Stout Pop

Beer on a stick? Sign me up. One popsicle this summer that’s sure to give you a buzz.

Ingredients:

Guinness Extra Stout Beer

Whole milk

Brown rice syrup

Materials:

10 ounce smooth plastic cup

Paper plate

Cinnamon stick (about 4 inches long)

Pour ¼ cup whole milk into a small dish. Add 1 tablespoon brown rice syrup and stir with a fork until completely dissolved. Set aside. Trace lip of the plastic cup onto a paper plate then cut out the circle slightly larger so it can rest on the top of the cup. Now cut a small X in the center to push cinnamon stick through. This will keep the stick in place during freezing. Check that the stick stops about 1 inch from touching bottom of cup when paper disc rests on the lip then set aside. Measure ½ cup Guinness into plastic cup. Add milk mixture. Let sit for a minute to allow foam to settle and gently stir with fork. Now insert stick with disc and place in freezer for 4 hours.

NEXT WEEK: The cocktails in August will each feature a fresh crisp fruit picked straight from the apple orchards.

Candy Fairy

Whether you call it cotton candy or fairy floss, this sticky summer treat flavors a grown-up ‘jell-o’ style cocktail that is just as fun to eat.

Ingredients:

White grape juice

Sugar

Cotton Candy liqueur

Agar agar

Add ¾ cup whitegrape juice to a small sauce pot along with ½ tablespoon of agar agar flakes and 1 tablespoon sugar. Bring to a boil, then simmer uncovered for 5 minutes.  Remove from stove and allow to cool for about 1 minute while stirring. Add ¼ cup cotton candy liqueur and immediately pour into red wine glass. Place into refrigerator for at least 6 hours. Lightly sprinkle with clear decorators edible glitter just before serving.

NEXT WEEK: Stout Pop

Spiked

This is the mother of all rootbeer floats.  The flavor of sarsparilla enhanced by the anise liqueur with a dash of spice cooled down by the creamy vanilla, I honestly could not stop uttering, “yummmmmmm…”

Ingredients:

Sarsparilla

Sambuca

Vanilla icecream

Cinnamon

Arrange 3 tablespoon sized scoops of real vanilla icecream in a martini glass. In a separate small glass measure 2 tablespoons Sambuca with ¼ cup Sarsparilla. Pour gently to the side of the icecream. Finish with a healthy dash of cinnamon on top and grab a spoon.

NEXT WEEK: Candy Fairy

Line Drive

July is tasting summer classics for the first time. Starting with a hard lemonade sweetened and spiced to delight.

All American as baseball, celebrate this 4th of July with a Line Drive.

Ingredients:

Lemon juice

Bourbon whiskey

Blended whisky

Water

Rhubarb syrup

Pure Maple syrup

Add 1 tablespoon each of fresh squeezed strained lemon juice and Bourbon whiskey to tall serving glass half filled with ice. Measure and add 2 tablespoons blended whisky (I used Seagram's 7) and ¼ cup water. Stir in 1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon rhubarb syrup and ¼ teaspoon pure maple syrup. Garnish with lemon slice.

To make rhubarb syrup you will need :

Rhubarb

Turbinado (raw) sugar

Water

Cloves

Add 2 cups chopped rhubarb, ¾ cup turbinado sugar, ½ cup water and 8 whole cloves into a small saucepot. Bring to a boil then simmer for 20 minutes. Strain and chill.

NEXT WEEK: Spike