Binny's Blog

Each year the number of Christmas beers continues to grow. Cold winter weather and decadent dinner parties have inspired everything from rich roasty porters and stouts, to spicy winter warmers and barleywines.

The taste of bourbon is a bit too austere for some. Fret not; there are some wonderful cocktails that can soften it up a bit. One such example is the Minneapolis Hustler. This cocktail has much in common with a classic cocktail from years past known as the Oriental Cocktail.

Give this unconventional bourbon cocktail a try. The key ingredient in this drink is Orgeat syrup, a sweet and nutty syrup familiar to Tiki devotees like myself, but a mystery to many. Do yourself a favor and pick up a bottle tout suite. This delicious almond syrup is the magical ingredient in dozens of tropical drinks, most famously the Mai Tai.

The mint julep has been a smash for centuries due to its potent yet supremely refreshing profile. It is now utterly unthinkable to let a Derby Day go by without enjoying a Julep or two. For those of us who have watched as mint has taken over our herb gardens this is just the starting gate for a Julep filled summer. That is definitely a hands down win!