Apple Sidecar

October 2, 2014July 5, 2015 by Katie | Leave a comment

Apples are our ingredient of the season. So far we’ve done some baking and some drinking.

I don’t know about where you live, but here in Boulder we’ve had a string of chilly fall-like days with views of fresh snow on the mountains. What’s better on a chilly Thursday than a cocktail that warms you up from the inside out?! If you haven’t had a sidecar yet, get ready to sit back, enjoy it in front of the fire, and plan on doing nothing for the rest of the night.

Sidecars are traditionally made with cognac, triple sec, and lemon juice. Today we’re substituting an apple-infused brandy for the cognac. Funny thing – cognac and brandy are the same thing, but to be called a Cognac it must come from a specific region in France. In the past I’ve used Jacques Cardin’s Apple Flavored Cognac. Today we’re making it with Santa Fe Spirits Apple Brandy because we wanted to try something new, and it’s produced closer to home with apples grown in New Mexico!

Ingredients

2 parts cognac or brandy
1 part triple sec
1 part fresh lemon juice
ice
optional – simple syrup

The How-to

Fill a cocktail shaker with ice
Add all of the ingredients and shake
Pour into the glass of your choosing, traditionally a cocktail glass would be used. I prefer a rocks glass… but then I thought that this would be perfect for drinking around a campfire, so why not use an enamel camping mug?!
Garnish with a bit of apple & enjoy!

Extra Tips

As I mentioned, this can be a strong drink. You can do a number of things to weaken the drink. Start by using some simple syrup – either adding 1 part to the mix above, substituting it for the triple sec, or using equal parts of your choosing. You can also serve the drink over ice to add even more water as you drink.
I enjoyed sampling the sidecar with the Santa Fe brandy, but remember the Jacques Cardin cognac to be slightly smoother (although it’ll still knock your socks off).

Fresh Apple, Carrot, Ginger Juice

September 4, 2014September 6, 2017 by Sarah | 3 Comments

Apples are our ingredient of the season. Before falling down the rabbit trap of indulgent baked goods, we’re kicking of this series with a wholesome, homemade juice.

Now that apple season has arrived, I find myself juicing those little gems on the daily. We have a whole host of apple beverages in store for you this season, but we thought we would start out with some fresh cold juice while the weather is still warm. I never feel better than when I wake up and immediately make myself a big jar of juice and a cup of coffee. It’s 1 part routine, 1 part you’re doing yourself a favor-if you know what I mean. I’m also not a big breakfast eater, so juicing allows me to fuel my bod without munching too early, which I almost never have the appetite for.

Serious Mocktails

August 26, 2014July 5, 2015 by Katie | Leave a comment

Mint is our ingredient of the season. We’ve used it in salads, drinks, and other potions. You can find our complete archive of mint posts here.

You know that the Seasoned sisters love to kick back with a good alcoholic beverage, but we can also appreciate a nicely mixed mocktail or two. Who doesn’t have fond memories of being served their first Shirley Temple? And while we still wouldn’t pass one up, today we’re talking about mocktails that are a bit more creative in both their list of ingredients and combination of flavors. With the right ingredients on hand these mocktails take seconds to mix, making them a perfect alternative to offer up at your Labor Day bbq this weekend.

I’m not a huge fan of mocktails that imitate alcoholic drinks. If I’m going to skip the alcohol, I want my drink to be full of creative flavors. That said, once I come up with a winning mocktail, it often doubles as the perfect base for my next cocktail. With a splash of gin or SAGE, both of today’s drinks can become the spirited life of the party! (Excuse us, we couldn’t pass up the pun.)

Summertime Tea Smoothies

July 17, 2014July 5, 2015 by Sarah | 1 Comment

Have you ever made a smoothie with tea? I like to think that I’m the only one who has ever done this and that it is going to blow everyone’s mind. I refuse to google tea smoothies just in case (BUT I HIGHLY DOUBT IT) it has already been thought up. Anyway, on with it! Summertime Tea Smoothies are so refreshing and they even involve a bit of caffeine if you use the suggested teas. Of course, you could always substitute with whatever tea is in your cupboard or if you don’t drink caffeine, blend in your favorite caffeine-free tea. The tea adds a whole other flavor element and makes it easy to switch up the smoothies even if you have loads of the same fruits and veggies on hand. Like most smoothie recipes, the sky is the limit. Feel free to substitute, subtract and add in ingredients to best fit your diet. For instance, if you don’t eat dairy, swap out the yogurt and add in a little bit more tea.