Apple Cider Cocktails

In my last post, I wrote about my adventures in making homemade apple cider. If you haven’t read about it yet check it out here. Since I was only able to make about two cups of apple cider, I decided to make some cocktails, to warm anyone up on a cold day. These cocktails could be served up at your next holiday party and don’t require too many fancy alcohols or ingredients. Feel free to substitute store bought cider if you decide to try these out yourself.

The first cocktail was simple and made me feel quite classy. This cocktail only required two ingredients, hence it’s super thoughtful name.

Champagne Cider

What you need: Champagne glass, a dry brut champagne, one shot of apple cider, sprig of rosemary (optional).
What to do: Pour the shot of cider into the bottom of a champagne glass and top with champagne. Garnish with a sprig of rosemary for bonus class. (I didn't have any L)

Serves: 1
Taste: 3/5  I think I prefer my champagne solo.
Difficulty Level: 1/5
Classiness Factor: 5/5

The next cocktail was a bit manlier for those men out there who think cocktails are lame. This drink is a variation on a Shandy, which is a beer mixed drink that is mixed half and half with a carbonated beverage or juice. I really enjoyed the taste or this one, and again it’s super easy to make with only two ingredients.

Cider Spice Shandy

What you need: Glass beer mug, a pint of Lager beer (I used a Stella Artois) and 1/2 cup apple cider.
What to do: Fill your beer mug up to a little less than half with apple cider and top with your lager. Clink beer mugs with a friend. Enjoy!

Serves: 1
Taste: 4/5
Difficulty Level: 1/5
Classiness Factor: 3/5

The last cocktail is perfect for curling up next to a fire or, in my case, under my electric blanket and reading a book. It reminds me a lot of mulled wine, but the gin adds a different kick, with a slight warming sensation on the way down.

Cider Gin and Tea

What you need: Your favorite mug, a black tea bag, 1 tsp vanilla extract, 2 shots of gin, about 3/4 cup apple cider, and a lemon wedge for garnish.
What to do: Bring cider and vanilla to a boil in a small pot. Remove from heat, add tea bag and steep for 3 minutes. Add gin. Pour into mugs and add lemon wedge to the rim.

Serves: 2
Taste: 4/5
Difficulty Level: 3/5
Classiness Factor: 4/5

Cheers!

White Wine Sangria - Party Sized!

For summer vacation, I went home to Canada for the week. The weather was cooler than Seoul, but it was a refreshing break from the heat. My mom and dad threw me a lovely barbeque filled with food, friends, and fun. I thought it would be nice to make a classic summer drink to enjoy, so I took advantage of the Ontario fresh fruits and whipped up a HUGE party sized white wine sangria.

Fresh veggies from my parents garden!

A delicious artichoke and cream cheese dip.

Ingredients

2 bottles of dry white wine 1 bottle of sparkling dry white wine
2-3 cans of soda water
1 lemon
1 lime
1 peach
1 pear
1 granny smith apple
1/2 cup frozen blueberries
1/2 cup raspberries
1/2 cup strawberries

Cut all of your fruit into slices or small chunks and throw into a large pitcher. Pour one bottle of white wine, sparkling wine, and one can of soda water over top. As you drink the sangria add in more soda water and the remaining bottle of white wine. Don’t forget to enjoy the delicious liquor soaked fruit!

This recipe made enough sangria for about 8 people to have 3 to 4 glasses of it and there were still leftovers!

4 Easy Vodka Cocktails

Summer is now in full swing, and with that comes hot weather and outdoor events. What better way to keep cool than to have a fancy cocktail? I whipped up four vodka based drinks for you to try at your next brunch, BBQ, or party. Don’t worry, all of these drinks are super easy and quick to make.

Sparkling water is so nice sometimes. It’s refreshing and makes you feel like you are drinking something fancier than just plain old water. Perrier is my go to sparkling water at home in Canada and although it is available in Korea, there is a Korean alternative called Trevi. It’s much cheaper and comes in lemon or lime flavours, and the original unflavoured version. I like to use sparkling water in many of my cocktails as an alternative to sugary juices or pops. For the first drink which is perfect for any brunch, I made this classic morning punch. All you need is some leftover wine (I know, I know, who am I kidding, who has leftover wine?), orange juice, some sparking water, and a glass! This is an easy way to elevate any weekend brunch and goes perfectly with all your breakfast food essentials.

Orange Spritzer
1 part white wine (I used Chardonnay)
1 part orange juice
splash of sparkling water
* The size of the glass you are using will depend on your exact measurements.*

Fill just under half of a glass with orange juice and then add the same amount of wine. Fill the remaining space of your glass with a splash of sparkling water. Feel free to add more or less of any of the three ingredients, and enjoy!

Grapefruits are readily available here in Seoul and I’m loving it! I've kept my fridge stocked with them for the past couple of weeks. Recently, I have been infusing my daily water with grapefruits and was surprised at how much better it tastes than your classic lemon water. This inspired me to make a nice refreshing cocktail. If you enjoy citrus drinks that aren't too sweet, than this one is for you. This is a guilt free (almost) drink for your next cocktail party or summer BBQ!

Grapefruit Fizz
1/2 large grapefruit
sparkling water (I used lime flavoured Trevi)
1 shot of vodka
ice cubes

Fill a glass with ice. Pour in 1 shot of vodka. Squeeze the juice from half of a grapefruit into the glass. Top with sparkling water and give it a stir. Sip and enjoy!

 One of my favourite fruits is peaches. Unfortunately, the Asian variety of peaches that can be found here in Korea, aren’t quite the same as the juicy, fall-off-the-pit, ones back home in Canada. Luckily, they do have nectarines, which are a close second to peaches. I decided to make a blended drink, because who doesn't like a slushy on a hot day? This drink had the right amount of sweetness from the nectarine and when blended with ice it was a real treat!  

Naughty Nectarine
1 nectarine
1/2 shot triple sec
1 shot vodka
1/2 cup of ice

Cut your nectarine into about 6-8 wedges and peel the skin off. Add your ice, vodka, and triple sec to the bender. Add your cut and peeled nectarines and blend until smooth. Pour into a glass and dream of paradise!

Lemon blueberry is a delightful flavour combination. The muffins I made turned out great, so why not add that combination to a drink!? This drink is quite tart and because I’m not really a fan of sweet drinks, it was one of my favourites. However, if you are someone who enjoys sweeter drinks then I’m sure you could add some simple syrup or lemonade instead of sparkling water.

Blueberry Lemonade
1 shot vodka
1/4 cup ice cubes
1/2 shot lemon juice
1/4 cup lemon flavoured sparkling water
1/4 cup fresh or frozen blueberries

Add ice cubes, lemon juice, vodka, and blueberries to your blender and then blend until smooth. Pour into a glass and top with the sparkling water. Give it a stir and pucker up!

For any cocktail recipe, remember to add something fun for presentation purposes. A straw, mini umbrella or a slice of fruit will do the trick. Good luck in your cocktail endeavours and cheers!

*All recipes make a single serving*