GIMLET RECIPE WITH STANDARD DRY GIN

Cardinal's bar manager Logan Hunter shows us how to make a proper gimlet.
It's a tart and refreshing favorite.

With just three ingredients total in this classic gin cocktail, you must use great gin. There's nowhere for crappy gin to hide in a Gimlet. 

Our Standard Dry Gin is a great gin with a fragrant juniper profile — it's a natural beauty that can be dressed minimally with lime juice and simple syrup and be a knockout. 

"This is my favorite cocktail," says Jeff Wuslich, co-founder of Cardinal Spirits. Pause. "But ... I don't want the other cocktails to feel bad."

We'll never tell.

GIMLET

Makes 1 cocktail

2 ounces Cardinal Spirits Standard Dry Gin
.75 ounce fresh lime juice
.5 ounce simple syrup
Lime peel

1. Add gin, lime juice and simple syrup to a shaker with ice. Shake vigorously. 
2. Strain into a coupe glass. Squeeze a lime peel over the cocktail, then twist the peel and use it as garnish. 

MORE GIN COCKTAIL RECIPES

Negroni  |  Bees Knees  |  Rose + Gin Punch

TRY THIS AT HOME: COFFEE LIQUEUR-CARAMEL MILKSHAKE

Recipe and photos by Shelly Westerhausen

Each time we hear about a new way to use Songbird Craft Coffee Liqueur, it seems like the best idea ever. But this. THIS is the one that tops them all. A boozy milkshake spiked with coffee liqueur is one of the most decadent, otherworldly things you can sip through a straw. 

What makes this milkshake so special is a couple of divine homemade extras. The first is a cocoa-shortbread crumble, which, when tucked into the bottom of the glass and heaped on top, adds a perfect crunch. The second is caramel sauce, which winds throughout the shake to give it even more flavor. If you're short on time, you can substitute store-bought cookies and sauce, of course. But, trust us: making it all from scratch is totally, completely worth it. 

Coffee Liqueur + Caramel Milkshake With Cocoa Shortbread Crumble

Serves 2

For the Cocoa Shortbread Crumble:
½ cup all-purpose flour
½ teaspoon cornstarch
¼ cup cocoa powder
¼ cup sugar
Dash of salt
½ teaspoon vanilla extract
Dash of coffee extract (optional)
3 tablespoons butter, melted

For the Caramel Sauce:
1 cup sugar
1 tablespoon light corn syrup
¼ cup water
½ cup heavy cream
2 tablespoons butter
½ teaspoon salt

For the Milkshake and assembly:
¼ cup whole milk
3 tablespoons caramel sauce, plus more to taste for garnish
3 cups vanilla ice cream
1 ounce Songbird Craft Coffee Liqueur
2 tablespoons cocoa shortbread crumble, plus more to taste for garnish

For the Cocoa Shortbread Crumble:

1. Preheat oven to 300 degrees and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
2. Combine the flour, cornstarch, cocoa powder, sugar, and salt in the mixing bowl of a stand mixer. Using the paddle attachment, mix until combined.
3. Add in the vanilla extract, coffee extract (if using), and butter and beat until the dough has formed into small clusters. 
4. Transfer the clusters to the prepared baking sheet and spread into a single layer. The dough should be crumbled into pea-size pieces (or smaller). Bake for 15 minutes, stirring the crumbs around halfway through. Remove from heat and let cool. The crumbles will harden as they cool.

For the Caramel Sauce:

1. In a small saucepan, cook the sugar, corn syrup, and water over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until the sugar has dissolved.
2. Increase the heat to medium-high and bring to a boil. Once bowling, DO NOT STIR (this makes the caramel grainy) cook for eight minutes, swirling the pan around occasionally, or until it has formed a deep brown color.
3. Remove from heat, immediately add in the cream, and stir. Next, add in the butter and salt and whisk until smooth. Set aside and let cool slightly before using. 

To assemble:

1. Combine the milk, caramel sauce, ice cream and Songbird Craft Coffee Liqueur in a blender and blend on high speed until smooth.
2. Place a tablespoon each of the cocoa shortbread crumble in the bottom of two glasses and drizzle a little caramel sauce around the inside of each glass.
3. Divide the blended shake between the glasses and top with more caramel sauce and cocoa shortbread crumb. 

NOTE: If you'd like, you can add more coffee liqueur to usher this milkshake into cocktail territory— just cut back on some of the whole milk so that the shake stays nice and thick. 

More recipes for Songbird Craft Coffee Liqueur:

Cafe a l'Orange  |  Coffee and tonic  |   Up and Attem  |   White Russian

Hey, Bill! (and a Cardinal-sponsored screening of Groundhog Day)

This Friday, Cardinal Spirits is sponsoring a screening of Groundhog Day at Butler Park as part of Bloomington's Movies in the Parks series. We love this series — you bring blankets and snacks and an extra sweatshirt to your local park, claim a little space on the ground with your friends and family, and watch a movie together under the stars starting at dusk. It's free and open to the public. We hope to see you there!

As sponsors for this Friday's movie, we got to choose the film. The organizers said the movie had to be rated PG. We said it had to star Bill Murray. Groundhog Day was right in that sweet spot.

Why Bill Murray? The short answer is that he's amazing. The long answer is below, with Cardinal Spirits co-founders Adam Quirk and Jeff Wuslich:

There is a framed Bill Murray print hanging in the production area of the distillery. If you go on a tour, you can see it up close. Or you can just peek at it through the door that leads to the production facility, back by the bathrooms. What's this all about?

Adam: I bought that picture probably 3 or 4 years ago online and I was going to hang it at my house, but my wife did not like that idea. I built the distillery so I would have a place to hang it. 

And now that whole room is known as Bill Murray?

Adam: Yes. We have two spaces in the back that are both part of our production facility. When someone was looking for someone else, we would say, "He's in production," but that could mean either of those spaces. So, we decided to call one space "Bill Murray" for clarity. It's the area where things are packaged and shipped out.

Jeff: We also have a printer back there, it's called Bill Murray's Printer, and it always feels good to print to that. A receipt printer up front is also called Bill Murray. It can get very confusing.

So, Bill Murray. You guys must think he's pretty great?

Adam: He's a personal hero. I just think he has an incredible sense of humor and I like the way he lives life. He lives in the moment. 

Jeff: And he doesn't have an agent.

Adam: Yeah, if he had an agent he would probably get roped into doing a bunch of crappy movies he doesn't want to do. 

What's the closest you've come to meeting Bill Murray?

Jeff: Well, Groundhog Day was filmed in Pittsburgh, and I was once at the building where it was filmed. I was eight years old then ... so, that was four years before the movie was filmed. Actually, I'm not even sure he was in the scenes that were filmed at that building. And, I guess it could have been filmed at a sound stage. But they showed the outside of that building in the movie.

Adam: I lived in Brooklyn when he was hanging out in Brooklyn in the mid-2000s. I would hear from a friend of friend that he would show up at parties in Williamsburg. Any time I would go to Williamsburg, I had my eyes open.

Sounds like some pretty close calls, guys. What would you do if Bill Murray showed up one day at Cardinal Spirits? 

Adam: I would ask him if he wanted to distill something. 

Jeff: I've told the staff, they need to call me if Bill Murray shows up. I do have this nightmare where I come into the distillery one morning and the tables are turned over, and all the booze is gone, and everyone is passed out, and I'll be like, "Guys, what happened last night?" and they'll whisper, "Bill Murray."

What do you think he likes to drink?

Adam: I don't know. He was in that scotch ad in Lost in Translation.

Jeff: I think he's a tequila guy. I read that somewhere.

What job at Cardinal Spirits would best suit him?

Adam: Probably giving tours.

Jeff: Parking attendant. 

What's your favorite Bill Murray movie?

Adam: I've probably seen Caddyshack 300 times. There was a period when my roommate was, I would say, addicted to Caddyshack. He would watch it every day, sometimes twice a day. It was just the soundtrack of our lives for a year. I think he's good in that, but my favorite Bill Murray movie is The Life Aquatic.

Jeff: It's hard to pick a favorite, but probably The Royal Tenenbaums.

NEGRONI RECIPE WITH STANDARD DRY GIN

In its birthplace — Italy — the Negroni is an apéritif, a before-dinner drink. Here, we drink it before, during and after dinner. It's just that good. Italy always has the best ideas!

The Negroni is bitter, but balanced. Elegant, but unfussy. A fantastic go-to drink. And, the recipe is easy to memorize — the proportions are 1:1:1. 

Cardinal Spirits bar manager Logan Hunter shows us how to make a classic Negroni:

NEGRONI

1 ounce Campari
1 ounce sweet vermouth
1 ounce Cardinal Spirits Standard Dry Gin
Orange peel

1. Add Campari, sweet vermouth and gin to a tall glass with ice, then stir.
2. Strain into an old fashioned glass with a large ice cube.
3. Squeeze an orange peel over the cocktail to release the oil, then twist the peel and use as garnish.

Want more cocktail recipes? You got it. Find all of our recipes right here. 

CARDINAL IN THE WILD: MALIBU GRILL

Get to know the places that serve and sell Cardinal Spirits.

Cocktails at Malibu made with Cardinal Spirits (L to R): Pimm's Cup No. 106, Cardinal Club, Cardinal Smash.

VITALS >>  Malibu Grill, on the Square in downtown Bloomington. Restaurant, full bar, patio. 

THE SCENE >>  Calling this place an institution makes it sound too stuffy, but it is an indispensable Bloomington classic. The bar turns out solid cocktails from a knowledgeable crew — on the menu, you'll find well-made, unfussy classics plus bartenders' creations. To some, it's a sports bar. To others, it's where deals are done. Simply put: It's the kind of place that always feels right.

CARDINAL SIGHTINGS >>  Three cocktails made with Cardinal Spirits are on the menu. There's the tall and frosty Pimm's Cup No. 106, with American Gin, Pimm's, lemon, cucumber, mint and ginger beer. Then there's the elegant Cardinal Club, with American Gin, orange curaçao, lime and bitters. And, the refreshing Cardinal Smash, with vodka, muddled fruit, mint and lemon.

POPULARITY CONTEST >>  Aside from the classic cocktails on the menu, the most popular drink at Malibu is the Pimm's Cup with Cardinal Spirits Vodka, says Emmie O'Connor, the lead bartender at Malibu. "It's a really light, refreshing, patio kind of drink. It won't weight you down the way a Manhattan would," she says. 

TRY SOMETHING NEW >>  Tired of the same old, same old? Give the snappy Niko Suave a shot. This tequila-lime juice-vanilla liqueur cocktail was inspired by a tequila daiquiri that Emmie had once in Cleveland. 

THE EMMIE WAY >>  "The way my brain works when it comes to cocktails, is I start with something classic — a margarita build or Manhattan build — and keep twisting it until it's something different," Emmie says.

SECRET WEAPON >>  Fresh ingredients from the bottom up, including fruit juices and simple syrups. "Juice, juice juice. I can't tell you how many limes and lemons I've juiced. It's a labor of love," Emmie says.

PRECIOUS CARGO >>  Malibu is the kind of bar where a coupe glass is filled to the tippy-top and gets delivered without losing a drop. We could all benefit from this bartenders' trick: Do not look at the drink while you're moving it. "I don't know why it works, but it does," Emmie says.

INSTAGRAM THIS >>  The Pimm's Cup with Cardinal Spirits Vodka (above) is ready for its close up. A tall, vibrant cocktail with a lush mint sprig and a stripey straw. Adorbs.

BEST SEAT IN THE HOUSE >>  Seat D4. It's the last seat on the short side of the bar, right next to the wall. You can see everything from here, Emmie says, including a full view of the bartenders doing their thing. Also, booth 33: It's the last booth before the kitchen, and a favorite of Malibu regulars.

THE OFF-MENU ORDER >>  The Deantini — it's Grey Goose vodka on the rocks with two blue cheese-stuffed olives and a lemon twist. The martini was named after Dean Kleinschmidt, a Malibu regular for years and years, and a former head athletic trainer for Indiana University's football team.  

SO SPECIAL >>   Monday: $5 Moscow Mules. Tuesday: $12 select bottles of wine. Wednesday: Half-price martinis. Thursday: $5 bartender's choice. Sunday: $5 Bloody Marys and mimosas.

OFF DUTY >>  What does Malibu's head bartender drink when she leaves work? A glass of red wine or a dark spirit on the rocks, Emmie says. 

TRY THIS AT HOME: BRAMBLE COCKTAIL RECIPES

Did you grab a bottle of Bramble, our newest spirit, over the weekend? Flavored with local black raspberries, blackberries and hibiscus, this vodka is a summer essential. It goes great with so many flavors, from green tea to ginger, and it plays well with gin and our coffee liqueur, too. The best part is that you don't need a ton of ingredients to make cocktails with it. Try these easy Bramble cocktail ideas:

BRAMBLE MARTINI

2.5 ounces Cardinal Spirits Bramble Vodka
1/4 ounce fresh lemon juice
Blackberries, for garnish

1. Add vodka and lemon juice to shaker with ice. 
2. Shake vigorously and strain into a coupe. Garnish with a blackberry.

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BRAMBLE ICED TEA

1.5 ounces Cardinal Spirits Bramble Vodka
4 ounces iced tea

Combine Bramble and iced tea in a glass with ice. Garnish with a big mint sprig and lemon wedge. 

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BERRY BRAMBLER

2.5 ounces Cardinal Spirits Bramble Vodka
1/2 ounce Cardinal Spirits Songbird Craft Coffee Liqueur
1 dash orange bitters

1. Combine ingredients in a shaker with ice. 
2. Shake vigorously, then strain into a coupe glass. 

CAFE A L'ORANGE COCKTAIL RECIPE

Our amazing Cafe a L'orange cocktail is deceptively simple. Just coffee liqueur, vodka, ice and an orange peel. The magic is the oil in the orange peel, not the juice. Give the peel a squeeze to release the oil, the wipe the peel around the rim of the glass. Watch Logan Hunter and learn. 

CAFE A L'ORANGE

1.5 ounces Cardinal Spirits Songbird Coffee Liqueur
1.5 ounces Cardinal Spirits Vodka
Orange peel

1.  Combine coffee liqueur and vodka in a shaker with ice.
2. Shake vigorously, then strain into an ice-filled glass.
3. Squeeze an orange peel above the drink to release orange oil. Wipe the peel around the edge of the glass and use for garnish.  

Big Red Whiskey Day

How great is it to be these Big Red Liquors customers? Big Red invited 40 of its top whiskey fans to make a custom bourbon from scratch at Cardinal Spirits. Here's what happened at the distillery on Whiskey Day:

This has got you thinking, right? If you're interested in making a custom spirit, we should talk. Email: hello at cardinalspirits dot com.

SUMMER DRINKING: 5 new cocktails at Cardinal

Our summer menu is loaded with Cardinal favorites plus five new cocktails crafted by our outstanding bar crew: Logan Hunter, Chris Resnick, Andrew Wind, Baylee Pruitt and Jake Cifuentes.

There's a little bit of everything: tart, sweet, herbal, bitter. The common thread is how refreshing they all are. Perfect for taking the edge off on these dastardly hot days.

The Apothecary (pictured): Dry vermouth, our house-made Redbird Elixir, tonic and aromatic bitters. In three words: Rustic. Bitter. Balanced.

River City Ransom: Tiki Rum, vanilla-allspice syrup, lemon juice, grapefruit juice, cinnamon bitters. In three words: Citrusy. Savory. Seasonal.

Pineapple Bottom Jeans: Tiki Rum, habanero syrup, pineapple juice, lemon juice, fresh mint. In three words: Hot. Tropical. Fresh.

Uppers and Downers: Standard Dry Gin, Cobra Verde (an iced green-coffee bean drink from Hopscotch Coffee) ginger syrup, black walnut syrup. In three words: Earthy. Refreshing. Spicy.

Beso de Ginebra: Standard Dry Gin, pineapple juice, lemon juice, ginger-allspice syrup, dry vermouth. In three words: Light, Crisp. Sweet.

Piña Colada with Tiki Rum

Piña Colada 

Makes 1 cocktail

2 ounces Cardinal Spirits Tiki Rum
1.5 ounces coconut cream
1.5 ounces pineapple juice

1. Combine all ingredients in a shaker with ice.
2. Shake, then pour into a tall glass.