TRY THIS AT HOME: AN OLD FASHIONED, 3 WAYS

Let's go on a cocktail expedition. First, we'll start with a classic: An Old Fashioned. Then, we'll twist it a bit. Then we'll twist it again, into something new and exciting, but with classic roots.

A lot of people won't stray from the classic recipe for an Old Fashioned, but Cardinal bartender Andrew Wind says we shouldn't be so reverent.

"As long as you keep the foundation the same — meaning a base spirit, a touch of sugar and bitters — you can take the Old Fashioned anywhere," Andrew says.

But first, we have to learn that foundation.

OLD FASHIONED

Makes 1 cocktail

2.5 ounces bourbon or rye whiskey
2 teaspoons rich syrup*
3 dashes aromatic bitters
2 dashes orange bitters
Orange and lemon peels, for garnish
Brandied cherry, for garnish

1. All all ingredients, except garnishes, to a shaker or pint glass, then add ice.
2. Stir gently, then strain into an old fashioned glass with ice, preferably one large cube.
3. Garnish with orange and lemon peels twisted together, and a brandied cherry.

*To make rich syrup (a sweeter simple syrup): Combine 2 cups demerara sugar and 1 cup water in a small saucepan over medium heat until the sugar dissolves. Remove from heat and let cool.

---

OK, here comes the first twist to the Old Fashioned. The foundation is still in place — spirit, sugar, bitters — but Andrew adds in alderwood smoked salt, which smells just like a campfire and gives the cocktail an intense briney and smokey profile.

KUMBAYA

Makes 1 cocktail

2.5 ounces bourbon or rye whiskey
Heft pinch of alderwood smoked salt
2 teaspoons rich syrup*
3 dashes aromatic bitters
2 dashes orange bitters
Orange rind, for garnish

1. In a shaker or pint glass, muddle whiskey and smoked salt. Add rich syrup and both bitters, then ice.
2. Stir gently, then strain into an old-fashioned glass with ice, preferably one large cube. 
3. Garnish with the orange rind.

*To make rich syrup (a sweeter simple syrup): Combine 2 cups demerara sugar and 1 cup water in a small saucepan over medium heat until the sugar dissolves. Remove from heat and let cool.

---

Ready to twist again? The Old Fashioned foundation is still here — spirit, sugar, bitters — but Andrew has swapped bourbon for rum and simple syrup for blackstrap molasses syrup. It's like a pirate's take on an Old Fashioned, with a delightful depth for having just a handful of ingredients.

BLACK PEARL

Makes 1 cocktail

2.5 ounces Cardinal Spirits Tiki Rum
.5 ounce blackstrap molasses syrup*
2 dashes Angostura bitters
1 dash orange bitters
Lemon rind and brandied cherries, for garnish

1. Add all ingredients except for lemon rind and cherries to a shaker or pint glass, then add ice. 
2. Stir gently, then strain into a coupe class.
3. Garnish with lemon rind and brandied cherries.

*To make blackstrap molasses syrup, combine 2 ounces simple syrup with 1 ounce blackstrap molasses. 

PUNCHES FOR LABOR DAY WEEKEND

Need drinks for a crowd this weekend?
Try one of these 5 fantastic punches.

ZINGER PUNCH

Makes 12 servings

1 bottle Cardinal Spirits Tiki Rum
17 ounces pineapple juice
8.5 ounces ginger syrup*
8.5 ounces fresh squeezed lemon juice
20 dashes bitters
Ginger beer, to taste

Combine all ingredients, except for ginger beer, in a punch bowl.
To serve, ladle punch into cups with ice and top with ginger beer.

* To make ginger syrup: Peel several chunks of ginger, slice into thin rounds. Combine 1 cup water and 1 cup sugar in a saucepan over medium-high heat, and stir to dissolve sugar. Add sliced ginger to the saucepan, and bring to a simmer. Remove from heat and let cool. Strain ginger slices from syrup before using.

BLOOD ORANGE PUNCH

SUMMER OF LOVE

ROSE CAN YOU SEE

GIN-CRANBERRY PUNCH

#tbt COCKTAILS

Our #tbt cocktail series begins this Thursday, and it works like this: every Thursday in September, we'll be making special pre-Prohibition cocktails. Dress the part and we'll make it worth your while (20% off cocktails). Next month and each month after that, we'll reach back in time for a new Throwback Thursday theme. So, dig out your high school letter jacket. It's going to come in handy at some point.

Our #tbt cocktails this week are the Stinger, with house-made crème de menthe; a Gimlet, classic gin-and-lime drink; and a Monkey Gland, a gin cocktail with housemade absinthe that tastes sort of like a Creamsicle, and goes down just as easy. 

One sip of the Monkey Gland, and you're going to want the recipe. So, here ya go.

MONKEY GLAND

Makes 1 cocktail

1.5 ounce Cardinal Spirits Standard Dry Gin
1.5 ounce fresh-squeezed orange juice
1/3 ounce grenadine
1/3 ounce absinthe

Shake ingredients with ice; strain into a coupe glass and garnish with an orange twist.

THE SOURCE: THE CHOCOLATE MOOSE

From our bar stools to our cocktail ingredients, everything that we source here
at Cardinal Spirits has a story. Eventually, we'll tell you all of them.

In towns across America, there's that one ice cream shop where everyone lines up on summer nights, hoping that the two dozen people in front of them have their order and money ready (they never do). In Bloomington, that place is The Chocolate Moose.

The tiny, old-school stand has a giant menu of homemade ice cream, soft serve and dairy-free flavors, served simply in cones or teased into shakes, floats, freezes, sundaes and parfaits. It's the kind of place where you might spend the entire time in line making a decision, and still not know your order when you get to the window.

The Moose's ice cream can be found at stores and restaurants in town, too. In fact, The Moose makes two varieties of spiked ice cream, just for Cardinal: Moscow Mule with our vodka, and one with our Songbird Craft Coffee Liqueur. We sell them both by the scoop and by the half-pint at the distillery. 

We caught up with Justin Loveless, the owner of the Chocolate Moose, to get the scoop on this Bloomington icon:

CARDINAL: We are a long way from moose country. How did this Moose come to be?

JUSTIN: The original owners, the May family, built a restaurant in the ‘50s. Their son was not interested in the food industry, but loved the idea of homemade ice cream. When the Mays retired, they handed the restaurant to their son who opened it as an ice cream shop called The Penguin. Sometime in the ‘80s the May brothers sold the shop, only to buy it back a couple of years later. At that point they lost the rights to the name, and rather than spend extra money buying it back, they changed the name to The Chocolate Moose.

Strawberry sundae.

A 50-cent googly-eyed Torch Cone.

Say it's your first time at the Chocolate Moose, and you are nervously looking over the colossal menu. What do you order?

Keep it simple so you don't get embarrassed in front of the 30 people standing in line around you. Just order a simple cup of the homemade ice cream.

Which ice cream flavor is most popular?

The top selling item is the legendary Grasshopper — homemade mint Oreo. I suggest throwing some hot fudge on it.

What do you suggest when it comes to a Blizz (ice cream blended with your choice stir-ins like brownies, cookie dough and Reese's cups)?

I'm a chocolate/peanut butter guy, so I go with the homemade Moose Dream (homemade chocolate ice cream with peanut butter cups) with Heath bar stirred in.

Tell us about The Moose's dairy-free options. 

Our homemade vegan ice cream is very popular. It is a coconut milk–based ice cream instead of dairy–based. The majority of the sweetener is agave nectar. We currently have Vegan Vanilla, Chocolate, Strawberry and Grasshopper. Special batches, such as Cookie Dough and Brown County Coffee, are made fairly often as well.

Moscow Mule ice cream made with Cardinal Spirits vodka.

The Moose is now on menus all around town, serves Uel Zing coffee and Brown County coffee ice cream, and has been making special appearances in places like Upland and now Cardinal Spirits. What's the idea behind all these collaborations?

It’s a win­-win situation. Collaborating offers co-­promotion and allows two brand communities to come together. Ice cream made with a vodka base is fairly simple. I had made that type of ice cream previously for other restaurants, so dialed in on the Moscow Mule for Cardinal Spirits. Then we moved to Songbird Craft Coffee Liqueur. Our winter project will be to pair with local breweries. Beer ice cream is a different animal.

What is in store for the Moose this fall?

We recently signed with Indiana University to be at sporting events, which is very exciting. We will have a stand that offers five or six different flavors available in half pints. The half pint is our newest twist.

Crowds at Food Truck Friday.

Instagram it!

On Fridays, a bunch of food trucks gather in your parking lot to serve lunch and dinner. How did Food Truck Friday get going?

It started as a fundraiser for the Project School at Bryan Park. Then we thought having food trucks would be a great way to utilize our parking lot. It’s fairly small overhead for us, and a lot of fun. Now we are theming each Friday, giving some a music festival feel, while others are focused on other big crowd pleasers.

The line outside the moose is almost always theme park worthy. Will ‘the box’ ever expand or change to meet the demand of anxious ice cream connoisseurs?

The theme is here to stay. Even with the possibility of future expansion, we would keep the feel of the place and all of the new additions would be made as replicas to what we currently have in place. The Moose has a footprint here in Bloomington.

Hey! We'll take one of everything.

A peek inside the tiny ice cream shop.

How does a tiny ice cream stand stay alive year­-round?

Wholesale and our ice-delivery program is what keeps us going in the winter. What started as a summertime boutique blew up — a lot of people want our ice cream, so we now distribute to a lot of local grocery stores around town, including the IGA’s in Spencer, Unionville, and Brown County. As for the ice, we deliver to bars after hours, and cater to big events like weddings and happenings on campus. Just a couple months ago we put in an ice kiosk. It’s pretty sweet.

Photos by Jonna Yost and Cardinal Spirits.

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.

---

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. 

---

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.