Darla

Peach White Balsamic Old Fashioned

December 11, 2018 By Darla Leave a Comment

The perfect twist on a classic Old Fashioned is to add Peach White Balsamic. The flavor is truly phenomenal. One sip and you will be hooked!

What’s the perfect twist on a classic Old Fashioned?

What happens when you are a balsamic lover who has a passion for mixology? You put the balsamic in a cocktail!

It was a fabulous idea because the cocktail is shockingly good. One of the best twists on an Old Fashioned that I have ever tasted!

This post is sponsored by We Olive and Wine Bar in Salt Lake City, Utah. I received the delicious products to review. However, all thoughts and opinions are 100% my own.

Putting balsamic into a classic cocktail is a fun way to punch up the flavor and add an interesting as well as delicious taste!

What’s the history of the Old Fashioned?

The first “Old Fashioned” cocktail was first mentioned by Jerry Thomas in his 1862 book Bartenders Guide: How To Mix Drinks. The big difference was that instead of whiskey or bourbon, It was Old Holland Gin as the main ingredient.

In 1895 Modern American Drinks, written by George Kappeler, was published with a Whiskey Old Fashioned. It read, “Dissolve a small lump of sugar with a little water in a whiskey-glass; add two dashes Angostura bitters, a small piece of ice, a piece of lemon-peel, one jigger whiskey. Mix with small bar-spoon and serve, leaving spoon in glass.”

The cocktail has been a classic cocktail since that book was published.

Should I put ice in my Old Fashioned?

That is entirely up to you! The earliest references to the Old Fashioned does not have ice. It dilutes the spirit making it more palatable for some and too watered down for others.

This is why I add a big hunk of ice! I like it diluted as well as cold!

The Peach White Balsamic from We Olive and Wine Bar in Salt Lake City is the perfect way to punch up the flavor of an Old Fashioned! Don’t forget to add it to a nice bourbon or whiskey.

Peach White Balsamic Old Fashioned

A twist on a classic! Peach White Balsamic, muddled with peaches, sugar, and basil are perfect with bourbon!

Course Drinks

Cuisine American

Keyword Balsamic, Bourbon, Cocktail, Old Fashioned, Peach

Ingredients

2 Ounces Bourbon
1 Tbsp Peach White Balsamic
1 Tbsp Club Soda
2 Peach Slices
2-3 Sugar Cubes
2 Basil Leaves

Instructions

In a pint glass or the small cup from a Boston Shaker, muddle peaches, basil, sugar, Peach White Balsamic, and club soda
Strain into a low ball glass
Add bourbon and ice
Stir with a bar spoon to chill
Garnish with a peach slice

Citrus Spice Balsamic Holiday Cocktail

November 29, 2018 By Darla Leave a Comment

The Citrus Spice Balsamic Cocktail tastes like the holidays. Citrus Spice Balsamic, ginger, bourbon and a squeeze of orange is perfect for a wintry night.

Citrus Spice Balsamic is very versatile!

I am in love with this Citrus Spice Balsamic from We Olive and Wine Bar in Salt Lake City. I was there recently and was told that I should try it. As soon as the flavors touched my palate, I knew that I would use this in many dishes and even a cocktail.

The first thing that I used this balsamic in was a roast that I slow cooked.

I made a balsamic reduction for the roast as well. The Citrus Spice Balsamic is very versatile, and so I couldn’t wait to put it in a cocktail.

Have you ever put balsamic in a cocktail?

Because the Citrus Spice Balsamic tastes like the holidays to me, I wanted to create a cocktail with cranberry, ginger, and bourbon. Although they are flavors that I love all year round, I adore using them during the holidays.

When they are combined with just a splash of freshly squeezed orange juice, the effect is heavenly.

A new favorite holiday cocktail!

The Citrus Spice Balsamic Holiday Cocktail has quickly become a favorite for my husband and I. We enjoy sipping and sitting by the fire or finding something fun to watch on TV.

I am so glad that I went into We Olive and Wine Bar in Salt Lake after they got the shipment of Citrus Spice Balsamic.

If you haven’t tried balsamic in a cocktail, you’re missing out! Try this recipe, and you’ll be hooked on this Citrus Spice Balsamic!

Cheers! And Happy Holidays!

We Olive and Wine Bar in Salt Lake City, Utah did not sponsor these posts by providing compensation and/or product for their development. Each participant purchased all ingredients and created these recipes of their own accord based on pure product love. However, in the interest of full transparency, Michelle De La Cerda Nash, Christina Lakey, and Darla Bentley do have a professional relationship with We Olive and Wine Bar in Salt Lake City, Utah outside the scope of these recipes.

A Full Menu Using Citrus Spice Balsamic Vinegar

Four friends and colleagues attending a holiday media event at We Olive and Wine Bar in Salt Lake City got talking about how they would use this newly sampled vinegar.

Hi, we’re those four friends and colleagues.

We decided to not just talk the talk but actually create our newly thought up recipe idea.

Welcome to the Citrus Spice Balsamic Vinegar Progressive Meal.

Darla Bentley of Wet Whistle Drinks created Citrus Spice Balsamic Holiday Cocktail. This cocktail tastes like the holidays! Citrus Spice Balsamic, ginger, bourbon, and a squeeze of orange is perfect for a wintry night.

Michelle De La Cerda of The Complete Savorist created Citrus Spice Balsamic Roasted Sweet Potatoes. A sweet potato side dish deliciously intensified by roasting them in a glaze made from citrus spice balsamic vinegar.

Ned Adams of Dutch Oven Daddy made Citrus Spice Prime Rib Roast. This roast is a sure bet while hosting your holiday feast.

Christina Lakey of Food Apparel whipped up a No-Bake Cheesecake Cookie Dip Recipe with Balsamic Drizzle. This easy no-bake cheesecake cookie dip recipe will literally come together in minutes. Dress it up fancy with a sweet balsamic reduction to truly impress!

We hope you all enjoy this menu.

Citrus Spice Balsamic Holiday Cocktail

The Citrus Spice Balsamic Cocktail tastes like the holidays. Citrus Spice Balsamic, ginger, bourbon and a squeeze of orange is perfect for a wintry night.

Course Drinks

Cuisine American

Keyword Balsamic, Bourbon, Citrus Spice, Cocktail, Orange

Author Darla

Ingredients

1.5 Ounces Bourbon
2 Ounces Cranberry Juice
2 Ounces Ginger ale
1 Tablespoon Freshly Squeezed Orange Juice
2 teaspoons Citrus Spice Balsamic

Instructions

Add Ice to a shaker cup.
Put all the ingredients into the shaker cup and stir with a bar spoon for several turns.
Strain into a cocktail glass.
Garnish with candied ginger and/or orange

Wet Whistle Drinks is also on Facebook and Instagram

The Complete Savorist is also on Facebook and Instagram

Dutch Oven Daddy is also on Facebook and Instagram

Food Apparel is also on Facebook and Instagram

Cran-Cherry Amaretto Kiss

November 20, 2018 By Darla 2 Comments

Barb’s Amaretto Kiss aka Cran-Cherry Amaretto Kiss has a unique twist of cherry to enhance the amaretto. It pulls the flavors together so that this drink dances across your tongue and makes your lips smile.

Barb’s Amaretto Kiss

I wanted to make a birthday drink for my dear friend, Barb, but it needed to be perfect! I know that she loves amaretto and vodka which lead me to do a twist on an Amaretto Kiss. That part was easy but how to make it uniquely Barb?

Which flavors pair well with Amaretto?

Barb’s Birthday is right around Thanksgiving, so I wanted to incorporate some of those flavors into her drink. Cranberry goes well with amaretto, and so I wanted both cranberry juice and Betty’s Cranberry Sauce (the best cranberry sauce I have ever tasted) by Michelle from The Complete Savorist who is a brilliant part of our Tribe.

I also wanted a flavor that brought it all together. My mother used to make a cherry almond tart, and that lead me to cran-cherry because the almonds and cherries are perfect together. This is how the Cran-Cherry Amaretto Kiss came to be.

Why make a pitcher of cocktails?

Barb’s Amaretto Kiss, aka Cran-Cherry Amaretto Kiss, also needed to be in a large pitcher so that it can serve many. Barb is warm and welcoming and often has her friends over for food, drinks, crafting or just hanging out on the deck watching the sunset.

She is someone who is always willing to help whether it is watching a sick dog, helping with kids, bringing food when illness has left one of us in bed or to be a listening ear.

Cocktails and Friends!

Barb is incredible in so many ways. She is highly intelligent and always wants to learn. She’s both humble and a natural leader.

She is creative, fun, loving, and kind. Her beautiful family is her world, and it shows on the faces of her “men” (which is what calls her husband, Sam and their two boys Rhett and KJ.)

Barb adores her dog Luna who is the sweetest dog alive. She’s a Bernese Mountain Dog who is lucky to have a mom that is also addicted to hiking!

I feel so grateful to have Barb and the rest of our Tribe, in my life. These strong, amazing women help keep me grounded and sane in this crazy world.

Having these close, strong, steady friendships can be a miracle in a time of life that is overrun with responsibilities. We can lose touch with what it means to have people in our lives that have our backs.

Happy Birthday, Barb! I hope that Barb’s Amaretto Kiss gives you some of the same warm fuzzies that you give to the people in your life! You are wonderful and you are loved!

5 from 1 vote

Cran-Cherry Amaretto Kiss

Course Drinks

Cuisine American

Ingredients

5 Cups Cran-Cherry Juice
3 Cups Vodka
1 1/2 Cups Amaretto Liqueur
1 Cup Cranberry Sauce
1/2 Cup Prepared Orange Juice
Garnish Candied Mandarin Oranges

Instructions

Start a party! Birthday or otherwise.
In a very large pitcher combine all of the ingredients, stir, and refrigerate until ready to use.
Add ice to a shaker cup. Stir the contents of the pitcher and pour 4-6 ounces (depending on glass size) into the shaker cup.
Shake well and strain into a cocktail glass
Garnish with candied mandarin orange or an orange slice
Makes 14-22 servings

Pumpkin Pie Martini

November 18, 2018 By Darla Leave a Comment

This Pumpkin Pie Martini tastes like the holidays! It is sweet, creamy, and full of wintery spices. Light a fire and grab your favorite throw. You’ll want to savor every sip.

What is in a Pumpkin Pie Martini?

Since the leaves started changing and the air became crisp, I have been obsessed with Pumpkin Pie Infused Vodka.

With the holidays swiftly approaching, I am putting it in a lot of my cocktails.

First, because pumpkin is amazing. Next, because it makes me excited to think of watching the snow fall outside my windows. Finally, it gets me into the spirit of the holidays.

Sometimes, we need a bit of a boost to get us into the spirit of the holidays. Flavors and smells can bring back memories of happy times. That is what this Pumpkin Pie Martini does for me.

When should I have a Pumpin Pie Martini?

One of my favorites cocktails has been the Pumpkin Pie Martini. It is creamy, boozy and perfectly spiced! It honestly tastes like a pumpkin pie in a glass with a kick!

I absolutely love it, and so does my husband! We often drink it as an after-dinner treat or as a special cocktail for a lazy Sunday afternoon.

Perfect cocktail for the holidays!

I was very excited to write up the recipe for this Pumpkin Pie Martini. Ther is maple syrup in it for a little extra pizzazz!

I love that the rim is done with maple syrup and dipped in cinnamon and sugar. The problem is that it is not very pretty to photograph, but it tastes so good that I did it anyway!

How will you dress up your Pumpkin Pie Martini?

Make the Pumpkin Pie Martini your own! You could easily top it with a dollop of whipped cream! I love it with a dusting of cinnamon, but I am obsessed with cinnamon.

How you dress up your Pumpkin Pie Martini is entirely up to you but no matter what you do, you will love this holiday cocktail!

Pumpkin Pie Sangria

November 12, 2018 By Darla Leave a Comment

Pumpkin Pie Sangria is perfect for any holiday gathering! It has all of the lovely flavors of pumpkin pie, sweet pears, crisp apples, and white wine. It is a balanced drink that will delight your guests and leave them asking for more!

What cocktail can I serve my guests on Thanksgiving?

First of all, I love Thanksgiving! The smells, the bustle, the food, and the wine join together in a symphony of Turkey Day joy! I usually host, and I like it that way. My husband smokes a turkey, and I do one in the oven. I do a couple of sides, and maybe a pie or two and the rest of the food comes with the guests. My kitchen is filled with people that I love and mountains of fantastic food.

Because I believe that the drinks are just as important as the food, I try to make a fun cocktail. I love to use Pumpkin Pie Infused Vodka in my holiday cocktails. It is all the flavors of pumpkin pie infused into a quality vodka. The only problem is that we typically have quite a few guests and the liquor and mixers go very quickly. This year, I want to have a drink for the adults that will be enough to last beyond the appetizers. Furthermore, it must be tasty without being too sweet. Sangria will be perfect!

What goes into a holiday sangria?

Finally, I settled on sangria, and I started looking at white wine sangria recipes. Because none that I found were festive enough, I decided to create my own sangria that was both seasonal and plentiful. It had to be a good match with the turkey feast that we will create and it had to make my guests swoon with delight!

Conceived from the combination of my love for fall, hosting parties and, Thanksgiving. This Pumpkin Pie Sangria made with, white wine (I used a dry Riesling) , Pumpkin Pie Infused Vodka, sparkling apple cider, cinnamon, brown sugar, pears and, apples was a hit with my taste testers. As a result of having a large guest list, I will triple the recipe for Thanksgiving and hope to impress!

Pumpkin Pie Sangria

Perfect for any holiday gathering!

Course Drinks

Cuisine American

Ingredients

750 ml 1 Bottle White Wine
750 ml 1 bottle Sparkling Apple Cider
2 Cups Pumpkin Pie Infused Vodka
1 C Brown Sugar
2 Pears Sliced
1 Golden Delicious Apple Sliced
4 Cinnamon Sticks

Instructions

Combine all ingredients in a pitcher
Stir to dissolve sugar
Refrigerate for no less than 4 hours and serve

Watermelon Limeade

September 10, 2018 By Darla 3 Comments

Watermelon Limeade is a lovely way to enjoy the delightful nectar of a perfectly ripe watermelon! Juicy and sweet, this drink is an ideal refresher!

In Utah, we harvest watermelons as early as July. The local farmer’s market starts getting the best ones around mid-August. The rind is a gorgeous, green, and the flesh is a deep red and smells as sweet as it tastes. This is very important for a tastier Watermelon Limeade!

How Do You Know If a Watermelon is Ripe?

I love to handpick the best watermelon! A ripe watermelon should feel heavy. After all, it is mostly water. Knock on the melon or slap it to be sure that you hear a hollow sound. I can be found knocking on every watermelon in the bunch so that I pick the perfect specimen for my Watermelon Limeade. Where the melon meets the earth is called the “field spot.” That is precisely how it sounds, where the melon touches the field. If the field spot is white, it is not ripe. If it is yellow and sounds hollow, you’ve got a ripe watermelon.

Will My Watermelon Ripen After it is Cut From the Vine?

Watermelons do not continue to ripen after they are harvested. This does seem strange, but there is science to back it up. Watermelons are called a non-climacteric fruit, meaning that it does not produce large amounts of ethylene or CO2. Some other fruits in this family are pineapple, tangerines, cherries, grapefruit, oranges, grapes, and strawberries. They start to go bad rather than continuing to ripen. It is imperative to choose a watermelon at the peak of ripeness. This will ensure that your Watermelon Limeade tastes as amazing as it looks!

4.5 from 2 votes

Watermelon Limeade

Watermelon Limeade is a lovely way to enjoy the delightful nectar of a perfectly ripe watermelon! Juicy and sweet, this drink is an ideal refresher!~Wet Whistle Drinks by Darla Bentley

Course Drinks

Cuisine American

Keyword watermelon limeade

Ingredients

3 lbs Seedless watermelon
1/2 cup Fresh mint leaves
1 cup Fresh lime juice
1/2 cup Simple Syrup
2 cups Water

Instructions

In a blender add watermelon and mint.
Strain the melon mixture into a large bowl or pitcher.
Add in remaining ingredients and stir.
Serve over ice or chilled. Garnish with a sprig of mint.
**To make a Boozy Watermelon Limeade add 1.5 ounces of white rum to a highball glass and fill with Watermelon Limeade.

Meyer Lemon Olive Oil and Cucumber Cocktail

August 6, 2018 By Darla Leave a Comment

Meyer Lemon Olive Oil and Cucumber Cocktail is a light, lemony, and fresh. The Meyer lemon olive oil gives this cocktail a sumptuous mouthfeel and rich flavor.

Why Use Meyer Lemon Olive Oil in a Cocktail?

I am intrigued by new ideas regarding cocktails and mixology. I’ve been experimenting with olive oil from We Olive and Wine Bar, and I’m having a great time adding these quality products to my cocktails. I love the Meyer lemon olive oil drizzled over cucumbers. One of my favorite summer snacks, sparked an idea for a cocktail!

This post is sponsored by We Olive and Wine Bar in Salt Lake City, Utah. I received the delicious products to review, However, all thoughts and opinions are 100% my own.

Cucumber vodka is the perfect liquor to highlight the flavor of the Meyer lemon. The characters in this drink play off of each other leaving a crisp, light taste. The citrus enhances the taste and feel of the olive oil. Muddling some cucumber in the shaker adds to the layers of flavor.

Shake That Olive Oil Cocktail!

The key to the perfect cocktail that has olive oil as an ingredient is to shake, shake, shake that shaker! It takes 30-40 seconds of vigorous shaking to get it blend perfectly. I like to add the egg white so that it has a layer of tasty fluff on top.

What Other Olive Oil Would Be Amazing in a Cocktail?

There are so many different flavors of olive oil at We Olive and Wine Bar that the possibilities are endless! Not to mention the vinegars! The Meyer Lemon Olive Oil and Cucumber Cocktail was so much fun to make that I can’t wait to become inspired to create another!

Meyer Lemon Olive Oil and Cucumber Cocktail

This is something new and unusual and very refreshing.

Course Drinks

Cuisine American

Keyword Cocktail, Cucumber, Meyer Lemon Olive Oil

Ingredients

3 slices Cucumber
2 ounces Cucumber Vodka
3/4 ounce Simple Syrup
3/4 ounce Freshly Squeezed Lemon Juice
1/4 ounce Meyer Lemon Olive Oil
1 Egg white

Instructions

Muddle cucumber slices in a shaker. Add remaining ingredients.
Add ice to the shaker to about 3/4 full and shake vigorously.
Shake for 30-40 seconds and strain into a cocktail glass.

Tarragon Gin Lemonade

June 10, 2018 By Darla Leave a Comment

Tarragon Gin Lemonade exists on a higher plane than other gin and lemon cocktails. Its slight anise flavor enhances the lemon and highlights the herbaceous tones of the gin.

Could Tarragon in Drinks Become a New Favorite?

It’s time to enjoy warm, summer days and nights on the patio with friends. My tribe and I love lemonade, and it’s nice to put a bit of a twist on traditional lemonade. My ladies and I love a great cocktail, so Tarragon Lemonade becomes Tarragon Gin Lemonade with a splash of elderflower liqueur.

This Tarragon Gin Lemonade is the Flavor of Memories

If I could put my Aunt Marie’s garden into a cocktail, this would be the one! It’s fresh, light, herbaceous yet floral. This cocktail makes me want to take my tribe of girlfriends all the way to California to sit with my fantastic aunt and my wonderful, sweet Uncle Richard. I want to sit in their yard under the wisteria, amongst the flowers, veggies, fruits, and chickens and visit with my warm, loving, fascinating family! My tribe would love them all! This cocktail, to me, is that gorgeous garden, in a glass. The second name for this drink would be Aunty’s and Uncle’s Secret Garden.

I have recently become quite good friends with gin. There is a local distillery that has a high-quality gin for an affordable price. Summer flavors must be light yet flavorful and gin is the perfect choice. I could drink this cocktail all season long.

What Elements Make the Tarragon Gin Lemonade So Tasty?

There are a couple of essential elements that make this cocktail taste like a summer garden. First and foremost is the tarragon. It makes the flavors pop. Be sure that you don’t obliterate the tarragon. It only needs bruising. If you muddle too much, it can become bitter. The second essential element is the elderflower liqueur. You only need a little in this cocktail to feel like you are sitting under the pergola breathing in the variety of blooms.

Leo the corgi loves lemons! I had to banish him from the studio so that he didn’t drink from the pitcher and get tipsy from the cocktails!

I am excited about this cocktail. Let me know if you love it as much as I do!

Tarragon Gin Lemonade

To make this drink family friendly, simply omit the gin and the elderflower liqueur!

Course Drinks

Ingredients

2 Lemons Sliced
10 Sprigs Tarragon
1/2 Cup Sugar
3 Cups Water
2 Cups Fresh lemon juice
2 1/4 Cups Gin
3/4 Cup Elderflower Liqueur

Instructions

Put sliced lemons, tarragon sprigs and 1/2 cup of sugar in a bowl or pitcher. Muddle together firmly but don't emaciate the tarragon. Bruise it.
Add the water, fresh lemon juice and 2 cups of sugar. Stir until sugar dissolves.
Add gin and elderflower liqueur stir well.
Strain into a highball glass with ice or fill a shaker halfway with ice. Shake 4-6 ounces in a shaker cup and strain into a cocktail or martini glass. Garnish with tarragon and a lemon wedge

Blood Orange Sour Mix

June 7, 2018 By Darla Leave a Comment

Blood Orange Sour Mix gives a flavorful twist to any cocktail that may require a sour mix. The intense orange flavor of a blood orange is accented by undertones of berries and pomegranate.

Blood Orange Sour Mix gives a flavorful twist to any cocktail that may require a sour mix. The intense orange flavor of a blood orange is accented by undertones of berries and pomegranate. ~By Wet Whistle Drinks by Darla Bentley

Why Use Blood Orange in a Sour Mix?

It’s time to shake things up when it comes to sour mix! Imagine a Blood Orange Whiskey Sour or a Blood Orange Daiquiri. The shift to a citrus flavor that is bolder and has layers of taste is different and fun and, leaves you wanting more.

When making the Blood Orange Sour Mix, I used turbinado sugar. Many people think that it is raw sugar, but it is not. It is spun in a turbine until it is stripped of cane juices. The result is a sugar with a slight molasses flavor. It’s barely detectable but it adds something special to the cocktail. I use white sugar in my Classic Sour Mix.

In Which Cocktails Can I Use Blood Orange Sour Mix?

That is what is so amazing about Blood Orange Sour Mix! You can use it in anything and you’ll feel like you’ve just invented a new drink! The uses are truly endless. You can add it to a French 75, a SideCar, a Whiskey Sour and anything that requires a citrus sour mix!

Is it Sour Mix or Sweet and Sour Mix?

We have all heard it said both ways so it really is up to you. It’s nothing more than simple syrup that has been infused with citrus. So, between the sugar which is the sweet and the citrus which is the sour, it is easily called sweet and sour mix. I call it sour mix because that is how I learned to say it. Sweet and sour mix makes my tastebuds think Chinese take out!

How would you use Blood Orange Sour Mix?

Blood Orange Sour Mix

Course Drinks

Ingredients

3 Cups Sugar
3 Cups Water
3 Cups Freshly squeezed blood orange juice
1 Cup Freshly squeezes lemon juice

Instructions

Combine water and sugar in large saucepan. Stir over medium heat until sugar dissolves. Cool.
Combine cooled simple syrup, blood orange juice, and lemon juice. Keep refrigerated. Will last for 7-10 days.

Malbec Sangria

June 7, 2018 By Darla 2 Comments

This Malbec Sangria is lively and rich! It has a depth of flavor as well as a whimsy of sweetness that lay surprisingly light on the palate.

This Malbec Sangria is lively and rich! It has a depth of flavor as well as a whimsy of sweetness that lays surprisingly light on the palate. ~By Wet Whistle Drinks by Darla Bentley

What To Do With Leftover Malbec?

I love wine club! It’s a simple fact that in Utah when you find other wine lovers, you not only become friends but you hold onto to them tightly! We have fairly large wine club group and we have met almost every month for nearly two years, therefore, we ask our members to bring two bottles of the same wine so that it is enough for every person to get a taste. After our malbec night, we had the remains of 5 different bottles. My dear friend Michelle mentioned that I should make a sangria for this blog and when a woman with three different successful businesses within the food blogging industry makes a suggestion, it is only wise to follow.

This Malbec Sangria is lively and rich! It has a depth of flavor as well as a whimsy of sweetness that lays surprisingly light on the palate. ~By Wet Whistle Drinks by Darla Bentley

Berries and Dark Rum in Malbec Sangria

First of all, when trying to decide what to add to the leftover Malbec, I decided to stay in keeping with the flavor profile of the wine. There are notes of ripe fruit as well as the deep, rich tones of leather, chocolate, and tobacco. Due to this rich, fruity flavor profile, it seemed that a spiced or dark rum would blend nicely with the Malbec. I added orange to lighten things up and bit. The simple syrup is made from brown sugar and the addition of the rosemary sprig added a peppery, piney, hint that sits nicely on the back of the tongue.

This Malbec Sangria is lively and rich! It has a depth of flavor as well as a whimsy of sweetness that lays surprisingly light on the palate. ~By Wet Whistle Drinks by Darla Bentley

This recipe has very few changes from my original idea. I did have a bit more simple syrup and found that we didn’t need it to be that sweet. The idea was to have rich, layers of flavors and yet a light mouthfeel. This Malbec Sangria has been quite a success at parties and it has been requested several times.

Malbec Sangria

Course Drinks

Ingredients

1 Cup Frozen Strawberries thawed
1 Cup Frozen Blackberries thawed
1 Cup Frozen Black Cherries thawed
1 Cup Frozen Blueberries thawed
2 Cups Freshly squeezed orange juice
1 1/2 Cup Brown sugar simple syrup
1 1/2 Cup Spiced or dark rum
1 Cup Triple Sec
2 Bottles Malbec
1 Large Sprig Rosemary

Instructions

In a large jug or bowl, mix all of the berries. Muddle with a wooden spoon.
Add orange juice, simple syrup, rum and triple sec. Stir together and muddle a bit more.
Add the wine and the sprig of rosemary. Mix well.
Refrigerate overnight. Serve in the vessel of your choice and garnish with Orange wheels, fresh berries and/or rosemary sprigs.

This Malbec Sangria is lively and rich! It has a depth of flavor as well as a whimsy of sweetness that lay surprisingly light on the palate~Wet Whistle Drinks by Darla Bentley