THE BOOZY COUSIN
My husband Michael is quite the hobbyist bartender and together we came up with this recipe during one of our “date nights at home”. The inspiration comes from a holiday wine cocktail served at one of our favorite restaurants, Firefly in Los Angeles, which holds a special place in our hearts as it’s also where we first met.
On naming our creation: since sangria is known as the “Sweeter Cousin” to wine, we thought it fitting that this should be the “Boozy Cousin” to sangria. Warning: it’s potent… very potent! But also very delicious, perfect for a holiday party, and a cocktail we’re excited to share with all of you.
Think a fruit and cinnamon infused wine punch with a kick of bourbon. You can play around with all of the ingredients to really make it your own- add more or less fruit, more or less simple syrup for sweetness. Just stick to the ‘1 bottle of wine to 1 cup of bourbon’ ratio. Garnish with a cinnamon stick and some of the added fruit and serve room temperature or slightly chilled.
A final note, we discovered that once the liquid is gone, the leftover fruit mixture makes the most scrumptious cranberry sauce! See below for recipe.
We hope you like it!
THE BOOZY COUSIN
Servings: About 6 (very potent) glasses
Ingredients
1 (750ml) bottle of red wine (I like to use a medium to full bodied wine like a Merlot. A Rioja would be awesome too!)
1 cup of your favorite Bourbon
1 12 ounce bag cranberries
1 large orange cut into wedges
1 pear, peeled, remove core in center, and cut into wedges
1/4 of a lemon cut into a wedge
1/4 of a lime cut into a wedge
4 cinnamon sticks
4 ounces of simple syrup (mix 1/4 boiling water and 6 tablespoons sugar until dissolved)
Directions:
Mix all ingredients into a large pitcher or mason jar and gently stir to combine.
Let sit for at least one hour before serving.
Stir again before serving.
Can be stored in a covered container at room temp or in the refrigerator for up to 2 days.
*Boozy Cranberry Sauce
(It’s likely not all of the alcohol will cook out, so to be safe, please keep this side dish for adults only.)
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Place soaked, leftover fruit mixture (minus liquid) in a baking dish. Sprinkle 1 cup of sugar evenly on top. Cover tightly with foil and bake for 1 hour. Carefully remove foil and gently stir mixture. Discard everything except the cranberries and pears. Place these two ingredients into a bowl and chill. Can be stored in the refrigerator for 10 days or you can freeze it for up to 2 months.
