Binny's Blog

Light, refreshing and relatively low in alcohol is all the rage in certain circles these days, so this summer we have tried to bring you cocktail recipes that fit the bill. Today we have a lower alcohol riff on one of the all-time Tiki classics, the Mai Tai.

Beaujolais is fresh, fruity, and festive. Beaujolais is an every night delight, priced right. Beaujolais is gravitas and a true expression of terroir. Beaujolais is conviviality; the tie that binds friends, old and new. Beaujolais is family, food, and fun. Most of all, Beaujolais is for sharing, on your best days and every day. 

Off-dry, effervescent, and with bursts of exotic fruit notes and just a touch of alcohol, a Moscato wine is all about pleasure.

We at Barrel to Bottle have always advocated for treating yourself to high quality ingredients. Sugars are no different. Simple syrups are simple to make, it’s right in the name. But the sugars you can use to make simple syrup have deep, complex flavors that will elevate your cocktails.

A modern riff on the classic Tuscan bread salad, panzanella, is designed specifically to delight all you home gardeners and mavens of farmers markets. A bright, light, fresh but umami laden salad course is built for outdoor dining or summer parties.

The Tuxedo cocktail is a highfalutin riff on the Martini with Fino Sherry in place of the Vermouth. It’s potent, crisp, and tangy from the Sherry and makes for a fun Martini alternative whether at a black-tie event or a backyard BBQ.

Join The Whiskey Hotline for a virtual tasting of Sinister Single Malt from Foundry Distilling and Left Hand Brewing.

Caponata is a signature dish of Sicily. It’s a slightly sweet and sour mixture of vegetables akin to France’s Ratatouille or Spain’s Pisto Manchego. It can be eaten on bruschetta, as an appetizer or as a side for fish or chicken.

We all knew that at some point, Producer Jim would need to take a vacation. We ended up with a bunch of outtakes from over the years, and he compiled them in one place for your listening pleasure. Enjoy!

Calhoun County peaches are so good, in fact, it almost seems a pity to do anything but eat them out of hand, but we took a cue from a recent episode of our Barrel to Bottle podcast that featured a few riffs on the Smash and muddled our way through our own version. A sort of Bourbon Peach Smash mania ensued. We kept things Illinois centric by using the most excellent Whiskey Acres Bourbon and hyper-local mint (backyard terroir!) and the results were stunning.