For this article I am going to cover the Americano; a low alcohol Campari-based sipping cocktail that is great for long and hot summer afternoons. First gather your ingredients:

• 1 ½ oz Campari
• 1 ½ oz sweet vermouth
• Club soda or seltzer
• Orange slice for garnish

Start by filling a classic cocktail tumbler with ice to pre-chill the glass. In an ice filled shaker mix the Campari and sweet vermouth, straining in to the ice filled tumbler and topping off with club soda or seltzer water (I prefer club soda). Finish the prep by garnishing your Americano with a slice of orange. The distinct and classy cocktail that results is a rooty, earthy, and full bodied experience that has only a slight hint of sweetness. At its core the Americano is a deep and etherial drink that is refreshing yet distinct and mature. The Americano can be adapted by using a bigger glass with more club soda or seltzer to create a very low abv drink that can be enjoyed all day long. 

Enjoy this amazing warm weather cocktail as you watch the days get longer and warmer from the comfort of your front porch.

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LocoNut is a straight-up coconut infused variant of Captain Morgan’s perennial spiced rum. The coconut imagery hits you over the head early with a coconut shaped and styled bottle that even smells like a coconut itself (yes the bottle is like a scratch and sniff sticker). The best way to serve it is by shaking well with ice in a metal shaker and serving as shots. I recommend enjoying the shot a bit at a time versus downing it in one go: the coconut and milky flavors work well with the spiced rum base and the low 20% abv makes this a refreshing and easy to handle after dinner sipping drink. I actually made the shot for my wife and her friend that she was going out with for the night, and they both LOVED the easy drinking nature of the shot and it’s pleasing flavors. Another way to enjoy LocoNut is to mix 2 parts of it in an ice filled shaker with 1/2 part Captain Morgan Spiced Rum, serving in an ice-filled cocktail glass. This gives the drink a bit more kick and standard Captain Morgan notes.

Overall Captain Morgan’s LocoNut is a pleasing take on spiced rum that is easy and fun to drink, especially for for those who get turned off by straight liquor or liquor heavy cocktails. Plus, Loconut retails for about $15, so it is a safe bet when it comes to diversifying your home bar and bringing home something everyone will enjoy.

The post Captain Morgan’s LocoNut Makes a Great Rum Drink appeared first on FactoryTwoFour.

On its own Rebel Juiced IPA pours golden-orange with a pure white medium density head that builds tall and quick. The nose is dominated by tropical mangos and a bit of a yeast note lingering on the edges. The palate is dominated by the mango notes and citrusy bite of the hop profile. Rebel Juiced IPA ends tart and crisp with a bit of a lingering taste of fruit peel on the tongue.

Rebel Juiced IPA really shines when used as the center piece of the Gin and Juiced brunch cocktail. First gather your ingredients:
3oz Sam Adams Rebel Juiced IPA
1oz Dry Gin (I used and recommend Boodles, or a comparable English Gin)
3/4oz lemon juice (fresh squeezed is always best)
1/2oz honey syrup (I used and vastly prefer agave syrup)

Add ingredients, except beer, to an ice-filled cocktail shaker. Stir, strain into an ice filled cocktail glass and top with the Rebel Juiced IPA, garnishing with a lemon wedge. The resulting cocktail is an accessible yet deep and refreshing brunch classic that will satisfy any palette. The floral and Juniper notes of the gin play and dance exceptionally well with the Mango IPA as the syrup sweetens and mellows the hop centered mouthfeel of the beer.

This is a great morning drink that anyone in your brunch party would enjoy, so step up your game and introduce all your friends to this Rebel Juiced IPA based brunch cocktail.

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Every craft cocktail is only as good as the quality of the liquor at the center, and Pinnacle Vodka fits the bill perfectly for this boozy winter centerpiece. On its own Pinnacle is a great Vodka due to its moderate price and extremely high quality, but as the base of the Snow Bunny it is transcendent. To make the Snow Bunny take 2 oz Vodka, 1 oz Coffee Liqueur, ½ oz Creme de Cacao, 2 oz half and half and mix in an ice-filled shaker. Strain into an ice filled glass and you have an exemplary winter cocktail. For a greater effect and a more attractive-looking drink, why not learn how to make your own clear ice? If you want to impress friends, or that special someone, then clear ice can help you do that. The smooth and inviting Pinnacle vodka core is spiced up and made much more substantive by the Coffee Liqueur, giving the cocktail a more complete and deep flavor profile. On the back end the Creme de Cacao adds a bit of accessible silkiness and sweetness that accents the other flavors perfectly as the half and half blends all the flavors together with a hardy creaminess.

The Snow Bunny with Pinnacle Vodka is the perfect cold weather cocktail that should get you and a loved one through any bone-chilling and snow covered night.

The post The Snow Bunny: A Classic Vodka Winter Cocktail appeared first on FactoryTwoFour.

To make my favorite winter beer cocktail I filled a stemmed cider glass with ice and added 1 part Canadian Club 100% Rye and topped with 3 parts hard cider, I decided to use ACE Joker Hard Cider. The resulting cocktail is refreshing yet dark and complex; the Canadian Club 100% Rye base creates a satisfying and strong winter drink with notes of vanilla and oak permeating every sip. The added ACE Joker lends a refreshing dryness that accents the more subtle whisky notes while the Champagne Yeast and effervescence really opens up the palate and creates an unmistakable refreshing yet heavy sipping cocktail.

As we we move in to winter and embrace the falling snow and plunging temperatures Canadian Club 100% Rye deserves a spot in the middle of your home bar. It is a versatile and extremely affordable superb Rye whisky that is great on its own for sipping and as the base of your favorite cocktails. Get creative and pair it with your favorite dry cider and you will have a new favorite go to drink.  

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The Spanish Fashion is an inspired take on the Old Fashioned and Herradura Silver is the perfect tequila to make it come alive. To create the Spanish Fashion add 2 ounces Herradura Silver, ½ ounce sweet sweet vermouth, and a dash of bitters to an ice filled shaker. I always prefer stirring my cocktails over shaking (Bond ruined cocktails for a generation) and straining over a tumbler with a single spherical ice cube and a maraschino cherry garnish. The result is an outrageously smooth and refreshing cocktail thanks to the tequila base while the vermouth adds sweetness to the palate as the bitters opens the whole drink up with its earthy features.  

The Paloma is an awesome grapefruit based tequila cocktail that shines when made with Herradura Reposado. To make the Paloma simply fill a rocks glass with ice and add 2 ounces Herradura Reposado, ½ ounces of fresh lime juice, top with fresh Grapefruit juice, stir gently, and garnish with a lime wedge. What you find before you is a delightfully tangy and citrusy drink that is not overbearing but full of flavor and soul. The Paloma is best enjoyed on a cool summer evening before dinner.

Be sure to pick up one of Herradura’s unparalleled tequilas and try these amazing cocktails to impress your friends with your knowledge of amazing non-margarita tequila drinks.

The post Herradura Tequila Cocktails: Go Beyond the Margarita appeared first on FactoryTwoFour.

But I found something different when I gave Alberta Rye a shot, something surprising to the senses, leading me to think that there was a chance to revisit my otherwise avoidance of my standard.  This 90 proof rye on its own is a bit harsh, but broken up with a single ice cube opens up the aromas of sweet oak and over ripened plums. Pairing this dark liquor with some dry vermouth and orange bitters does not mask these notes either, instead enhancing them to another level. While I may not say that it is the perfect Manhattan, for me it was a pleasant step away from my standard, bringing in a cocktail that both hits the dark notes I enjoy while enhancing the undertones of liquor itself.

Alberta Rye Dry Manhattan

• 2 ounces whiskey Alberta Rye whisky
• 1 ounce vermouth dry Italian vermouth
• 2 dashes Angostura orange bitters
• 1 single globe ice cube
• Cocktail glass

The post Alberta Rye Dry Manhattan appeared first on FactoryTwoFour.

It’s better.

We’ve seen many companies come out with moonshine, attempting to deliver on some claim that their distilled spirit is something of old styles, something to instill the law-breaking spirit in all of us though a glass of crystal clear corn whiskey. We’ve seen recipes left and right of ‘homemade’ moonshine that was designed more to shock than be enjoyed, or just concoctions that mixed a bunch of horrible spirits together to make the uber-bad drinks that makes the hair on your head fall out. None of these deserve a place on your, or anybody’s, shelf.

That is where Ole Smoky’s Original Moonshine stands out from the rest though. From the start, it’s about the experience, a mason jar filled with a crystal clear, sinus clearing spirit with a simple label. Inside is something to be dreamed of, not often said about corn whiskey. A refined, smooth taste with a nice bit to it, Ole Smoky has come up with one of the best clear liquors I have enjoyed. Now, this could be a sipper, but honestly, is an incredible base for a cocktail. So working with our friends at Ole Smoky, we have worked out a delicious cocktail that not only highlights the moonshine nuances that is perfect after running from Johnny Law.

Ole Smoky Blonde Manhattan

Ingredients

• 1 ¾ oz. Ole Smoky Original Moonshine
• 1 oz. Antica Sweet Vermouth
• 1/2 ounce Cointreau
• 2 dashes original bitters
• 1 Ole Smoky Moonshine Cherry

Preparation

Stir the first four ingredients with ice and strain, up or over fresh ice, into rocks glass. Garnish with a Ole Smoky Moonshine Cherry.

The post The Perfect Ole Smoky Moonshine appeared first on FactoryTwoFour.

[nextpage title=”1″ ]Hornitos® Plata Paloma

For someone you just started seeing

• 2 parts Hornitos® Plata Tequila
• ½ part lime juice
• 2 parts white grapefruit juice
• 2 parts club soda

Preparation: Combine ingredients in a glass and serve. Garnish with a lime slice.

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[nextpage title=”1″ ]Dulce y Picante

For the steady girlfriend/boyfriend

• 1 ½ parts Hornitos® Plata Tequila
• ½ part Green Chartreuse® Liqueur
• ¾ part pineapple juice
• 1 jalapeno slice
• ¾ part simple syrup*
• ¾ part lime
• Handful of cilantro

*To make simple syrup, mix together 1 part sugar and 1 part water and bring to a boil (approximately 1-2 minutes). Cool before serving.

Preparation: Muddle cilantro in a mixing glass, then gently muddle jalapeño on top of cilantro, then add remaining ingredients into a mixing glass. Shake well for approximately 8-10 seconds. Double strain into a double old fashioned glass rimmed with paprika sea salt. Garnish with a cilantro leaf and/or pineapple leaf.

All trademarks are the property of their respective owners.

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[nextpage title=”1″ ]Berried Treasure

For “The One”

• 2 parts Hornitos® Reposado Tequila
• ¾ part simple syrup*
• ¾ part lemon
• 6-8 blackberries
• 1-2 rosemary sprigs
• 2 dashes Angostura® Bitters

*To make simple syrup, mix together 1 part sugar and 1 part water and bring to a boil (approximately 1-2 minutes). Cool before serving.

Preparation: Add rosemary sprig and muddle, then add 6 blackberries into a mixing glass and muddle. Add the rest of the ingredients and shake well. Double strain into an old fashioned glass. Garnish with a rosemary sprig and two blackberries.[/nextpage]

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From GUINNESS: This famous drink was invented in 1861 at Brook’s Club in London. Prince Albert had died, everyone was in mourning. The story goes that the steward at the club, overcome with the emotion of the occasion, ordered that even the champagne should be put into mourning and proceeded to mix it with GUINNESS®. The taste was so delicious the Black Velvet quickly became extremely popular.

Ingredients:

• 1/2 flute of Champagne (Again, we recommend a Korbel Brute)
• 1/2 flue GUINNESS® Extra Stout

Directions:

Simplicity is key, but so is patience.  You don’t want to pour too fast or too much.  Pour the GUINNESS® Extra Stout into a clean/polished champagne flute. Top up the glass with the champagne, being careful to ensure there is no overspill. The GUINNESS® Black Velvet should have a good dark colour with a frothy head, resembling a Pint of GUINNESS®.

Special thanks to GUINNESS for submitting their recipe to share with you all.

The post New Years Recipe: Black Velvet appeared first on FactoryTwoFour.

Ingredients

• 1 lemon
• 1 1/2 ounces VSOP cognac
• 1/2 tablespoons (3/4 ounce) fresh lemon juice
• 1 tablespoon (1/2 ounce) simple syrup
• 1 cup ice cubes
• 2 ounces dry sparkling wine (recommend Korbel Brut)

Preparation

Using a zester or paring knife, slice a long thin peel from the lemon.

In cocktail shaker, combine gin, lemon juice, and simple syrup. Add ice and shake vigorously for 20 seconds. Strain into chilled Champagne flute and top with sparkling wine.  Curl the lemon peel around a finger to create twist  and garnish the drink.  Serve and enjoy immediately.

The post New Years Recipe: French 75 appeared first on FactoryTwoFour.

• 2 3/4 ounces rye whiskey (We love Bulleit Rye with this drink)
• 1/2 ounce dry vermouth
• 1/2 ounce sweet vermouth
• 2 dashes Angostura bitters
• Lemon twist, brandied cherry, for garnish

Recommended glass: coupe glass

Combine the rye, dry vermouth, sweet vermouth and bitters in a cocktail shaker, add ice, and stir until chilled. Strain the mixture into a chilled coupe glass. Garnish with the lemon twist and brandied cherry and serve immediately.

The post Quick Fix: The Perfect Manhattan appeared first on FactoryTwoFour.