Category Archives: Cocktails

Providence Cocktail Competition Entry is Open!

Providence Cocktail Competition

Consider yourself a cocktail concocting genius? Enter the Providence Cocktail Competition! As part of the 2013 Providence Cocktail Week held by Providence Monthly, this contest is open to anyone over 21, and includes a great prize package. You’ll just have to read these guidelines, submit a cocktail recipe, and wait to see if you’re one of the 12 lucky competitors! Entries are due Friday, September 6th by 11:59pm, so don’t miss it! Tickets to watch the competition and taste the cocktails are coming soon.

Read More & Enter >

Providence Cocktail Week on Facebook >

Summer Cocktail Recipe Cards

A hot summer day is the time for some cool refreshing cocktails. Drinks these days can get pretty, but sometimes you just want to enjoy the familiar standby. Follow along with these classic cocktail recipe cards and keep cool all summer long!

With only two ingredients, the Dark & Stormy is a perfectly simple summer drink to enjoy on the beach, the backyard or anywhere!

 
 
A homemade Margarita is a wonderfully fresh way to enjoy tequila and lime. 
Infuse your tequila with jalapeños for an extra spicy kick. 

The Daiquiri became popular in the 1940’s when wartime rationing limited access to whiskey and vodka and trade opened up with Latin America. Rum-based drinks, once a a staple of sailors and drifters, saw a huge increase in popularity. Enjoy the classic today with strawberries!

CHEERS!
from the folks at Bottles

How to Infuse your Booze


Infusing spirits is easy! Time and the ingredient do all the hard work for you. Infusing is also a great way to use seasonal herbs and berries, and a way to add that special touch to summer cocktails.

Simply pick a base alcohol (such as vodka, gin, or tequila) and add your favorite aromatic, such as fresh strawberries or basil. Experimentation is key! Once satisfied with how your infused booze tastes, strain it, and then use it in your favorite cocktail recipe.

1. Start with a Base Spirit.
  • You don’t have to spend a fortune on a base spirit! Vodka and Gin are classic choices, and White Vermouth is another great light slate to work with.
  • Add your spirit to a canning jar or closed, food-grade container or pitcher.
 
 

2. Add your ingredients.

  • Basil or cilantro are two of my favorites with vodka to create a delightful Bloody Mary. Another great spring herb is chervil, which adds a licorice flavor for a really interesting gin gimlet. 
  • Berry infusions take a little longer, about a week but the results are heavenly. Strawberries work well with reposado tequila to create a fresh margarita! Just chop them up before adding to the jar.
  • Jalapeños added to tequila also make great margaritas! Slice crosswise or lengthwise.
  • Experiment and try combining flavors! Cilantro and lime, cucumber and melon, chai tea leaves and basil…the possibilities are endless!

3. Shake or stir.

  • Give it good stir before closing your container and putting it in a cool, dark place (closets and cabinets work well).
  • Once a day, gaze at your creation, give it a good shake and put it back in the cabinet.

 

4. Strain when finished.
  • How will you know when your infusion is ready? Well you must try, try, try your infusions everyday. A very tough job! It’s remarkable the difference in taste between day one and day three. The flavors become stronger and really pop.
  • When your infusion is ready, take a coffee filter and be sure to pass the infusion through multiple times, straining out any solids.
5. Use it in cocktails for a new twist.
  • Strawberry Tequlia Margarita!
  • Basil Bloody Mary!
  • Chervil Gin Gimlet!
  • Lime Rum Mai Tai!

Looking for more ideas?

Our friends at Edible Rhody Magazine have provided a great basic recipe for infusions.

Sisters Alicia & Erin have a great blog “Boozed and Infused”, which has a ton of recipes and photos detailing the process.

Cheers!
-Joanna

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 >

 

 



How to Make a Mai Tai Cocktail: An Easy Tiki Drink!

mai tai cocktail recipe

Tiki is back! Summer has arrived, and so has Mai Tai season! Along with featuring Tiki party ideas and bar basics in our Providence, Rhode Island store, we’ll be offering a series of easy Tiki drink recipes on this blog and on our YouTube channel. Watch Joanna’s video below to learn how to make a your own Mai Tai at home!

MAI TAI
by Trader Vic

INGREDIENTS
1 oz fresh lime juice
1/2 oz orange curaçao
1/4 oz orgeat syrup
1/4 simple syrup
1 oz dark rum
1 oz gold rum

DIRECTIONS
Shake well with plenty of ice. Pour unstrained into an awesome Tiki mug. Add your favorite garnish!

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

mai tai tiki drink ingredients
mai tai recipe
   

Tiki Home Bar Essentials >       How to Make a Zombie Drink >

Celebrate Derby Day with Mint Juleps and Woodford Reserve

Derby Day is this weekend! Even up here in Rhode Island, we’re ready for the festivities and celebrations for Kentucky Derby fans. Bottles was lucky enough to receive a few bottles limited edition Woodford Reserve Kentucky Derby Bourbon; stop by our store to get yours before they disappear! You can also visit our website to sign up for weekly email newsletters to hear about offers like these first.

Even if you missed getting your Woodford Derby bottles, you can still make some tasty mint juleps with Woodford Reserve and easy to make mint simple syrup. Follow this recipe by Woodford Reserve, below:

MINT JULEP RECIPE

Ingredients:
3oz. Woodford Reserve Bourbon
2 tablespoons mint syrup*
1 sprig of mint

Directions: 
Fill a glass with crushed ice. Add mint syrup, bourbon, and stir until the glass is frosted. Garnish with mint sprig.

*Mint Syrup Recipe
1 cup water, 1 cup sugar, 13 springs of mint
Boil sugar and water in a saucepan for 5 minutes. Pour over mint sprigs. Gently crush mint with the back of a spoon. Chill for 8-10 hours, strain, and discard mint.

Cheers!

Super Bowl Drink Ideas & Printable Cocktail Sign

Our beloved Pats haven’t reached the Super Bowl, but you and your friends can still gather to watch the game. Serving cocktails during the football game or any party doesn’t have to be stressful – a self serve bar is a great idea where guests make their own drinks. What’s better than a DIY bar for a party, complete with drink ideas? Learn how to set one up, and use these free printable cocktail recipe signs. This download has 6 easy cocktails; all you have to do is set them at the bar! This is a great way to entertain for not only the game, but for birthday parties, bachelor & bachelorette parties, graduation, summer bbq’s, family reunions, and almost any celebration.

super bowl cocktails how to set up a self serve bar
 

What to serve with your jalapeno poppers, buffalo wings and famous spinach dip? Beer of course, but cocktails are great too! You can serve cocktails and not miss any crucial moments of the game. Drink mixing should be limited to time-outs or commercials, so you need something quick, classic and with as few ingredients as possible.  Greet your guests with a cocktail, but also set up a self serve bar in your home arena so as not to lose a minute of action.

SELF SERVE BAR SET-UP
– Have an ice bucket with tongs, a cocktail shaker, bottle opener, bar spoon, and rocks glasses.
– For mixers, have Angostura bitters, simple syrup, ginger ale, club soda, tonic water, and ginger beer.
– Include handles of a few staple liquors like Bourbon, Vodka, and Rum.
– Pre-slice a bowl of limes. (Don’t forget the orange wedges for Old-Fashioned’s!)

It’s time to let your guests to play bartender! Everyone has variations on how they like their drink mixed. A self serve bar with helpful cocktail recipe signs lets them make the perfect drink to their own taste.

COCKTAIL RECIPE SIGNS
Offering simple drink recipes gives your guests ideas for what they can make. Follow the directions below to make each these 6 quick & colorful “Help Yourself!” signs. They each have an easy drink idea with a basic recipe to get them started.

Directions:
 1. Click the link above to download the PDF file.
 2. Print out both pages on your home printer.
 3. With scissors, cut out each of the 6 cocktail recipe signs.
 4. Fold each in half, so that it forms a standing sign with the recipe on both sides.
 5. Place at your bar!

You need a PDF reader to open this download, click HERE if you need to download a PDF reader.

Now that you have assembled the tools and given your guests a quick playbook, all there is left to do is enjoy the game!

Things to do during a time-out:

– Check your ice situation. Good cocktails are chilled cocktails.
– Take out the trash (or just tie the bag and throw it on the back porch to be properly disposed later)
– Make yourself a drink!

moscow mule cocktail recipe printable sign

Moscow Mule

Ingredients
1-2 parts Vodka
1 part Lime Juice
2-3 parts Ginger Beer

Directions
Moscow Mules were first popular in the 1950s, and are so easy to make, smooth, & refreshing, that there’s no way they aren’t making a comeback! Add 2 or 3 ice cubes to Prairie Vodka, fresh Lime Juice, and Gosling’s Ginger Beer, and then stir.

free printable download cocktail recipe signs

Old Fashioned

Ingredients
2 oz. Bourbon
Dash of Angostura Bitters
1 tsp. Simple Syrup
Orange Wedge

Directions
There are many variations on The Old Fashioned; here’s our easy version that’s simple enough for parties that uses Buffalo Trace Bourbon and Angostura Bitters. Add an ice cube or two and stir.

bourbon ginger ale cocktail idea recipe

Bourbon & Ginger Ale

Ingredients
1 part Bourbon
2 parts Ginger Ale

Directions
Bourbon and ginger ale go together like peas ‘n carrots! We are using Buffalo Trace Bourbon Whiskey. Use your favorite ginger ale and serve this bubbly, refreshing drink over ice.

vodka tonic cocktail recipe idea

Vodka Tonic

Ingredients
1 part Vodka
2 parts Tonic Water
Lime Wedge

Directions
Almost everyone knows a Vodka Tonic. Combine Praire Vodka with Fentiman’s Tonic Water over ice, and add a lime wedge.

 
printable cocktail drink signs

 

Daiquiri

Ingredients
3 parts Rum
2 parts Lime Juice
1 part Simple Syrup

Directions
A rum-based cocktail, Daiquiris have many variations; this is a basic version. Fill a shaker with ice & all ingredients. Shake and strain into glass.

how to set up a self serve bar cocktails recipe


Dark and Stormy

Ingredients
1 part Gosling’s Rum
2 parts Gosling’s Ginger Beer
Lime Wedge
 
Directions
A type of highball, a Dark & Stormy is a popular cocktail in the Rhode Island area. Use Gosling’s Rum and Gosling’s Ginger Beer. Serve over ice.

 

What we recommend for liquors & mixers:

Prairie Vodka
The Kraken Black Spiced Rum
Gosling’s Rum
Buffalo Trace Bourbon
Fentiman’s Tonic Water
Angostura Bitters
Gosling’s Ginger Beer

*All available at Bottles Fine Wine in Providence. www.bottlesfinewine.com

CHEERS!

from the folks at Bottles

 

 

New Years Champagne Cocktail Ideas

Happy New Year everyone! We thought it might be nice to share some information about Champagne and Sparkling Wine, and super-easy, festive cocktail recipes you can make to share with friends and family. As your local wine store here in Providence, Bottles is here to help you find what you need for New Years! From beer that drinks like Champagne, to a huge range of cold bubbly, and to very large bottles of liquor, we’ve got you covered!
There’s no better way to celebrate than with a bottle of bubbly. Whether it is Cava from Spain, a Prosecco from Italy, or a Champagne from France, nothing else quites says a celebration like a bottle of sparkling wine.
Sparkling Wine types can be confusing; depending on where the wine comes from determines the name. For instance, Champagne comes from a specific region in France, and only wines that are made in Champagne can be called Champagne.
Prosecco is from northeast Italy, and is generally fresh, light, and has a lovely effervescence. If you are throwing a party and want the Champagne pop minus the Champagne price, try Prosecco. It pairs wonderfully with cheese plates, fruit plates, appetizers, chips & dip, and more.
A great value sparkling wine is Charles de Fere, which pairs with almost anything, and especially party foods such as dips, snacks, and cheese.

If  you need more help, feel free to stop by the store or contact us!

* New Years Cocktail Recipes *
Sparkling Wine is nice to begin with,
and even better paired with specialty liqueurs.
SPARKLING WINE + ST. GERMAIN Enjoy St. Germain, a lovely Elderflower liqueur, with Sparkling Wine. Pour 1/2 part St. Germain and top with Brut Champagne, Dry Sparkling Wine or Brut Rosé. Float half a strawberry as a garnish.
CHAMBORD + CHAMPAGNE Top off with 1/4 oz of Chambord, a black raspberry liqueur. Garnish with a raspberry.
BELLINI COCKTAIL Match with Stirrings Peach Bellini Mix. A cocktail classic, combine 1 oz. of Stirrings Bellini Mix with 3oz. of Prosecco.
We have a huge selection of sparkling wines from all over the world, both out warm on the shelves, and also cold bottles in our coolers.
There’s always a reason to celebrate!
Happy New Year!



Re-Animator: A Bourbon Cocktail Idea

Re-Animator Bourbon Cocktails Ideas

Bourbon cocktail recipe: The Re-Animator: We found this recipe in the NY Times just before last Thanksgiving, and it has quickly become a staff favorite here at Bottles. It’s dangerously simple to make, and the kind of drink that goes down very well after a big meal. All of these ingredients are available at Bottles, a fine wine, craft beer and spirits store in Rhode Island. Contact Us

Simply put, it can be made as follows:

Ingredient List
* 1 Pt. Rye or Bourbon
* 1 Pt. Amaro
* Lemon or Orange Garnish

Stir well over ice, strain into cocktail glass, garnish with a twist. Or serve on the rocks.

bourbon whiskey cocktail recipe ingredients

Amaro is a bitter-sweet Italian herbal liqueur, designed as an after-dinner digestif. It tends to be a little thick, with amazing aromas of anise, citrus, & root beer. When blended with whiskey, the two parts add up to something much greater than the whole, with a swirling interplay of vanilla, citrus, licorice, cherry, chocolate & nutty flavors. I like to make mine with an orange twist, and sometimes a dash of orange bitters to highlight those citrus flavors.

A Re-Animator is also very versatile, as you can easily raise or lower the amount of Bourbon or Amaro to suit your taste, and always end up with a world-class, painfully easy to make cocktail.

Try our other Bourbon Cocktails:
Boulevardier Cocktail Recipe

Find more videos and cocktail ideas on our YouTube channel and our Cocktail Recipe Page.