Feelings of Gratitude Friday & Virtual Class Drinks

Serves: 8 

Ingredients 

• 1 cup sliced strawberries
• 1 cup sliced cucumbers
• 2 limes, sliced
• 1/4 cup fresh mint leaves
• Ice cubes
• Water

Preparation 

 In a half-gallon jar, or a 2 quart pitcher, layer the strawberries, cucumbers, lime slices, and mint leaves with the ice cubes. Fill jar or pitcher with water. Let chill for 10 minutes, and then enjoy!

Recipe By: Cassie Johnston

 Ingredients 

• 1 cup tequila
• chilled 1 cup beet juice
• chilled ½ cup lime juice
• 1 lime wedge 
• ¼ cup triple sec 
• 2 tablespoons simple syrup  
• 1 tablespoon kosher salt (Optional)
• Ice cubes

Preparation 

• Combine tequila, beet juice, lime juice, triple sec and simple syrup in a pitcher.
• If you want a salted rim, place salt on a small plate. Rub the rims of 6 glasses with the lime wedge and dip in the salt. Fill the glasses with ice and pour about 1/2 cup of the margarita mixture into each glass.
• Enjoy!

Recipe By: EatingWell 

Serves: 1

• 2 ounces Vodka
• 2 ounces Ginger beer, chilled
• 5 ounces Orange Juice

Preparation 

• Fill a cocktail shaker with ice and add vodka and orange juice. Shake vigourously until well chilled.
• Fill glass 3/4 of the way full over ice. Top with the ginger beer and stir. 
• Enjoy!

Recipe By: No Plate Like Home

*Suggestion by: Bibi & Dez  

  Serves: 2-4

Blueberry Simple Syrup

• 1 cup Fresh blueberries
• 1/2 cup Water
• 2 Tbsp Sugar
• 2 Sprigs of mint (6-8 leaves)

For Cocktail

• 3 ounces Vodka
• Juice of 1 Lime
• 2-3 Tbsp Blueberry Mint simple syrup
• 8 ounces Ginger beer, chilled

Garnish

• Mint
• Blueberries
• Lime Wedges

Preparation 

• Combine blueberries, sugar, and water in a small saucepan and simmer for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Take off heat, add the mint leaves and let cool to room temp. Strain liquid into a container and put into fridge to cool completely.
• Fill a cocktail shaker with ice and add vodka, lime juice, and blueberry mint simply syrup. Shake vigourously until well chilled.
• Fill mugs or glasses with ice and pour the blueberry mixture over the ice. Top with the ginger beer and stir. Garnish with mint, blueberries and lime wedges.

Recipe By: Creative Culinary

*Suggestion by: Bibi & Dez  

 Serves: 1 

Cranberry Simple Syrup

• 2 cups Cranberries (fresh or frozen)
• 1 cup Water
• 1 cup Sugar

Cranberry Aperol Spritz

• 1 ounce Aperol
• 3 ounces Prosecco 
• 1 ounce Cranberry simple syrup
• Splash of Sparkling water

Garnish

• Rosemary Sprigs
• Cranberries

Preparation 

• In a small saucepan stir together cranberries, water, and sugar. Bring mixture to a boil, then reduce heat and let mixture simmer until sugar completely dissolves. Take care because cranberries will pop. Remove from heat, cover, and let steep for 15 minutes.
• Strain cranberries from syrup mixture and let cool completely.
• Pour the sparkling wine into a glass of ice cubes. Add the Aperol, cranberry syrup and a splash of sparkling water. Garnish with cranberries and rosemary sprigs. 
• Enjoy!

Recipe By: Plantings and Pairings

*Suggestion by: Bibi & Dez 

   Ingredients 

• Bourbon
• Apple cider (*homemade recipe is below)
• Ground cinnamon
• Granulated sugar
• Rosemary sprig

• Pour a small amount of apple cider in a low dish or small plate.
• Mix equal parts ground cinnamon and granulated sugar in another bowl.
• Dip rim of drinking glass of choice in apple cider then dip in cinnamon sugar mix to create a cinnamon-sugar rim. Add 2 parts bourbon and 4 parts apple cider, stir and serve with rosemary garnish.
• Delicious hot or cold.

Homemade Apple Cider

Yield: 9-12 servings

Ingredients

• 14 medium-sized assorted apples
• 2 oranges
• 3/4 cup brown sugar
• 5-6 cinnamon sticks
• 1 whole nutmeg
• 1 tablespoons whole cloves
• 1 teaspoon whole allspice

Materials

• Water
• Tall stockpot
• Cheesecloth
• Potato/avocado masher

Preparation

• Wash fruit, cut into halves or quarters, and place in a large stock pot (seeds, peels and all) along with all other ingredients.
• Fill with water, leaving about 2-3" of space from the top of the pot.
• Boil uncovered for an hour, stirring frequently to prevent burn (an old New Englander tip to prevent boiling over is to put a wooden spoon across the top of the pot).
• After an hour, cover and simmer for 2-3 more hours, crushing fruit with your masher and stirring occasionally. taste and add more sugar or seasoning to your liking.
• Remove from heat, let it cool and strain all contents through cheesecloth into a clean container. Make sure to get every last drop from the cheesecloth, that's where the flavor is!
• Pour into mason jars and keep refrigerated.
• Serve hot with cinnamon stick garnish or, cold with bourbon

Recipe by: Style Me Pretty Living

*Suggestion by: Bibi & Dez

Serves: 1

Ingredients 

For rimming the glass 

• Light corn syrup (*we used honey)
• Red food coloring
• Red rimming sugar 

Ingredients

For the cocktail

• 1 1/2 oz vodka
• 4 oz Champagne
• 1/2 oz Chambord (raspberry liquor)

Preparation  

• Start by rimming the glass: Pour corn syrup onto a shallow plate until it’s thick enough to dip the rim of your martini glass in. Stir in the food coloring until you have the color red that you like, then dip the rim of the glass into the syrup. Turn the glass around so that some of the syrup is thicker on one side, you want an uneven layer for a more realistic blood drip.
•  Turn the glass over to stand it up and let the syrup drip down the rim. Sprinkle on the rimming sugar, adding it to the top of the rim and down the sides 
• Add the vodka to the glass and then top with champagne. Slowly pour in the Chambord liquor and serve. Enjoy

Recipes notes for the drip

 You can make the blood rims ahead of time but they will drip down over time, so not longer than 30 minutes ahead. 

Recipe by: Mantitlement

 *Suggestion by: Bibi & Dez

Serves: 1 

Ingredients

• 2 oz Repisado Tequila
• 1 oz Cointreau
• 1/2 oz fresh lime juice
• 2 oz Pumpkin Spice Puree

Pumpkin Spice Puree

• 1 cup light brown sugar
• 1 cup water
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1/8 teaspoon ground clove
• 1 (15 oz) can pumpkin puree
• Note: this will make more puree than is needed for one cocktail. 

Spiced Rim

• 2 Tablespoons coarse sea salt
• 1 Tablespoon brown sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• Cinnamon sticks for garnish
• Lime wedges

Preparation 

• In a sauce pan combine brown sugar, water and spices for the simple syrup. Bring to a simmer and and cook over medium-low stirring until sugar is dissolved. Remove from heat and cool completely.
• Whisk in canned pumpkin once syrup is cooled and chill or set aside until ready to use.
• Make the rim mixture by combining coarse sea salt, brown sugar and cinnamon on a small plate.
• Wet the rim of your margarita glass with a lime wedge and dip in the salt mixture. Fill glass with ice and set aside to make the cocktail.
• In a cocktail shaker filled with ice combine: 2 oz tequila, 1 oz cointreau, 1/2 oz lime juice and 2 oz of pumpkin simple syrup puree. Shake until well chilled.
• Strain into prepared glass, garnish with cinnamon stick and enjoy!

Recipe By: Freutcake

*Suggestion by: Bibi & Dez

Serves: 1

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 ounces Aperol
• 3 ounces Prosecco 
• 3/4 ounce sparkling water or club soda 
• 1 orange slice, for garnish, optional

Preparation 

Fill a white wine glass halfway with ice. Add the Aperol, prosecco and sparkling water, and stir twice with a spoon. 

Serve with an orange slice if desired.

Recipe By: Food Network

*Suggestion by: Bibi & Dez