SoulBoxer Cocktail

I'm addicted to Costco. Which probably isn't the best thing for a household of 2. We consume their pretzel rolls by the bag full–which is bad considering each bag has roughly 30some rolls in it. Add an artichoke dip or basil-garlic compote butter and yeesh, my pants are already feeling tight and we aren't even in December yet!

Costco has lots of goodies for this Thanksgiving weekend and Christmas...including a pumpkin pie that is larger than your hubcap. Amongst the rows and shelves, I found a goodie stored away at the end of one of the wine and liquor rows. The look of the bottle is what grabbed my attention–it read: SoulBoxer Brandy Old Fashioned. The label was fun and modern. Into my cart it went.

As per the label, this cocktail can be served over ice or with a sweet or sour soda. Garnish with an orange slice and cherry. If you've read my blogs, I prefer an olive with my old fashioned, but I couldn't find a spear (unprepared) and passed on the garnish.

I popped open the bottle and took a big whiff. Lots of bitters and aromatics filled my airways. Smells like the holidays. First, I tried the mix straight-up. It burned a bit going down. After another taste, I savored it. Not too sweet. Heavy on the bitters. A subtle fruity taste. Very tasty!

Next step was to pour in a bit of 50/50. It's my preferred soda to make a brandy old fashioned. I like the grapefruit tones in it and it's nostalgic for me. Growing up, the only time we ever had 50/50 was in Thanksgiving and Christmas. Occasionally, a can or two was leftover and would re-emerge at Easter.

Enough with the tangent–I like this mix even more with the 50/50! It really makes a perfect old fashioned! By far and away, this is the best mix I've had from a store. I'd recommend this mix for a party and for those who don't always want to have sugar cubes, bitters, brandy and cherries on hand. And for $18, this is a steal! This would make a great gift for your out-of-state relatives and friends.

According to their website, SoulBoxer Brandy Old Fashioned is out of Madison and is the first in their line of classic cocktails for people who care about the drink in their hand. Created to bartender specifications, the Brandy Old Fashioned is premium California brandy flavored with Door County cherries and real oranges, and blended with bitters and pure cane sugar to create a fresh take on an American classic. 12 servings.

I can't rave about this product enough. I will definitely be picking up a few more bottles on my next Costco trip. Perfect for the holidays!

So with that, I'm thankful for cocktails, especially those with bitters & brandy. I'm thankful for football. I'm thankful for my readers. And as for my typical holiday blogs, this one is dedicated to my dad who is no longer with me in person, but always on my mind.

Cheers!