Category: Bourbon

Make A Delicious, Sweet-Cinnamon Coffee Cocktail This Holiday Season!

The Holidays are here!  The days are speeding by and I still have so much to do!  Shopping, baking, gift wrapping, decorating… this is such a (wonderfully) busy time of the year!

I love coffee, period. But in December – with its short days and full calendar – I need an extra afternoon jolt to help get me through the day.  But it’s DECEMBER!  The HOLIDAY SEASON!  It can’t be just a regular coffee!  I want something special, with a holiday twist! 

The Cinnamon Dulce Café – is the perfect coffee (cocktail) for all of your December needs!  A Christmas or New Year Brunch – An afternoon of gift wrapping – Tree decorating – Card writing – Cookie making – and so much more! 

This cocktail is a favorite of mine and I’m sure you’ll love it too!  Remember that a recipe is just a guide – if you don’t like bourbon, use vodka!  If you’re not a coffee fan, you can use hot chocolate!  If you prefer real cream instead of oat milk creamer, do it!  So, without further ado, let’s get to the good part!

Cinnamon Dulce Café

  • 1.5oz Cincinnati Distilling Bourbon
  • .5oz Disaronna  (amaretto)
  • 2oz Coffee (cold brew, or strong brewed hot coffee cooled to room temp)
  • .75oz Cinnamon Syrup*
  • 1.5oz Oat Milk Coffee Cream
  • .5oz Maple Syrup
  1. In a cocktail shaker (mason jar, Tupperware with tight fitting lid) add your Bourbon, Disaronna, Coffee, and Cinnamon Syrup. 
  2. Add some ice and shake it up. 
  3. Strain it into a martini glass. 
  4. In a small pitcher add your Oat Milk Creamer and Maple Syrup, using a Milk Frother or Immersion blender, blend until it has doubled in volume (or use a clean shaker/mason jar/etc, and shake shake shake until doubled in volume). 
  5. Gently pour over the top of your cocktail. 
  6. Garnish with a sprinkle of cinnamon.  And enjoy!

Option 2 –

Serve it over ice!

Follow step 1, but add a little more coffee.  Shake it up, strain into a glass filled with ice.  Follow steps 4-6 and enjoy!

Option 3 –

Some Like it Hot!

In your favorite coffee mug, add Bourbon, Cinnamon Syrup, and Disaronna.  Top with hot Coffee (or Hot Chocolate), and give it a stir.  Follow steps 4-6 and enjoy!

*Cinnamon Syrup – it’s super easy to make – 1 cup sugar, 1 cup water, 1 cinnamon stick.  Bring to a boil stirring often to fully dissolve sugar.  Once a boil is reached, remove from heat and let cool.  Remove cinnamon stick, and store in a sealable container in the refrigerator. 

Or…. Go to the grocery store, Monin makes a very nice Cinnamon Syrup.  You can usually find it in the coffee section.

Let’s Stir Up a Manhattan!

Swanning Around Manhattan

There are some classic cocktails that everyone has heard of.  The Martini.  The Old Fashioned.  Gimlet.  And, of course, the Manhattan. 

This year, for the 2020 Woodford Reserve Manhattan Experience Competition, I created MY version of the perfect Manhattan.  I was picked to go to the regionals in Columbus – and, like so many other events, it was postponed until the fall because of the Covid19. 

So, before I share my recipe with you, I want to talk Manhattan.  All in all, this is a simple cocktail.  Three ingredients.  You don’t even have to garnish it.  You can serve it in a beautiful martini glass.  Or in a double old fashioned glass over a giant ice cube.  Like so many of the “Classics” there are no hard and fast rules anymore.  You can experiment until you find exactly how you like it – just be sure to communicate clearly with your bartender if you want YOUR perfect Manhattan out at your favorite bar.

Whiskey.  Vermouth.  Bitters.  That’s all there is too it.  Traditionally – Rye Whiskey, Sweet Vermouth, and Angostura Bitters. 

Now, I’m not a huge fan of Rye, I prefer a rich, smooth Bourbon.  I used Woodford Reserve.  It mixes well, and holds up to the other strong flavors in the Manhattan.

Sweet Vermouth… I’ve liked it, in small quantities.  I tend to find it too heavy and overpowering in cocktails.  So I used a mix of Rosso and Bianco Vermouth.  Bianco Vermouth is a bit sweeter than Dry Vermouth, and has some beautiful floral, citrus notes that help to carry some brighter tasting notes to the front of the Manhattan.  If you haven’t found a Vermouth that you love yet, keep trying.  Go to a well-stocked liquor or wine store, and just peruse the many brands.  Each brand has a distinct flavor profile.  Do a little bit of research and pick one or two to try.  I like Martini & Rossi and Dolin.  (And PLEASE, once you open your vermouth PLEASE store it in the refrigerator!)

Angostura Bitters.  They’re great.  If those are the only bitters you have, use them!  Your Manhattan will still be delicious.  If you have other bitters (You can find some great bitters variety packs on Amazon.) play around with the ones you like the best.  Cherry Bitters would be great.  Or even Chocolate.  For my Manhattan I used both Orange and Lemon Bitters.  I like highlighting the citrus notes that appear throughout my ingredients in this cocktail.

So, without further ado –

Swanning Around Manhattan

  • 2 oz Woodford Reserve
  • .25 oz Martini & Rossi Rosso Vermouth
  • .25 oz Martini & Rossi Bianco Vernmout
  • 2-3 drops Orange Bitters
  • 2-3 drops Lemon Bitters

In a mixing glass combine all ingredients.  Add ice.  Stir to properly chill and dilute.  Approximately 10 seconds.  Strain into a Double Old-Fashioned glass over a large ice cube.  Garnish with an orange peel.  (If you have a Luxardo cherry, through it in there!  Those cherries are delicious!)  Enjoy!

How do you put your own personal touch on a classic cocktail?