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!

Thanksgiving Round-up: 2014 style

Last Thanksgiving I shared with you how I like to make my old fashioned. I also poured some out for my Grandma, who passed away a few days before.

I found this awesome blog with amazing old fashioned graphics. Enjoy. PS, who wouldn't love a blog named House of Hipsters?

This Thanksgiving is a hard one. My dad passed away earlier this year. He was more of a grapefruit & tequila kind of guy, but knew how to make an old fashioned. I miss him very much and will be remembered every moment this holiday season. And because it still makes me laugh...here is a photo not of my dad, but his doppelganger at a Packers game last year.

Enjoy the moments with your loved ones. Even if it makes you crazy.

Traveling Old Fashioned Bar

The traveling old fashioned bar was a great success. It visited many houses. It made many drinks. It converted many Michiganders and Illinoisians. It restored faith to Wisconsinites.  It even taught a of lesson with a demonstration.

Merry Christmas to me!

Christmas begins for me in just a few hours. The presents have been wrapped with care. The car will be packed up tightly with three dogs and surprises. I made it through the snow storm. And best of all, I have mostly kicked this head cold that has been daunting me for the past couple of days. Lucky for me, I have already received some amazing gifts this year! First, my secret santa at work was amazing and very thoughtful. She took my blog banner and made it into a print on a canvas, WITH glitter. I love glitter. She also created a traveling bar for me! Well stocked too, might I add.

 

The second gift I received from another good friend is an amazing shirt! I can't wait to show it off, but first I need to lose some of this Christmas bulge. I have a St. Patrick's Day goal for this shirt. It is a must wear for that holiday!

I hope your Christmas is full of great surprises that make you feel like a kid again!

Old Fashioned Thanksgiving Weekend Round-Up

Due to unforeseeable circumstances and my need for planning, this was the first year that my husband and I opted to do Thanksgiving at our house with two of his married army buddies (one who happens to be my best friend). The day was filled with excitement and glee that I haven't felt about any holiday in a long while.

I had my turkey and two sides set-up in a crockpot, as well as a dip in a crockpot and a snack bar set-up. I also set-up an old fashioneds bar! The bar contained sugar cubes, slices of oranges, morello cherries, Korbel brandy, bitters, ice and 7-up.

I made my drinks by using a rocks glass with a heavy bottom (tunc). I added 1 or 2 cubes of sugar, depending if they preferred sweet/sour, and drenched the cubes in bitters. I then added a slice of navel orange and 2-4 morello cherries. I prefer morello because they are tart pie cherries, verse sweet, sugary Maraschino cherries. I then eye-balled a solid 2 shots of brandy and masticated the fruit with a fork (I don't own a pestle). I added ice and a splash of soda to the top of the drink.

I am tooting my own horn, they were wonderful and I drank them all day.

I did switch to wine when we finally ate dinner.

On Friday we drove to Union Grove to the Southern Wisconsin Veterans Memorial Cemetery to celebrate my Grandmother's life. She passed away just before Thanksgiving. She was a wonderful woman who served in WWII as a Navy nurse. I will remember her contagious giggle, spark for life and her independence. 

Grandma always said a party was not a party without a drink! At her eulogy, we mentioned her love of brandy Manhattans. Manhattans use sweet vermouth instead of sugar. I cannot stomach vermouth, so I celebrated her life with several brandy old fashioneds and many family members. We spend lots of time catching up and sharing memories. Grandma wouldn't have been disappointed.

Saturday, my husband and I had drinks and dinner at the new Mahoneys on Wisconsin. Then a couple of more drinks at Oblios and saw a show at the Backlot Comedy Club. Mahoneys and Oblios are on the top of my list for future reviews. Drinks were great at both places!

So that is my Thanksgiving round-up. A slight deviation from my usual blog entries, but a must share.

Merry Christmas.

Christmas Eve was ridiculous, as usual. I always enjoy spending time with my family even if it is utterly chaotic and often full of LOUD VOICES. The booze started early and was tasty. Today is a recoop day before work starts again. Merry Christmas!

Merry Christmas Eve

This is my Christmas with my family and it surely will be full of old fashioneds. It is our tradition. I hope you and yours a very Merry Christmas.