as you go. Talking about the experience can sharpen your senses and your focus. Plus, your friends might notice something you missed, like the unusually creamy head on a pilsner, the subtle fruity notes of the IPA in your lineup, or the chocolatey finish of your stout.
5. And, of course, don’t forget the snacks!
Finally, let’s make sure you’re ready to join in the festivities with a hearty Irish cheer, “Sláinte is táinte!“ It’s pronounced “slawn-che iss toin-che” and it means “health and wealth.”
Sláinte is táinte!
February Recipe of the Month: Tremblement de Terre
Our Valentine’s Day cocktail this year is not for the faint of heart. The Tremblement de Terre (or “Earthquake”) is a drink that really earns its name. In the late 19th century when it was invented, the recipe was basically equal parts absinthe and cognac! Our version is a bit tamer, but it still packs a delightful punch.
January Recipe of the Month: Winter Citrus Spritz
The Winter Citrus Spritz lets you play with different colors and balances of tart and sweet, so check out your local market to see what fun citrus are available at this time of year. We recently found some ripe minneolas (a tangy cross between a tangerine and a grapefruit) that were delicious in this drink. Here are some other citrus varieties that work well.
Summer Cocktail Party
With Fall in the air, we have been reminiscing about our spectacular summer cocktail parties. Like this amazing bridal shower!
Vendors:
Planner: Jane Roads
Catering: Culinary Crafts
Photography: Rebekah Westover Photography
Apple Fennel Fizz
Its back to school season! Celebrate with this apple cocktail. Perfect to enjoy this beautiful summer. Full of delicious local ingredients.
Alcoholic Apple Fennel Fizz
Ingredients (serves 1)
2 oz Beehive Jack Rabbit gin
1 oz fennel simple syrup (see recipe below)
5 oz Mountain West 7 mile session hard cider
apple slices and fennel fronds for garnish
Directions
combine gin and simple syrup over ice in an 8 oz rocks glass.
top with hard cider
garnish and enjoy.
Non-Alcoholic Apple Fennel Fizz
Ingredients (serves 1)
1 oz fennel simple syrup
5 oz Apple Beer
2 oz Monday Zero alcohol gin (optional)
apple slices and fennel fronds for garnish
Directions
combine gin and simple syrup over ice in an 8 oz rocks glass.
top with Apple Beer
garnish and enjoy.
Fennel Simple Syrup
Ingredients (makes 8oz)
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup water
1 small fennel bulb (chopped)
pinch of salt
Directions
In a small saucepan, over medium heat add water, sugar and salt.
Bring to a boil, make sure all sugar is dissolved.
Remove from heat and add fennel. Let steep for 15 minutes.
Strain out fennel. Store in air tight container in the fridge for up to 2 weeks.
