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November 2019

This Refreshing Blackberry Cocktail is Cardenal’s Golden Week Competition Winner

By | Mixology News

Brier winning cocktail, featured image

Cardenal’s Golden Week Cocktail Competition has come to a close, and we are so impressed by all of the amazing recipe submissions that we received from talented bartenders across the country.

Each drink was judged on taste/aroma/character, color/appearance, creativity, name and written inspiration, and they all had to include a Cardenal Mendoza spirit (Cardenal Mendoza Sherry Brandy, Angelus Liqueur and/or Fifty Pounds Gin). We are so excited to announce that the winner is Lauren Pellecchia from Loveland, Ohio for her Brier cocktail. Pellecchia won $1,500 and a trip to visit the Sanchez Romate Winery in Jerez de La Frontera, Spain.

“I was inspired by the classic cocktail, the Bramble, that I had for the first time when I visited the UK in the summer of 2018,” Pellecchia says. “I fell in love with it, but I wanted to put my own spin on it. I wanted a bolder experience with more layers of flavor. I wanted to punch up the flavor profile by making my own blackberry syrup that was bursting with the taste of the berries and sweetened just enough with honey. The earthiness and spice in the Fifty Pounds Gin are highlighted by the blackberry. The layers of citrus in the Cardenal Mendoza Angelus are carried through the cocktail with the help of fresh lemon juice and a little bit of bubbles from club soda for the finishing touch.”

Brier winning cocktail, cocktail on bar with garnish

Brier Winning Cocktail

Brier

Recipe by Lauren Pellecchia

Ingredients:

  • 1.5 oz. Fifty Pounds Gin
  • .5 oz. Cardenal Mendoza Angelus
  • .5 oz. Lemon Juice
  • 1 oz. Blackberry-Honey Simple Syrup*
  • 2 drops Orange Bitters
  • 1 splash Club Soda
  • Fresh Blackberries (to Garnish)

Preparation: In a shaker tin with ice, combine the Fifty Pounds Gin, Cardenal Mendoza Angelus, lemon juice and orange bitters. Shake to combine. Strain into a rocks glass filled with cubed ice. Add the Blackberry-Honey Simple Syrup and club soda. Garnish with fresh blackberries and enjoy!

*Blackberry-Honey Simple Syrup

n a heavy bottomed pot over medium heat, combine 18 ounces of blackberries with 12 ounces of local honey and 12 ounces of water. Stir occasionally for about 30 minutes. Lower heat and allow to simmer for 15 more minutes. Pour through a fine mesh strainer and allow to cool before use.

In addition to a first-place winner, four runners-up each received a prize of $250. Check out their excellent cocktails below.

Gimme a Beet

Gimme a Beet

Gimme a Beet

Created by Antonio Gonzalez

Ingredients:

  • 1.5 oz. Cardenal Mendoza Sherry Brandy
  • .5 oz. Angelus Liqueur
  • 1 oz. Spiced Honey Syrup*
  • 1.5 oz. Beet Juice**
  • 1 oz. Fresh Lemon Juice
  • 8-10 Mint Leaves
  • Beet Square (to Garnish)
  • Lemon Twist (to Garnish)

Preparation: Combine all ingredients into a tin with ice and a hard shake for eight seconds. Double strain into a double Old Fashioned glass with a large ice cube. Garnish with a beet square and lemon twist.

*Spiced Honey Syrup

Ingredients:

  • 1 cup Honey
  • .5 cup Water
  • 3 Cinnamon Sticks
  • 3 Whole Cloves
  • 1 oz. Sherry

Preparation: Heat all ingredients on high until simmering, and strain.

**Beet Juice

Blend two cups of freshly peeled red beets with one cup of water. Strain and use.


Angelo’s Coffee

Angelo’s Coffee

Angelo’s Coffee

Created by Joan Villanueva

Ingredients:

  • .75 oz. Cardenal Mendoza Sherry Brandy
  • .75 oz. Angelus Liqueur
  • .5 oz. Frangelico
  • 1 oz. Caffè Borghetti
  • .5 oz. Giffard Passion Fruit
  • Dehydrated Lime Wheel (to Garnish)

Preparation: Add all ingredients to a shaker tin. Add three ice cubes and shake until full dilution. Strain into a chilled Nick and Nora glass. Garnish with a dehydrated lime wheel.


Cardenal Sins

Cardenal Sins

Cardenal Sins

Created by Lance Bowman

Ingredients:

  • 1.5 oz. Cardenal Mendoza Solera Gran Reserva Brandy
  • .75 oz. Tawny Port
  • .25 oz. Cardenal Mendoza Angelus Liqueur
  • .5 oz. Earl Grey Syrup*
  • .75 oz. Lemon Juice
  • Orange Peel Rose (to Garnish)

Preparation: Combine all liquid ingredients in a shaker tin, add ice and shake. Double strain into a chilled cocktail coupe. Garnish with a skewered orange rose.

*Earl Grey Syrup

n a saucepan, bring a half ounce of earl grey tea (15 tea bags if not using loose leaf) and 32 ounces of water to a boil. Remove from heat and let steep for 15 minutes. Strain out tea, add 32 ounces by volume of sugar and stir to dissolve. Cool, label, bottle and date.


La Furia Roja

La Furia Roja

La Furia Roja

Created by Phillip Childers

Ingredients:

  • 1 oz. Cardenal Mendoza Sherry Brandy
  • 1 oz. Fifty Pounds Gin
  • .5 oz. Manzanilla Sherry
  • .5 oz. Sweet Vermouth
  • 2 bar spoons Creme de Noyaux
  • Lemon Twist (to Garnish)

Preparation: Add all the ingredients to a mixing glass with ice and stir until properly diluted. Strain into a coupe glass and garnish with a lemon twist after expressing the oils.

The post This Refreshing Blackberry Cocktail is Cardenal’s Golden Week Competition Winner appeared first on Chilled Magazine.

Source: Mixology News

Salt Lake City is Undergoing a Spirited Shift, and Water Witch is Leading the Way

By | Mixology News

Scott Gardner of Water Witch feat

Drinking isn’t the first thing that comes to mind when you think of Utah.

In fact, the state comes in dead-last for per-capita alcohol consumption, probably because its strict liquor laws are dictated by state legislation that’s primarily comprised of the teetotaling Mormon population. But despite the challenging laws (some establishments require a food order with an alcoholic drink, for example), the masters at craft cocktail bar Water Witch have managed to make a name for themselves. A trailblazer for Salt Lake City’s burgeoning booze scene, Water Witch has acted as a catalyst in the rapidly-growing community of local bars and restaurants.

Water Witch

Water Witch

Bartenders Sean Neves, Matt Pfohl and Scott Gardner met in 2012 when they were invited to teach a class about cocktails. They discussed owning and tending a bar together, but, like many small business owners, didn’t have the immediate funds to make it happen. Over the course of four long years, they planned their opening and took gigs that buoyed their status as community leaders in the craft cocktail industry. Neves was the bartender of the now-closed Wild Grape Bistro, Pfohl was the beverage manager of Pallet and Gardner became the head mixologist at Finca. By the time Water Witch opened in December 2016, it won local praise and soon attracted high-profile guests who were in town for the annual Sundance Film Festival.

Crafting at Water Witch

Crafting at Water Witch

Knocking on three years, Water Witch is situated in the up-and-coming Central Ninth neighborhood of Salt Lake City, which is experiencing a large influx of tech professionals and self-starters from California (who are locally referred to as the “Silicon Slopes”). The snug space is designed with three soft pine bar tops beneath bespoke light boxes and a 14-foot reproduction of a 19th-century seascape of the Great Salt Lake, the bar’s “spiritual center.” The name Water Witch supposedly salutes the sailboat of Brigham Young—the second president of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and Salt Lake City’s founder—which shuttled his hidden spirits across the Great Salt Lake.

Water Witch Back Bar

Water Witch Back Bar

There isn’t a cocktail menu at Water Witch. Instead, a blackboard lists rotating specials, and expert bartenders are on hand to tailor drinks to one’s preference. “We tend to target very simple flavor profiles, so people get it,” Gardner says. The only available menu lists wine, good beer, golden cider and “foofy snacks,” or Spanish coastal tapas brought together by nearby businesses like European-style Caputo’s Market and Beltex Meats. “We are very lucky to have some awesome people in this community that sell some really awesome stuff.” he says.

From a Parisian bistro to a Lebanese locale, each of these cultural hotspots offers delightful destination dining and drinking to Salt Lakers. “We [at Water Witch] tend to be super A.D.D. with what we love, so instead of focusing on one region of the world, we feel that the entire world has something delicious to offer,” Gardner says. “So, why not celebrate culture!”

Every week, Water Witch presents an updated jícara cocktail. Although the cocktail recipe changes, the vessel—a dried half-gourd, or jícara—does not. It’s an ode to the distinct  agriculture, care, craftsmanship and years of tradition that shape Mexico. They follow the same approach to the weekly Daiquiri by spotlighting various spirits, either local, national or international.

Scott Gardner of Water Witch

Scott Gardner of Water Witch

“When we opened, we never said we were anything specific, so it gives us free rein to do whatever we want,” Gardner says. “Everybody is here [culture, religion, gender, orientation] so we want everything here.” In addition, Water Witch hosts select “spiritual” gatherings on-site, like extensive tequila and mezcal education programs that compare the agave spirits side-by-side and demonstrate how to utilize them in cocktails.

Today, Salt Lakers are looking past the esoteric liquor laws (like the legal maximum pour, measured at 1.5 ounces of primary spirit) and into the artistry and passion poured into craft cocktails. Because of the new spirited bars, speakeasies and restaurants popping up, there is more to Salt Lake City than the headquarters of the Mormon Church.

The post Salt Lake City is Undergoing a Spirited Shift, and Water Witch is Leading the Way appeared first on Chilled Magazine.

Source: Mixology News

Must Mix: Cardenal Mendoza Brandy Old Fashioned from Julio Cabrera

By | Mixology News

Julio Cabrera Old Fashioned, featured image

Whiskey is typically the spirit of choice when mixing a classic Old Fashioned cocktail.

But there are other spirits that can be used in place of bourbon and rye, especially things like aged tequila and mezcal. But one spirit is often overlooked when mixing this classic—brandy. Now, world-renowned bartender Julio Cabrera is putting a beautiful Spanish brandy at the forefront with this delicious, fall-ready recipe.

Cabrera has been working as a bartender for 27 years in his native Cuba, Italy, Cancun and Miami. He recently opened Cafe La Trova with friend and chef Michelle Bernstein to bring their delicious take on Cuban food and libations to Miami’s Little Havana neighborhood. If you can’t make it to South Florida to experience his excellent cocktails in person, you can channel Cabrera’s expertise by mixing this Cardenal Mendoza Old Fashioned at home.

Julio Cabrera Old Fashioned

Julio Cabrera Old Fashioned

Cardenal Old Fashioned

Ingredients:

  • 2 oz. Cardenal Mendoza Brandy
  • .25 oz. Cardenal Mendoza Angelus
  • .25 oz. Simple Syrup
  • 3 dashes Angostura Bitters
  • Orange Slice (to Garnish)
  • 2 Skewered Cherries (to Garnish)

Preparation: Add all liquid ingredients to a mixing glass with ice. Stir and strain into an Old Fashioned glass over a big ice cube. Garnish with an orange slice and two skewered cherries.

The post Must Mix: Cardenal Mendoza Brandy Old Fashioned from Julio Cabrera appeared first on Chilled Magazine.

Source: Mixology News