Tag Archives: ingredients

The Irish Mountain Marma

We loved the Irish Whiskey-based cocktail that Lily created for us last week so much so we asked her to do another.

To complement the whiskey, Lily used a pantry staple – marmalade. The drink is sweet & tart, with wonderful aromatics from rosemary and a slightly bitter finish thanks to the addition of Montenegro amaro. It’s delightful anytime of the year, not just on St. Patty’s Day.

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The Irish Mountain Marma
makes 1 cocktail

2 oz Powers whiskey

3/4 oz lemon juice
1/2 oz Montenegro
1 tbsp marmalade*
1 small, 1″ sprig of rosemary
1 larger sprig (for garnish)

*For this recipe, orange marmalade was used but lemon grapefruit marmalade is also quite nice.

Place small sprig in shaker, add Montenegro and gently muddle once with a muddler or wooden spoon to release the rosemary flavor.
Add whiskey, lemon, and marmalade.
Fill shaker with ice and shake until frost forms on the outside of the tin.
Double-strain into a tumbler, garnish with remaining sprig of rosemary and ice.

Enjoy!

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A Mushroom Wine Pairing

Photo by Chip Riegel

The humble mushroom is a cook’s best friend, given its amazing flavor and texture, versatility and nearly year-around availability in local farmer’s markets. It’s also beloved in the wine world as it has a natural affinity for so many different wine grapes and styles.

When pairing wine with mushrooms, consider their power: delicate varieties (the chanterelle, the oyster, for example) play best with light to medium bodied wines. Meaty ‘shrooms (portobello) love big, bold styles.

For the following dish of blue oyster mushrooms roasted with grape tomatoes and tarragon (from the Winter 2015 edition of Edible Rhody), we zeroed in on the texture of the mushrooms: roasting adds a richness to their delicate nature, calling for a medium-bodied wine. We also wanted to complement the dish’s other ingredients and aromatics: tomatoes and tarragon. And for this we turned to Italy for a white and a red that work well with acid and herbs.

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2014 Cantine Colosi, Nero d’Avola, Sicily There’s a supple cherry fruitiness in this medium-bodied bottle that is a lovely balance to the oyster mushroom’s delicate earthiness, and its menthol finish is just delicious with the dish’s tarragon notes. The nero d’avola grape – the superstar of Sicily – is a natural match for tomatoes.

2013 Argillae Orvieto, Umbria This blend is a beautiful example of the savory white wines Italy is known for. It has floral and tropical notes that add a brightness to the roasted dish, but it is its savory, almond notes that we prize with the mushroom’s earthy flavor and the warm licorice aromas from the tarragon.

ROASTED BLUE OYSTER MUSHROOMS WITH GRAPE TOMATOES AND FRESH HERBS
Co-owner Bob DiPietro, RI Mushroom Co., South Kingstown

Just about any type of fresh herbs can be used in this recipe—just be careful they don’t overwhelm the dish. Use less of stronger herbs like rosemary or sage than you would basil or tarragon. You can also substitute different mushrooms or opt for a mix. (Total cooking time may vary.)  Bottles’ Note: we like to use tarragon in this dish, and think it’s sublime served over pasta.

¾–1 pound (5–6 cups) blue oyster mushrooms
1 cup (½ pint) grape tomatoes, washed and halved
2–3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1–2 tablespoons red wine or cider vinegar*
2 medium cloves garlic, peeled and roughly chopped
2 tablespoons mix of chopped fresh tarragon, thyme or Italian flat leaf parsley, divided
Kosher or sea salt
Freshly ground pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 400°. Spray a rimmed baking sheet with cooking spray or brush with olive oil.
Trim off woody stems of the mushrooms and reserve for another use (a terrific addition to homemade stock). Shred the remaining mushrooms lengthwise into a large bowl.

Add tomatoes, olive oil, vinegar, garlic and 1 tablespoon herbs. Toss well.

Arrange the mixture in a single layer on the baking sheet and roast for 30 minutes, turning halfway through to ensure even browning.

Remove from oven, add remaining herbs and season with salt and pepper to taste. (I always add salt at the very end whenever cooking mushrooms, otherwise they will exude their natural juices.)

May be served as a side dish, tossed with pasta or as a topping for steak or burgers. Serves 4.

* Instead of vinegar you can use pickle brine. I highly recommend the pickle brines from Rhode Island’s own Fox Point Pickling Co.

Cheers and Bon Appetit!

 

 

Wines to Pair with Butternut Squash Mac ‘n’ Cheese

Photo by Amy McCoy

Come ON … look at that photo … why are you still reading and not on your way to the market to pick up fixins to make this Butternut Squash Mac ‘n’ Cheese?  While you’re out, stop by Bottles for one (or more) of the wines we suggest to pair with this absolutely delicious, rich and comforting dish. (Recipe below, courtesy of Edible Rhody.)

White Wine:

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Evolucio Furmint. Grown primarily in the Tokaj region of Hungary, the furmint grape produces both sweet and dry wines. This crisp, refreshing easy-drinking bottle is a dry version, though given its ripe apple and floral aromas, it presents as a touch on the sweeter side. Which means it will echo the beautiful sweet squash, and its tangy acidity will slice through all that cheese.

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Souscherie Savennieres Clos Des Perrieres. One of our favorite expressions of the chenin blanc grape is the beautiful wine made in the Savennieres region of France’s Loire Valley. This medium bodied, stunning and very special bottle has notes of honey and apricot (both of which have a natural affinity for cheese) and a vanilla finish, which is a lovely complement to butternut squash.

Red Wine:

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Caiado Red Blend.
A mix of cabernet sauvignon and two other relatively-obscure red grapes from Portugal, this terrific-value-of-a-bottle bursts with juicy fruit, is slick with silky tannins and is low in alcohol – all things we like when pairing wine with cheese-based dishes. It reminds us of the jam on a well-crafted cheese board: it’s the bright, sweeter yin to the cheese’s rich, creamy yang.

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Laurence Remi Dufaitre Cote de Brouilly. Most wine pros have the gamay grape on their short list of wines that match mac ‘n’ cheese really well. And given its lighter style, and fruit-forward elegance, we have to agree. This in particular is a really fun, organic bottle from one of the more pristine of the Beaujolis cru. It’s succulent with bright fruit and a crispy acidity which will complement the squash and the cheese in equal measure.

FARMERS’ MAC ‘N’ CHEESE WITH BUTTERNUT SQUASH
By Amy McCoy, author of Poor Girl Gourmet and founder/blogger of TinyFarmhouse.com

Master recipe (serves 4–6):
3¼ to 3½ pounds whole butternut squash, peeled, seeded and sliced into ½-inch rounds
Extra-virgin olive oil
1 pound pasta, such as ziti or penne rigate, prepared al dente according to the manufacturer’s instructions
6 tablespoons unsalted butter
6 tablespoons unbleached all-purpose flour
4 cups (1 quart) whole milk, warmed
8 ounces (approximately 4 cups), grated sharp cheese (Narragansett Creamery Atwell’s Gold, cheddar cheese or a mix), divided
⅛ teaspoon ground nutmeg (optional)
1 teaspoon fresh or dried thyme
Kosher or sea salt
Freshly ground black pepper

Preheat oven to 375°. Lightly oil a 13- by 9-inch baking dish. In a large mixing bowl, toss the squash with 1 tablespoon olive oil, then transfer to a large, rimmed baking sheet and arrange in a single layer.

Roast on the middle rack for 50 to 55 minutes, until the edges are golden brown, and the squash easily mashes with a fork.

Remove from the oven, allow to cool slightly. Transfer squash to a mixing bowl and mash.

(Can be done a day ahead of time and stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator overnight.)

Place cooked pasta in a large mixing bowl.

Then make the béchamel sauce. Melt butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add flour gradually, using a whisk to blend it into the butter. Cook until the mixture is a light caramel brown shade, approximately 5 to 7 minutes, being careful not to burn. Slowly add the warmed milk, whisking constantly to keep the mixture from clumping. Cook over medium heat, whisking frequently, until the sauce is the consistency of pancake batter, approximately 10 to 12 minutes.

Remove the sauce from the heat, stir in half the shredded cheese and sprinkle with nutmeg, then season with salt and pepper.

Add the butternut squash and stir to combine evenly throughout the sauce. Mix the butternut-béchamel sauce with the pasta, stirring well to combine, then transfer to the baking dish. Top with remaining cheese, sprinkle with thyme leaves, season with salt and pepper and bake until the cheese is golden brown and the sauce is bubbling, 30 to 35 minutes.

Notes: Can be prepared up to the point of topping with added cheese then covered and refrigerated for up to 1 day. Please note that the cooking time may need to be increased as the ingredients will be starting from a colder temperature right out of the refrigerator.

For a slightly creamier finished dish, increase the milk to 5 cups.

Bon Appetit!

Wines to Pair with Braises, Roasts & Stews

They’re the mainstay cooking methods in winter kitchens, and the backbone of virtually all of the comfort foods we are genetically inclined to crave when the mercury dips below 32. Here are our picks for the wines that will match the rich, warming flavors these techniques will bring to your table.

2010 Chateau Magneau Rouge
Graves, Bordeaux, France
A particularly dry wine with only hints of fruit and a pronounced minerality that goes especially well with the flavor of roasted lamb.

2010 Domaine Bessa Valley
‘Petit Enira’
Ognianovo, Bulgaria
A sturdy red with a judicious amount of boastful red fruit that stands up just fine to the richest of roast beef dishes. It’s 100% merlot and it’s from Bulgaria (Bulgaria? Bulgaria!). Trust us, it’s a perfect match!

2014 Il Casolare (Verdicchio)
Marche, Italy
A white wine that is more savory than fruity with loads of flavor like roasted almonds, fresh herbs and sweet hay.  Great with herb-rubbed roasted chicken as the wine and chicken share many of the same flavors.

2014 Gia (Barbera/Dolcetta/Nebbiolo)
Langhe, Italy
Intense and highly appealing aromas and flavors that are a perfect match to the rich personality and creamy texture of Osso Bucco.

2012 Pujol Izard
Minervois (Carignan, Cinsault, Grenache, Syrah)
Languedoc, France
A serious dish like short ribs requires a serious wine like this one.  Studded with intense flavors of dark red fruit with hints of black pepper, this full bodied beauty can stand up to the richest of ribs.

2014 Penya
(Grenache, Carignan, Syrah)
Cotes Catalanes/Roussillon, France
Silky and not too heavy, this blend from the South of France is a perfect match to your favorite Coq au Vin dish.  Perfect to cook with and great to drink!

2014 Terre Nere
Etna Bianco D.O.C.
Sicily, Italy
An interesting and rich white wine to go with a rich seafood, such as an oyster stew.
Definitely floral on the nose with a fresh and salty flavor profile that has hints of minerals, just like oysters!

2013 L’Argentier
(Cinsault)
Languedoc, France
A deliciously rustic wine that’s an ideal partner for cassoulet. Highly aromatic and medium bodied, this wine is perfectly at home with whatever your cassoulet recipe calls for.

2014 Astoria ‘Caranto’
(Pinot Noir)
Veneto, Italy
For a traditional Boeuf Bourguignon recipe, we’re shaking things up with a pinot noir from Italy. Perfectly balanced between light and heavy, the Caranto’s flavors make the beef sing while being heavy enough to not get lost.

Cheers and Bon Appetit!

Cocktail Recipe: How to Make a Caipirinha

Need a different drink idea, yet something still simple and summery? Try cachaça, a popular spirit in Brazil that is made from distilled sugarcane juice.

Well, what should you do with cachaça, you say? Make a caipirinha! It’s a refreshing combination of limes, sugar, and cachaça.

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Pick up a bottle of Boca Loca Cachaça for $19.99 (reg. $24.99) for the month of June! One bottle of Boca Loca Cachaça makes around 12 cocktails.

Caipirinha Cocktail Recipe

Ingredients
– 2 oz. Cachaça (we recommend Boca Loca)
– 1 lime
– 2 tsp. sugar

Directions
Cut a lime into 8 wedges. Place the lime and sugar into a rocks glass and muddle the ingredients together. Fill your glass with ice; then add the Boca Loca Cachaça. Stir vigorously to mix the sugar well before adding a lime wheel to garnish.

Download & Print Caipirinha Cocktail Recipe Card > 

 

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Cheers!

8 Spring Cocktail Ideas

Spring Cocktail Recipe Ideas

Happy springtime! The cocktail experts at Bottles have concocted an enticing group of fresh, bright drinks to celebrate the arrival of spring. Find these ingredients featured in-store on our spirits display, which includes Campari, Lillet, Pimm’s, Fernet Branca, and more interesting, flavorful liqueurs. With only 2 to 3 ingredients each, these recipes are ridiculously quick to mix up for enjoying on your patio, or to share at your next party. Cheers!

Swing by the store for free recipe cards!

Find more cocktail recipes here >

Rumpus Cocktail - White Rum, Aperol, lime juice

Rumpus

Ingredients
1.5 oz White Rum
½ oz Aperol
Juice of ½ of a lime

Directions
Stir all ingredients over ice, garnish with lime.

One bottle of rum can make 15 Rumpus, and a bottle of Aperol can make 30! Aperol is a bright orange aperitif with a unique sweet-bitter taste, and an alcohol content of only 11 percent. Its fresh and versatile taste makes it perfect for mixing.

Hanky Panky Cocktail Recipe

Hanky Panky

Ingredients
2 oz Gin (St. George Dry Rye Gin)
2 oz Lillet Rouge
1 oz Fernet Branca
Orange

Directions
Shake all ingredients over ice, strain into a Martini glass. Garnish with Orange twist. A bottle of Gin can make 13 Hanky Pankies!

A combination of Lillet Rouge, craft gin, and a splash of bitter, herbal Fernet Branca, the Hanky Panky is fresh variation on the classic Negroni cocktail.

The Perfect Guest Cocktail - Lillet, Vodka, St. Germain

The Perfect Guest

Ingredients
1 ½ oz Vodka (Purus Vodka)
2/3 oz Lillet Blanc
½ oz St. Germain
Optional: dash of celery bitters

Directions
Fill shaker half way with ice, pour ingredients in and stir. Strain and serve straight up in a martini glass. A bottle of Vodka, Lillet, & small bottle of St. Germain can make 15 Perfect Guests! (with extra Lillet left over). Source

Fernet and Coke cocktail recipe

Fernando (Fernet & Coke)

Directions
Mix Coca-Cola & Fernet Branca to taste in a glass with ice. Drink it!

This is the national drink of Argentina, called the “Fernando”. Fernet is a type of amaro, an Italian digestif, and is made from a combination of different herbs and spices for a licorice-type flavor. To make the Fernando, try to use sugar based Coca-Cola instead of corn syrup based Coca-Cola.

Aperol Spritz with Prosecco

Aperol Spritz

Ingredients
Aperol
Prosecco
Perfect Cube Trays
*One bottle of Aperol and one bottle of Prosecco will make 16 Aperol Spritz.

Directions
1. Take your Perfect Cube trays. Fill your tray with Aperol, straight from the bottle! Place in your freezer for a minimum of 18 hours. Add a tiny bit of water if you need the cubes to freeze quicker.
2. Pour your guests a flute of Prosecco. Leave a little room at the top.
3. Drop an Aperol ice cube in the spritz. Enjoy! 

Lillet Blanc and Rosé cocktail recipe

Lillet & Orange (or Lemon!)

Directions
Garnish well-chilled Lillet with strip or 2 of lemon or orange zest. Yep, it’s that simple! The perfect springtime refreshment.

Grumpy Cup recipe with Pimms and Crabbie's Ginger Beer

Grumpy Cup (Our own recipe!)

Ingredients
1.5 oz. Pimm’s
½ Btl of Crabbie’s Ginger Beer
Wedge of lemon

Directions
Fill a glass with ice, pour over 2 oz. Pimms, fill with Crabbies. Stir. Squeeze a lemon wedge over the top & enjoy. A bottle of Pimm’s can make 15 Grumpy Cups.

It’s just like a classic Pimm’s Cup, but with Crabbie’s Alcoholic Ginger Beer! You’ll love it.

Campari and Club Soda Cocktail Recipe

Campari & Soda

An essential Campari cocktail! Load a glass with ice, and add Campari and soda. If you’ve never had Campari, it’s a bitter-sweet liqueur that’s super refreshing with soda water.

Blood and Sand: A Devilish Cocktail Recipe for Halloween

Blood and Sand - Scotch Cocktail Recipe

Looking for the perfect cocktail idea for Halloween? Here’s a classic recipe from the Prohibition era with a suitably sinister name: Blood & Sand. It’s one of the few cocktails out there that uses scotch as as the base spirit, while blood orange juice makes this drink a devilishly red color. For some depth and balance, you’ll also need cherry brandy and some sweet vermouth. Cheers!

How to Make a Blood and Sand Scotch Drink

Blood & Sand

INGREDIENTS
1 oz blended scotch
1 oz blood orange juice or Stirring’s Blood Orange Martini
3/4 oz sweet vermouth
3/4 oz Cherry Heering brandy

DIRECTIONS
Fill a cocktail shaker halfway with ice. Pour ingredients over ice. Shake and strain, serve on the rocks. Garnish with an orange peel.

Halloween Cocktail Recipe Idea - Blood and Sand

Looking for these ingredients? Stop by our liquor store in Providence, RI to browse our selection of classic cocktail ingredients, glassware, and barware. www.bottlesfinewine.com

Just dying over the pumpkin orange peel garnish?
Learn how to make it!
Click Here >

Try some more cocktails perfect for Halloween:
A Chartreuse and gin concoction with Maraschino Liquer and fresh lime juice. A Prohibition era classic.
A medley of gin, citrus, Lillet, and an enticing aroma of absinthe. Fantastic to share for adult Halloween parties.

Amaretto Bourbon Punch

Amaretto Bourbon Punch Recipe

Learn how to make an Amaretto Bourbon Punch cocktail, perfect for the fall! This is a party sized punch that serves a group of 6-8 people. Visit our YouTube channel http://youtube.com/bottlesprovidence for more easy bourbon drink ideas for entertaining or for serving at home.

Amaretto Bourbon Punch
Serves 6-8

Ingredients:
1 Liter bottle of club soda
1/2 bottle of W.L. Weller Special Reserve Bourbon
Juice of 4 fresh lemons
1/4 bottle of Amaretto

Instructions:
Combine all ingredients in a punch bowl. Fill with ice and garnish with cherrie & lemon slice.

Cheers!
Looking for more bourbon cocktail recipes? Click below:

 

 

An Iuka Grogg Cocktail: Make a Classic Tiki Drink

Join the revival of Tiki cocktails! From Jeff “Beachbum” Berry’s book, Remixed: A Gallery of Tiki Drinks, we’re featuring a new recipe called an Iuka Grogg (spelled with an “I”). Enjoy this enticing combination of lime, pineapple, and passion fruit flavors, topped off by a rich, caramel, dark rum aroma. The quintessential tiki cocktail to have all summer long!

Pay us a visit in Providence, Rhode Island to browse our in-store display of Tiki drinks. Not in around RI? Learn more cocktail recipes on our YouTube channel to look like a pro at your next get-together. Joanna, our resident cocktail expert, will show you how to make a classic Trader Vic Mai Tai and a simplified “Beachbum” Berry Zombie drink.


How to Make an Iuka Grogg

Iuka Grogg

INGREDIENTS
3/4 oz fresh lime juice
3/4 oz pineapple juice
1/2 oz passion fruit syrup
3/4 oz dark rum
3/4 oz demerara rum

DIRECTIONS
Shake well with ice cubes. Strain into a chilled tiki mug, or serve in pineapple to make a splash at your party! Or to just to feel special.


tiki drink cocktail recipes

Visit us to pick up all the ingredients you need! Just look for the large Tiki Bar display.

     



 

A Zombie Drink Recipe for a Tiki Party!

Zombie Cocktail Recipe

If you haven’t heard yet, tiki parties are back! Just in time for the season of backyard shindigs and warm summer evenings on the patio, we’ve put together an instructional video on how to make your very own Zombie drink.

Stop by our Providence, Rhode Island store to browse a display with all the ingredients you need for your home tiki bar. Not in the area? Visit our YouTube channel for Mai Tai cocktails and more, and be sure to watch Jo (our resident cocktail culture expert) make a delicious Zombie cocktail in the video below.

Zombie
simplified by the Beach Bum

3/4 oz fresh lime juice
1 oz grapefruit juice
1/2 oz cinnamon-infused sugar syrup or Don’s Mix
1/2 oz gold rum
1 oz dark rum

Shake with ice cubes. Pour unstrained into a tiki mug. Add your favorite garnish or mint sprig!



zombie cocktail drink recipe

Visit us to pick up all the ingredients you need! Just look for the large Tiki Bar display.

     

Tips for a Home Tiki Bar >                How to Make a Mai Tai >