EXTREMELY 👏🏽 FLAVORFUL 👏🏽

Up next on Charleston’s tour of #NegroniWeek with @campari_southcarolina is Stephen Blackmon (@stephenblackmon) over at Doar Bros. (@doarbros) - make sure to stop by and give this one a try in person!

“I was inspired by one of my favorite Indian restaurants, Chai Pani in Asheville, NC owned by Chef Meherwan Irani. The backstory of his great grandfather running one of the only Irani Cafes in his hometown along with what it must have been like hanging out there on a regular basis painted a vivid picture for what I wanted to share with others. The combination of culturally driven flavors and lively but chill vibes are what incited me to produce this very special cocktail riff.

I knew I wanted to have three things come out of this cocktail’s production: tea, spices, and savoriness in homage to Meherwan and his family’s heritage. By using the specific barrel-aged gin with big notes of Indian spices, infused for further complexity with malty Assam Tea along with traditional Masala Chai, I was able to ground the base idea around those bold flavors. I then chose to infuse a commonly found Italian aperitif white wine with spiced orange tea to play off both the infused gin and also tie it to both the Campari and Grand Mariner rather than use the typical sweet vermouth. I chose to do a “fat washing” process using traditional brown ghee along with coconut oil to round out the entire cocktail with a lingering silky and savory finish.”

Let’s make a cocktail I didn’t think I’d like.

I always thought the lemon and chocolate sounded awful together but this was actually perfectly balanced and I was pleasantly surprised at how it turned out. Is it my new favorite cocktail? No, but will I make it again? Absolutely.

Lets keep this real simple… I created a fresh take on a classic gin and tonic utilizing fresh juices and building layers of both flavors and colors. This one is built in the glass and is very easy to make! Cheers y’all!

Now back to our regularly scheduled programming… so let’s make a splash, shall we?

This ones inspired by my friends up north 🇨🇦

Throwback to a challenge by my friends to create a unique cocktail using ingredients local to Victoria, BC. Using the fruity flavors found in ‘Mountain Berry Tea’ by @tealeavesco (Elderberry, Hibiscus, and Black Currant) along with local smoked honey from countrybeehoney, I was able to create a cocktail that is delicious on its own. I was able to take this cocktail even further by experimenting with a black currant (cassis), elderflower and pamplemousse foam to compliment the drink itself. Not going to lie, either one could be enjoyed on its own but combining the two takes this drink to the next level.

Just a recipe to get you through those #SundayScaries.

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I’ve made a couple variations of a white Negroni in the past but this was probably one of my favorites. I created this for an ‘En Blanc’ dinner over and it was crushed in no time. Simple to make and so good for these hot summer nights.

Like you need more reasons to make a cocktail with Fernet.

Today, I’m excited to feature Amanda Phelps of Charleston, SC with a delicious and easy-to-make margarita riff! Its hot, sweet, salty and sour - what else would you want in a drink? According to Amanda, “it’s perfect for sipping on your porch enjoying tacos and cheese dip!” cheers y’all!

I hear the drink of the summer is the Hugo Spritz, but let’s elevate it, shall we?

So its spring… and you’re stuck at home with a bunch of fresh berries in the fridge and all this time… why not make a homemade shrub? If you’ve never heard of a shrub, its a decades-old way of preserving fresh fruit by macerating it in sugar, then adding vinegar to extend the lifespan - the end result being a sweet, sour and fruity syrup. The cool part about it is it doesn’t have to contain alcohol and makes for an amazing mocktail for those of you who just want a refreshing beverage to drink at home during the day.
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We may have bought almost too many strawberries at @ambrosefamilyfarm the other week and had the idea to turn these vine-ripened strawberries into a black pepper/strawberry shrub for a balance of sweet, spicy, sour and fruity. Now the fun part is taking this syrup and creating a cocktail out of it. I used @hendricksgin because of the cucumber notes, then added our black pepper/strawberry shrub syrup, lime and mint to create a refreshing springtime drink you can make at home.

Figs + Uncle Val’s Gin = Summer