Yes, I know the Sangria Mule is not a classic cocktail. Yes, I know I haven’t exhausted the classics yet. However, the blackberries in my refrigerator need to be eaten and the red wine needs to be used up, so this is happening.
And given our current set of circumstances, we are using what we have and we won’t be wasting anything – not a single blackberry, and certainly not wine… the very thought!
I’ll start by saying I don’t gravitate toward tequila drinks. But this… this I could gravitate toward.
And it’s pretty. I like pretty.
Sangria Mule
Makes one cocktail
2 ounces tequila
1 ounce red wine (I use Pinot Noir), chilled
1/2 ounce lime juice
4 ounces ginger beer, chilled
blackberries and lime slices for garnish
fresh mint leaf for garnish (optional)
Fill glass 1/2 full with ice. Add tequila, wine and lime juice. Stir gently. Top with ginger beer. Add blackberries, lime and mint for garnish.
It’s good, people. You can sip this, close your eyes and envision yourself on a beach in Mexico with the sunshine and the waves and the heat. See… you can travel anytime with the right drink.
Now, go make yourself one and turn on a tropical beach screensaver. Play some island music. Enjoy your little escape.
I don’t know about you, but when the history books write about us hoarding toilet paper and social distancing, I’m gonna be like, “Yeah. Well, check my blog. I drank. And I drank some good stuff.”
Ok, maybe that’s a bit extreme. I literally made one cocktail a night. It was good. And that was all. Sometimes I shared with my husband. Sometimes.
And truth be told, I started this on my first night of “social distancing”. OMG – my predictive text fills in “social distancing” now. That’s messed up. Anyway… the evening of March 16, 2020 was the first night of my classic cocktail making. I figured, I have the booze, I have the time, and I have the internet. It’s the only responsible thing to do. I’ll add in all of those days later, but right now, it’s day 8.
And Day 8 is The Sidecar.
If you don’t like citrus, this is NOT for you. Lemon juice and Cointreau put this drink solidly in the citrus category.
I’ve read many variations on this recipe. It calls for congac or brandy. If you don’t have that, then bourbon. Apparently brown liquor is in the ingredient list.
I used bourbon because I don’t have brandy. And I can’t say I recommend doing that. I firmly believe that if you don’t know what you’re doing, you should stick strictly to the instructions. HOWEVER, these are interesting times, and that trumps (and I VERY much hesitate to use that word, but it’s what the English language affords me) having the perfect ingredients. We use what we have, so bourbon (my fav) it is. But I do fear I’ve adulterated my bourbon, and the recipe. So unfortunate.
Sidecar
Ingredients: 1 1/2 oz congac (or brandy) (or bourbon), 3/4 oz Cointreau, 3/4 oz lemon juice, ice, lemon peel
Pour all liquid ingredients and ice into cocktail shaker. Shake vigorously. Strain into cocktail glass. Twist lemon peel over top of glass and place in glass.
That said, it’s a fun little cocktail. I’d love to don a “fit n’ flair“ fruit printed cocktail dress and have all my friends over and serve them sidecars from a perfectly shaped glass from my sideboard. Maybe when these interesting times are a memory.
I’ll be sharing Classic Cocktails days 1-7 as the spirit(s) move(s) me. People, there’s a lot going on from day to day. I have children e-learning, a doggo that suddenly thinks we’re here for her undivided attention, laundry piling up, stresses I didn’t know existed mounting. There’s a lot to process. I’m sure you more than understand. You, as they say, “get it”. Stay sane and well, my people.
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