So, you’ve recently acquired Trader Joe’s Blackberry Spritzer. Perhaps you too found it a bit plain. Sweeter than seltzer but not sweet enough to be soda. Why not jazz it up a bit? …
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Drinks
Winter Wassail Mulled Wine Recipe
So you bought this, Trader Joe’s Winter Wassail, but don’t want something cold like Winter Wassail Cocktail. You want mulled wine but can’t go to Upstate New York and buy Fruit Yard Winery’s Funvalia Spiced Wine and you have no idea where to start in terms of a recipe.
Some want it hot. So here is a recipe for you. Serve this wine warm or hot, but don’t let it boil.
Here is the proportion that I found that works well. This can be sized up or down depending on how many mugs you are trying to fill:
4 Ounces (1/2 cup) of red wine (that you don’t mind making a touch sweeter)
2 ounces (1/4 cup) of Trader Joe’s Winter Wassail.
- Heat in red wine and Winter Wassail in a pan until you see seam/vapor rising.
- Do not boil.
- Serve right away
- If it gets cold or too much was prepared, it can go into the microwave for 30 seconds on high. Test to see how hot it is. If not warm enough go in 15 second intervals until ideal temperature is attained.
- Enjoy!
Want to see more items I’ve reviewed from Trader Joe’s? Click on Thoughts & Reviews of Trader Joe’s for a searchable list.
Winter Wassail Cocktail Recipe
So I bought this at Trader Joe’s:It’s just ok. Imagine if Capri Sun came in some adult flavors. This would be a winter flavor. It’s got some spice to it. It’s got almost no actual fruit juice in it either. So, naturally, a mediocre drink can be improved by making it more adult. So if you’ve stumbled into a Trader Joe’s and weren’t sure what to do with it here is a recipe that won’t knock you off your behind the way Holly Jolly Peppermint Martini will. This is a recipe that you can multiply to actually serve to company and still walk in a considerably straighter line after just one. Plus it’s pretty tasty and I’ll definitely make it again.
Here is what you’ll need to put together this cocktail:
Winter Wassail Cocktail Recipe
3 ounces Trader Joe’s Winter Wassail
1 ounce vodka
1 ounce Peach Schnapps (Triple Sec can also be used in place of the Schnapps)
Ice
Directions:
- Measure all liquids and place them in a shaker with ice.
- Shake vigorously to make the drink cold
- Strain and pour into a martini or other fun glass
- Enjoy. If you are feeling extra crafty or want to make yours Pintrest perfect then add a cinnamon stick as garnish. It’s inedible but your pictures or your libations will look that much cooler.
Want to serve the Wassail hot? Check out my Winter Wassail Mulled Wine Recipe
Want to see more items I’ve reviewed from Trader Joe’s? Click on Thoughts & Reviews of Trader Joe’s for a searchable list.
Want to get more drink ideas? Click on Drinks
Want to make something original? Click on Food
Holly Jolly Peppermint Martini Recipe
It’s that time of year where trees are being decorated and your local market is overrun by items containing peppermint. Get into the spirit of the holidays with this spirited drink and hopefully you too will have a holly jolly holiday.
Ingredients:
3 ounces vodka
1 ounce peppermint schnapps
1/2 ounce simple syrup (or more if you like a sweeter drink. If you add more reduce vodka)
Optional:
crushed candy cane candy
corn syrup or agave syrup (you’ll need no more than a tsp)
All the ingredients out
Directions:
- Rim martini glass with corn syrup or agave first and then crushed candy cane to create a decorative rim. Syrups will help your sugary item stay better than any liquid. It will also no impart any flavor.
You won’t need a lot of the syrup or candy to rim a glass
- Fill a shaker with ice
- Add vodka, peppermint schnapps, and simple syrup
- Shake vigorously.
- Add to glass and enjoy. You’ll be holly and jolly after one drink.
- Happy holidays!
Fruit Yard Winery’s Funvalia Spiced Wine
The weather outside is changing here in New York and in October things don’t get better. This time of year you can easily find yourself wearing a winter coat in the morning and wishing for shorts by the afternoon. With the chill in the air I got out a bottle of wine that I had purchased over the summer at Fruit Yard Winery’s Funvalia Spiced Wine. You’re not going to find this wine in most local places. If you don’t live in the Finger Lakes area of New York, you’ll have to either travel there (which we did) or place an order and have it shipped.
The Finger Lakes area produces some good wines. Most are table wine priced at under $15 a bottle. Some fun, some dry, some sweet, some fruity. At Fruit Yard Winery you’ll be able to get a variety of all of those. One wine we picked up (which sadly isn’t listed on their website, but I’m sure if you called in an order they would be happy to ship it) was Funvalia. It was one of those wines that had a mulled wine flavor to it. Since we sampled some at room temperature we purchased 2 bottles and neatly placed them on our wine rack.
Now that the temperature has dropped substantially and its cuddle season, we decided to open up this bottle. This was not a wine we wanted to drink out of a wine glass. This is wine you sip out of a mug.
So heat it gently over low heat until warm but not boiling. Serve it in a mug. Be warned though, hot wine has a way of hitting you in a way that room temperature cannot. You’ll get buzzed (or at least feel buzzed) much quicker. Best of all you’ll be warm and you’ll enjoy sipping on the wine.
Now keep in mind, this is not a medal winning, competitive red wine making institution. It’s a vineyard you can stop, relax and try some of the most off beat and different wines. They have peach, blueberry, apple, plum, cherry, raspberry and cranberry, as well as a variety of whites and red.
The bottle of wine was $9.99 and we ended up buying a case of wine there which gave us a discount as well. There website desperately needs to be updated, but as a small business I’m sure they have put it to the side. If we needed to order more we would call them rather than ordering online.
For more information about Fruit Yard click on Fruit Yard Winery. Great local winery with wines most local wine stores don’t carry. While the Funvalia Wine is not on their website, it’s worth a call or sample if you happen to go there.
2016 Presidential Debate Drinking Game
It’s an American ritual that happens every 4 years. It’s even more exciting when there is no incumbent president and the fate of the world hangs in the balance. Worst of all, the decision is up to your fellow Americans (the ones who show up anyways). Brace yourselves and have a party because we’re all screwed! The game card is below with a list of Buzzwords. Copy and paste it on to a sheet of paper, pass those pages out and laugh away. If you are having company, suggested items are also listed that can make a party more fun….
I’m Feeling Blue Martini Recipe
Maybe it’s the middle of the week, maybe you just want to feel special. Who doesn’t find a blue drink intriguing? So why not make yourself an I’m Feeling Blue Martini. It’s a take on the classic martini, but to make it a little bit more special we are adding some Blue Curacao. Admit it, haven’t you stared at someone else’s drink (especially the colorful ones) and said, “Wow…what is that?” If you’ve ever said that to yourself you also thought to yourself “Wow. I want one of those.” So here is the recipe for one of those I’m Feeling Blue Martini drinks. It will make you want to sit back, relax and turn on Eiffel 65 and listen to “I’m blue.”
Ingredients for I’m Feeling Blue Martini
2 ounces vodka
1.5 Blue Curacao
1 ounce dry vermouth
Optional: Garnish with a citrus slice or just the rind for visual effects. I thought it was beautiful on its own.
Directions:
- Add ice to martini glass to chill
- Combine all of the above ingredients in a shaker
- Add ice
- Shake for 15-30 seconds until thoroughly combined
- Strain into martini glass
- Enjoy. Be the envy of your friends
Looking for other drink ideas? Click on the Drinks Page
Caipirinha
The Olympics have just finished in Rio and perhaps you want to get to know Brazilian culture a bit better. If you are looking to imbibe yourself in their culture then you need to discover Cachaca.
Cachaca is the Brazilian answer to rum. It is made from sugar cane. Here is a basic recipe to make yourself a basic Caipirinha.
2 oz Good Cachaca (I like LeBlon)
1/2 a lime
1 oz simple syrup
Directions:
- Muddle lime and simple syrup.
- Fill shaker with ice
- Add Cachaca
- Shake well.
- Serve with ice.
- Garnish with lime.
- Enjoy! This is more on the limey tart side flavor wise. If you wish to have something more familiar and slightly more sweet see: A Brazilian Margarita
A Brazilian Margarita
Looking to change up a traditional Margarita? Here is a recipe using Cachaca instead of Taquila. If you haven’t had Cachaca, it tastes somewhere between Taquila and Rum. Use a middle brand or better Cachaca (same reason as tequila, the cheap stuff will punish you later). I prefer (and can only seem to find LeBlon)
Ingredients
1.5 ounces LeBlon Cachaca
1 ounce Triple Sec (or Cointreau)
1/2 ounce simple syrup
1/2 ounce fresh lime juice
Directions:
- Rim a margarita glass with salt. You can use a lime wedge and then roll it in salt or I found corn syrup and salt actually was more stable and nicer to drink from. Yes, I made a second one for research purposes.
This one I rimmed using only lime and salt
This was one with corn syrup and salt. Much improved. The salt actually stayed and there was no sweetness that came through.
- Mix all ingredients and add ice into a shaker
- Strain into salt rimmed glass and enjoy! I chose to enjoy mine with Taquitos from Trader Joes and a nice Caprese salad.
A Real Daiquiri
I hope in my lifetime to visit Cuba and to sit at a bar and drink like Ernest Hemingway. Until then here is a solid recipe for a daiquiri. Enjoy on its own or with Cuban food, or be a Betty and have it with a Trader Joe’s Burrito, because you are awesome like that.
Recipe adapted from Alton Brown on Foodnetwork.com
2 cups crushed ice, plus extra for chilling glass
2 ounces light rum
1 -ounce freshly squeezed lime juice, strained of pulp (None of that lime juice in a green plastic container, you know what I’m talking about)
1/2 -ounce Simple Syrup (Make ahead or mix equal parts sugar and water and keep in a squeeze bottle. I used 1 cup of sugar and 1 cup of water and boiled until the sugar was no longer visible)
Directions
- Fill glass with ice to chill. Set aside.
- In a shaker filled with ice add the rum, lime juice and simple syrup.
- Give it a good shake
- Dump ice from cocktail/martini glass.
- Strain into a newly chilled cocktail glass or martini glass.
- Enjoy responsibly. Especially with good food. I enjoyed a burrito from Trader Joes. Yes, just as good as the reviews on Foodnetwork.com say. But, if you are expecting the syrupy sweet drink that you’ve seen served in most restaurants and bars, you will be surprised by its tartness. Embrace it.
