The Cedar Waxwing – a cocktail recipe by Michelle Hartsell Cocktail Engineer

This cocktail is a nice one for autumn and winter.  It tastes a bit like drinking an apple pie.  It's easy but you have to find the Dram which is the key ingredient- I can't think of a good replacement.  If you are lucky enough to live near apple orchards then even better because you can make it w/local fresh cider!  This one is dedicated to my friend Becca and I was able to enjoy this one using their local apple cider recently - it was so good!  

I was inspired to make this one after trying a special cocktail from the Cocktail Guru's over at Orchard City Kitchen this fall - I got close!

Add to a cocktail shaker 1/3 filled w/cracked ice:

• 2 oz St Elizabeth's Allspice Dram
• 4 oz Bourbon (I like Birddog small batch premium aged)
• 3 to 4 oz organic apple cider or juice
• Fresh squeezed juice from a lemon half

Shake and strain into a cocktail glass and garnish w/a lemon wheel or lemon peel.  I like the sweetened dried lemon wheels from Trader Joes in the winter.

Makes 2 yummy cocktails.  Cheers and Happy Holidays!

Cocktail Engineering: The Western Tanager – a cocktail recipe by Michell...

Cocktail Engineering: The Western Tanager – a cocktail recipe by Michell...: I picked up some nice fresh peaches and nectarines at the Farmer's market last weekend and started thinking about making a cocktail with...

The Western Tanager – a cocktail recipe by Michelle Hartsell Cocktail Engineer

I picked up some nice fresh peaches and nectarines at the Farmer's market last weekend and started thinking about making a cocktail with a nice peach flavor.  This is a sweet little cocktail that's nice this time of year to go with all the stone fruit are coming in.  So here you go!  

In a cocktail shaker 1/3 filled with cracked ice add:

• 4 oz Ketel One Peach & Orange Blossom Botanical Vodka
• 2 oz Giffard creme de Peche de Vigne liqueur
• 3 oz fresh squeezed orange juice
• a few drops of Scrappy's orange bitters

Shake and strain into two small cocktail glasses and garnish with a sprig of rosemary and a twist of orange peel.

I like the Ketel One brand of flavored vodka because it has no added sweeteners or sugars and is all-natural.  I'd like to take a trip to Holland some day to visit the Ketel One distillery.

Cheers!

The Red Munia

I dedicate this little cocktail to my friend Diana and also in recognition of national heart month - you can read more from the links below.  This little drink is a twist on the French 75 and comes out with a light pink hue for a nice Valentine's Day cocktail.  

Shake the following over ice and strain into two cocktail glasses garnished with strawberry:

• 1.5 oz fresh squeezed lemon juice
• 4 oz Beefeater Pink strawberry flavored gin
• 8 drops of Lavender bitters (Scrappy's, 0.5 oz size bottle)
• Big squeeze of agave

Top w/ Brut Rose sparkling wine.

The Red Munia is also known as a strawberry finch.  It makes it's home in the grasslands of tropical regions in Asia.  You can read more about it on Wikipedia - it's a very pretty bird.

Read about American Heart Month here:

https://www.cdc.gov/heartdisease/american_heart_month.htm
https://www.goredforwomen.org/ 

Cheers!