Day and Night Drinking: Vintage Cocktails and Farmhouse Beer

You know how food bloggers tell a random story about their life before segueing into what the post is actually about? Well, I'm one of those food bloggers now, I guess...

When I was in college in Pittsburgh, there was an Italian restaurant where everyone went when they turned 21. Because most of us had only had beers, hard lemonades, and wine coolers up until that point, we all became obsessed with ordering classic cocktails once it was suddenly legal for us to get wasted. Some TV show or movie would mention a cocktail (like when Sex and the City made Cosmos a requirement of a girls' night out) and then one person would order it, bring it back to the table so that 5-10 friends could try it, and then a craze would ensue. One week, we were all ordering grasshoppers. Another week, it would be a round of Manhattans. Then dirty martinis. Then tequila sunrises. And so on as we challenged the limits of the bartender's handbook.

One night, I suddenly decided I wanted to try something new. I had been watching a lot Jeeves and Wooster and there must have been an episode in which Wooster went to America and indulged in some illegal gin cocktails at a party. I can still picture Hugh Laurie doing a frantic Charleston while spilling a drink all over his white gloved fingers. So I took a chance and ordered a lime gimlet, then proudly brought my prize back to the table, where it was passed around and excitedly sipped by a gaggle of theater majors. The gimlet then became the official cocktail of the week.

Wanting to retain my crown as a drink taste maker, I did a little research before my next trip to the local hangout. The following week, I sauntered up to the bar and ordered a Bee's Knees. The bartender sighed at me and shook his head at my pretentiousness, but he mixed up the cocktail all the same. Sadly, this one wasn't as much of a success as my previous choice due to the bartender being out of honey (which is kind of essential to the flavor) and my crown was usurped by a dancer who introduced everyone to Sex on the Beach.

The same thing would happen with beers. Everyone started off ordering whatever the $2 special was, but slowly we began asking about some of the more adventurous brews. This was before the micro-brew explosion happened, so things like seasonal releases from Samuel Adams were usually enough to impress us. Still, this kind of experimenting taught me that beer could actually be flavorful and complex and didn't just mean sipping vaguely bitter carbonated water that gave you gas and heartburn before it ever got your drunk.

These days, I like to honor my beginner drinking days by mixing up classic cocktails at home or trying new beers with friends. Picking up random finds from the grocery store or liquor store has helped me really identify what I like and what I don't. Still, I'm no mixologist, so I tend to stick to the classics. But now when I go out, I'm now a little more informed when browsing a cocktail menu or a beer list then I was back in my college days.

Last weekend, I queued some Jeeves and Wooster and put myself in the mood for some classic gin cocktails. I recently discovered Eau Claire Distillery, a Canadian company that just debuted its craft spirits in Chicago, and I was anxious to test out two of their signature products: Parlour Gin and Prickly Pear EquineOx.

The gin reminded me of more European styles, which tend to have less sweetness and more of an herbal flavor. I made a twist on a Bee Knee's with it, adding some Earl Grey tea along with lemon juice and honey. I really liked how smooth the gin made the cocktail, adding flavor and not just bite. The bergamot in the Earl Grey really complimented the subtle fruit and herb notes in the gin as well. Now with the Prickly Pear EquineOx, I didn't want to go the expected route and make a margarita. Instead, I used it to revamp my favorite classic cocktail; the gimlet. A little lime juice, a little agave syrup, and a splash of tonic water brought out the sweet fruity flavor of this spirit. I kid you not, this tasted pretty much like the most delicious juicy candy and I had to resist the urge to mix up more of these babies.


I also had the chance to sample a new brew from The Bruery out of California. I am already a huge fan of their Girl Grey, an ale brewed with Earl Grey tea (did I mention Earl Grey is my favorite flavor ever?), so I was interested to try their Saison Ardennes. To be honest, I'm not usually partial to blonder beers, but I am a big fan of sour or tart beers. This saison had a wonderful pucker to it, but it stayed firmly on the more savory end of the spectrum without veering too fruity. The floral and malt forward flavor made this ideal for pairing with simple, hearty food. I really enjoyed this alongside a BBQ chicken flatbread with some pepper jack cheese, which matched the beer's tang as well as it's spice.

I do have to say that my drinking options are much more exciting these days then they were back in college. But I'm glad that I took those years to develop a fearlessness about my beverage choices. When you go out to a restaurant and see a cocktail that has one or two things in it you're not sure about, don't be afraid to ask about them. A lot of the time, I order drinks without really knowing what I'm getting myself into. When it's not good, I know for next time. When it is good, I make note of the cocktail ingredients or the brewery that created the beer, and that gives me a new outlet to explore the next time I'm looking for something exciting to add to my home bar.

I was sent products free of charge by the companies mentioned in this post, but all opinions are my own.

Tea Time with Brandy: Sparkling Cocktails & Matcha Peppermint Scones

Every year a few weeks before Christmas, Brandy hosts a Wrapping Party. It's a jolly old time with all of her friends; listening to Christmas carols, nibbling a few treats, and sipping a few drinks while progressively getting merrier while their paper cutting skills get worse and worse until inevitably, someone ends up wrapped in clear tape like a mummy. "I find that it's the best possible way to get motivated for the worst chore of the holiday season," she says, "Plus, it's usually an excuse for me to try some more experimental recipes before I give them their big debut."

To keep everyone feeling merry and bright, Brandy made sure she had plenty of cocktail making supplies on hand. One thing she had hit upon as a brilliant base for mixing simple cocktails quickly while ensuring they had great flavor was a new line of sparkling waters from Waterloo. Coming in 7 varieties, the sparkling waters are all calorie free, sugar free, and sodium free, meaning they add brilliant flavor and bubbles to a cocktail without adding anything else. Brandy particularly likes the Lime flavor, which she mixes with vodka and cranberry juice to create a Sparkling Christmas Cosmo. The Black Cherry flavor is also lovely with a splash of cranberry and some honey whiskey, making a lightly crisp version of a Manhattan. All of the flavors (which also include watermelon, coconut, lemon, and grapefruit) are also perfect for sipping on their own as a light and refreshing palate cleanser after consuming tons of sweet and salty snacks.

Speaking of which, this year, Brandy decided to go a little bit out of the gift box, so to speak, for her Wrapping Party provisions. "I like my food to be colorful this time of year," she explained, "But I don't want to overload things with dye and artificial hues." For that reason, she zeroed in on Matcha as a natural colorant as well as a spectacular winter flavor. The thought of tea put her in mind of her home land, and instantly she was craving scones with lashings of cream. "Hmmm... Matcha scones... now that's an idea!" she said to no one in particular. But the idea needed just a little something more to make it feel complete. "Of course! The cream!" she exclaimed. Thinking on flavors that might match well with the delicate Matcha, but also remind her guests of snowy winter days spent snuggled by the fire, she hit on the idea of a peppermint scented buttercream to fill her scones with. And as her cabinets are always stocked with wonderful extracts from Nielsen Massey, it was a sinch to make her scone and cream dreams a reality.

Matcha Scones with Peppermint Cream

2 cups of cake flour
4 teaspoons of baking powder
2 tablespoons of Matcha powder
a pinch of salt
2/3 cup of milk, plus one tablespoon
2 large eggs (one for egg wash)
1/4 cup of sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons of Nielsen Massey vanilla extract
4 tablespoons of softened butter
Nielsen Massey Vanilla Sugar for topping

For peppermint cream:

1/2 cup of softened butter
1/2 pound of confectioner's sugar
2 teaspoons plus more to taste of Nielsen Massey peppermint extract
about a tablespoon of milk

Preheat oven to 400 degrees and line a baking sheet with a silicon mat or parchment paper.

In a large bowl, combine the cake flour, baking powder, matcha powder, and salt. In a second bowl, cream together the butter, sugar, and vanilla extract with a hand mixer. Add in one egg and the milk while continuing to mix. Slowly add in the dry ingredients and continue to mix until everything is well incorporated. Using either an oiled ice cream scoop or your flour dusted hands, form the dough into about a dozen small balls and line the baking sheet with them. Scramble the remaining egg with a tablespoon of milk, then use a pastry brush to apply the egg wash to the tops of the scones, then sprinkle on vanilla sugar. Bake in pre-heated oven for 20 minutes, or until the tops are slightly brown. Let cool completely.

In a medium bowl, cream together the softened butter, confectioner's sugar, and peppermint extract (start with two teaspoons and add more if desired). Add in milk a few drops at a time to loosen up the cream and give it more of a whipped texture rather than a hard icing texture. Cut the scones in half horizontally and spread a generous amount of peppermint cream on the bottom piece before adding the top back on.

The writers of this blog were sent products from the mentioned companies free of charge in order to facilitate the writing of this post.

Tea Time with Brandy: Summer Snacks & Sips

It has been quite a harrowing few weeks for Brandy. Though she has adored living in Lakeview these past 10 years, she felt she needed to move on to bigger and better things (specifically, a bigger and better kitchen). So recently, Brandy uprooted herself into a new place a little farther north, where she could enjoy a little more peace and quiet as well as a bit more room to stretch.

Of course moving house is never an enjoyable business. There's always that strange in-between period of living out of boxes and bags and feeling lost in one's own home. For that reason, Brandy has kept a few very specific things by her side to help with the transition.

A recent addiction to cold brew coffee led Brandy to Tall Tale Coffee, a local employee owned company with a store front cafe in Ravenswood. Through their home base, Tall Tale Coffee delivers their signature cold brew to doorsteps around Chicago. Eight cups of smooth, toasty coffee come conveniently packed in a fridge-friendly box with a spigot built right in, enabling the coffee to be poured and enjoyed straight away. Best of all, one can set up a subscription that will deliver a box every week, two weeks, or 4 weeks automatically. Brandy found this ready-to-go coffee invaluable during all those early morning unpacking sessions. She even got a code for her loyal readers to use in order to get their first box free when they sign up for a subscription: BUNNYBRANDY

In order to being her long days of packing and unpacking, Brandy had to load up with not only lots of caffeine for energy, but also protein. For this, she would quickly prepare what she liked to refer to as a Bibimbap Breakast Bowl using authentic Korean products from Sunny's Korean. Using a traditional bibimbap as inspiration, Brandy would quickly saute veggies like mushrooms, zucchini, and napa cabbage, using a touch of vinegar, sesame oil, and the Kimchee Seasoning to add spice, salt, and a touch of sweetness all in one go. She also loves to marinate thinly sliced beef in the Korean Teriyaki sauce and quickly cook it up with a little garlic and ginger. Finally, she'll whip up some simple scrambled eggs as a base (in place of rice in a traditional bibimbap), then add the beef, cooked veggies, some fresh veggies like sliced radish and baby spinach, and top everything off with a sprinkling of sesame seeds. The result is a protein packed bowl of deliciousness that can be enjoyed hot, cold, or can be stored for a few days in the fridge to intensify the flavors.

Of course, all that protein and caffeine can't last all day, so a little sugar rush in the middle of the day is usually needed, and that is when Brandy found herself reaching for goodies from Everton Toffee Company. Inspired by a recipe created in 1753, Everton Toffees come in two different forms; Butter Toffee Caramels and toffee and nut covered pretzels. The caramels are soft and chewy and perfect for a quick hit of buttery goodness, while the pretzels are the ultimate in sweet and salty snacking. As tasty as they are on their own, Brandy's favorite way to eat these crunchy little delights is with ice cream. The salt on the pretzels goes incredibly well with a good quality vanilla, while the nutty, buttery flavor of the toffee is excellent with dark chocolate, meaning the ideal pairing in Brandy's professional opinion is a vanilla chocolate chip.

Finally, after a long day on her feat, Brandy likes to relax with a nice cocktail. Recently she's become a big fan of 1893, an all-natural sugar sweetened soda based on Pepsi's original recipe. The cola comes in four varieties; Original, Citrus, Ginger, and Brandy's favorite, Black Current. The fruity, more mature flavor of the soda makes it a perfect cocktail mixer, and Brandy's preferred cocktail to mix up is her play on a Whiskey Seduction, which she likes to call a Polite and Consensual Whiskey Conversation. The drink starts with 2 oz's of vanilla scented whiskey in a tall glass, then a few sprigs of basil are muddled into the liquor, followed by two ounces of a fruity red wine, then four ounces of the Black Current cola, ice, and finally, a squeeze of lime juice. The result is a smooth, sophisticated, and slightly sweet cocktail that fits any occasion, from a summer evening relaxing on the porch to a vibrant dinner party (or in Brandy's case, an early afternoon curled up in an arm chair, knitting and watching a baseball game).

The writers of this blog were provided with products by the companies mentioned free of charge in order to facilitate the writing of this post.

Tea Time with Brandy: Cubs World Series Themed Cocktails

As we've spoken about before, Brandy has acquired a real love of baseball since moving to Chicago, and her loyalty has finally been rewarded in the form of a Cubs World Series bid. But the stress of a whole month of tension filled playoff games and now a possible come from behind championship win have left her feeling more than a little jittery. "I don't know if I can make it through one more game!" she exclaimed as Game 6 came to a close. "I'm going to need something to calm my nerves for Game 7. Time to make some cocktails."

She decided to mix up two options for Wednesday night's game: a shooter for a quick burst of "courage" at home during the early innings and a sip-able drink to maintain sanity throughout the evening that could easily transported to various Game 7 viewing functions.

First, Brandy went for mixing up her shooter, and to do so, she decided to be a bit ambitious in attempting a layered drink in the Cubs signature colors. To achieve this, she reached for a bottle of LEAF Vodka, a locally based company producing a unique line of vodkas based on quality mineral waters. LEAF believes vodka’s main ingredient, water, is what truly defines the spirit, which is why they sourced from unique waters around the country. One variety is made from Alaskan Glacial water, which lends a pure, smooth taste with a hint of sweetness. The other, made from Rocky Mountain mineral water, provides richness and complexity, offering a warm and savory impression. Brandy found that the quality and smoothness of LEAF really helped to balance out what would otherwise be an overly sweet drink. "Hmmm... sweet, smooth, full of spirit... Reminds me of my favorite Cubs player, Anthony Rizzo!"

Next, Brandy decided to design a cocktail she could mix on the go, as she might have to jump between friend's homes to help them also calm down during the game. She grabbed a new favorite out of her fridge, Backpack Wine, along with some pre-cut fresh fruit and a box of 100% juice so that she could create a mobile sangria. Chicago based Backpack Wine offers versatile rosé and white wine blends sourced from great vineyards and packaged in recyclable cans that are ready for any occasion. Brandy liked that both the white and rosé varieties had a good acidity and a bold, fruity flavor, which worked incredibly well for her makeshift sangria. "This is the perfect drink for a seventy degree day in November, especially when that day has the potential to make history!"

Both LEAF Vodka and Backpack Wine are available now all across the Midwest.

Razz-O Shooters

1 maraschino cherry
splash of grenadine
half ounce of blue raspberry liquor (pucker or schnapps, for instance)
half ounce of Leaf Vodka
red and blue sugar and lemon juice for garnish

Dip the shot glass into the lemon juice so that just the rim is coated. Immediately, dip half the rim into the red sugar and then the other half of the rim into the blue sugar. Drop the cherry into the bottom of the glass and add a splash of grenadine. Carefully pour in the blue raspberry liquor until the glass is half full. Place a small spoon inside the glass at a downward angle and slowly pour the Leaf Vodka over the back of the spoon so that it stays suspended over the blue. Shoot or sip at will.

Road Trip Sangria

Fresh fruit
1 can of Backpack Wine
1 box of 100% fruit juice

Drop the fruit of your choice into the glass. Pour in about an ounce of fruit juice (apple or white grape work really well). Fill up the glass with the Backpack Wine and enjoy. Alternatively, the fruit, juice, and wine can be poured into a cold thermos and left to sit and chill for a deeper flavor.

The writers of this blog were sent products by the companies mentioned in order to facilitate the writing of this post.

Teatime with Brandy: Cool Toddy Cocktail with Lindy's Italian Ice

Being the big supporter of the arts that she is, Brandy was recently helping out at a rehearsal for an armature opera group when one of the lead sopranos began to croak quite unbecomingly.  "I think I'm coming down with a bit of a cold," the girl said, coughing a little after attempting to belt out a high G.  Quickly, the musical director, costume designer, and several members of the chorus began berating the girl with advice.  "You need honey!" one shouted.  "You need tea with lemon!" said another.  "You need a shot of whiskey!" slurred someone from the back of the room.  "I've tried it all," sighed the girl, "But everything just seems to irritate me throat more and more."

This was one when Brandy piped up.  "How are you drinking these things?" she asked.  The girl looked confused.  "All together," she said,  "No no, my dear.  What temperature?"  The girl furrowed her brow.  "Well, hot of course."  "There's your problem," Brandy responded, shaking her head, "I'll be right back."  Returning to her own home, Brandy pulled several things from her fridge; a bottle of honey infused whiskey, some lemon infused iced tea, and a cup of Lindy's Lemon flavored Italian ice.

Brandy had grown rather fond of Lindy's over the summer, finding their single serving size cups the perfect thing to keep in her freezer for a quick and refreshing snack.  There was also a wide variety of flavors to be considered, with delicious classics like Strawberry, Black Cherry, and Watermelon.  Brandy also discovered a whole other use for these boldly flavored and smooth textured treats: as an alternative to ice for her cocktails! Because each Italian ice is crafted in small batches to ensure a true flavor without an excessive use of sugar, Brandy found that a scoop or two of these beauties into a cocktail can serve the dual purpose of chilling and flavoring, meaning that instead of watering down the flavor of a cocktail, they actually enhance them as they melt.

With this in mind, Brandy created a cold version of her favorite winter time drink, a Hot Toddy, or in this case, a Cool Toddy. Once completed, she rushed back to the rehearsal and handed her creation to the soprano. After a few sips of the icy beverage had reduced the inflammation in the girl's throat, she was delighted to find she could sing once more. "There's not much in this world that whiskey, tea, and desserts can't fix," said Brandy, sagely.

Give Brandy's Cool Toddy recipe a try, or visit Lindy's Pinterest Page for more ideas and recipes.

The writers of this blog were provided with products by the company free of charge in order to facilitate the writing of this post.

Cool Toddy

Lindy's Lemon Italian Ice
Honey flavored whiskey
Lemon flavored Iced Tea
Lemon slices for garnish

Chill the cocktail glasses for at least a few minutes before starting.  Scoop Italian ice into each glass until they are about 3/4 full.  Pour in one part whiskey, or fill half the glass.  Pour in iced tea until the glass is full.  Stir gently with a swizzle stick, garnish with a lemon slice, and enjoy.

Postcards from Bunny: Summer Girl's Night Hangouts

A little known fact about Bunny is that she is a football fanatic.  No, not American football, but soccer, as most of the United States calls it.  "There's just nothing more exciting than watching a group of athletes in the prime of their lives kick a ball back and forth for several hours," Bunny has been known to say.  This is why she made a special stop into Chicago to attend a certain game at Soldier Field, but when strong storms seems to be on the horizon, Bunny made some alternate plans.

Moonage Daydream

Oh! You Pretty Things

Her first stop was to the J. Parker for some rooftop pre-gaming while she watched the storm roll in.  The J. Parker is currently featuring a collection of ten specialty cocktails for the summer, which are all named for songs by the greatly missed David Bowie (a man whom Brandy may or may not have had a hand in launching to stardom).  Accompanying Bunny was Starr from Chicago Foodie Girl, who had yet to see the stunning rooftop bar atop the Lincoln Hotel.  Settling in a table in the shade, the two went over the cocktail menu in detail.  Bunny decided to start with the Space Oddity with pisco, raspberry liqueur, Earl Grey tea, peach bitters, lime, and Prosecco, all of which combined for a rather complex and fruity drink.  Starr picked the Moonage Daydream with gin, coconut, lemon, lime, and orange flower soda.  This drink was fresh and lovely with a slightly floral note.  For the second round, Bunny went with the Life on Mars?, a bourbon heavy cocktail with cherry, apricot, and rhubarb bitters, while Starr picked the Oh! You Pretty Things with pear, lavender, orange, lemon, and vodka.  Lastly, Bunny tried the Golden Years, a sweet and tropical taste sensation with rum, banana, vanilla and lime.

Golden Years

Space Oddity

Life on Mars?

To balance out the cocktails, the ladies snacked on some delicious bites from the bar menu.  First, they started off with a couple of Mini Burgers, delicious little sandwiches somewhere between a slider and regular sized burger, with melty cheese spread and buttery buns.  Because the burgers didn't have enough cheese to satisfy their cravings, they also ordered some Beer Cheese Dip, which came with more buttery pieces of pretzel bread to bathe in the melty goodness that was the beer cheese.  After two rather rich snacks, they lastly indulged in some Shrimp Ceviche, which helped to cleanse the palate with a dose of bright and citrusy flavor.

After it became apparent that the storm was imminent, Bunny decided to forgo attending the game in person and instead searched for a place she might be able to watch from the safety of a bar.  A quick call to her friend Mama Bee gave her the idea of stopping into Whirlyball on Fullerton to not only check out their brand new complex and menu, but also watch the game on the giant screens around the ground floor bar.  Bunny had heard tales of this bastion of fun, from their patented bumper car based game to their laser tag court, to their gorgeous rooftop over looking the city skyline, but had yet to visit the newly built location.  She was immediately delighted by the open floor plan and comfortable atmosphere with touches of whimsy, like the beer tap handles decorating the ceiling and the bowling balls colored to look like giant pool balls.


Right from the start, the new menu was certainly not what Bunny expected to see from Whirlyball.  A bucket of innocent looking popcorn on the table was doused in liquid nitrogen, which gave it an impossibly buttery flavor, a normally ineffectual sounding crab cake was presented in the style of a Japanese pancake called okonomiyaki, and a truly unique bruschetta rounded everything out with the bright earthy flavors of fig jam, goat cheese, and roasted red peppers.  Mama Bee loved sampling some of the new salads, like the crunchy Kale and Quinoa with a zingy cranberry relish, and the Simple Green with a surprising mix of fruit and crispy potatoes.  One of the real winners of the night was the Fried Brussels Sprouts, which had been tossed with a black garlic aioli and espresso infused balsamic vinegar to make for a pungent and deeply flavorful dish.

The true star of the new menu was the burgers and sandwiches.  The Stout Style Reuben with its beer braised corn beef and spicy giardiniera was the perfect update to a classic, in Mama Bee's opinion, but Bunny was paying far more attention to the burgers.  The 12 Hours 55 Minutes Burger (so named for the time a flight from Chicago to Tokyo would take) was another Japanese themed delight with pickled cabbage, green onion, and some sharp bleu cheese, while the Barcelona Night Burger added spicy ground chorizo and Manchego cheese for some Spanish flair.  Mama Bee's favorite of the night was with French Quarter Burger with roasted corn relish, creole spiced aioli, jalapeno jack cheese, and andouille sausage, which made for a slow burn spice that she really enjoyed.  Bunny, on the other hand, favored the Wild Forest Burger with plenty of mushrooms, creamy goat cheese, and a touch of truffle oil.

By the time the storm had passed, Bunny had consumed so much food and so many cocktails that she had all but forgotten her whole reason for being in Chicago in the first place.  "There will be other games," she waved off with a hiccup when she realized she'd not seen a minute of play, "Besides, after everything I've just eaten, I would much rather get up and play a little something myself!  Whose up for some laser tag?"

The writers of this blog were invited to dine at the mentioned restaurants free of charge in order to facilitate the writing of this post.

Tea Time with Brandy: Spring Time Cocktails with Nielsen-Massey

Spring is a time for all sorts of things like weddings, flowers, gentle rain storms, and allergies.  Of all things spring means to Brandy, one certainly excites her more than the others, which is the ability to drink outside.  "There's nothing quite like relaxing in a garden or on a patio with a cool drink in your hand and sunlight on your face," as Brandy likes to say.


Brandy is especially fond of a good punch in the spring time (punch as in the drink, not a belt round the face).  Punches are easily made in single servings or large quantities, as their simple combinations of ingredients usually don't require a large amount of prep or math.  A good Edwardian punch is usually fruity in nature, but can often contain little surprises to the palate to keep the drinker coming back for more.

As the weather started to warm up ("Well, I suppose 45 degrees is warm for Chicago," Brandy reasoned), Brandy was struck with a desire for a nice glass of punch, so she began checking her cabinets for ideas.  When she came across a bottle of Nielsen-Massey Pure Almond Extract, she had an idea.  Brandy has always loved the combination of cherry and almond, and taking those flavors into a punch recipe could be just the thing to quench her thirst.  And so the Almond-Cherry Spritzer was born.

If you would like to try some of Nielsen-Massey's high quality Pure Almond Extract, Brandy will be giving one away to one lucky reader.  To enter, simply leave a comment and how to contact you on this post, on our Facebook page, Twitter page, or Instagram before Wednesday May 6th.

The Almond-Cherry Spritzer

2 parts vodka
1 part tart cherry juice
1 part sparkling lemonade
1 teaspoon Nielsen-Massey Almond Extract per serving
Marinated cherries for garnish

Combine vodka and cherry juice, stir gently.  Add in the almond extract and sparkling lemonade.  Serve over ice and garnish with cherries.

Optional Ideas

• Want more of an almond flavor than a cherry one? Add a splash of amaretto!
• Try freezing your cherries inside ice cubes for a pretty look and to keep the drink from becoming watered down.
• Leave out the vodka for a delicious non-alcoholic punch!

The writers of this blog were provided with products from Nielsen-Massey in order to facilitate the writing of this post.