Featured Craft Cocktail – Strong Hold
Strong Hold The Strong Hold Cocktail has been my go-to all summer. All of my favorite expressions of a balanced cocktail are showcased in this drink. The bonded rye whiskey is spicy and rich while the Aperol softens the heat with bitter sweet rhubarb. Then, the sweet is countered by fresh lemon juice lending to […]
Featured Classic Cocktail – Whiskey Sour
Whiskey Sour The Whiskey Sour is a well-known classic cocktail containing whiskey, lemon juice and sugar. Often, craft bars add a touch of egg white for texture. It is shaken and served either straight or on the rock. With the addition of egg white, I prefer it straight to avoid diluting the drink. Like […]
La Marca Prosecco: Cocktail Ingredient (Really!)
Here at Great Lakes, we’ve been playing with two fast-growing trends: Prosecco and wine-based cocktails. The reps broke into teams and came up with five drinks. A talented local bartender helped with some tweaks and voila… 5 delicious, bubbly cocktails to enjoy this summer and all year round. Check out the recipes that our on-premise […]
Featured Craft Cocktail – Fresh Start
The Fresh Start cocktail was originally inspired by the well-known Mojito. When creating this cocktail I wanted to showcase the versatility of Silver tequila in a way everyone could enjoy. It’s a perfect marriage between Tiki and Tequila. I use Silver Tequila in this cocktail for a couple reasons. Silver Tequila is neutral in color […]
Featured Classic Cocktail – The Paloma
My choice for this month’s Classic cocktail is the most popular Tequila concoction in Mexico, the Paloma. Though little is known of its history, La Paloma translates to “The Dove” which is a popular folk song composed in the early 1860s. Expressive Blanco Tequila is the foundation for this cocktail. I choose to use a […]
Independence from History? That Doesn’t Rhyme.
We normally try to coordinate the theme of this blog with the delicious recipes our Cocktail Ambassador features on these pages every month, but in traditional fashion, other things than the perfectly measured ingredients inspired us. As much as we love a good Paloma, the combination of Tiki and Tequila in the Fresh Start got […]
The Tea Party, the Sugar Act, and a Daiquiri?
One of these things is not like the other, and trust us when we say this has nothing to do with current day politics or congressional primaries. But it is most certainly about American history and the events that shaped the drinking culture of this country, i.e. why we drink what we do and why […]
The Mayan: Featured Craft Cocktail
The Mayan For this month’s contemporary cocktail we choose to feature the winning cocktail from the GLWAS cocktail competition. The winning group consists of Bryan Smith, Jessica Mellon, Nikki Pollock, and Kim Kurzawa. Bryan shared with me their thoughts when crafting this tasty drink: “Originally, I wanted to create a cocktail loosely based on one […]
Featured Classic Cocktail: The Mai Tai
Mai Tai Now that spring is finally here and summer approaches I have a taste for Tiki! The focus of this month’s classic cocktail is the legendary Mai Tai. The name “Mai Tai” comes from the Tahitian word Maita’i which mean “good”. This tasty concoction was invented in 1944 at the Trader Vic’s restaurant in […]