A Taste of Tiki : Modern Tropical

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The tiki genre is one of the most alluring and misunderstood movements in American cocktail history. Known for its romanticized mash-up of Pacific island cultures, tiki was invented in 1930s Hollywood by a world-traveling rumrunner named Don the Beachcomber, born Ernest Raymond Beaumont Gantt. Tiki cocktails were a liquid vacation and an escape from the darkness of the Depression era. Eighty years later, tropical cocktails continue to deliver the miraculous ability to evoke paradise, no matter the climate.

Visit Edible Rhody for the full story & “The Wolf of Mainstreet” cocktail recipe  by our pal Jason Kindness.

Photograph by the great Chip Riegel.

Hot Toddies + Tipsy Tea with Little Bitte

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Adding amaro liqueur to this botanical tea blend creates a warming hot toddy that’s perfect for sharing with friends as winter turns to spring.

I had always hoped that high tea would catch on in America the way it’s revered in the U.K.: English tea served in a pretty cup flocked by diminutive sandwiches, scones, and clotted cream. But it wasn’t until college when I was working in a tea house that realized that I could begin my own ritual of taking tea whenever and however often I wanted. Eureka! The endless imaginary tea parties of my childhood finally came alive.

I oscillate between perky peppermint blends and bold blacks, sometimes with milk or honey or both. And when I have company in the afternoon, I love to break out the botanicals and customize a hot toddy for the occasion – I’ll take any excuse to have a tea party. The beauty of the toddy is its simplicity. Choose a base spirit, such as rum, whiskey, scotch, or cordial, add a sweetening agent and hot water, and you’ve got a deliciously warming libation.

The true alchemy of the Ruby Tea Toddy is that the aromatics of the amaro fortify the floral botanicals of the tea: Lush hibiscus notes pop with the astringency of orange peel; lavender tempers the sweet essence of mint leaf and chamomile with a most sensual balance, a light herbal smack to the palate. This tipsy tea is a botanical daydream. It’s the perfect libation for inviting your gal pals over. Assemble a sumptuous snack to celebrate one another, as well as your daily feats, flops, and the pleasures of everyday.

<3 Little Bitte

Green Cocktails for Saint Patrick’s Day

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We’ve been perfecting our favorite green cocktail for Saint Patrick’s Day – the recipe is tinted naturally with our famous emerald honey syrup made with matcha green tea powder & a hint of spirulina. How’s that for healthy sipping? Cheers!

2 ounces Jameson Irish Whiskey
1 ounce Emerald honey syrup*
Top with your favorite ginger beer
1 shamrock for garnish
Emerald honey syrup*
Pour 4 ounces of boiling water over 1 teaspoon of match green tea powder & 1 teaspoon of Spirulina and whisk together. Add 4 ounces of honey and dissolve into the solution. Cool, bottle and refrigerate for up to 1 week.
Preparation: fill your bar tin with Irish whiskey and honey syrup. Shake over ice, pour into the coupe, top with ginger beer and garnish with a shamrock.

Little Bitte Sunshine

This Turmeric and Gin Cocktail Is Like Sipping Liquid Sunshine

 Turmeric, honey, and grapefruit add a sweet, earthy flavor to Little Miss Sunshine, which uses a botanical gin as its base spirit.

I crave sunshine in the winter. No matter how many hikes in the woods, walks on the beach, trips to the park, prances through the snow – I still want that placating light and heat of the sun… How does one truly sip in the sun during winter, despite the grey skies and winter blues? Fresh citrus and turmeric help immensely, and Little Miss Sunshine, our latest cocktail concoction, is an homage to the sun when we need her most.

It’s no coincidence that the Latin name for grapefruit is citrus x paradisi, or rather,

citrus = paradise, delivered as it is in a lovely yellow-orange rind. Broiling grapefruit is an exciting way to add a bit of caramelized sweetness to the fruit. I coat the flesh with a teaspoon of honey (instead of sugar) for added floral notes and broil it until I see a bit of char for visual drama and smoky notes, about 5–8 minutes depending on your oven.

Little Miss Sunshine deserves an aromatic, woodsy gin like St. George Terroir, which is infused with Douglas fir, bay laurel, wok-roasted coriander, and a hint of citrus. Solo, Terroir feels like sipping in a verdant forest, then discovering a sunny clearing full of wildflowers. Yes, this gin is that botanical. I round it out with turmeric-honey syrup for another dash of spicy, earthy sweetness…

Read the Full Story and Recipe Here

Countdown to NYE…

View More: http://emilydelamater.pass.us/artiststudio

We’ve got NYE preparations + celebrations on the mind.

Do you know what you’ll be sipping come New Years Eve?

Perhaps a Spicy Rita or Piña Caipirinha to set the tone? It is citrus season after all…

Some years we ascend to the mountains of Vermont with friends and family, some years we flock to the Big City for a bit of sparkle, and some years we whisk off to far away lands with sandy beaches. What will this year bring? Stay tuned for our signature New Years cocktail recipe that is about to be the hit of the party.

Our New Favorite Fall Cocktail

Every November, during the calm before the storm of the holidays, I start scheming the cocktail recipes that will carry me through the season from party to party and cheers to cheers. I make a list of all of the beautiful treasures of the fall harvest for inspiration – the sweet-savory juice of fresh beets and carrots that shine in a sour; the pineapple sage that I’ve packed into raw honey to make syrup; and the seemingly bottomless basket of apples that I will savor into the new year with countless pies, spiced old-fashioneds and compotes.

I’m a huge fan of sparkling cocktails for the holidays. They’re light and effervescent and evoke a certain twinkle in the eye and glow of the cheeks. In addition to bubbles, spritzes can include a base spirit, a cordial, fresh juice, or any combination of the three.

My favorite sparkling cocktail right now is The Orchard Spritz. The base is Thomas Tew dark rum (made by Newport Distilling Co.), with its amber notes of vanilla, caramel, oak, and just enough pepper to drive a bit of heat into the bones. St.George spiced pear liqueur adds some sweetness along with hints of cinnamon and clove. I also include fresh lemon juice, which animates the cordial with a lively zest. Rhody Coyote cider adds….

Visit Puddingstone Post for the recipe & the rest of the story!

<3 Little Bitte

It’s the Summer of Mezcal, and This Is the Frozen Raspberry Drink of Your Dreams

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“A good berry picker moves with her hands, not her feet.” The words have been emblazoned into my mind from years of driving up the dirt road to the berry patch at Macomber Farm. I can still see Mr. Macomber whizzing down the path on his clunky mountain bike, all wheels and spokes, a cloud of dust trailing behind him to meet me by the fence and the “Pick UR Own” sign. Strewn on the picnic table, an inviting stack of green paper baskets would be waiting to be filled to the brim with the ripe berries of the moment.

Even today, as I approach a different farmer, questions dart through my mind: Will he have any strawberries left? Are the raspberries ripe yet? When do the blueberries usually come in, again? How many berries is too many to eat in the field? Damn it, did I leave my sun hat in the car? Yes, I am sure I did…

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My favorite mezcal cocktail is the Raspberry Frezcal. I know it sounds Seussian, but it’s the name that’s stuck, summer after summer, when the fresh berries come in. Frezcal is like the older sister of frosé (yes, that’s frozen blended rose) that only leaves the house in kitten heels – vibrant, pink, frothy, and a bit of an ice queen. I love Raspberry Frezcal….

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For the Raspberry Frezcal recipe & the full article visit: www.puddingstonepost.com

Many thanks to Sweet Berry Farm, Kat Cummings, baby Amon, &  Emelyn Daly

for playing the muse!


<3 Little Bitte

 

PIMM’S Cup R&D

It’s that time of the year again to revisit one of our favorite classics— the Pimm’s Cup!

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 An exquisite vehicle for fresh summer fruit, herbs & produce, the Pimm’s Cup reigns as one of the best cocktails to ring in the golden hour.

Inquire about our Pimm’s signature cocktails!

#raisethebar #pimmsoclock #gardentoglass #drinkrealcocktails

<3 Little Bitte