TRY THIS AT HOME: PIECES OF EIGHT WITH TIKI RUM

We see a tall, frosty, tropical cocktail in your future. This weekend, try a classic tiki drink called Pieces of Eight with our new Tiki Rum. Cardinal bartender Chris Resnick shows us how to shake it:

PIECES OF EIGHT

Makes 1 cocktail

2 ounces Cardinal Spirits Tiki Rum
1/2 ounce fresh lemon juice
1/2 ounce fresh lime juice
1/2 ounce passion fruit syrup (1:1 passion fruit juice and simple syrup)

1. Add everything to shaker with ice.
2. Shake, then pour everything from the shaker, including ice, into a tall glass.

 

MORE DELICIOUS TIKI RUM RECIPES

Mojito // Daiquiri

SECRET INGREDIENT: AROMATIC BITTERS

House-made aromatic bitters and a Cardinal Sling cocktail. 

At some point, we've all left bitters out of a cocktail recipe, right?

Well, all of us except for Cardinal bar manager Logan Hunter. He wouldn't ever skip bitters, and he doesn't think you should, either.

The case for bitters is simple, he says: they magically perk up and bring balance to a cocktail.

Bitters are high-proof alcohol that is intensely infused with botanicals: herbs, spices, bark and roots. Aromatic bitters — known as a bartender's salt and pepper — are steeped with fall and winter spices and are found in classic cocktails like Sazeracs, Singapore Slings and Manhattans. Because it's usually called for in such small quantities — a dash or two at a time — bitters might seem like a throwaway ingredient. Poor bitters! Do not make them feel sad.

"Bitters are so strong and so concentrated that a few drops can make a big difference," Logan says. "It's packed with so much flavor."

Angostura is the quintessential brand of aromatic bitters, but there are dozens of options out there. At Cardinal, Logan and the rest of the team make a slew of bitters in-house to use in cocktails. Varieties include walnut, lavender, cinnamon, orange and aromatic.

If you're wondering why the drinks you make at home aren't tasting like the ones you get at the bar, bitters might be your answer. A bottle is a home-bar essential. It won't go bad. It doesn't need to be refrigerated. And, if all else fails, you can use it to cure hiccups.

Alright, let's practice with bitters. At Cardinal, we make a cocktail called the Cardinal Sling, which was by far our most popular drink when we first opened. Its delightful sweet and sour balance is achieved with — you guessed it — bitters.

CARDINAL SLING
 

1/2 ounce simple syrup
3/4 ounce fresh lemon juice
1 ounce sweet vermouth
1 dash aromatic bitters
1 1/2 ounces Cardinal Spirits vodka
1 1/2 ounces club soda
Lemon wedge, for garnish

1. In a shaker with ice, add simple syrup, lemon juice, sweet vermouth, bitters and vodka.
2. Shake vigorously, then strain into an old-fashioned glass.
3. Add ice and top with club soda. Garnish with a lemon wedge. 

TRY THIS AT HOME: MOJITO WITH TIKI RUM

Need a cocktail recipe for tonight? Tomorrow? Right this minute? In the middle of summer, you can't go wrong with a refreshing mojito. Cardinal bartender Baylee Pruitt shows us how to make this classic:

#NAILEDIT: 9 'TALES OF THE COCKTAIL' DRINKS WE WANT RIGHT NOW

Tales of the Cocktail, a big, boozy trade event for the spirits industry, happened last week in New Orleans, and we definitely did some stalking via Instagram. We were sad to miss it, but these drinks impressed us even from afar:

TRY THIS AT HOME: COFFEE LIQUEUR + TONIC COCKTAIL

Fizzy iced coffee is so hot right now.

Over at thekitchn.com, the coffee columnist declares: Coffee and Tonic Water Just May Be Your New Favorite Summer Drink.

(It is.)

Meanwhile, Bon Appétit asks, "What’s cooler than being cool? Ice-cold coffee with a whole lot of tonic water."

(So true.)

Drink writer Kara Newman says "the lines between cocktails and iced coffees are being increasingly blurred this summer."

(Kara would not lie about this stuff.)

Yes, coffee and tonic is this summer's power couple. And we know how to make it even better.

Cardinal Spirits' Songbird Craft Coffee Liqueur plus tonic is a genius two-ingredient cocktail. It has the cool-factor of a Negroni: casual, yet bold and flavorful. 

Our Songbird Craft Coffee Liqueur is a total secret weapon on its own — it has a smooth, intense coffee profile, with a hint of sweetness. It makes this whole coffee-and-tonic idea even more appealing, because you don't need to pull an espresso shot or make cold-brew coffee ahead of time. You just add tonic to the liqueur, giving it a refreshing, zippy twist. You could use soda water instead for a more mellow take. This is a masterful impromptu cocktail — the kind of thing you pour when friends pop by. 

COFFEE LIQUEUR + TONIC 

1-2 ounces Cardinal Spirits' Songbird Craft Coffee Liqueur
Tonic water (or substitute soda water)

Add coffee liqueur and ice to a glass (use 1 ounce liqueur for a small glass; 2 ounces for a larger glass). Top slowly with tonic or soda. Stir gently.

And that's it. It could not be easier. If you're itching for a little garnish, try a sprig of mint, a swath of citrus peel or a stick of cinnamon.

TIKI RUM IS HERE

Sun's out, rum's out.

Say hello to Tiki Rum! Our newest spirit will be released on Saturday at Cardinal Spirits — come on by to sip new cocktails and buy a bottle to take home. Got a grass skirt? A sweet tiki shirt? Let's see them on Saturday! Dress the part.

This light rum has beautiful tropical flavors that make it perfect for cocktails, tiki or otherwise. So why did we call it Tiki Rum, if it's good in just about anything? It's an ode to #tikituesday masterminds Chris Resnick and Baylee Pruitt. For months, these two have been making crazy-good tiki drinks on Tuesday nights with Cardinal vodka, gin and whiskey — everything BUT rum. 

We got started on rum-making as soon as we could, experimenting with a variety of foundations like cane sugar and molasses, and a handful of yeasts, which is where all the flavor comes from. It took some time, but now, it's here!  

One of the first cocktails we'll make with our Tiki Rum is a classic daiquiri. This is not the slushy kind served poolside. Here, Chris shows us how to make the simple yet perfect original version:

DAIQUIRI

Makes 1 cocktail

2 ounces Cardinal Spirits Tiki Rum
3/4 ounce fresh lime juice
1/2 ounce simple syrup

Add all ingredients to a shaker, then add ice. Shake well, then strain into a coupe glass. Garnish with a lime wheel.

INTRODUCING: Queer Vodka, supporting Bloomington Pride

Who are these good-looking humans? Bloomington PRIDE board members (L to R): Kyle Hayes, Justin Ford, Kristina Simmonds and Sarah Gordon.

What does rainbow-infused vodka taste like?

Come find out on Thursday, when we release Queer Vodka, a special-label vodka by Cardinal Spirits in support of Bloomington PRIDE.

The bottles, sold at the distillery only, are $25 each and 10 percent of sales will be donated to Bloomington PRIDE. Join the flock and be the first to get your hands on a bottle at Birds of a Feather: A Fundraiser for Bloomington PRIDE this Thursday, July 16, from 5-10pm at Cardinal Spirits. The event is open to the public and a $5 donation is suggested.

We'll have a special fundraising cocktail, too, called The Scarlet Macaw, made with vodka, our housemade Redbird Elixir and pineapple juice. 

Did we really infuse this vodka with rainbows? We did shine light through a prism and into the vodka. Turns out, that doesn't impart any flavor, but it does make the vodka fabulous. 

Bloomington is lucky to have an incredible organization like PRIDE, which puts on two major events annually: a film festival in the winter and Summerfest in the ... summer.

Sarah Perfetti, the executive director of Bloomington PRIDE, says the Queer Vodka money will be used to fund the 2nd annual Summerfest on Aug. 29. The celebration features a parade, entertainment, local food and drinks, and educational workshops — and PRIDE is hoping to make it even more festive this year.

"The reason to grow it is to have an awesome, fun celebration for queer history," Sarah says. "One thing our festival does — and I've never seen this done at another pride festival — is offer educational workshops."

One workshop, organized by Bloomington PRIDE's youth community, will focus on gender and will address using correct pronouns. Another will be about activism and how to support minority groups within the LGBTQ community.

Sarah points out that it's been a roller coaster of a year, swooping from the lows of the Religious Freedom Restoration Act to the highs of same-sex marriage equality. And there's still a lot of work to do. But, overall, it feels like it's time to celebrate, she says. 

"I really love that our organization has so much support from local business," Sarah says. "We have something that's beautifully branded and labeled that shows we're engaged in the community. I feel like this is really timely."

You'll also be able to order drinks make with Queer Vodka at The Back Door starting soon.

Raise a glass and toast to friends and family, LGBTQ allies and activists and everyone fighting the good fight. Thanks for supporting Bloomington PRIDE!

Big Red Liquors makes a custom whiskey

Big Red Liquors and more than 40 of its top whiskey-loving customers did something rare and amazing this weekend: they began making a special-edition whiskey from scratch at Cardinal Spirits.

This isn't just a custom label. Anyone can select a few barrels, have that bottled and call it their own. But here's a group that is steering the entire process to get a whiskey that they can truly call their own. Big Red has been a champion for Cardinal Spirits from the start, and we couldn't have asked for a better team for our first custom whiskey project.  

Everyone there on Saturday signed the barrels, which will likely be ready to go in two years or so. The whiskey will be available first to the Big Red customers who made it.

Big Red is the largest liquor store chain in Indiana, with about 50 stores in Bloomington, Indianapolis, French Lick, Martinsville and Terre Haute. Our vodka and gins are available in many Big Red stores, but if yours doesn't carry Cardinal Spirits, just ask for it. Big Red will make it happen. 

Drop the Beet cocktail

It looks like red wine. It even tastes a little like red wine. But, actually, this is a gin cocktail called Drop the Beet, on the menu right now at Cardinal Spirits. 

Created by Cardinal bartender Andrew Wind, Drop the Beet has our American Gin, beet shrub and grapefruit juice. Get to know this cocktail, then come in and try it for yourself: 

>> THE SECRET INGREDIENT  A shrub is a sweetened drinking vinegar. Andrew makes a beet shrub for this cocktail by soaking red beets in demerara sugar and balsamic vinegar, then liquifying it all into a flavorful syrup. 

>> IN THREE WORDS Earthy. Bold. Acidic.

>> ANDREW SAYS "Beets have this great inherent sweetness to them. They are robust enough to stand up to a vinegar, and bring sweetness to it."

>> GARNISH IS A NO-GO You won't find a citrus peel, an herb sprig or a booze-soaked cherry accessorizing this drink. It is served unadorned on purpose — the drink is a statement on its own.

TRY THIS AT HOME: CARDINAL SODAS

Photos, story and recipes by Shelly Westerhausen,
of Vegetarian Ventures and Driftless magazine

Summer cocktails don't get any easier than this — a three-ingredient Cardinal soda. One: homemade simple syrup. Two: a Cardinal Spirits clear spirit of your choice. Three: soda water. 

Simple syrup at its most basic is equal parts sugar and water, heated until the sugar dissolves. But you don't have to stop there. Adding fresh, seasonal fruits and herbs yields syrups that are worth building a cocktail around.

Today, we'll show you how to make three flavorful varieties of simple syrup: Cold-Pressed Cherry-Ginger, Pineapple-Turmeric and Roasted Strawberry + Tarragon. Each will elevate your cocktail game and each has its own method of preparation.

We like the idea of setting syrups and spirits out at a summer party and letting guests make their own sodas. These versatile recipes can be made with whatever fruit you have on hand, so experiment and play around with your favorite flavors. 

CARDINAL SODA

Makes 1 cocktail

2 ounces Cardinal Spirits Vodka, American Gin, Standard Gin or White Oak Whiskey
1 ounce simple syrup of your choice (recipes below)
Soda water

Add spirit and syrup of your choice to a glass filled with ice. Top with soda water.

Cherry-Ginger Cold-Pressed Simple Syrup

A fruit’s flavor changes when you cook or boil it. To achieve syrup as close to the actual flavor of the fruit as possible, I recommend trying this cold-pressed method, which involves very little hands-on time. The upside of this method is that it results in a vibrant flavor, but the downside is that we are not heating the fruit, so this simple syrup won’t last for more than a week in your fridge. It is so delicious that it doesn’t last long around here anyways. You can strain the syrup, but I usually prefer to just keep the little bits of cherries in the syrup for an extra boost in my cocktails.

½ cup sugar
½ cup cherries, halved and pitted
1 teaspoon grated ginger
¼ cup hot water

1. Combine the sugar, cherries, and ginger in a bowl or large jar and use the back of a heavy spoon or muddler to break apart the cherries and to release their juices.
2. Add the hot water and continue to smash until the sugar dissolves.  
3. Let sit for 30-45 minutes, stirring and smashing occasionally. Strain if desired.

Pineapple-Turmeric Simple Syrup

This is the most common method for creating simple syrup and can be used to make pretty much any flavor imaginable into a syrupy form that is perfect for cocktails. I used pineapple juice in this recipe to avoid having to strain later on and avoid having to add water. However, this method can be easily done with fresh fruit and you’ll just need to add water in a 2 to 1 (2 parts sugar, 1 part water) ratio. Also, since we are heating this syrup, it should last up to three months in an airtight container in the fridge.  

1 teaspoon turmeric
1 cup pineapple juice
1 cup sugar
Peels from half a lemon

1. Combine all ingredients in a small saucepan and bring to a simmer. Let simmer for two minutes, stirring constantly, or until all of the sugar dissolves.
2. Remove from heat and let cool completely. Once cooled, remove lemon peels.

Roasted Strawberry + Tarragon Simple Syrup

The last method we have today is roasting the fruit to bring out the natural juices. As mentioned before, cooking fruit alters its flavor and, in this case, we are looking for that roasted flavor in our final syrup. If you’ve ever had a roasted strawberry then you already know that it tastes completely different than its fresh counterpart, but it's still delicious in its own way. Again, since we aren’t heating the whole syrup, I’d recommend only keeping for about a week in the fridge. 

1 quart of strawberries, halved, and green parts removed
1 cup sugar, divided
4-5 sprigs of tarragon (depending how strong you want the flavor to be)

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
2. Toss the strawberries with half of the sugar and lay in a single layer on a roasting pan. Add the tarragon sprigs and roast for 15 minutes.
3. Remove from heat and let cool slightly. Add in the rest of the sugar and use a muddler or the back of a spoon to smash the strawberries as much as possible, making sure that the sugar has completely dissolved in the process.
4. Let cool completely and then strain.