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.

How are you using Cardinal in cocktails?

We are curious: What amazing cocktails are you making with Cardinal Spirits at home? Will you take some pics and tag us? And maybe share the recipe? Here's a few that have caught our eye...

@carolinefm

@jmariekatz

@rosolina

@trevord23

JULY 4 GIN PUNCH RECIPE

It's Punch + Pitcher week on The Drop.
Every day, we'll share a recipe for a drink to make for a crowd this July 4 weekend.

This is a no-fail punch — a delicious crowd-pleaser that's incredible easy to make today and all summer long. Happy 4th! And don't forget that all bottles are $17.76 each through the end of the day at Cardinal Spirits. 

JULY 4 GIN PUNCH

1 part Cardinal Spirits Standard Dry Gin
1 part soda water
1 part cranberry-raspberry juice
Raspberries, for garnish

Chill all ingredients before serving. Pour Standard Dry Gin, tonic water and berry juice into a punch bowl or pitcher. Float raspberries in bowl or use as garnish. 

rosé can you see punch recipe

It's Punch + Pitcher week on The Drop.
Every day, we'll share a recipe for a drink to make for a crowd this July 4 weekend.

This little beauty pairs rosé with our American Gin, which has floral and citrus notes. Those two are delicious on their own, but then you add a little blackberry jam, and, whoa. This is the kind of thing you could sip all day long. 

Using jam in cocktails is a sneaky way to mimic simple syrup without any of the work. 

As far as rosé goes, you can use either still or sparkling. Can we make a suggestion? Right now, we're loving Chambourcin Rosé from Olivery Winery in Bloomington. Adjust the soda water depending on the type of rosé — if you're using still, add soda water, and if you're using sparkling, you can go easy on the soda water or omit all together.

rosé, can you see

Serves 6

3 tablespoons blackberry jam
3 ounces Cardinal Spirits American Gin
24 ounces rosé, chilled (3 cups)
Soda water, optional
Blackberries, for garnish

1. Combine jam and gin in a pitcher, and stir until jam dissolves. Strain off seeds if desired.
2. Add chilled rosé; stir.
3. Add soda water, if desired, and garnish with blackberries.
    

BLOOD ORANGE PUNCH RECIPE

It's Punch + Pitcher week on The Drop.
Every day, we'll share a recipe for a drink to make for a crowd this July 4 weekend.

Today's cocktail for a crowd comes from Cardinal bartender Chris Resnick, who combines vodka with blood orange and lemon juices for an immensely refreshing punch that goes a long way. A splash of vanilla extract is a surprising twist that rounds everything out — don't skip it! — and soda water keeps things light and bubbly.

Fresh-squeezed juices are so worth it, but if you can't find blood oranges for this recipe, substitute bottled blood orange juice or soda. Keep in mind that blood orange soda is carbonated and sweetened. If you're using it, omit the simple syrup and go lighter on the soda water. Fresh grapefruit juice would also work in place of the blood oranges.

BLOOD ORANGE PUNCH

Serves 10-20

1 bottle Cardinal Spirits vodka
18 ounces fresh blood orange juice (about 9 oranges)
13.5 ounces fresh lemon juice (about 9 lemons)
9 ounces simple syrup
1/4 ounce vanilla extract
1 bottle soda water, more or less to taste
Citrus wheels, for garnish

1. Combine vodka, citrus juices, simply syrup and vanilla in a punch bowl and stir. 
2. Add ice and soda water to taste.

Summer of Love punch recipe

It's Punch + Pitcher week on The Drop.
Every day, we'll share a recipe for a drink to make for a crowd this July 4 weekend.

Our first recipe for Punch + Pitcher Week comes from Cardinal bartender Andrew Wind, who created an incredible punch around Flora, our newest liqueur. Flora is part of our Songbird series of low-proof spirits that are made with botanicals — Flora has hibiscus, elderflower, jasmine and fresh raspberries.

Andrew's punch combines Flora with fresh citrus juices and a little fizz for the perfect daytime drink. We'll timestamp this one at about 1:15pm Saturday. And, can we talk about how pretty it is? A beautiful blush hue, dressed up with some nasturtiums from the garden.  

SUMMER OF LOVE PUNCH

Serves 4

9 ounces Cardinal Spirits Flora liqueur
6 ounces fresh orange juice (about 2.5 oranges)
3 ounces fresh grapefruit juice (about 1/2 of a grapefruit)
6 dashes Angostura bitters
4 ounces club soda
Leftover citrus, for garnish
Edible flowers like nasturtium or orchids, for garnish

1. Combine Flora, orange juice, grapefruit juice and bitters in a pitcher with ice. Stir for 15 seconds.
2. Strain off ice, then top with 4 ounces club soda.
3. Garnish with citrus and edible flowers.

CARDINAL SPIRITS ADDS 40,000 EMPLOYEES

Wednesday was a fun day at the distillery. We hoisted a bee hive full of around 40,000 new employees to the roof, and they are thriving in their new location. Co-founder Adam Quirk's father-in-law Dan Schroeder and uncle-in-law (and Cardinal Spirits investor) Walt Schroeder drove the bees down from their apiary in Fort Wayne. Adam has been a bee enthusiast for a few years after spending time tending hives with the Schroeder brothers on trips to Fort Wayne.

The new hive will provide honey starting in September, which will be used to flavor Cardinal Spirits Honey Vanilla Vodka, as well as some new cocktails in the tasting room.

Video by Chris Kowalczyk

INTRODUCING: FLORA

Imagine what hummingbirds taste when they drink nectar from flowers.

That's the gist of our newest spirit, Flora, which makes its debut on Saturday at the distillery (join the party). It's light and fresh, floral and sweet — in a word, lovely. We'll have it for sale by the bottle, and we'll be serving it in new cocktails.

Flora is our sixth bottled spirit, and the second in our Songbird series of liqueurs, which are made with botanical ingredients. We tested several combos of botanicals before landing on this balanced, beautiful nectar, made with hibiscus, jasmine blossoms, fresh raspberries and elderflower.

See you on Saturday, our little hummingbirds!