Fall & Winter
selecting one of the beverage styles below. DOWNLOAD RECIPES
Jon East's Chai Highball
Jon made this for us on our Instagram live series, Highballs at High Noon! While its preparation is simple, this cocktail is incredibly complex.
Be sure to check out our Q&A with Jon and follow him on Instagram for cocktails and cute dog pics.
Image credit: Jon East
Jon East's Chai Highball Recipe:
1.75 oz Twisted Path Chai Liqueur
1 dash Bittermens Hopped Grapefruit Bitters
1 dash Bittermens Buckspice Gingersnap Bitters
4 drops Bittermens Xocalatl Mole Bitters
Garnish: citrus peel
Stir all ingredients together in a highball glass filled with ice and garnish.
Kirk Jones’s Bitter Sweetheart Highball
When asked about the inspiration behind this highball, Kirk laughed and proclaimed that he’d “made it around Valentine’s Day” and that it reminded him of his ex, so it’s fitting that he named it the Bitter Sweetheart!
Be sure to check out our Q&A with Kirk and follow Royal Rose Syrups on Instagram for more cocktail inspiration.
Image credit: Kirk Jones
Kirk Jones’s Bitter Sweetheart Highball Recipe:
1.5 oz gin
.5 oz Campari
.5 oz Dry Curaçao
.75 oz Royal Rose Organic Raspberry Syrup
1/2 oz lime juice
Top Note Club Soda No. 1, to top
Shake all ingredients except the club soda in a cocktail shaker filled with ice. Strain into an ice-filled highball glass, top with club soda, and stir.
Vermouth Cassis
Extremely common in Europe, Apéritifs have been a part of the drinking and culinary culture for hundreds of years. So when alcohol enthusiasts in the US fled to France during the 1920s, as prohibition was decimating the American drinking culture, they became exposed to Apéritifs. They then took the drink recipes home (once prohibition was over, of course!), and the Pompier spread like wildfire. Since then, the Pompier became the Vermouth Cassis and has been a part of the American drinking culture.
Recipe:
The Vermouth Cassis is a simple cocktail to prepare; you only need a jigger, glass, and pairing knife.
Ingredients:
1.5 OZ of Dry Vermouth (We recommend Dolin Dry Vermouth)
0.5 OZ of Creme De La Cassis (We recommend Lejay Creme de Cassis)
Top Note Tonic Club Soda To Taste / To Top
1 Lemon Twist
(Optional but highly recommended) Skewered Blueberries or Mint for Garnish
*Note - We highly recommend using small, single-use, bottles of Vermouth when making cocktails; this is because once opened, Vermouth will begin to go bad and gain an off taste after about one month, two to three if stored in a refrigerator. This can lead to the cocktail being less than pleasant, so freshly opened Vermouth is a must for optimal taste and freshness!
Preparation:
Add ice, Vermouth, and the Creme de la Cassis to a glass, followed by the club soda. Gently stir, and add the lemon twist with blueberries or mint for garnish and enjoy!
Spooky Season
This simple sipper is perfect for when you crave the spice of a Whiskey Ginger and the warmth of an Old Fashioned.
Spooky Season Recipe:
2 oz Whiskey
.5 oz Top Note Ginger Beer Reduction*
3 dashes Aromatic Bitters
Garnish: dehydrated orange wheel
Stir all ingredients together with ice to chill, strain into a rocks glass with one big ice cube and garnish.
*Ginger Beer Reduction: Combine 1 bottle of Top Note Ginger Beer and ½ cup sugar in a small saucepan and bring to a boil over medium heat. Reduce heat and let simmer for 15 minutes or until reduced by half. Remove from heat and let cool. Keep refrigerated.
Barrel & Bumble
A classic Prohibition-era cocktail, the Bees Knees is traditionally shaken and served up, but we also love adding a bit of carbonation to liven it up and lengthen it out from time to time. In this variation, we combine a smooth barrel-aged gin with our ultra bubbly Club Soda No. 1 for a sweet, smoky and effervescent refresher.
Barrel & Bumble Recipe:
2 oz Barrel-Aged Gin
.75 oz Lemon Juice
.5 oz Honey Simple Syrup
Top Note Club Soda No. 1, to top
Garnish: lemon wheel
Stir all ingredients together in an ice-filled Collins glass and garnish.
Spirit-Free Ginger-Apple Mule
Celebrate cider season with this cozy spirit-free Mule!
Spirit-Free Ginger-Apple Mule Recipe:
2 oz cold apple cider
.5 oz lime juice
3 oz Top Note Ginger Beer
Garnish: apple slices, cinnamon stick, star anise (optional)
Stir all ingredients together in a copper Mule mug* filled with crushed or cubed ice. Garnish as desired.
*If you don’t happen to have Mule mugs on hand, any other glass works just as well!
Love Bug
Alchermes is one of our favorite liqueurs for its complex mix of deep spices and delicate florals. Served with a splash of citrus and soda, this is the cocktail to make for the mixologist who thinks they’ve tried it all.
Love Bug Recipe:
2 oz Heirloom Alchermes Liqueur
.75 oz lemon juice
Garnish: cocktail cherry
Shake Alchermes and lemon juice with ice and strain into an ice-filled glass. Top with Club Soda, stir and garnish.
Maple Hibiscus Spritz
Have you experimented with shrubs?
Shrubs are made from vinegar, fruits and sugar and can be sipped on their own or used in a variety of recipes. Their bright acidity and complex sweetness are perfect for mixing into unique and exciting zero-proof drinks.
Maple Hibiscus Spritz Recipe:
.75 oz lime juice
.5 oz simple syrup
1 oz Siren Shrub Co. Maple Ginger Shrub
4 oz Top Note Indian Tonic Water
Garnish: fresh or dehydrated citrus
Stir all ingredients together in a glass filled with hibiscus tea ice cubes and garnish.
Hibiscus Tea Ice Cubes: Brew a batch of hibiscus tea and let cool to room temperature. Pour the tea into an ice cube tray and place the tray in the freezer until fully frozen.
Cider & Ginger
Inspired by Lost Valley Cider Co. in Milwaukee, WI, this low-ABV radler is autumn in a glass.
Cider & Ginger Recipe:
4 oz Sparkling Hard Apple Cider
4 oz Top Note Ginger Beer
Garnish: crystallized ginger, fresh lime wheel
Build in an ice-filled glass and garnish.
Gin Pear Collins
Celebrate the bounty of fall produce with this delicately refreshing highball.
Gin Pear Collins Recipe:
1.5 oz gin
2 oz pear juice (or pear purée)
.5 oz lemon juice
Garnish: fresh rosemary and citrus peel
Add all ingredients except Club Soda to a shaker with ice. Shake and strain into an ice-filled glass and top with Club Soda. Stir and garnish.
Spiced Vodka Tonic
Spiced Vodka Tonic Recipe:
2 oz spiced vodka*
4 oz Top Note Classic Tonic Water
Optional: simple syrup, to taste
Garnish: fresh orange peel
Stir ingredients together in a glass with ice and garnish.
*Spiced Vodka: add 2 crushed cardamom pods and 2 tsp whole cloves to a jar and top with 8 oz vodka. Let steep for 2 days, then strain out the spices and enjoy.
Wonderful Times
We might be celebrating the holidays a bit differently this year, but one thing we’re grateful for every year is holiday cocktails!
Last year we spotted a cocktail called "Wonderful Times" by Clay Kirkland of Wisecraft Mixology, featuring vodka infused with seasonal spices, tart cranberry juice, and our very own club soda. We've been waiting for the holiday season to come around again so we could make a version for ourselves and we love it so much that we just had to share. Here's to the social media movers, shakers and mixologists making this season a bit brighter!
Wonderful Times Recipe:
2 oz spiced vodka*
.5 oz orange liqueur
1.5 oz unsweetened cranberry juice
.5 oz lime juice
1 oz simple syrup
Top Note Club Soda No. 1, to top
Garnish: cranberries and rosemary
Shake all ingredients except Club Soda with ice, then strain into a glass filled with fresh ice. Top with Club Soda, stir, and garnish.
*Spiced Vodka: add 2 crushed cardamom pods and 2 tsp whole cloves to a jar and top with 8 oz vodka. Let steep for 2 days, then strain out the spices and enjoy.