Author: littlebitte

Little Bitte & Free People

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Introducing ‘The Violet Kir’

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Our new cocktail recipe for Free People inspired by the signs of spring!

Lemon balm is a powerful antioxidant, calms the mind and promotes restful sleep, normal blood sugar and helps protect brain & liver cells naturally.

The Violet Kir

¼ oz Creme de Violette liqueur (we like Giffard Crème de Violette)

¼ oz Creme de Cassis (we like Giffard Cassis Noir de Bourgogne)

Fresh lemon balm for garnish

Sparkling wine top

Preparation: Pour liqueurs into a champagne flute or coupe. Very slowly top with chilled sparkling wine and garnish with lemon balm.

 

For more exquisite lifestyle practices, recipes & healthy tips visit one of our favorite blogs:  Free People &  Exquisite Practices, Lush Life: Week 2

Photos by the great Jenna Robb

<3 Little Bitte

New England Tropicalia with Little Bitte

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The Piña Caipirinha 

The Piña Caipirinha

The Piña Caipirinha is a twist on the classic Brazilian cocktail that replaces sugar with pineapple for a delicious tropical update.

It’s officially spring and (despite this mini cold stretch) we can hardly wait to put on our culottes and flip-flops. We simply can’t get our minds off of the tropics and warm weather classics, and this caipirinha recipe is just the thing for getting into that balmy, summer-breeze state of mind.

The caipirinha – Brazil’s national cocktail – contains cachaça (a raw sugar-cane spirit), fresh muddled lime, and sugar. It’s the cousin of the mojito, minus the mint…

Our take on the classic caipirinha replaces the sugar with juicy, ripe pineapple. The sweet tropical floral notes of this tropical fruit flesh out the acidity of the lime as well as the complex layers of the cachaça. Ok, so pineapples aren’t exactly a local ingredient, but they’re in season right now and have such a strong correlation with hospitality and Rhode Island that we couldn’t resist.

<3 Little Bitte

For the recipe & the rest of this delicious story: 

visit www.puddingstonepost.com

Photos by the fabulous Lindy McDonough

An Inspirational Mojito

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The Honeybee Mojito

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Photo by Chip Riegel

We LOVE mojitos. Looking for the perfect spin on a classic for your next gathering? Think of the incredible native mint varieties at our fingertips here in New England- chocolate mint, orange mint, ginger mint, curly mint, spearmint… You can almost taste the possibilities!

Little Bitte sources organic locally grown herbs to garnish and accent your signature cocktails: aromatic magic meets visual pop! Now that really leaves an impression.

Check out the Honeybee Mojito on ediblerhody.ediblefeast.com!

<3 Little Bitte

 

Ring in Spring with the Triple Crown Julep!

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Derby Day & The Etiquette of the Julep

The mint julep became the official cocktail of the Kentucky Derby in 1938. The recipe calls for muddled spearmint, sugar and a splash of water topped with crushed ice and bourbon. The cocktail was born in the American South in the late 18th century and was originally made with brandy, gin, genever and, finally, whiskey. Today, Woodford Reserve bourbon is the definitive brand of the Kentucky Derby. A julep is meant to last several hours, hence the heavy proportion of whiskey to sugar and copious amounts of crushed ice…

Always garnish with a fresh mint sprig, and remember: These little darlings pack a punch.

For the Triple Crown Julep recipe & the rest of the story read on at http://ediblerhody.ediblefeast.com/

Julep Photos by Chip Riegel

<3 Little Bitte

The Grade A Pisco Sour: A Classic Updated for Maple Syrup Season

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The traditional pisco sour gets updated with maple syrup, a nod to sugaring season across New England. 

In 1641, King Philip IV of Spain sanctioned heavy taxes on all wine produced in Peru. Instead of revolting, his indignant overseas subjects evaded the burden by distilling their grape harvest into booze. Talk about the mother of invention.

Pisco (which means “bird” in the indigenous Quechua language) remains a popular spirit today. The clear brandy-like libation is named for the Peruvian port from where it was first exported. Made from grapes fermented with their skins still on, it goes through a single distillation, meaning there’s no water added; each batch is pure and unaltered…

This is culinary alchemy: The culmination is light but rich, tart and ambrosial.

Visit  Puddingstone Post for the full story & the Grade A Pisco Sour recipe.

Join us for Fifth Annual Eat Drink RI Festival!

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Join us April 28 – May 1, 2016 for the
Fifth Annual Eat Drink RI Festival!

Come find Little Bitte during the Eat Drink RI Festival 2016! We’ll be demoing a brand new cocktail recipe at 1:20pm on Saturday with Indie Growers at the Grand tasting and hosting a gorgeous cocktail bar at the Grand brunch on Sunday, May 1st featuring savory, sparkling and classic cocktails. Get your tickets today!

Now in it’s fifth year, the Eat Drink RI Festival is expanding to be an even bigger,
better and more delicious showcase of the culinary world in Rhode Island.

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The 2016 Festival kicks off Thursday, April 28th with the fifth installment of Dinner by Dames, a unique experience bringing together some of Rhode Island’s most talented female chefs & bartenders for a multi-course dining event.

On Friday evening, it’s the return of the Truck Stop to benefit the Rhode Island Community Food Bank showcasing the excellence and variety of Rhode Island’s mobile restaurants. The Truck Stop features local musicians, and also benefits an organization dedicated to ending hunger, held at the ALEX AND ANI City Center in Kennedy Plaza.

Saturday’s Grand Tasting features samplings of locally produced beer, wine & spirits, as well as an abundance of local food artisans at the Rhode Island Convention Center. During the Tasting there will be three Culinary Demonstrations featuring Rhode Island’s top chefs paired with a local producer to wow attendees with some of the best food in the country.

On Sunday, we close the Festival with the Grand Brunch prepared by some of the state’s best chefs and pastry chefs. In addition to the food, the Brunch features entertainment by jazz student musicians, performances by The Chifferobe TropiGals, New England’s premiere vintage dance company, a coffee bar by New Harvest Coffee Roasters, and a cocktail bar by Little Bitte Artisanal Cocktails!!!

PURCHASE TICKETS HERE

THE CLASSIC DAIQUIRI, REDEFINED FOR WINTER

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The classic daiquiri – which consists of just rum, lime, and sweetener – originated in Cuba, which is probably why it conjures images of palm trees and sand. But New England’s coldest months are also prime time for citrus, when farm fresh produce can be hard to get. Limes and lemons travel well and are relatively long lasting, which means they taste like they should when they land in our northern markets….

Read on for the Queen Bee Daiquiri recipe & to learn more about its origin on Puddingstone Post!

<3 Little Bitte

FAT THURSDAY with Eli’s Kitchen + Little Bitte

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When? Thursday, 2/11/16 | 5pm & 7:30pm seatings

Where? Eli’s Kitchen, 40 Market Street, Warren, RI
Tickets: $50 family style dinner, 2 cocktails + LIVE music!

Get your tickets: http://fatthursday.brownpapertickets.com/

Classic New Orleans dishes by Chef Eli served family-style including gulf shrimp jambalaya, gumbo, grits & po boys accompanied by signature sazeracs, sparklers & hurricanes prepared by Little Bitte. Join us for live music by Paula Clare Blues & enjoy farm-to-table food & drink with a whole lot of soul!

<3 Little Bitte

 

Amore Amaro – Praise for the Italian Bitter

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Little Bitte’s Chamomile Spritz – photo by Chip Riegel

Amore Amaro
Praise for the Italian Bitter

Italian amari (translated: bitters) are a category of liqueurs that require a level of linguistic and gastronomical translation. Meant to stimulate the appetite as an aperitivo or calm the stomach as a digestivo, amari are traditionally served neat or on the rocks with an orange twist. When mixed in appropriate proportions, they add immense herbal complexity to cocktails.

Decode the elaborate layers of an amaro by adding a splash to a glass of sparkling wine and experience the silky, herbaceous (and sometimes vegetal) nuances of the spirit. The Chamomile Spritz is a lightly floral cocktail that illuminates the lemony and caramel tones of Amaro Nonino, a bittersweet amaro made with a secret recipe composed of pungent bark, herbs, citrus peel and sugar. Wind down an evening with a soothing sparkler that settles the nerves, calms the stomach and beguiles the taste buds.

Amaro: A single liqueur. Translated, “bitter” in Italian.
Amari: Plural form of amaro. Signifying more than 1 amaro, or the category of spirits.

Chamomile Spritz

½ ounce amaro Nonino 

½ ounce chamomile-honey syrup* 

fresh sprig thyme twisted  into a wreath for garnish  

splash sparkling wine (I like Morphos American Sparkling wine from Maine)

INSTRUCTIONS

In cocktail glass, pour Amaro Nonino, chamomile-honey syrup and top with sparkling wine. Garnish with a tiny wreath of fresh thyme.

* Pour 4 ounces (½ cup) boiling water over 2 chamomile tea bags and steep for 25 minutes. Discard the teabags, add 4 ounces local honey, stir and pour into a clean glass jar. Refrigerate up to 1 month.

For more delectable reading visit ediblerhody.ediblefeast.com